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.
Claudia says
I’ve made this recipe a few times and absolutely love it!!!
Because of my latest cravings, I made a few modifications this last time: added onions with the peppers, added toasted sesame oil to the regular oil and I love spicy food so I also added crushed red pepper flakes.
This recipe is bookmarked on my phone!!!
OJ says
This was awesome!! Tasted just like my takeout at my favorite Chinese place!!
Pam says
I just made this recipe. I used beyond steak.
This will be a regular meal in my house
Cindy says
I am so happy to see this comment. Just bought Beyond Steak for the first time and will be making this tonight! Going to add onions as well.
Paula says
Just made. Eating it now. Very good very easy. I u put it over riced cauliflower
Rutendo says
I made this recipe it was awesome I noticed I had run out soy sauce so I used Worcestersauce
But the family enjoyed
Leon Broadnax says
Made this dish and it was awesome.
William says
Pretty good!
Chris says
Delicious! Followed the recipe but added leftover thinly sliced steak at the end with the sauce. Served over bed of rice 👌🏻
Charles P says
It’s my first time trying this recipe and I’m glad I chose it. I usually draw my recipes from a very well known testing and cooking website but when I found a recipe for pepper steak stir fry there, the reviews were mediocre and it was cooked differently. I searched elsewhere and found this one; I liked how it was prepared so I made it tonight. The ginger (I used ginger paste) gave it a better flavor like I’d expect in a restaurant. The mixture added at the end with the sauce thickened nicely and coated the meat and vegetables well, and it wasn’t watery. It’s a good recipe and pretty simple.
Geoff Besler says
Delicious. A real hit
Mariel says
Can I use beef broth instead of water?
Sara says
Yes that’s fine!
Felicia says
I made this and it was very good my family and I loved it,we made wrap’s with it as well.
Joan walter says
Made this so many times! Always put onions in it . So good. My go to pepper steak recipe!
Jessica says
Great recipe! Quick, easy, delicious!
Dee says
A very good recipe! I made a few changes by adding onions and green beans to the peppers. I also used agave instead of sugar and it turned out so good! I definitely will be cooking this again. Thank you for posting this simple but delicious recipe.
Kelli says
Could I use chicken instead of beef
Sara says
That should be fine!
Maria Smith says
Turned out awesome!! Will make this again. Followed the recipe to the “T” very quick and easy!! Thank you! 😊
Carrie Breashears says
Definitely fantastic, just a sprinkle of ginger though or you end up with a strange bitter taste at the end of each bite. Also, to keep the meat from being tough or chewy cut the opposite direction of the meat fibers before or after cooking (whichever time you choose to cut the meet).
Katie from Kentucky says
Your recipe was the first to pop up on Google and I’m so glad! I did sub white sugar for brown sugar as that’s what I usually use in Asian dishes at home and served it over rice. My (VERY picky) 7 year old even loves it and has asked for seconds – I guess this was a knockout dish to introduce him to some Asian flavors like ginger and soy sauce 🙂 Can’t wait to make this again!
Christina Winfrey says
So Good, I used plant based beef tips instead with a little worcestershire sauce. I also made some glazed carrots to go with it. I will be making this again.
Christine says
I had a bag of stir fry frozen peppers and onions and used this to make it quicker for a work from home lunch. Then added in extra cracked pepper, some mushrooms from a jar in the refrigerator and just a sprinkling of ground ginger. This is a very good recipe and we devoured it!