On your table in 30 minutes, this easy pepper steak stir fry is faster and much better than take-out. With lots of bell peppers and juicy steak in an Asian-style sauce, good luck putting your chopsticks down.
Quick & Easy Beef Stir Fry
There’s no going back from this easy pepper steak stir fry once you’ve tried it. Quicker and so much better than take-out, you’ll be driving straight past your favorite Chinese restaurant from now on.
Bell peppers, onions, garlic, and tender steak are tossed in an Asian-style sauce for the ultimate weeknight dinner. Ready in 30 minutes, don’t worry about endlessly standing over the stove. This is an actually realistic meal you’ll be adding your rotation several times per week.
With simple cheats like frozen veggies and swapping the beef for pork, you’ll still be serving this pepper steak stir fry even if you haven’t been to the supermarket in a while. Even without a fortune cookie, I can still assure you that your fortune would say your late night cravings are about to get a lot more flavorful.
Recipe Ingredients
Made with simple ingredients, you’ll be surprised how flavorful this pepper steak stir fry is. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for full ingredient amounts.
For the Steak and Veggies
- Flank steak
- Salt and black pepper
- Yellow onion – White onion works too. Please don’t use red onion.
- Bell peppers – Red and green are the most common, but any color of bell pepper is okay.
- Garlic – I prefer fresh garlic, but you can substitute it for 4 teaspoons garlic powder.
- Canola oil – Peanut, vegetable, and corn oil are great alternatives.
For the Sauce
- Low-sodium soy sauce – If you’re using regular soy sauce, reduce the amount or add less salt to the dish.
- Rice vinegar – Avoid white vinegar. They’re not the same thing.
- Sesame oil
- Low-sodium beef broth – Veggie and chicken broth work too.
- Sugar – Dark brown, light brown, and white sugar are all great for this recipe.
- Ground ginger – Feel free to add in 2 teaspoons of finely chopped fresh ginger instead.
- Corn starch – Don’t skip it. It’s needed to thicken the sauce.
What Type of Beef is Best for Steak Stir Fry?
Thinly sliced or diced flank steak, skirt steak, or top sirloin are all great for this recipe. The thinner, the better. The beef will cook faster and won’t dry out as much.
How to Make Pepper Steak Stir Fry
Whisk, cook, stir, and serve. That’s pretty much everything there is to this easy pepper steak stir fry.
- Make the sauce. Whisk the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, beef broth, sugar, ginger, and corn starch in a small bowl until well combined. Set it aside.
- Cook the peppers. Heat half of the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. You can also use a wok for this. Add the onions and peppers. Let them cook for 5-6 minutes, or until tender. Add the garlic and stir well. Let everything cook for another 30 seconds or until fragrant. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the veggies to a plate and set it aside.
- Cook the meat. Add the remaining oil to the pan. Raise the heat to high. Add the steak. Season it with salt and pepper to taste. Cook it for 2-3 minutes per side or until done to taste.
- Add the veggies. 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 it from the heat and garnish with green onions. Serve warm over rice or cauliflower rice.
Tips & Variations
Making this pepper steak stir fry will be easier and even more flavorful if you follow these tips:
- 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 out 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.
What to Serve with Pepper Beef Stir Fry
A hearty serving of this pepper steak stir fry goes perfectly over some Spicy Thai Rice or Cauliflower Rice. For a slightly more take-out style meal, pair it with my Easy Chicken Fried Rice or Shrimp Fried Rice.
My Thai Stir Fried Noodles, Easy Chinese Hot Pot, and Asian Chicken Noodle Soup also make great sides. Basically, anything with noodles, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, or Asian seasonings will do.
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
Refrigerate any cooled leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To reheat it, pop it into the microwave for 20 seconds and then stir it. Microwave it for another 20-30 seconds or until warm.
You can also heat it in a pan over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Can I Freeze This?
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 made from frozen.
Fortunately, the texture isn’t affected too much if you cook the veggies until just tender and leave the steak slightly overcooked. Use half of the sauce for the vegetables and the other half for the beef.
Once fully cooled, place the veggies and steak in separate freezer-friendly bags or containers. Freeze them for up to 3 months.
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.
More Easy Steak Recipes
- Ginger Lime Beef Stir Fry
- Reverse Sear Steak
- Air Fryer Steak
- Jack Daniel’s Grilled Steak Recipe
- Oven Grilled Steak
Pepper Steak Stir Fry
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)
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil over medium high heat in a wok or skillet.
- Add the prepared onions and peppers to the hot oil and season with salt and pepper; cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the garlic, and continue to cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
- In the meantime, prepare the sauce by mixing together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame seed oil, beef broth, sugar, ginger, and corn starch.
- Remove veggies from the skillet and set aside; keep covered.
- Add the rest of the canola oil to the skillet and raise heat to high; add steak, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 2 minutes per side.
- Stir the vegetables back in the skillet and pour in the sauce; stir and continue to cook for 1 to 2 more minutes, or until heated through and sauce has started to thicken.
- Remove from heat, garnish with green onions, and serve over rice or cauliflower rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
This is a great stir fry recipe! It’s perfect for an easy weeknight dinner.