This version of skillet pepper steak is made with tricolor peppers and cooked in a cast iron skillet. I love using a rainbow of vegetables when I cook. It makes the dish pretty as well as very healthy.
What are the ingredients in pepper steak ?
- flank steak
- low sodium soy sauce
- low sodium beef broth or diluted brown gravy
- vegetable oil
- brown sugar substitute
- peppers
- onion
- cherry tomatoes, optional
- ground ginger
- ground garlic
- rice wine vinegar or white vinegar
What is the best steak for pepper steak?
Since this is a quick cooking steak recipe, you will want to use a more tender steak to start. It won't have time to break down the fibers of a stew meat or chuck steak.
I prefer using very thinly sliced flank steak, ribeye or NY strip steaks. They have some marbled fat for flavor and the beef comes out tender.
Some helpful tips:
- Try not to use a cut of beef such as chuck or shank. It will tend to be tougher.
- However, if you only have beef that are tougher cuts, you can try marinating it for a few hours before you make the pepper steak.
- Mix up the sauce ahead of time, making sure not to leave out the vinegar as that will help soften the beef. Add a tablespoon of oil and pour the sauce over the beef and set in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook.
How to make skillet pepper steak?
- Make the sauce by mixing the soy sauce, vinegar, broth, sugar, garlic and ginger.
- In a skillet, lightly sauté the peppers in a tablespoon of oil.
- Remove peppers and sauté the onions in a bit more oil.
- Set the vegetables aside and sauté the beef in another tablespoon of oil.
- Pour sauce over beef and return vegetables to skillet. Add in the cherry tomatoes, if using. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes to heat everything through and thicken the sauce.
- Serve over brown, white or cauliflower rice.
Here are some other healthy meal options:
PrintSkillet Pepper Steak
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minuts
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: Chinese
Description
This low carb version of pepper steak and onions is full of colorful peppers, tender beef and a sauce with no refined sugars. You can easily cook it in a skillet on your cooktop.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil *
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar or substitute ( I used Swerve brown sugar)
- 3 - 4 peppers, (I used a combination of red, yellow & green), cut into strips
- 2 yellow onions, sliced
- 4 cloves of garlic minced or 2 teaspoons ground garlic
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- ¼ cup of low sodium beef broth or diluted brown gravy mix
- 2 lbs.of top round, stew beef or flank steak, sliced thin against the grain. **
- salt and pepper to taste
- cherry tomatoes-optional
Instructions
- Mix the soy sauce, beef broth or 2 tablespoons brown gravy mix with ¼ cup water. Add in the vinegar, sugar or substitute, garlic and ginger. Set aside.
- Heat a few teaspoons of oil in a large skillet and cook the onions until they are very lightly browned about 3-4 minutes. Remove from pan.
- Add another two teaspoons of oil and cook the peppers until they are softened a bit but are not soggy. You want them to maintain their color and still have a touch of crunch. Set them aside as well.
- Heat a bit more oil and sauté the beef until cooked and no longer pink, about 6-8 minutes.
- Add the sauce to the beef, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer . Add the onions, peppers and optional cherry tomatoes to skillet and stir to heat through.
- Serve with brown, white or cauliflower rice.
Notes
*If the skillet is getting a little dry as you are sautéing the meat or vegetables, carefully add a bit of water rather than more oil.
**I always trim off any additional fat on the beef. It will lessen the calories, but not the flavor.
* To less carbs, use beef broth mixed with 1 tablespoon Arrowroot powder to make a "gravy" substitute to thicken the sauce.
*Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 3 days. Reheat in a skillet on low for 3-4 minutes until hot.
*You can freeze the leftovers in an airtight container, freezing the rice separately. It will keep for 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as above.
Carol says
We loved all the different peppers in this recipe and meat was so tender