Pepper Steak

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5 from 2 votes

This Pepper Steak stir-fry is a delicious meat and veggie meal made in 20 minutes with budget-friendly cuts of beef.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Chinese

Servings: (1 cup) servings

Calories: 253kcal

Author: Jennifer Fishkind

Ingredients

¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon grated ginger
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1 pound London broil cut into ¼-inch thick by 2-inch-sized pieces
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons peanut oil divided in half
½ large red bell pepper cut into 1-inch pieces
½ large green bell pepper cut into 1-inch pieces
½ large yellow onion cut into 1-inch pieces
Optional garnish - sprinkle of sesame seeds

Instructions

Whisk together the low-sodium soy sauce, dry sherry, granulated sugar, minced garlic, grated ginger, and sesame oil in a small bowl.
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dry sherry, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, ¾ teaspoon minced garlic, ½ teaspoon grated ginger, ½ teaspoon sesame oil
In a large bowl with the sliced pieces of London broil beef, pour half the sauce mixture over the meat and toss to coat. Set aside.
1 pound London broil
Add the cornstarch and water to the small bowl with the remaining sauce. Whisk again to incorporate the cornstarch until no lumps remain. Set aside.
1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water
To a large, heavy-duty skillet, on medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil to the skillet. Once the oil is hot, add the sliced beef in a single layer to the skillet. Be sure to use a slotted spoon to allow any excess sauce to remain in the bowl. You can pour the extra sauce back into the small bowl with the rest of the sauce.
2 tablespoons peanut oil
Cook the meat for 3-4 minutes per side or until your beef is browned and cooked through. Remove the browned meat from the skillet and place it onto a plate while you cook the vegetables.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of peanut oil and the pieces of red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and yellow onion to the hot skillet. Cook the vegetables for 2-3 minutes or until they are lightly seared and softened. You want them to still have a slight firmness and not get overly soft.
2 tablespoons peanut oil, ½ large red bell pepper, ½ large green bell pepper, ½ large yellow onion
Add the browned beef slices back to the skillet, turn the heat down to medium and add the reserved sauce. Stir to evenly coat all the beef and vegetables with the sauce. You may need to give the sauce a quick whisk to reincorporate any cornstarch that may have settled to the bottom of the bowl.
Cook for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute or just until the sauce thickens and gets glossy. Remove from the heat.

Notes

Storage:

To Store: Leftover pepper steak can be stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 2 days.
To Freeze: To freeze the pepper steak, allow it to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
To Reheat: Reheat in a skillet on medium heat. You may need to add a little additional water to the skillet when reheating to loosen up the sauce.

Tips:

This pepper steak dish is best served over white rice or cauliflower fried rice for a lower carb option.
You should try to have all your peppers, onions, and beef slices roughly the same size. You are looking for bite-size pieces. Depending on the size of your vegetables, you are looking for ½ -¾ cup of each type of vegetable when cut into pieces.
You can use any combination of bell peppers you choose. I will often only use red bell peppers or sometimes a tri-color blend of bell peppers because it looks really pretty to see the different colors. You will need to note that the orange and red peppers will be sweeter than a green or yellow pepper.
You can easily double this recipe (especially if your London broil is a 2-pound-sized one). You will just need to note that the total cook time will be doubled because you will need to brown your meat in 2 batches to avoid steaming your meat in an overcrowded skillet. You will also use the whole onion, and red & green bell peppers, along with doubling your sauce ingredients.
If you bought the larger 2-pound London broil and only want to use half, you can slice up the entire thing but place half of the sliced beef into an airtight freezer bag to save for a later date. The frozen sliced beef will keep for up to 2 months. You will want to thaw the sliced beef in the refrigerator before using it in a future recipe.
Be sure to use a good quality dry sherry when cooking. I get mine from the liquor store, not from the vinegar aisle in the grocery store. Think of this the way you do with cooking with red or white wines; you want to cook with something good enough to drink. You can substitute the dry sherry with seasoned rice vinegar or mirin. These can both be found in the Asian section of your grocery store. Be sure to choose seasoned rice vinegar as it has added sugars, unlike standard rice vinegar.
If you like a little heat to your pepper steak, add ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the marinade. You can add more or less, depending on your desired heat level.

Nutrition