If you love the popular Pepper Steak with Onions at your favorite Chinese restaurant, you'll love this quick and easy recipe! Featuring tender steak stir-fried in a sticky, rich garlic pepper sauce with onions and peppers, this is a weeknight dinner that’s sure to impress.
ServingSuggestions:Steamed Rice/Cauliflower Rice or Cooked Noodles
Instructions
Marinate steak: In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, mirin, and cornstarch. Pat the pieces of beef dry and add them to bowl. Gently stir to completely coat the beef in the marinade. Set aside for 10-15 minutes and continue with the recipe.
Mix pepper sauce: In a glass measure or small bowl, add all the ingredients for the sauce. Whisk well to combine. Set aside.
Cook steak: Heat 1 ½ tablespoons of oil in a wok or large heavy-bottom skillet over HIGH heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the steak to the pan in an even, single layer. Cook – undisturbed – for 30 to 45 seconds or until bottom side is lightly browned. Flip, and continue to cook, stir-frying, for an additional 30 seconds or until almost cooked to your liking. Immediately remove the beef from the pan and transfer to a plate. Set aside (Tip: Do not crowd the pan as that will cause the beef to steam, instead of stir-fry. If necessary to prevent over-crowding, cook the steak in two batching, adding more oil as needed.) (Note: Don’t overcook your steak! If anything, UNDERCOOK it during this step. You will be adding the steak back to the pan in the next steps.)
Cook veggies, then aromatics: Return the pan to stove over MEDIUM heat. Add the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons of oil to the pan. When the oil is hot, add the onions and peppers to the pan. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir fry the vegetables for 3-4 minutes, or until they are starting to soften. Add the garlic and ginger to the pan. Stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Add the sauce: Give your stir-fry sauce a good whisk to make sure everything is combined, and the cornstarch is fully dissolved. Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and immediately stir the mixture. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute, or until the sauce resembles a thick syrup and coats the back of a spoon. (Note: The stir-fry garlic pepper sauce will simmer quickly when you add it to the pan, don’t be alarmed).
Add beef: Add the cooked steak back to the pan, along with any juices pooled on the plate. Quickly stir-fry to coat the steak in the sauce, about 30 seconds. Immediately remove from heat.
Serve: Transfer to a large serving platter or individual plates. Top with scallions and sesame seeds if using and serve with rice or noodles. Enjoy!
Notes
Recipe: I recommend reading this recipe all the way through before cooking. Stir fry recipes are quick paced, so you’ll want to have everything prepared and ready to go *before* starting the recipe. Heads up – you need to marinate the steak for at least 10 minutes in step 1!
Steak: You can use any steak you love that’s suitable for stir-frying and quick stove-top cooking. For this recipe, I typically use sirloin as it’s the most economical option. However, tenderloin, NY strip and flank steak work well too! Just remember to the flank steak against the grain.
Cutting steaks: It’s easiest to cut cold meat. I like to transfer my steaks from the refrigerator to the freezer for 30-45 minutes before slicing to make my life easier. Just don’t forget the steaks in the freezer!!
Ground Pepper: The size of your pepper grinds matter in this recipe! If you are using regular ground black pepper (like from a tin), reduce the pepper by half (3/4 tsp). The measurement in the recipe is written for coarsely ground black pepper (like from a pepper mill).
Nutritional information is an approximation based upon 4 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.