This one-pot meal Chinese Pepper Steak Recipe is so easy to make but has a strong and vibrant flavor that makes it feel like a real treat. This pepper beef steak is all you need to satisfy your taste buds.
Pepper steak has been made in the Caribbean for hundreds of years and is a staple in many island cuisines. Today, you may also know it as a Chinese American dish, although there are a few key differences in ingredients that give the Chinese meal a totally different flavor.
With tender beef, sweet peppers and a thick, tasty gravy, this pepper beef steak recipe is a real crowd-pleaser that everyone will enjoy.
About The Steak
The kind of cut you choose can have a huge impact on the end result of this dish. To avoid ending up with tough meat, we recommend flank or sirloin steak.
Neither are the cheapest cut, but because they come from the animal’s abdomen, they are not used as much as the leg muscles like shank or chuck. This makes them perfect for this type of cooking.
Browning the meat is a vital step in sealing in all that delicious flavor and helping to keep it tender. For extra flavor and tenderness you might like to marinate your meat ahead of time, however the liquid in this recipe goes a long way in stopping the beef from drying out and helping it absorb all those tasty herbs and spices.
Browning vs Soy Sauce – Pepper Sauce For Steak
Traditionally, Jamaican pepper steak uses browning, a dark brown sauce made of brown sugar. This helps to give stews a richer flavor and a beautiful deep color. It’s possible to buy pre-made browning at various stores, although depending on where you live it may be hard to find.
Making your own browning can’t be beat, but soy sauce is a fine alternative should you not have the time or inclination.
Though it doesn’t have quite the same depth of flavor, soy sauce works wonders for giving an extra boost to gravy-based meat dishes and adds a savory taste that makes this pepper steak dish totally irresistible.
For this recipe, we used light soy sauce to reduce the sodium intake and allow the flavors to come mainly from the steak and peppers.
About The Peppers
The bell peppers in this recipe help to give the dish some color, though if you prefer certain peppers over others, feel free to use just one or two. The only difference between green, yellow and red pepper is how long they were on the vine before they were harvested.
This does mean, however, that red peppers (grown for the longest time) have the most nutritional benefits. Compared to green bell peppers (those harvested earliest), the red ones have almost 11 times more beta-carotene and 1.5 times more vitamin C. Whichever color peppers you choose, they help to add a healthy kick to this nostalgic and comforting dish.
TIPS AND VARIATIONS
- To make this dish Whole30 compliant or paleo, replace the soy sauce for liquid aminos and the corn starch for arrowroot.
- To make this dish gluten-free, replace the soy sauce for water.
FREEZER DIRECTIONS
You can freeze leftover pepper steak in freezer safe containers. Let it cool completely before freezing. Reheat in the microwave and enjoy.
If you loved this pepper steak recipe, try this beef donburi recipe and this steak soup recipe, and this Haitian Tasso recipe next.
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Pepper Steak
Ingredients
- ½ Cup Light soy sauce
- ½ Cup Honey
- 1 ½ Tbsp. Cornstarch
- ¼ Cup Water
- 2 Tbsp. Vegetable oil
- 1 ¼ Lb. Stir Fry Beef Strips
- 1 Tsp. Turmeric
- 1 Small onion Chopped
- 1 Yellow bell pepper cored seeded (optional) and cut into strips
- 1 Green bell pepper cored seeded (optional) and cut into strips
- 1 Tbsp. Minced garlic
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, water, honey, and cornstarch. Set aside.Heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat in a large pan.Add the steak to the pan and cook until lightly browned on all sides. Once lightly brown, add the turmeric.
- Remove the meat and set aside on a plate. Add the bell peppers, onion, and garlic, then cook for 30 seconds. Add the meat and stir. Stir the soy sauce mixture, then pour it over the meat and veggies. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes on low heat.
Ramona
I’ve made this recipe yesterday for dinner and it was absolutely delicious my kids want it again so it is going to become a regular in my family no doubt about it, simple and delicious!
Mirlene
I am so glad the kids enjoyed it. thank you
Julie @ Running in a Skirt
What a great recipe for Pepper Steak! I love how you used easy to find soy sauce in it and used the yummy peppers on top. SUch a great and delish recipe for the new season.
Jacqueline Debono
Love how easy this pepper steak recipe is. I think it would make a great weeknight meal and I’m sure my hubby will love it! On my menu for next week!
Mary
How much honey should we put? It just says 1/2 honey
Mirlene
1/2 Cup Honey. Thank you. The recipe has been updated.
Fred N
I’m familiar with the browning because I worked in a Jamaican restaurant back when I lived in Philadelphia. And it was really good. I love the flavors in your pepper steak, I love it served with rice as well. Thanks for sharing!
Mirlene
That’s great to hear. Thank you, Fred!
Lia
I made this and don’t think I have done the best job. I used corn meal, instead of cornstarch and it thickened in a bad way. Definitely should have cooked my meat longer, but I will be attempting this again. Thank you for this recipe!
Mirlene
Oh No! I am so sorry to hear that Lia. Thank you for wanting to try it again.
Kushigalu
Love one pot meal. Love this colorful and flavorful steak recipe. Must try. Thanks for sharing.
Marta
Pepper steak is a big favorite in my family. We also serve it with rice and sweet plantains that we fry. I loved this version.
Mirlene
You made me happy to see how you pair it. Thank you, Marta!
Stine Mari
Yum! I’m going to show this recipe to my boyfriend, I know he will love it. Totally going to try to make it really soon, thank you!
Mirlene
That’s good, Mari. I hope he likes it. Enjoy! Thank you.
Emily
My whole family loved this pepper steak meal! It tasted great over rice and was a great way to use peppers from my garden!
Mirlene
So glad to hear it. Thank you, Emily!
Gail Montero
I’m always on the look out for easy and quick-to-make recipes that packs in a lot of flavor and this pepper steak stir-fry certainly fits the bill! YUM!
Leslie
I have a pepper steak recipe that my mom gave me but it’s rather bland. I definitely would like a recipe with more flavor. I’ll have to give this a try!
Mirlene
Thank you, Leslie.
Lesli Schwartz
This pepper steak recipe looks mouthwatering! Love that it’s a one-pot recipe, which means EASY!