by Amy Brinkley Published: Sep 8, 2021 Updated: Apr 20, 2023
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This hearty and flavorful Chinese Pepper Steak is one of my favorite meals. Not only is it super-easy to prepare using simple ingredients, but it also comes together in under 30 minutes from start to finish!
An added bonus is that it is budget-friendly – a total WIN for a delicious and comforting dinner the whole family will love. Serve it with cooked rice and egg drop soup for a complete meal!
Ingredients Notes
- Flank steak – sliced into ¼ inch strips across the grain. Flank steak can be substituted with sirloin if desired.
- Bell peppers – I use one green and one red bell pepper.
- Garlic – minced fresh garlic. Feel free to use the jarred minced garlic if you’re in a hurry!
- Granulated white sugar – brown sugar can also be used.
- Yellow onion – you’ll need one medium onion.
- Ground ginger – I use half of a teaspoon, but feel free to use more or less, depending on your preference!
- Soy sauce
- Worcestershire sauce
- Vegetable oil – sesame oil can also be used.
- Cornstarch
- Sesame seeds – optional garnish.
Helpful Tip
Place your beef in the freezer for about 20 to 30 minutes before slicing so it will firm up a bit… this makes it so much easier to cut!
How to Make Pepper Steak
Following is a brief overview of how to prepare – please see the recipe card for full detailed instructions.
- Prepare the sauce by whisking together the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, ginger, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Heat half of the oil in a skillet or wok and cook the peppers and onions for about four minutes, then add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate or a bowl.
- Heat the remaining oil in the skillet and cook the beef for about five minutes, or until browned on both sides and fully cooked.
- Return the peppers and onions to the skillet with the beef and stir to combine.
- Pour in the sauce and stir to coat as evenly as possible. Cook for approximately one to two minutes (while stirring), or until the sauce is thickened. Sprinkle with sesame seeds when serving, if desired.
Common Questions
What is pepper steak sauce made of?
The sauce in this recipe is a blend of soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, ground ginger and cornstarch.
What is the most tender steak for pepper steak?
Flank steak is generally considered the best steak for pepper steak because it has a tender texture, bold flavor, and is relatively lean compared to other cuts of beef.
How do you make pepper steak not tough?
Slice your steak across the grain. By cutting perpendicular to the direction of the muscle fibers in the meat, it makes the fibers shorter, resulting in a more tender texture.
5 Star Review
This was so incredibly easy to make and SO much better (and less expensive) than takeout. ~Elizabeth
Enjoy!
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Chinese Pepper Steak
An easy, delicious and budget-friendly dinner prepared in less than 30 minutes using simple ingredients!
4.50 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: chinese pepper steak
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Amy
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup soy sauce low sodium
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar or brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger more or less, to taste
- 2 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
- 1 medium green bell pepper cored, seeded and sliced into ¼ inch strips
- 1 medium red bell pepper cored, seeded and sliced into ¼ inch strips
- 1 medium yellow onion sliced into ¼ inch slices
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- 1 to 1 ¼ pounds flank steak sliced into ¼ inch strips across the grain
- ¼ teaspoon sesame seeds optional garnish
Instructions
Prepare the sauce by whisking together the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, ginger and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside.
Heat 1 ½ tablespoons (half) of the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the peppers and onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until tender crisp (stirring frequently). Add garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds, stirring frequently.
Transfer bell pepper and garlic mixture to a plate or bowl and return skillet to burner.
Heat the remaining vegetable oil in the skillet. Add steak and cook for 5 minutes, or until browned on both sides and fully cooked (stirring frequently). Leave juices in the skillet with the steak.
Return peppers, onions and garlic to skillet with the steak and stir to combine.
Pour in the sauce and stir to coat as evenly as possible. Cook for approximately 1 to 2 minutes (while stirring), or until sauce is thickened.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds when serving, if desired.
Notes
- *Skirt steak, sirloin, flat iron steak, or hanger steak can be substituted for flank steak.
Nutrition
Calories: 376kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 1243mg | Potassium: 760mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1049IU | Vitamin C: 66mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 4mg
If provided, nutritional info is a courtesy, is not guaranteed and should only be considered as a guideline.
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheBlondCook or tag #theblondcook!
Originally published September 2018. Updated with new photos, new text, recipe slightly revised and republished September 2021.
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Hey, I’m Amy Brinkley!
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Reader Interactions
Comments
JoannAs I was searching for a delicious recipe for my husband and I, I got lucky and pick the right one. This is gonna be our pepper steak go-to from here on out. It was so easy to make. I doubled the sauce for the meat and right before it was done I added some water to a little over medium-high heat to thicken it. It was absolutely delicious we will be adding this dish to our favorites. Thank you so much Amy for sharing your recipe with us. Greatly appreciated.
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- Amy
Thank you so much, Joann – So glad you enjoyed it!
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- Doreen
I am crazy for Chinese food Probably too often. Let me say, This was fabulous!! I couldn’t find flank steak so I used Skirt steak which I’ll never use again. Too chewy.
One question how would I make more gravy/sauce? I like a bit more too cover the rice.
Thanks so much.Reply
- Steve
easy, delicious recipe. Better than take out
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- Gary Reich
How long do I have to marinate the steak?
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- Amy @ The Blond Cook
Hi Gary, it marinates while you’re preparing the vegetables. I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
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- Hank
Thank you so much, my fiancé always orders this from our favorite Chinese restaurant,. I love it also but hate the MSG’s added. Your recipe was easy n great . I had a flat iron steak ( I don’t know if they are the same but was Perfect) , n only changes , probably cause I made a lot , was I added lil more ginger n lil more sauces . Again thank you, we will be making this a lot . Do you have a General Tso recipe?
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- Amy @ The Blond Cook
Thank you so much, Hank! So happy to hear you both enjoyed it and will be making it at home more often. General Tso Chicken is actually on my list… be looking for it in the near future! 🙂
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- Jackie JG
Do you have an instant pot version for this recipe? Looks delicious!
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- Amy @ The Blond Cook
Hi Jackie, thanks so much! I do not have an Instant Pot version of this recipe but plan to in the near future!
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- Nora Charles
Sounds divine. Do you add the marinade with the steak when you cook it or just the steak pieces themselves? I’d hate to toss out all that lovely marinade.
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- Amy @ The Blond Cook
Hi Nora, Yes I added the marinade when I cooked the steak. You can do it either way. Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
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- Trigger
You never said do you slice the beef before you cook it or after I know you put it in the freezer for 10 minutes but went?
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- Amy @ The Blond Cook
Hi Trigger, slice the beef before cooking. Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
- Elizabeth
This was so incredibly easy to make and SO much better (and less epensive) than takeout.
Reply
- Amy @ The Blond Cook
Thanks so much, Elizabeth! 🙂
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