This pepper steak stir fry is thinly sliced flank steak cooked with red and green bell peppers in a savory sauce. A quick and easy meal that tastes even better than take out!
I always order pepper steak at my local Chinese restaurant, it’s one of my favorite dishes. This homemade version is ready in minutes and has that same great restaurant flavor.
There’s nothing better than a delicious Asian dish that’s not only easy to make, but also better than takeout. This pepper steak stir fry is a restaurant quality meal made in the comfort of your own home!
HOW DO YOU MAKE PEPPER STEAK STIR FRY?
This dish is a combination of sauteed bell peppers, browned steak and a savory sauce. The recipe starts by cooking the sliced peppers until tender. The next step is to add the thinly sliced flank steak into the pan. The finishing touch is the 2 minute sauce which gets poured over the meat and vegetables and then simmered until thickened. Add a bowl of steamed rice and dinner is ready!
I used red and green bell peppers in my Chinese pepper steak because that’s what I had on hand. However, any color of bell pepper is perfectly fine. Some bell peppers are sweeter than others. Red, yellow and orange peppers are typically sweeter than green peppers. Some pepper steak recipes call for tomatoes or onions, feel free to add those into the mix if you like.
To make your steak easier to slice, you can place it in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. Partially freezing the meat firms it up and makes it easier to get super thin slices. I typically use flank steak for this recipe as it’s readily available and super flavorful. However, sirloin goes great in place of the flank steak, if it’s preferred or if you have easier access to it.
WHAT KIND OF MEAT IS PEPPER STEAK?
Pepper steak isn’t an actual type of meat. The title can make it appear to be a specific type of steak but it’s just the name of the dish because it contains peppers and steak. The steak often used in pepper steak dishes is flank, sirloin, or round steak.
CAN THE STEAK BE COOKED IN THE OVEN?
If you would like to cook the steak in the oven, that’s perfectly fine to do, although you won’t get that seared brown crust. Simply make sure you don’t leave the meat in the oven for too long so that it dries out and becomes tough. You can place your steak in an oven proof pan and bake it for up to 15 minutes, depending on how well-done you like your steak. Be sure to stir it halfway through the cook time.
My family and I absolutely love a good stir fry. It’s so much nicer to make this steak stir fry at home rather than having to get everyone together to go out and eat. We like serving it over rice or sometimes eating it by itself. Either way, it’s delicious.
OTHER BEEF RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Steak Bites with Garlic Butter
- Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak
- Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers
- Soy Marinated Flank Steak
- Philly Cheesesteak Pasta
Pepper Steak Stir Fry Video
Pepper Steak Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil divided use
- 1 red bell pepper cored, seeded and cut into strips
- 1 green bell pepper cored, seeded and cut into strips
- 1 1/4 pounds flank steak thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Heat 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil over medium high heat in a large pan.
- Add the peppers and cook for 3-4 minutes or until just tender. Remove the peppers from the pan and place on a plate.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan. Season the flank steak with salt and pepper to taste.
- Increase heat to high. Add the steak to the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Add the garlic and ginger, then cook for 30 seconds.
- Place the peppers back in the pan with the steak.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, 1/4 cup water and cornstarch.
- Pour the sauce over the steak mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until sauce has just thickened, then serve.
I made this and it was so easy and delicious! Will defiantly make again
I have made this a few times and my family loves it! I also chop up a small can of water chestnuts and add that in for a little crunch it’s delicious and then when I’m done, I sprinkle some sesame seeds on top! Very good thank you!
Yum. Made it last night. Super easy and quite tasty. Will definitely make again.
So easy and fast, yet so delicious! The meat, the sauce and the peppers all came out so well. This is one of my husband’s favorites!
Very tasty
I just made the Pepper Steak it was awesome
Too salty, even though I added extra water to the sauce and did not salt the beef nor my rice that I served with it. But the basic flavor is good. I will use this recipe as a base for sukiyaki. Will add bamboo shoots, celery and bean sprouts.
The family loved it. We used honey instead of sugar and tamari instead of soy sauce.
Great recipe and a lot of fun to make! Everyone in our house loves this and the aromas are fantastic. Serve with a side of rice and homemade egg rolls. It is on our regular menu rotation!
This was delicious and my husband loved it. I did double the sauce , and added a some red pepper flakes , and did honey instead of sugar. I also marinated the steak in the sauce for about an hour , which really helped .
This was so delicious and so easy to make! I would second what everyone else says here that you should double the sauce recipe and I also added some onions as well. The dish came out fantastic and I will definitely be making this again!
This is one of our favorite meals!! We don’t change anything about it. Thanks for sharing. Definitely recommend
I was really nervous about attempting this recipe, as I have never had luck with stir fry dishes. I pulled it off and we were very pleased. It is just as good as ordering from a restaurant. This one is a keeper.
Delicious. Very much like what my mom used to make. I added sliced onion, doubled the sauce and served over rice. Thanks for sharing
I love pepper steak but I’m very picky about my pepper steak! Not every restaurant’s pepper steak has a flavor I like. This recipe is exactly what pepper steak should taste like. It’s perfect. Now I don’t have to search for pepper steak I like, I can just make it myself. I’ve made this a few times and every time it comes out perfect
Made this on our blacksone and it came out so good. So easy to make! Only thing I will do different is double the sauce.
Absolutely delicious
Fantastic recipe! I also added onions & doubled the sauce. I love the simplicity of this recipe & it comes together so fast & easy. Husband loved it more than takeout!
Thank you so much! Quick, easy, and delicious—what more could one ask for?! My husband kept picking at the leftovers, and I had to stop him so that our daughter could have some when she comes home from work. 😄