Quick and Easy Pepper Steak

Quick and Easy Pepper Steak is made with tender strips of beef, onions and peppers, loaded with mouth watering flavors. It is so easy to make, and way better than takeout!

 While you are here, be sure to checkout these Food Court Style Asian Noodles, and Homemade Lumpia recipes as well!

Let's be honest for a minute, Chinese takeout is the BUSINESS (aka, amazing)! It can also be a lifesaver right? For the nights that you simply do not feel like cooking. Or maybe the nights you just want some greasy indulgence, Chinese food to the rescue!

Our kids get so excited when they find out I ordered something for delivery versus me cooking. Now that I think about it, I should be offended!

Seriously though, that is where this  Pepper Steak recipe came from. It is one of our favorites, and it is WAY too quick and easy to make at home!

What you need to make  Quick and Easy Pepper Steak:

• A pressure cooker- if you don’t own one, don’t worry, I’ll tell you another method below. BUT YOU NEED ONE ASAP!
• Eye of round steak is a great, inexpensive cut for this recipe. Any cut of steak will work though.
• Kitchen shears or very sharp knife
• Gallon size resealable bag
• Seasoning: steak seasoning (McCormick has a great one), garlic powder, black pepper
• Soy sauce
• Diced garlic
• Green and Red bell pepper
• Onion
• Corn starch + water slurry

How to prepare the pepper steak:

Using the sharp pair of kitchen shears, or a very sharp knife, cut the steak into strips- about ½" thick. The flavors have to get into the meat- hence the need to marinate!

So, I definitely recommend marinating the meat overnight for best results. If time doesn’t permit, at least marinate it for one hour.

Tips to make the pepper steak faster:

Another time saving tip- slice up all of the peppers and onions after you marinate your meat. Place sliced peppers into an airtight container, or another resealable bag. Then, place them in the fridge until you use them.

Cooking the pepper steak:

Add the vegetable oil to the pressure cooker and set it to sauté method. Heat the oil for about 5 minutes. Gently place the steak pieces into the hot oil in one single layer. Brown the meat for about 1-2 minutes per side.

If needed, remove the seared meat and place it on plate on the side. Then add the additional meat and brown in a single layer.

Once the meat is browned, add it all back into the stock pot (including any juices from the marinade). Set the pressure cooker to “pressure cook” for 10 minutes.

While the meat is cooking, combine the corn starch and water and mix well to create a slurry.

When the 10 minutes are up, carefully open the lid, and stir in the corn starch slurry. Also, add the peppers and onions now. Close the lid and set it to “pressure cook” for an additional 5 minutes.

Why do you add the peppers later?

We do not want super soggy peppers y’all! So cooking the meat for a bit allows it to get way more tender. Then when you add the peppers, they are not just disintegrating with the steak.

What to serve with the pepper steak:

• White or brown rice is a must with pepper steak!
• We love them with these Food Court Style Asian Noodles as well.
• Homemade Lumpia, or store bought egg rolls would be amazing.
• Broccoli, or any other vegetable will round the dish out great.

How to make the Pepper Steak without a pressure cooker:

If you do not own a pressure cooker yet, PLEASE get one! It will be one of your most favorite kitchen gadgets before long!

Nonetheless, you can use a medium-large size stock pot, or a deep skillet with a lid for this recipe.

Follow all of the steps above; add oil, seat meat, except now add all of the meat and about ½ cup of water back to the pot or pan and cover with the lid. For this method, you will need to cover and cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, add in the onions, peppers, and cornstarch slurry. Then cover and cook an additional 10-15 minutes.

Either method will yield about 8 servings of absolute deliciousness!