Pepper Steak Stir-Fry
This easy pepper steak recipe comes together in just 30 minutes and it’s better than takeout! It’s got everything I look for in a meal (from both a nutrition and an enjoyment standpoint): carbs, veggies, protein, and FLAVOR! Not only does it taste incredible (just read the reviews below and then be sure to leave your own!), but it’s also easy to make and made with simple ingredients. Serve up the peppers and steak with rice for a completely delicious meal that will get rave reviews from the family.
If you’re craving a fast, flavorful dinner packed with protein and veggies, this steak stir-fry is it! 🥩🫑
This stir-fry is one of those dinners that always hits the spot, but doesn’t take up much time at all. The thin-sliced steak cooks up tender and juicy, and the colorful veggies soak up all that delicious sauce.
Everyone at the table is happy and full. (Also, my kids don’t like peppers, so they requested this steak and broccoli version which we also make frequently.) It’s…
😋 Seriously delicious: Tender steak, crisp veggies, and a flavorful stir-fry sauce that’s sweet and savory at the same time.
🛒 Made with simple ingredients: With a few fresh ingredients and some pantry staples, you can whip this up without a trip to a specialty store.
🍚 Pairs perfectly with rice: Great with white, brown, or cauliflower rice or noodles!
🥢 Quick-cooking: Dinner on the table in about 25 minutes, it’s quick and easy.
🔥 Big flavor: Savory, garlicky, gingery, and slightly sweet. You’ll see why we love this sauce so much.
🍽️ Weeknight MVP: One-pan, easy, and a family-friendly favorite.
You’ll also want to try chicken teriyaki, ground pork stir-fry, ground turkey stir-fry, and orange chicken next time.
I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to comment and rate this recipe. We make it literally almost every other week in our house. It’s a MAJOR family favorite and I sometimes even sneak in other veggies like broccoli or zucchini sliced. It’s easy and if I have time, I prep and cut veggies ahead of making it. I use Akaushi flank steak from my local grocery store and the beef is the ABSOLUTE BOMB. Thank you for making the recipe -MY FAMILY MAJORLY APPROVES! –Molly
Ingredient Notes
You’ll need some fresh ingredients and pantry staples to bring this stir-fry steak to the table: oil, green peppers, red peppers, flank steak, salt, pepper, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, corn starch, vinegar, and sesame oil.
- Steak: Flank steak works really well in this pepper steak stir fry, but you could also use another cut like sirloin steak or skirt steak that will stay tender if it’s cooked quickly. When you are cutting flank steak for stir fry, you want to cut it into thin strips against the grain. The flank steak from my Moink Box was perfectly tender! Some stores also carry a stir-fry cut of steak, which should work well and even cut down on prep time.
Emily’s Tips & Tricks
- Pro tip: Freeze steak for 30 minutes or so to make it easier to slice. Slice it against the grain so the bites are nice and tender.
- Feeding kids without pressure: Place a small piece of steak and peppers if it’s a new food and serve the meal with a few sides you know they will eat like fruit, milk, and bread with butter if they don’t do rice.
- Variations: If you want to switch out the vegetables, it’s easy to do so, you may just need to adjust the cooking time a bit.
- Additions: If you like some spice, add in sliced jalapenos to taste!
Pepper Steak Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This steak stir-fry is fast, flavorful, and better than takeout! Packed with juicy steak, crisp peppers, and a savory sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
- 2 green bell peppers
- 2 red bell peppers
- 16 oz. flank steak
- 3/4 tsp. sea salt, divided
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 tsp. minced ginger
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
Instructions
- Prep ingredients:
Prepare rice according to package instructions.
Slice bell peppers.
Slice flank steak against the grain in 1/4 inch slices. **Freeze for 30 min to make this easy
Mince garlic.
Mince ginger. - Mix up the stir fry sauce. Whisk together minced garlic, ginger, brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and cornstarch in a small bowl.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok. Add peppers and 1/4 teaspoon salt to skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes. Transfer peppers to a plate.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok. Add steak and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes, until browned.
- Add peppers and soy sauce mixture to the pan and stir occasionally, cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
- Serve peppers and steak over rice.
