Put down the takeout menu! This Crock Pot Pepper Steak is just as delicious as the restaurant version, and it’s also healthier and super easy thanks to the slow cooker.
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A mouthwatering homemade version of a takeout favorite!
Pepper steak is a classic Chinese American dish that’s named for its two primary ingredients: peppers and strips of steak. It’s cooked with a thick, almost gravy-like sauce made with ginger and soy sauce.
Pepper steak is typically made as a stir-fry, but I wanted to see if I could adapt it for the slow cooker, like my Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken and Crockpot Beef and Broccoli. And that’s how this Crock Pot Pepper Steak came to be!
Using the slow cooker to make pepper steak gives you the immediate reward of ordering takeout (hey look! I walked into the house, and dinner is magically ready), with the nutritional and cost-saving benefits that come with cooking healthy food at home.
5 Star Review
“This was SO delicious! My whole family loved it! It was the perfect amount of heat and sweet!”
— Sarah —
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
- Beef. You have options here! I love to use sirloin for this crock pot pepper steak. It is a bit more expensive, but it’s leaner and is easy to cut into pieces of the appropriate size. You can also make this recipe with beef stew meat, which is a mix of cuts and more budget-friendly.
- Bell Peppers. ALL THE COLORS! Bell peppers are one of my favorite vegetables, and why I often use them in stir fries like this Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry. They’re high in Vitamin-C, potassium, and folate.
- Sautéed Onions. Browning the onions in the same pan used to brown the beef is a major upgrade to this recipe. It’s worth it (as is the time spent browning the beef, I promise!).
- Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes. While these might seem like an odd addition, they help thicken the sauce and add a subtle smokiness. The acid in the tomatoes also helps balance the pepper steak sauce’s sweetness.
- Soy Sauce. A salty, delicious umami bomb. Soy sauce is the perfect base for an Asian stir fry sauce (just check out all the recipes I’ve used it in!).
- Worcestershire Sauce. Making crockpot pepper steak with Worcestershire sauce helps to deepen the flavors of the dish. It works well with the beef and gives another umami note.
- Honey. I love to naturally sweeten my Asian recipes with honey. It provides the perfect touch of sweetness and stickiness that the dish needs.
- Ginger. Adds fresh, zippy, slightly sweet notes to the sauce.
How to Make Pepper Steak in a Crock Pot
Brown the Beef. Toss the beef with the spices then sauté it on all sides until lightly browned. Add it to the slow cooker.
Soften the Onions. In the same pan, sauté the onions until they are lightly browned. Hello, FLAVOR. Add them to the slow cooker too.
Cook. Add the peppers and tomatoes to the slow cooker. Whisk together the sauce ingredients and cornstarch in a small bowl, then pour the mixture into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, until the beef is tender.
Thicken and Serve. Whisk together the cornstarch slurry, and stir it into the slow cooker. Let cook uncovered on HIGH for 10 minutes to thicken. Serve hot with brown rice and green onions. ENJOY!
Tips to Thicken Pepper Steak Sauce
This recipe uses cornstarch to thicken the sauce, and we were happy with the resulting texture. If you’d like your sauce even thicker, here are a few tips:
- Add Time. Leave your slow cooker uncovered on HIGH for about 20 minutes instead of 10 to give the sauce additional time to reduce.
- Add Additional Cornstarch. You can add a second round of the cornstarch slurry; don’t go too crazy or you may change the flavor, but I would say you can comfortably add 1 additional tablespoon cornstarch, whisked together with 1 tablespoon water, then stir it into the slow cooker.
What to Serve with Pepper Steak
- Rice. Keep it simple and serve your pepper steak with rice. You’ll have plenty of sauce to make sure every grain is coated. I like to use brown rice for its whole-grain benefits like extra fiber and nutrients.
- Cauliflower Rice. For a more low-carb option, swap the rice for steamed cauliflower rice.
- Vegetables. Up the veggie content even more by serving this recipe with a side of Roasted Frozen Broccoli or Roasted Brussels Sprouts.
More Healthy Asian-Inspired Slow Cooker Recipes
Crock Pot Pepper Steak
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds sirloin cut into 2-inch, by ½-inch strips
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon canola oil grapeseed oil, or a different neutral oil
- 1 large yellow onion
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons water, divided
- 2 green bell peppers cored and cut into ½-inch strips
- 2 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers cored and cut into ½-inch strips
- 1 15-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes in their juices
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce plus additional to taste
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes plus additional to taste
- 5 tablespoons cornstarch divided
- Prepared brown rice quinoa or cauliflower rice, for serving
Instructions
- Place the beef in a bowl and sprinkle with the garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Toss to coat.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high. Add the beef and cook on all sides until the beef is lightly browned, about 5 minutes (no need to cook it all the way through). Transfer the beef and any cooking juices to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- To the skillet where you were just cooking the beef, add the onions. Increase the heat to high. Carefully pour in 1/4 cup water, stirring to scrape up any browned bits stuck on the pan. Sauté until the onions begin to soften and lightly brown and the liquid has cooked off, about 3 minutes, then transfer the onions to the slow cooker with the beef.
- To the slow cooker, add the green and red bell peppers (see recipe note) and tomatoes. In a small bowl or a large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, honey, ginger, red pepper flakes, and 3 tablespoons cornstarch. Pour into the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, until the beef is tender (you can also make this recipe on HIGH, cooking it for 3 to 4 hours, though I find the beef comes out more tender on low heat).
- In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons cornstarch with the remaining 2 tablespoons water to make a slurry. Stir the slurry into the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker to HIGH and let cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes to further thicken. The pepper beef will still be saucy, but it should resemble a thick, rich gravy. Stir once more. Taste and add additional salt, soy sauce, and/or red pepper flakes to taste. Serve hot with prepared brown rice and a sprinkle of green onion.
Notes
- The bell peppers will become quite soft during cooking; if you prefer them more crisp, wait to add them a little more than halfway through the cook time.
- TO STORE: Place leftover steak in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm leftovers in a large skillet on the stove over medium-low heat. You can also reheat this dish in the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: Store pepper steak in an airtight freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
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