Description
Pepper Steak is a flavorful stir-fry dish featuring tender strips of steak cooked with vibrant bell peppers and onions in a savory sauce made with beef and chicken broth, soy sauce, garlic, and honey. This quick and satisfying meal is perfect served over steamed rice or noodles, delivering a delicious balance of sweet, spicy, and umami flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Stir Fry
- 1 1/4 pounds strip steak, flank steak, or top sirloin
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup dry white wine (Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio)
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 3 cups cooked white rice
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce mixture: Combine cornstarch and 3 tablespoons cold water in a covered container and shake well to dissolve. Set aside in a cool place. In a separate medium bowl, mix together beef broth, chicken broth, low sodium soy sauce, honey, minced garlic, hot sauce, and ground ginger. Set this sauce mixture aside.
- Prep the steak: Place plastic wrap over the steak and pound it flat with a meat tenderizer on both sides to tenderize the meat. Trim off any large fat sections and set aside (fat can be fried with peppers for extra flavor if desired). Slice the steak thinly against the grain. Pat the meat dry and evenly coat with the meat seasoning mix of garlic salt, celery salt, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Sear the steak: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. In batches to avoid overcrowding, sear the steak strips for 3-4 minutes until browned. Remove the steak from the pan and let rest.
- Cook the vegetables and deglaze: Add white wine to the skillet over medium heat and use a silicone spatula to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer the wine until it reduces by half, about 3-4 minutes. Add the sliced green and red bell peppers along with the sliced yellow onion; sauté for about 3 minutes until slightly softened.
- Combine sauce and thicken: Pour the prepared sauce mixture into the skillet with the vegetables and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2-3 minutes to reduce slightly. Shake the cornstarch slurry again and slowly drizzle it into the boiling sauce, stirring constantly. Allow the sauce to bubble gently until it thickens to your desired consistency. Reduce heat to low.
- Finish the dish: Return the cooked steak strips to the skillet and toss to coat with the sauce. Let the mixture heat through for a couple of minutes. Serve immediately over cooked white rice or vegetable fried rice.
Notes
- Use Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio dry white wine to deglaze the pan, or substitute with an equal amount of chicken broth if avoiding alcohol.
- For a noodle variation, add 7 oz of stir-fry noodles or thin spaghetti to the sauce at the end instead of serving with rice.
- The combination of beef and chicken broth adds depth to the sauce; feel free to use all beef broth if preferred.
- To reduce sodium, opt for low sodium soy sauce and broth products.
- Mushrooms are a great addition; sauté separately and stir in at the end or add them with the peppers and onions.
- For perfectly cooked rice: bring 2 cups water with 2 chicken bouillon cubes to a boil, add 1 cup white long grain rice, return to boil, cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest 10 minutes covered. This yields about 3 cups cooked rice.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
