Pepper Steak Stir Fry Recipe

Name: Pepper Steak Stir-Fry
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 pound flank steak (sliced thinly against the grain); salt and fresh ground pepper (to taste); 1 yellow onion (sliced thin); 2 bell peppers (any colors, sliced thin); 3 cloves garlic (minced); salt and fresh ground pepper (to taste); 2 tablespoons canola oil (divided); 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce; 1 tablespoon rice vinegar; 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil; 1/4 cup low sodium beef broth; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; 2 tablespoons corn starch; sliced green onions (for garnish (optional))

by Katerina Petrovska

5 from 10 votes

Updated Dec 30, 2022

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On the table in 30 minutes, this easy pepper steak stir-fry tastes like classic Chinese takeout, and it’s just as quick. With colorful bell peppers and juicy steak in an Asian-style sauce, good luck putting your chopsticks down!

Takeout-Fakeout Pepper Steak Stir-Fry

There’s no going back from this easy Chinese-style pepper steak stir-fry recipe. It’s fresher than takeout and ready just as quickly. Bell peppers, onions, garlic, and tender steak are tossed in an Asian-style sauce for the ultimate weeknight dinner. It’s ready in 30 minutes, so you don’t need to spend your whole evening next to the stove.

This pepper steak is also great for meal prep. Cook once and serve it over everything from Instant Pot jasmine rice to noodles for quick weeknight meals. I also love my sizzling rice soup and pork fried rice recipes for an authentic-tasting takeout dinner.

With simple cheats like frozen veggies and swapping the beef for pork, you can still make this pepper steak stir-fry if you haven’t been to the supermarket. Even without a fortune cookie, I can already foresee this on regular rotation!

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this flavorful pepper steak stir-fry from scratch. See the recipe card for the exact measurements for each ingredient.

Steak – Thinly sliced or diced flank steak, skirt steak, or top sirloin are all great for stir-fry recipes. The thinner, the better. The beef will cook faster and won’t dry out as much.
Yellow Onion – White onion works too. Please don’t use red onion as it tends to become soggy when cooked.
Bell Peppers – Red and green are most common, but any color pepper is fine to use.
Garlic – I prefer fresh garlic, but you can substitute each clove with 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder.
Canola Oil – Peanut, vegetable, and corn oil are great alternatives.

For the Sauce

Soy Sauce – I use low-sodium soy sauce. If you’re using regular soy sauce, reduce the amount or add less salt to the dish. Swap with coconut aminos or tamari as needed.
Rice vinegar – I don’t recommend using regular white vinegar, as the flavor is much stronger. White wine vinegar or red wine vinegar are the best substitutes, in a pinch.
Sesame oil – There’s really no substitute for sesame oil in Asian-style recipes. I’ve heard of folks using a small amount of peanut butter, if you want to try it!
Beef Broth – Veggie and chicken broth work, too, though they won’t have the same depth of flavor.
Sugar – Dark brown, light brown, and white sugar are all good options. Substitute sugar with honey if you’d like.
Ground ginger – Feel free to add in 2 teaspoons of finely chopped fresh ginger instead.
Cornstarch – Don’t skip it. It’s needed to thicken the sauce.

How to Make Pepper Steak Stir-Fry

Whisk, cook, stir, and serve!

Sauce for pepper steak stir fry. — Make the stir-fry sauce.

Cooking the bell peppers in the pan. — Make the stir-fry sauce.

Make the sauce. Whisk the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, beef broth, sugar, ginger, and cornstarch in a small bowl until well combined. Set it aside.
Cook the peppers. Next, heat half of the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. You can also use a wok for this. Cook the onions and peppers for 5-6 minutes, or until tender. Add the garlic and stir well. Let everything cook for another 30 seconds, until fragrant. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then transfer the veggies to a plate and set them aside.
Cook the meat. Add the remaining oil to the pan over high heat. Add the steak. Season with salt and pepper, and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until done to your liking.
Add the veggies. Now, return the veggies to the pan and pour in the sauce. Stir well and cook everything for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken.
Serve. Remove the stir-fry from the heat and garnish with green onions. Serve warm over rice or cauliflower rice, and enjoy!

Stir-Frying Tips and Variations

Buy pre-cut beef. Most supermarkets carry packets of pre-cut beef. If you can’t find any, ask your butcher to slice it for you. It will cut down the prep time.
Use chicken or pork. Thinly sliced chicken and pork are flavorful variations of this dish. You can even use ground beef, pork, or chicken.
Use leftover veggies. Adding all your leftover veggies like cabbage and carrots to the stir-fry will help empty the fridge while adding lots of flavor.
Use a frozen veggie mix. You can save a lot of time by using a frozen veggie mix.
Add leftover beef. If you have leftover steak in the fridge, like my reverse sear steak and air fryer steak, throw it right in.
Prep ahead. Chop the veggies and make the sauce in advance so you can just throw everything together when you come home from work.

Pepper steak stir fry in a bowl of rice.

What to Serve With Pepper Steak Stir-Fry

A hearty serving of this pepper steak stir-fry goes perfectly over a bed of spicy Thai rice or cauliflower rice.

Fried rice and noodles: For a slightly more take-out style meal, pair it with my chicken fried rice, shrimp fried rice, ramen noodles, or Thai Pad See Ew.
More takeout sides: Serve alongside a cozy Chinese hot pot, shrimp shumai, or vegetable spring rolls.

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How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Refrigerate. Store any cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To reheat, microwave the stir-fry in 20-30 second increments, stirring in between, until hot. You can also heat it in a pan over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Can I Freeze Pepper Steak Stir-Fry?

Yes! The texture won’t quite be the same, though. It’ll be like your favorite Chinese fast-food stir-fries, where the meat is a little softened because you know it’s cooked from frozen. Here’s the best way to freeze your steak stir-fry to retain the flavor and texture:

Pre-cook the ingredients. Cook the veggies until just tender and leave the steak slightly undercooked. Once fully cooled, place the veggies and steak in separate freezer-friendly bags or containers. Use half of the sauce for the vegetables and the other half for the beef.
Freeze for up to 3 months.
To thaw, transfer the frozen ingredients to the fridge a day before cooking so they have time to thaw. Cook the veggies as usual and set them aside. Then cook the beef and stir in the veggies at the end.

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