This classic pepper steak recipe brings a takeout menu favorite to your kitchen!
Strips of tender steak are marinated in a homemade sauce and stir-fried with sautéed bell peppers and onions.
You’ll Love This Easy Pepper Steak Recipe Because…
- This hot and hearty main dish is cooked in one pan in less than 30 minutes.
- Budget-friendly cuts of beef come out tender and juicy in a homemade marinade that also becomes a sauce.
- The taste of the homemade sauce is way better than store-bought.
- Add in your favorite veggies to stretch this dish even further.
Ingredients for Pepper Steak
- Beef: Top round is my favorite cut of beef for this pepper steak recipe but flank steak and top sirloin steak are other great options. Prepare the meat for cooking by slicing it against the grain to break down the fibers and help tenderize it.
- Veggies: Green and red bell peppers give a pop of color, but any peppers will taste great. Yellow, white, or red onion slices add some crunch and flavor.
- Sauce: Fresh ginger and garlic are recommended for the best flavor. Soy sauce, Worcestershire, and honey for sweetness round out the sauce. Mirin is a rice wine and while it’s optional, it adds great flavor.
Variations
- Try adding asparagus, baby corn, snap peas, or sliced carrots.
- Add chili paste or sriracha for more heat.
- Substitute honey for white or brown sugar.
How to Make Pepper Steak
Turn some round steak into a peppery and juicy main dish for dinner.
- Whisk sauce ingredients together in a bowl.
- Stir fry onion & peppers in a large skillet until tender. Transfer to a plate.
- Sear the beef strips (recipe below) and cook just until browned.
- Add onion & peppers back to the skillet along with the sauce. Cook until thickened.
What to Serve with Pepper Steak
Serve over ramen noodles, rice, egg noodles, or cauliflower rice.
Side dishes like garlic bok choy, asparagus, or Szechuan green beans are always a hit.
For a cool crisp salad, try bean sprout salad or easy Asian slaw!
Our Fave Stir Fries
Did your family love this Pepper Steak recipe? Leave us a rating and a comment below.
Easy Pepper Steak
Pepper steak is a quick and flavorful dish featuring tender beef, bell peppers, and onions in a savory sauce.
Equipment
Cast Iron Skillet or wok
Ingredients
- 1 pound top round beef sliced into strips against the grain
- 2 tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- 1 green bell pepper cored and sliced
- 1 red bell pepper or orange/yellow, cored and sliced
Marinade:
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ cup honey or brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin or dry sherry, optional
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Garnish:
- green onions sliced
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- To make the marinade, in a medium bowl, combine water, honey, soy sauce, Worcestershire, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes and whisk.
- Add the beef strips to the marinade and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours, stirring occasionally.
- To cook the beef, remove it from the marinade, reserving the marinade.
- Heat a cast iron skillet or wok over medium-high heat and add oil.
- Once the oil is hot, add the sliced onion and peppers and stir-fry for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Transfer to a plate.
- Add beef to the skillet and cook for 1 minute without moving it to get a nice sear on it. Stir the beef and continue cooking until browned (the beef doesn't have to be cooked through), about 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the beef to the plate with the peppers.
- Whisk the cornstarch into the reserved marinade. Pour it into the skillet and, while whisking over medium-high heat, bring it to a boil. Let boil for 2 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, peppers, and steak back to the skillet.
- Stir to combine all the ingredients and simmer 1-2 minutes or until heated through
- Remove from heat and garnish with sliced green onion and sesame seeds if desired. Serve with rice.
Video
Notes
Additional vegetables can be added along with (or in place of) the peppers.
Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until heated through.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 398 | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 878mg | Potassium: 480mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 1080IU | Vitamin C: 65.1mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 3.6mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Dinner, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American, Asian Fusion, Chinese© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
So good! Made this for my family last week and every one devoured it. SWP Employee
Great dish
This was wonderful! I used 1.25 pounds of 96% lean ground beef because that’s what I had on hand. I only used a tablespoon of brown sugar in the sauce. I mixed all the sauce ingredients together (water and cornstarch first, then everything else). I browned the meat and took it out of the skillet. Then I stir fried the onions and peppers until they were crisp-tender, added back the meat and then the sauce, and heated it through. Easy and no marinating required! Served it over brown basmati rice. Husband loved it (so did I)!
This was really good and easy to make. Add mushrooms and broccoli along with the onions and peppers. Will be making it again!
love the recipe seen easy to follow
Really good but next time I will use a little less sugar and just a little more soy sauce.
This meal is
Was the sauce supposed to be so sweet? I used 1/4 cup of brown sugar
It does have some sweetness from the honey or the brown sugar.
Excellent!
Too much cornstarch!! Flavor was good but my meal was bathed in a pudding like mixture :(
I had the same problem, but I thinned it with some water. I also think maybe a little more soy sauce would cut the sweetness some.
Very good!
Blessed evening!! Absolutely love this recipe!! I gave it 4 stars because it requires to undercook the steak. Please make sure to cook the steak longer. Besides that it’s mouthwatering!!
Hi Dorothy, steak needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F to safely consume but if you prefer it well done you can certainly cook it longer!
I am from Puerto Rico. I just tried your recipe, and it was great. I think from other comment’s made that everyone should decide how much to use, from the ingredients, remember everyone taste bud is different. Good luck. Thank you!
Family loved it. I added fresh French green beans and served it over basmati rice.
I like the recipe for easy pepper steak look delicious
just delicious and easy fast just love it tastes so good.