If you’re craving a delicious and satisfying Chinese dish that’s packed with flavor, forget ordering takeout and make this Chinese Pepper Steak. This savory and easy pepper steak recipe is one the whole family will love including the home cook!
Tender steak strips are cooked with sliced green peppers, red peppers, and onions, all bathed in a homemade sauce that perfectly balances the sweetness of brown sugar, the richness of Worcestershire sauce, and the umami kick of soy sauce.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy: This Chinese pepper steak recipe is simple to make, requiring only a handful of simple ingredients and minimal prep time. It’s perfect for busy weeknights when you want a flavorful meal that doesn’t require a lot of cook time.
- Bursting with Flavor: The combination of marinated and seared tender steak, tender-crisp bell peppers, and caramelized onions creates a symphony of tastes and textures. Each bite is a delightful blend of savory, sweet, and slightly spicy flavors.
Ingredients
- Marinade: Water, brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, minced ginger, and red pepper flakes.
- Pepper Steak: Vegetable oil, large onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, flank steak, cornstarch.
- Garnish: Green onions, sesame seeds.
Variations
Different Cuts of Beef: Instead of flank steak, you can use other cuts like sirloin steak, top round steak, or skirt steak.
Vary the Bell Peppers: While the recipe calls for green bell peppers and red bell peppers, you can mix it up with yellow or orange bell peppers to add vibrant colors and a slightly different taste to your pepper steak.
Sauce Variations: Feel free to experiment with the sauce ingredients. For a slightly tangy flavor, add a splash of rice vinegar or a dash of oyster sauce. You can add a bit of sesame oil, but use it sparingly as a little adds a lot of flavor.
Low-Sodium Option: Opt for low-sodium soy sauce or use tamari sauce as a substitute.
How to Make Pepper Steak
- In a medium bowl, whisk together water, brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, minced ginger, and red pepper flakes.
- Add the thin strips of beef to the marinade, cover, and let stand for 30 minutes.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon oil, and heat until shimmering.
- Add the sliced onion and peppers, and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until tender. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet and heat. Transfer the beef from the marinade and into the skillet. Reserve the marinade. Cook beef, without stirring, for 1 minute until nicely seared. Continue cooking, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes or until browned.
- Transfer the beef from the skillet to the plate with the onions and peppers.
- Whisk the corn starch into the reserved marinade. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the skillet and whisk while bringing to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the onion, peppers, and steak to the marinade in the skillet. Simmer, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through.
- Transfer to a serving plate. Garnish with green onion and sesame seeds.
This dish is terrific served over white rice or cauliflower rice. Start making the rice about the time you are done marinating the steak so everything is ready to eat at the same time.
Top Tips
To ensure tender steak in your Chinese Pepper Steak, make sure to slice the meat against the grain. This technique breaks up the muscle fibers, resulting in a more tender and enjoyable dining experience.
While not necessary, partially freeze the steak about 30 minutes prior to cutting, to make it easier to cut.
Storage, Reheating, and Safe Handling
- Storage: If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The Chinese Pepper Steak will stay fresh for up to 3 days. Make sure to allow the dish to cool down before refrigerating.
- Reheating: To reheat the pepper steak, you have a couple of options. You can gently warm it up in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. Alternatively, you can use a microwave-safe dish and heat it in the microwave in short intervals, stirring in between to ensure even heating.
- Safe Handling: To avoid cross-contamination, use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw meat and vegetables. Thoroughly wash and sanitize any surfaces or utensils that come into contact with raw meat before using them again.
- Safe Internal Temperature: When cooking the beef, it’s essential to reach a safe internal temperature to ensure it’s cooked properly. The USDA recommends cooking beef to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) for medium-rare, 160°F (71°C) for medium, or 165°F (74°C) for well-done.
Chinese Pepper Steak With Onions
Ingredients
Marinade
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Pepper Steak
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
- 1 large onion sliced
- 1 green bell pepper cored, seeded and sliced
- 1 red bell pepper cored, seeded and sliced
- 1 1/4 pounds flank steak carved into strips
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Garnish:
- green onions sliced
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the water, brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, minced ginger and red pepper flakes.
- Add the beef strips to the marinade, cover and let stand for 30 minutes.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon oil, and heat until shimmering.
- Add the sliced onion and peppers cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until tender. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the remaining tablespoon oil to the skillet and heat. Transfer the beef from the marinade and into the skillet. Reserve the marinade. Cook beef, without stirring, 1 minute until nicely seared. Continure cooking, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes or until browned.
- Transfer the beef from the skillet to the plate with the onions and peppers.
- Whisk the cornstarch into the reserved marinade. Pour the mixture into the skillet and whisk while bringing to a boil. Boil 2 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the onion, peppers and steak to the marinade in the skillet. Simmer, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through.
- Transfer to a serving plate. Garnish with green onion and sesame seeds.
Cooks Tips
- To ensure tender steak in your Chinese Pepper Steak, make sure to slice the meat against the grain. This technique breaks up the muscle fibers, resulting in a more tender and enjoyable dining experience.
- While not necessary, partially freeze the steak about 30 minutes prior to cutting, to make it easier to cut.
