20 Minute Pepper Steak Stir Fry
Here at Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we love creating dishes that are family-friendly, packed with seasonal veggies, and easy to whip up any day of the week. And this Pepper Steak Stir Fry combines all of these points and more. So, if you’re a busy mom like me and want to feed your family a delicious home-cooked meal, our Chinese Pepper Steak Stir Fry is the recipe for you! It takes 20 minutes, is bursting with fresh veggies and savory sauce, and the whole family will love it.
Table of contents
Why We Love Pepper Steak
Along with my Mom’s raw kale salad with bacon and eggs, Choucroute Garnie and Black bean soup, her Chinese pepper steak was an all-time childhood favorite meal. As a kid, I had no idea my mom hadn’t invented it! Haha. It turns out Pepper Steak is a Chinese American classic– that is widely known and loved! And for good reason! There is something so delicious about that savory peppery stir-fry sauce with ginger and black peppercorns. And the hearty beef and tender peppers always satisfies.
Pepper Steak Stir Fry Ingredients
This version of the recipe is one I came up with using simple pantry staples you probably already have in your kitchen. Simply pick up beef, ginger root, green onions and colorful bell peppers and the rest is probably already in your kitchen!
- Steak: I like New York strip because it is easy to trim the fat cap off then slice. Alternatively try sirloin or round for a more budget-friendly option.
- Bell Peppers: Use any mix of colors. Keep in mind that green bell peppers have a more bitter taste whereas red, orange, and yellow provide a sweeter flavor.
- Whole Black Peppercorns: Pepper steak gets its spice from whole black peppercorns which are crushed by hand into large rustic pieces. You’ll need 1 teaspoon.
- Ginger and Garlic: To season the stirfry you’ll need to chop up some fresh ginger root and a large garlic clove.
- Green Onions: Feel free to use sliced sweet onion or red onion.
- Cornstarch: Used to thicken the sauce.
- Pantry Staples: To sear the beef you’ll need a high heat cooking oil like canola oil, peanut oil or avocado oil. For the sauce you will need beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce are used to make a rich, umami-flavored sauce.
- Parsley: I add this for color at the end. Skip it if you don’t have it handy.
How to Make Chinese Pepper Steak
Step 1a: Crush the Peppercorns
Seal the peppercorns in a small re-sealable bag. Crush with a small skillet or the smooth side of a meat mallet. Alternatively, crush peppercorns in a mortar and pestle until cracked but not finely milled.
Step 1b: Sprinkle Steak with Crush Peppercorns
Sprinkle the pepper and salt mixture all over the sliced steak pieces.
Step 2: Cook the Steak
In a large skillet over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil. To the pan, add a single layer of steak and sear until brown. Stir fry until no longer pink then transfer to a plate and cover with foil.
Step 3: Cook the Peppers
Reduce heat to medium-high. Add remaining oil. Add peppers, scallions, ginger, and garlic. Cook, stirring often until the garlic and ginger are fragrant but not burnt.
Step 4: Make the Sauce
To a measuring cup, stir broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and cornstarch.
Step 5: Add Sauce to Skillet and Cook
In the skillet, pour the broth mixture over the veggies. Stir well, cover, and cook until the peppers are soft.
Step 6: Return Steak to Skillet and Serve
Add the steak back to the skillet and simmer, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and serve hot. Sprinkle with parsley if desired and enjoy!
Flank is also another option, but you’ll only need 1 pound and most flanks are much larger than that. Don’t be tempted to use more than a pound of beef or the skillet will be overcrowded and you won’t get a good sear on the meat. It is also important to cut the beef against the grain into bite-size strips. This can be tricky with raw flank steak so I do not recommend it.
If you like the sauce to be a little bit sweeter add 1 teaspoon white sugar or brown sugar to the sauce. Stir well to help it dissolve into the sauce.
What to Serve with Steak and Pepper Stir Fry
My mom always served Pepper Steak over buttered white rice, which is how I serve it, but it is also great on brown rice, with noodles or I even have some low-carb serving suggestions below! There’s plenty of sauce!
- Instead of rice, serve over a bed of quinoa or another whole grain such as barley or wheat berries.
- Add more veg! Try with steamed or sauteed broccoli or sauteed green beans on the side.
- Keep the dish low-carb and serve with a side of your favorite zoodles, low-carb mashed cauliflower or cauliflower rice.
- Serve with mashed potatoes or crispy potato wedges.
- Enjoy with a slice of crusty bread to soak up that delicious sauce.
Make Ahead, Leftovers and Reheating
- Make Ahead: Meal prepping this recipe can be super helpful and it will be done in 10 minutes flat! Chop the peppers and place in a resealable bag or air tight container. Mix the sauce and place in a jar. Slice the beef one day ahead. Keep everything refrigerated.
