This savory, saucy Pepper Steak recipe combines tender strips of sirloin steak with colorful bell peppers in a rich Asian-inspired sauce that rivals your favorite Chinese restaurant.
I first made this recipe when recreating one of my favorite Chinese restaurant’s recipes for Pepper Steak stir fry. Over the years I’ve made a few tweaks to my first try, and I must say, this version nails the perfect balance of tender meat, crisp vegetables, and velvety sauce. Strips of tender sirloin steak are simply seasoned, cooked with sweet red and green bell peppers alongside ribbons of yellow onion, and finished in a glossy, savory sauce loaded with umami flavor. I serve the pepper steak over fluffy white rice with lots of chopped green onion. The best part? It comes together faster than delivery and costs a fraction of what you’d pay at your local takeout spot. Just like my Cashew Chicken and Beef and Broccoli recipes, It’s the kind of dish that makes you wonder why you ever went out to eat in the first place.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s quick and weeknight-friendly, coming together in just 30 minutes
- The sauce is perfectly balanced—not too sweet, not too salty, just right
- You’ll only need one pan, which means less cleanup (hello, winning!)
What’s In This Pepper Steak Recipe
- Sirloin steak—It’s tender enough to cook quickly while still having amazing beef flavor. Plus, it won’t break the bank like some fancier cuts.
- Garlic—When you massage garlic and salt into the beef, you’re essentially doing a quick marinade that tenderizes and seasons the meat from the inside out.
- Kosher salt—It’s always a flavor enhancer.
- Butter—Butter brings richness to the meat and vegetables when cooking.
- Canola or vegetable oil—Oil raises the smoke point of the butter at high heat so it doesn’t burn. The best of both worlds!
- Green and red bell pepper—I use both green and red peppers because, let’s be honest, we eat with our eyes first, and those colors are gorgeous together.
- Yellow onion—Onion adds sweetness and crunch to the stir fry.
- Tomato paste—Concentrated in umami flavor, tomato paste is cooked with the meat and veg before the liquids are added to deepen its flavor and lose its raw taste.
- Concentrated beef base—Just a tablespoon of beef base adds a rich, beefy foundation. You could use a beef bouillon cube but the flavor will be thinner.
- Soy sauce—Soy sauce adds that classic umami depth and flavor. Always check your soy sauce for freshness before using it.
- Cornstarch—Used to thicken the sauce, cornstarch doesn’t add any extra flavor when creating that restaurant-style glossy finish we all love.
- Sugar—Sugar rounds out the sauce and balances the salty flavor of soy sauce and beef base.
- Freshly ground black pepper—Adds a little subtle heat.
- Water—Add more water if your sauce gets too thick.
- Cooked white rice—I like good, old-fashioned white rice but feel free to try brown rice or other variety instead.
- Green onion—I love lots of freshly snipped green onion to finish off the dish when serving.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Pepper Steak Stir Fry
TIP : Freeze the steak for 15 minutes before slicing – it makes getting thin strips so much easier.
- Cut the beef into thin strips. Thinner strips of the sirloin cook quickly and evenly and stay tender. Plus, it makes a little bit go a long way.
- Add that garlic-salt massage. Don’t skip digging in and using your hands to gently massage the seasonings into the meat. It’s like a spa treatment for your beef that pays off in flavor dividends.
- The key to perfect stir-fry is timing. Cook the meat until brown, setting it aside to add to the vegetables later where it will continue to cook.
- Sauté the vegetables. You want those peppers and onions to still have some bite – no soggy vegetables allowed!
- Cook the tomato paste and beef base before adding liquid. Cooking these two ingredients instead of whisking into the liquid rounds out their raw flavor and deepens their intensity.
- When you add the sauce, let it bubble and thicken until it coats the back of a spoon. That’s how to know it’s ready. Cornstarch and its thickening superpower don’t add extra flavor like flour would.
FAQ and Recipe Tips
- Freeze the steak for 15 minutes before slicing—it makes getting thin strips so much easier.
- Have all your ingredients prepped before you start cooking (that’s what we call mise en place).
- Don’t overcrowd the pan when cooking the beef—you want to brown it, not steam it.
- Can I make this ahead? You bet! It reheats beautifully and might even taste better the next day.
Ingredient Substitutions
- What can I substitute for sirloin? Flank steak or flat iron steak work great too. Just remember to slice against the grain.
- Try an array of other colorful bell peppers. I used green and red peppers here, but feel free to try yellow or orange as well.
- No beef base? Use beef broth or water with a cube of beef bouillon, but reduce it first to concentrate the flavor.
- If you’re out of fresh garlic, garlic powder will work in a pinch (about ½ teaspoon).
Storage Tips
- This pepper steak will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The sauce might thicken up—just add a splash of water or beef broth when reheating.
- Freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
What to Serve With Pepper Steak
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
