If you are a fan of Chinese takeouts then get prepared to meet its new rival- a homemade Pepper Steak Recipe that’s made with love and tailored to your wish!
Chinese cuisines are one of my favorites and this dish checks all the boxes of that essence.
The thinly sliced beef is marinated with different flavors of sauces and black pepper to add a touch of spiciness. Bell peppers- a popular ingredient in Chinese dishes, make the dish pop with vibrant color and add sweetness to the meat. Stir frying all the ingredients together on high heat ensures the beef slices get cooked quickly while infusing the whole dish with sauce and seasonings.
And the best part?
You get to enjoy this delicious Chinese-inspired dish using fresh, good-quality ingredients that you personally selected. Let’s start cooking this savory dish together so you won’t need to order takeout anytime soon!
Stir-Fry Techniques For The Best Pepper Steak Recipe
As I have mentioned earlier, stir-frying is a crucial part that plays in the recipe. Fry it right and you will end up with a perfectly cooked Chinese Pepper Steak to savor and enjoy!
Here are some techniques you need to follow when stir-frying the ingredients in this recipe:
- While stir-frying it’s important to cut the ingredients of the dish in even, uniform sizes. For this recipe, you need to cut the beef and the vegetables in the same size. This ensures all the meat and vegetables are getting cooked at the same rate and helps prevent overcooking or undercooking the dish.
- Preheat the pan over high heat before adding oil to it. A hot skillet helps cook the steaks quickly without drying them out.
- Make sure you add the steaks in the skillet in a single layer without cramming the pan. We want to sear the steaks – not steam them! So, if you need to cook the steaks in batches, do it to maintain the quality and flavor.
- Maintain a high temperature throughout the cooking. While stir-frying, keeping the heat high is a popular technique in Chinese cooking to preserve the texture and flavor. In this recipe, high heat gives the meat a nice smoky sear without getting overcooked.
- While cooking, keep stirring the ingredients in the skillet. As the dish gets cooked at a high temperature, constant stirring ensures the meat is still tender inside.
- It’s best to use oil that can withstand the high temperature needed to cook this recipe. You can use peanut oil, sesame oil, vegetable oil, or any other oil which has a high smoking point for this purpose.
Healthy Alternatives For Making Pepper Steak Recipe
Maybe this recipe has an ingredient that doesn’t go well with your dietary goals.
Don’t let it hold you back from trying out this delicious Pepper Steak tonight!
Let’s give you some healthy alternatives you can instead of the ingredients shown in this recipe:
Beef
Lean or extra-lean cuts of beef have lower saturated fat while still being rich in protein and other essential nutrients needed for your body. You can use sirloin steak, round steak, and tenderloin for this recipe. You can also use the flank steak portion. However, it has more fat compared to the other cuts, so you need to trim it accordingly before cooking.
Soy Sauce
If you follow a low-sodium diet, then the soy sauce in this recipe might be bothersome to you. Although soy sauce is an essential Chinese ingredient, you can substitute it with Tamari, a Japanese soy sauce that’s made with low sodium. Tamari has a rich flavor and is gluten-free as well.
Vegetables
We have used bell peppers and onions in this recipe. However, if you are looking for a way to introduce more veggies, you are welcome!
You can add mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, zucchini, beans, baby corn, or any vegetables of your choice. Just adjust the cooking time accordingly to make sure the vegetables are all cooked through.
Sugar
If you don’t want sugar in your dish, you can add honey or other natural sweeteners instead.
Honey blends well with pepper steak and enhances its flavor as well. However, as it burns more easily than sugar it’s better to add it towards the end of cooking.
Recipe Card
Easy Pepper Steak Recipe | Quick Dinner Idea
Ingredients
For The Sauce:
- 2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Dark Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 1 tbsp White Vinegar
- 2 tsp Sugar
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch
- ¼ cup Water
For Cooking:
- 3 tbsp Cooking Oil
- 1 large-size Onion (Sliced)
- 1 tbsp Garlic (Grated)
- 1 tbsp Ginger (Sesame Oil.)
- 2 medium-size Bell Pepper (Red and Green)
- Salt (A Pinch)
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
Instructions
Marinate The Beef
- Take a mixing bowl and add 500 grams of thinly sliced beef steak to it and sprinkle salt and black pepper over the beef slices
- Pour light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, and white vinegar into the beef bowl.
- Sprinkle 1 tsp of sugar, 1 tsp of baking soda, and 1 tbsp of cornstarch over the mix.
- Using a spatula combine all the ingredients together until the beef slices are coated with the ingredients evenly.
- Marinate the mix for 30 minutes.
Prepare The Sauce
- Take a small bowl and add 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp of dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp of oyster sauce, and 1 tbsp of white vinegar.
- Lightly dust 2 tsp of sugar and 2 tbsp of cornstarch over the mixture.
- Pour ¼ cup of water into the bowl.
- Stir all the ingredients together using a spoon until the cornstarch dissolves completely and set the mixture aside for later use.
Cook The Beef Steak
- Heat a skillet over high heat.
- Pour 3 tbsp of cooking oil into the pan.
- Take the beef steaks that you marinated earlier and put them in the skillet in a single layer without overcrowding the pan.
- Sear the steaks for 4-5 minutes until they turn brown and caramelized.
- Using a slotted spoon, flip the beef to the other side when needed.
- Once cooked, remove the beef from the stove, transfer it to a plate, and keep them aside for later use.
Stir-Fry Bell Peppers
- Slice a large-sized onion thinly add it to the same skillet and saute until the onions start to soften.
- Add 1 tbsp of grated garlic, and 1 tbsp of grated ginger and stir-fry until fragrant.
- Add 2 medium-sized red and green bell peppers to the skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Combine Sauce and Peppers
- Season the bell peppers with a pinch of salt, ¼ tsp of black pepper, 1 tsp of sesame oil, and mix everything properly.
- Pour the sauce you prepared earlier into the skillet.
- Mix everything until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency.
Add The Beef Slices
- Add the cooked beef slices into the skillet.
- Mix the beef steaks with all the ingredients and coat the slices with sauce evenly.
Serve and Enjoy!
- Transfer the food to a serving plate and enjoy the steaks hot straight from the stove!
Video
Notes
There you have it. A delicious dinner ready to be served with your favorite side dish!
The juicy, tender steaks combined with colorful bell peppers and crisp onions- all coated in a flavorful sauce, will make you savor every delicious bite and leave you wanting more!
You can try this dish out even on a busy schedule as it’s quick and straightforward. So, whip up a plate after cooking, and share your experience as I would love to hear from you!
Recipe FAQs
Recipe FAQs
To ensure the beef steaks are tender inside, you need to slice the meat against the grain. Also, protein becomes tough when overcooked, so remove the steaks from the heat as soon as they are done.
You can store the steaks in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Make sure the food cools off completely before transferring it into the container.
You can use potato starch, tapioca starch, or arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch in the Pepper Steak Recipe.