Notes
- Storage: Store pepper steak stir-fry leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat the stir fry in the microwave, or for best results, in a hot skillet, just until heated through.
- Ingredient notes: Use your favorite soy sauce; you can also use low-sodium soy sauce, though you may need to adjust the seasonings. You could also use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce to make this recipe gluten-free. If you like it spicy, add sliced jalapeno to the bell peppers.
- Prep ahead: If you would like to tackle some of the prep ahead, you can: slice the peppers a day or two in advance and mix the stir-fry sauce up to a day in advance (don’t add cornstarch until right before making).
- Special tools: A rice maker is a must for my house, we eat so many stir-fries it’s an appliance we use frequently!
- Serve with: Rice, cauliflower rice, noodles.
- Nutrition: Nutrition facts do not include rice.
Serving Suggestions
Rice is, of course, the classic accompaniment, but you also have some other options:
- Rice: Use a rice maker for perfect rice every time. You can use white rice or brown rice. We tend to use white rice as we like the taste better and the nutritional difference between white and brown rice is pretty minimal.
- Noodles: Use rice noodles, soba noodles, or even regular spaghetti noodles.
- Cauliflower rice: Add in even more veggies to this meal by serving the pepper steak stir fry recipe over a base of cauliflower rice OR combine some rice with cauliflower rice for a happy medium.
FAQs
Yes, you could virtually use any vegetable; you’ll just need to be mindful of the cooking time and cooking order if using a variety of vegetables. Carrots, broccoli, onion, zucchini, mushrooms, green beans, snow peas, and bok choy would all be delicious.
Yes, you can omit the cornstarch if you like; the sauce will not be as thick and glossy like it is at Chinese restaurants, but it will still be full of flavor.
More Stir-Fry Recipes
If you like this flank steak stir fry, give one of these other easy stir-fry recipes a try next time:
About the Author
Emily Dingmann is a recipe developer, nutrition expert, and founder of My Everyday Table. She specializes in creating easy, healthy recipes that help busy parents feed their families well every single day, without the stress. With a degree in Nutrition and over 20 years of experience, Emily shares family-friendly meals that are practical, nourishing, and full of flavor. Learn more about Emily’s approach to everyday cooking and nutrition here.
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
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This was amazing! Everyone loved it: husband, teenager, 9-year-old, and me. I make stir fry pretty often and this sauce was the best I’ve made! I will make it again soon!
This recipe was great,.. and i used chicken because I didn’t have beef. However I was confused about the garlic and ginger…. it says mix with soy , sugar etc, in a sauce but then later it says add garlic and ginger to peppers when cooking…not sure what it means,. but mine was all mixed together…
Oh thank you so much for catching that, I just updated it. I tested it both ways and they both work. 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it!
I made this tonight. It was great & full a flavor. It will now be part of the meal rotation.
Awesome!!! Thanks for sharing, Rebecca!
When (and to what) do you add the rice wine vinegar? It’s listed in the ingredients but not the action steps. Thank you!
Thanks for catching that! It goes into the stir fry sauce and I just updated it. Appreciate you letting me know! 🙂
This has turned into a staple meal at our house! Everyone loves it (which is rare!).
This was delish I tripled the sauce so we have extra for our rice and my son’s noodles. Definitely added to our family menu
Thanks Tonya, so happy to hear this! (And I’m currently working on another steak stir fry…recipe coming soon!) 🙂 🙂
I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to comment and rate this recipe. We make it literally almost every other week in our house. It’s a MAJOR family favorite and I sometimes even sneak in other veggies like broccoli or zucchini sliced. It’s easy and if I have time, I prep and cut veggies ahead of making it. I use Akaushi flank steak from my local grocery store and the beef is the ABSOLUTE BOMB. Thank you for making the recipe -MY FAMILY MAJORLY APPROVES!
Yay! This review means so much to me and I so appreciate you taking the time to leave it! 🙂 Love that it’s a weekly staple at your house, and love the idea of some sliced zucchini in there, too.
Has anyone made this using beefless bulgogi strips from Trader Joes??
Just a thought. I usually air fry the strips and was thinking they’d work. Really good but very mild in flavor so I thought they might work?
It sounds like a great idea! Please let us know if you end up trying it. I’ll try to grab them next time I’m at TJ’s!