This easy version of pepper steak is a delicious stir fry 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.
The sauce is rich and savory, with a bit of a tang from the vinegar and some brown sugar to balance the flavors. I love the sauce so much, I usually double the ingredients and will happily serve it over some cauliflower rice for lunch!
Stir fries are the easiest way to cook meat, veggies and a sauce really quickly and in one skillet. You can have dinner on the table in about 45 minutes. If you love them too, try some of our favorites:
Ingredients
- 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 to use for this pepper steak recipe?
Since this is a quick cooking steak recipe, you will want to use a more tender cut of beef to start. It won't have time to break down the fibers of a top round, 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.
- When slicing the flank steak beef, cut "against the grain". To do this, while facing the meat, you'll see lines going across. Turn the steak
- 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. Taste the sauce for flavor and adjust with more seasoning, spice or sweetener. 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 Stir Fry 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 stir fry meal options:
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Skillet 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 easy version of pepper steak and onions is full of colorful peppers, tender beef and a sauce with an option for no refined sugars added. 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
*To save some calories, If the skillet is getting a little dry as you are sautéing vegetables, carefully add a bit of water rather than more oil.
**I always trim off any large pieces of 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