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Chinese Pepper Steak Recipe

This Pepper Steak Recipe rivals your favorite takeout but is healthier and made with pantry friendly ingredients. It boasts buttery tender beef and crisp-tender bell peppers enveloped in a dynamic stir fry sauce infused with garlic, ginger, sesame oil and chili sauce. This Pepper Steak recipe is easy to customize and easy to make ahead - then it’s just a quick stir fry to dinner! You can serve the Pepper Steak with rice or low carb cauliflower rice or zoodles along with homemade egg rolls and crab rangoons - then you’ll never want to order Chinese takeout again!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 7 minutes
Servings 4 -6 servings

Ingredients

Steak Marinade

Stir-Fry Sauce

Stir Fry

  • 3 bell peppers (any ccolor combo) sliced ¼” thick
  • 1 onion thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • vegetable oil or peanut oil

Instructions

  • Marinade: Pour marinade ingredients directly into a freezer bag or large bowl and mix well. Add beef and massage in marinade. Marinate at room temperature for 30-60 minutes or refrigerate for 2-8 hours.
  • Sauce: Whisk the stir-fry sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. You can make at the same time as the marinade, cover and refrigerate OR when ready to cook the steak.
  • Cook: Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or peanut oil a large heavy bottom skillet over HIGH heat until very hot and sizzling. Working in 2-3 batches, add steak to the skillet in a single layer and sear 1 minute, flip over and cook 1 more minute (it will cook more in the sauce). Don’t overcook or it won’t be as tender! Transfer steak to a large plate and cover. Repeat.
  • To the now empty skillet, add 1 tablespoon oil and heat over medium high heat. Add onions and sauté two minutes; add bell peppers, garlic and ginger and sauté one additional minute.
  • Combine: Return the beef to the skillet and toss to combine. Whisk the sauce to recombine then add to the skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thickened and beef is cooked through, about 1-2 minutes. Taste and add additional chili sauce if desired.
  • Serve: Serve with rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.

Notes

TIPS AND TRICKS

This Pepper Steak recipe is pretty straightforward, but here is a summary of some tips and tricks to make it a sizzling success:

TIPS FOR TENDER STEAK:

  • Chinese 5 Spice substitution:  Use  scant 1/8 teaspoon each of regular ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, ground fennel, and ground white pepper (or whatever of these spices you have).  Thanks for the tip Kimberly! 
  • Use a sharp knife. Sharpen your knife before slicing the steak to ensure buttery clean cuts.
  • Freeze steak.   Place your steak in the freezer 60 minutes before cutting. This will help it not wiggle beneath your knife so it’s much easier to slice thinly and cleanly.
  • Slice steak into thirds.  I recommend slicing your steak into thirds before you freeze it so you can work with one third at a time while the rest of the steak stays frozen.
  • Slice steak across the grain.  You want to cut perpendicular to the muscle fibers running through the steak in one direction so they become as short as possible and virtually undiscernible.  If you cut with the grain, the fibers are left long which results in chewy, rubbery steak. 
  • Slice steak thinly.  This goes with slicing your steak across the grain – by slicing your steak thinly (about ¼-inch slices), you are shortening the muscle fibers which results in more tender steak.
  • Use a hot skillet.  Make sure your skillet is smoking hot before adding your steak so it will sear on the outside and remain tender on the inside.
  • Don’t overlap steak. Add steak to the skillet in a single layer to sear otherwise it will steam.
  • Cook steak in batches.   You will need to cook your steak in 2-3 batches so there is enough room for it to sear in a single layer.
  • Don’t overcook steak.  Overcooked steak means tough steak.  Don’t cook your steak completely when searing because it will continue to cook when you will add it back to the skillet with the stir fry sauce

TIPS FOR THE BEST STIR FRY:

  • Use correct oil.  You may substitute the vegetable oil with peanut oil but please don’t use olive oil because olive oil has a lower smoking point and stronger flavor.
  • Prep veggies and sauce first.  While your steak is marinating, chop the bell peppers and aromatics and prep your sauce.  You want everything ready before you start actually cooking the Pepper Steak because the actually stir-frying takes just a few minutes. If you have to stop to make your sauce while your bell peppers are still in the pan, they can end up soft and even worse – mushy.
  • Dry vegetables.  It is important that the bell peppers are dry or they will steam and not get the characteristic stir-fry texture. To dry vegetables, pat them very dry with paper towels.
  • Use quality ingredients. QUALITY oyster sauce like Lee Kum Kee or Kikkoman is essential because you can TASTE the difference!
  • Use rice wine and NOT rice wine vinegar.  Rice wine is NOT rice vinegar- DO NOT switch them out.  Rice wine adds a sweetness and depth of flavor; rice vinegar, on the other hand, will add an acidic flavor.
  • Customize heat. Use more or less chili sauce depending on how spicy you want your Pepper Steak recipe.
  • Don’t overcook bell peppers.  I suggest setting the timer for 1 minute – it can go fast and you don’t want to overcook the bell peppers.  It is better to under-cook them when stir frying then allow them to reach desired-crisp tenderness once you add the stir fry sauce.
  • Add sauce to the sides of the pan.  Pour the stir fry sauce around and down the sides of the pan instead of directly into the center.  This will prevent the pan from cooling down too much.  

PREP AHEAD 

Chinese Pepper Steak has a few steps, but you can prep EVERYTHING ahead of time so all that’s left to do at dinnertime is cook! Here’s how:
  • Slice steak:  you can do this at any time before marinating or just before marinating then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  • Marinate steak:  marinate your beef 30 minutes up to 8 hours before cooking.
  • Make stir-fry sauce:  whisk the ingredients together up to 24 hours in advance and store, covered in the refrigerator.
  • Chop veggies:  you can slice your bell peppers and onions, chop your garlic, and grate your ginger 24 hours in advance and store in separate air tight containers in the refrigerator.
  • Cook!  Now all that’s left to do is stir fry within the next 48 hours without any of the prep!
 

CAN I FREEZE PEPPER STEAK?

I do not recommend freezing the Pepper Steak once assembled because the bell peppers can become a mushy texture, but you can freeze the steak and stir fry sauce separately. 

TO FREEZE BEFORE STIR-FRYING

  • Stir Fry Sauce: whisk together, add to a freezer bag or freezer safe airtight container, label and freeze for up to 3 months.
  • Steak: you can freeze the steak after combined with the marinade or after its seared.  After you sear the steak, let it cool completely then transfer it to an airtight container or plastic freezer bag and squeeze out any excess air. Freeze for 2 to 3 months.  Defrost in the refrigerator before using.

TO FREEZE AFTER STIR-FRYING

If you want to freeze after the Chinese Pepper Steak is already assembled, I suggest picking out the bell peppers or using a different more freezer friendly vegetable such as broccoli. 
  • Let Pepper Steak cool completely in the refrigerator.
  • Transfer to an airtight container.  If using a freezer bag, squeeze out any excess air to prevent freezer burn.
  • Label and freeze for up to 3 months. 
  • When ready to eat, let Pepper Steak defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
  • Reheat in the microwave for 60 seconds then at 30 second intervals or gently on the stove.