- Leftovers: Store any leftover Chinese pepper steak stir fry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: When ready to enjoy, microwave any leftovers until just warmed through, approximately 2 minutes or until steaming hot.
Substitutions and Variations to Try
- You can add 1 small sliced onion instead of the scallions.
- Try with pork or chicken. We also love turkey tenderloin with bell peppers. Just make sure to cook through in step 6 if using poultry.
- Add broccoli florets, green beans or another green veggie when you add in the peppers. Mushrooms are also great! Cut them into quarters and sear them with the peppers and green onions.
- Add a small spoonful of fermented black bean paste to the sauce if you have it in your fridge! It makes the sauce so savory. My mom always added that to her stir-fry recipes! A little goes a long way.
- Add a couple dashes of a vinegar based hot sauce (like Frank’s) to the sauce. It is already pretty peppery- but the tangy sauce is a nice boost.
- If you have bamboo shoots in your pantry, drain the can and add in once the sauce comes to a simmer. You can also stir in 1 cup of Mung bean sprouts in the last minute of cooking.
Additional Beef and Steak Recipes
Thanks so much for reading. If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my free weekly email newsletter for healthy recipes delivered right to your inbox. Or follow me on Instagram. If you make these recipes, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It is very appreciated. Happy Cooking! ~Katie
20 Minute Pepper Steak Stir Fry
Pepper Steak is a classic for a reason! There is something so delicious about that savory peppery stir-fry sauce with ginger and black peppercorns. And the hearty beef and tender peppers always satisfies. This 20 minute version of the recipe is one uses simple pantry staples you probably already have in your kitchen.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp neutral oil avocado or organic canola oil
- 1 tsp black or mixed peppercorns
- ½ tsp coarse kosher salt
- 1 lb steak cut into bite-sized strips
- 3 bell peppers any color, cored and sliced
- 1 bunch green onions or scallions sliced
- 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger root or 2 tsp grated
- 1 large clove of garlic chopped
- 1 c beef broth
- 1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish if desired
Instructions
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Crush peppercorns in a mortar and pestle until cracked but not finely milled. Alternatively, seal peppercorns in a small re-sealable bag. Crush with a small skillet or the smooth side of a meat mallet. Spread the steak on plate. Sprinkle the pepper and salt mixture evenly over all of the steak.
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Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add steak in a single layer and sear to brown on the bottom, 1 minute. Stir fry until no-longer pink, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil.
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Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add peppers, scallions, ginger and garlic and cook, stirring often until the garlic and ginger are fragrant but not burning, 1 to 2 minutes.
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Stir broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and cornstarch in a measuring cup.
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Pour the broth mixture into the skillet, stir well, cover and cook until the peppers are soft, about 2 minutes.
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Add steak to the skillet and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and serve hot sprinkled with parsley if desired.
Recipe Notes
Make Ahead: Meal prepping this recipe can be super helpful and it will be done in 10 minutes flat! Chop the peppers and place in a resealable bag or air tight container. Mix the sauce and place in a jar. Slice the beef one day ahead. Keep everything refrigerated.
Leftovers: Store any leftover Chinese pepper steak stir fry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheating: When ready to enjoy, microwave any leftovers until just warmed through, approximately 2 minutes or until steaming hot.
Delicious! This dish is perfect for my meat loving husband and my vegetable loving self. It took me much longer than 20 minutes to prep., but was well worth it. Sirloin tips worked very well.
Thank you so much for reporting back and great tip on using sirloin tips! Did you end up slicing them?
Great recipe!!! Keep them coming, Katie!!!
Thank you Lynn!
This looks really delicious, Katie. I love sweet peppers, esp. in salads, but whenever I eat them, my stomach complains..seriously no idea why.
And to be honest, not really a huge fan of paleo diet..some recipes are great, some are just olala..one big thing I don’t get is even good wholegrain and healthy legumes won’t be allowed. Isn’t arrowroot starch? Thought starch isn’t allowed too.
I love peppers too, and I have heard from other people that they cause stomach upset, so I am not surprised. As far as the Paleo diet goes, my own tummy issues are much better when I stick to ingredients on the paleo diet, but honestly, I don’t follow it at all. I should probably, but I love my grains too much! As for the arrowroot, I could be wrong. I thought it was okay since it is a tuber not a grain. I am sure another reader will chime in with our answer. As always I appreciate your coming by. Have a great day Angie.
Yum!! That’s the only world I can think of looking at these photos! I’m totally with you on the peppers. This looks amazing, Katie! Another winner!
Thanks so much Bill. Peppers are the best at this time of year. Glad this appeals to you.
Steak that looks that good will bring out the cave-person in anyone. Roar.
I agree Joshua! Thanks so much for coming by to see these steaks! Have a great day.