Get ready for a fuss-free and tasty weeknight dinner with my Crock Pot Pepper Steak! Sliced sirloin steak cooks up in a zesty sauce with peppers and onions. This Chinese pepper steak recipe is a winner and dish the whole family will love! It's so versatile and works great served over rice, noodles, or veggies.
Jump to:
This Asian-style pepper steak is similar to a dish served in many Chinese restaurants. It's incredibly easy to make home, especially with your slow cooker!
Juicy sirloin steak with bell peppers slowly cooks in an easy sauce with a garlic, ginger, and soy sauce that's bursting with umami flavors. It's the perfect weeknight dinner to serve with your favorite sides or over a bed of rice. It's also great for meal prep since it reheats well!
Looking for more crock pot steak recipes? Try my Steak Fajitas, Slow Cooker Teriyaki Beef, or Crock Pot Garlic Butter Steak Bites next! But if you love easy crock pot recipes with Asian flavors like this one, then I highly recommend trying my Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken paired with my Crock Pot Rice instead!
Why You'll Love This Slow Cooker Pepper Steak Recipe
- Works With Just About Any Cut of Beef. You can even use tougher cuts that tend to be the least expensive. Slow cooking will break them down and transform them into tender, juicy morsels.
- Unique Flavor. The salty peppered flavor is irresistible and works well with the beefy steak flavor.
- Only 10 Minutes of Active Time. After that, let the slow cooker do the work for you!
- Meal Prep It! This recipe is perfect for meal prep and reheats easy to use for meals throughout the week.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Sirloin Steak: I recommend using sirloin steak, which is lean and a relatively inexpensive beef. It's great in the slow cooker but you can also use flank steak, skirt steak, or round steak which are less expensive options.
- Vegetables: We're using a mix of sliced red and green bell peppers paired with onions.
- Garlic and Ginger: Use fresh for the best flavor. They're the star of any Asian-inspired sauce and give the meat a bold flavor.
- Seasonings: You will need a mix of salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper which enhances the flavors in the dish and gives it a slight kick of heat.
- White Sugar: Helps balance out the salty and spicy flavors well. You can also use honey if you prefer to sweeten it naturally.
- Soy Sauce: Adds a traditional savory flavor to the salty and delicious dish.
- Beef Broth: Gives body to the sauce, thinning it out to the perfect consistency while adding beefy flavor.
- Cornstarch: Helps thicken up the sauce so it coats the meat and vegetables well.
Variations
- Swap the protein. If you're not a fan of beef, you can also use chicken, pork, or lamb in this recipe. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- Try different vegetables. Add in some chopped carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, or zucchini in the last hour of cooking for more nutrients and fiber.
- Spicy Flavors. Go heavy on the crushed red pepper flakes in the sauce or serve your beef pepper steak with sriracha on the side.
- Make it gluten-free: Use tamari or coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce. Be sure to use a gluten-free beef broth as well.
- Serve low carb: Instead of rice, use cauliflower rice or serve the steak and vegetables over a bed of steamed broccoli or zucchini noodles.
How To Make Crock Pot Pepper Steak
Step 1: Prepare the beef. Thinly slice the steak against the grain into strips using a sharp knife.
Step 2: Add beef and vegetables: Prepare the peppers and onions and add them to the crock pot along with the sliced beef.
Step 3: Mix together the sauce. Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl until they are fully combined and no lumps remain. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.
Step 4: Slowly cook. Cover with the lid and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or on LOW for 6-7 hours. Long enough to cook the steak until it's fork tender.
Step 5: Serve. Ladle the juicy steak and vegetables over a bed of rice, noodles, veggies, or your favorite grains. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Cut Against The Grain. This is the secret to tender pieces of steak!
- Freeze the Beef Slightly. Place the beef in the freezer for about 20 minutes prior to cutting. This will firm up the meat and make it easier to thinly slice.
- Time Saving Tips. Make the sauce ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you're ready to use it. Or opt for a jar of store-bought pepper steak sauce.
- Crisp Peppers. If you prefer your peppers crisp-tender, add them in the last hour of cooking to ensure they don't get too mushy.
- Cook on Low. While you can certainly cook this recipe on high for 4 hours or on low for 7 hours. Personally, I prefer the low setting when preparing beef dishes to achieve extra tenderness and flavor; however, if you're in a hurry, a shorter time on low works too!
Serving Suggestions
Rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes all work great to soak up all the savory goodness of the sauce. You can also opt for brown rice or quinoa if you prefer a healthier option. Garnish your dish with some sesame seeds or chopped green onions if you're feeling fancy!
For more veggies enjoy a simple salad or slaw on the side or cook your favorite vegetable like some Brussels sprouts or broccoli.
If you're craving something sweet to end the meal enjoy some slow cooker blueberry cobbler or peach cobbler with a scoop of ice cream.
Storing & Freezing
- Storing: Once cooled, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: Add the cooled steak and vegetables to a freezer-safe bag or container to freeze. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Return the steak and peppers toa. saucepan on the stove to reheat. Cook over medium heat until heated through. If frozen, thaw the leftovers overnight in the fridge before reheating.
FAQ
No, this step isn't necessary. The thin pieces of steak will cook just fine added straight to the slow cooker. However, if you prefer to brown it you can cook it in a bit of oil for just a few minutes to brown the outsides.
If you cut the steak strips thinly they shouldn't be tough. If they are, it means you likely cut them too thick or you didn't cut across the grain. Be sure to thinly slice the steak against the grain for the best texture and allow the slow cooker to cook long enough to break down the collagen in the meat.
Yes, you can prepare the beef and vegetables and store them in the slow cooker insert in the fridge until you're ready to cook for up to 24 hours. Just add the lid and cook according to the recipe instructions.
Slow Cooker Pepper Steak
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs sirloin steak (sliced into ¼-inch strips)
- 1 medium green bell pepper (cored, seeded and sliced into ¼-inch strips)
- 1 medium red bell pepper (sliced into ¼-inch strips)
- 1 cup white onion (sliced into ¼-inch strips)
- 3 tsp garlic (minced)
- ½ tsp ginger (peeled and minced)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
- 2 tsp white sugar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup beef broth
- 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Add sliced beef to the bottom of a Crock Pot. Then place bell peppers and onion on top.
- In a medium bowl, add remaining ingredients and whisk together until there are no lumps. Pour over the beef and vegetables.
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours.
- Serve over white rice and enjoy!
Notes
- Cut Against The Grain. This is the secret to tender pieces of steak!
- Freeze the Beef Slightly. Place the beef in the freezer for about 20 minutes prior to cutting. This will firm up the meat and make it easier to thinly slice.
- Time Saving Tips. Make the sauce ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you're ready to use it. Or opt for a jar of store-bought pepper steak sauce.
- Crisp Peppers. If you prefer your peppers crisp-tender, add them in the last hour of cooking to ensure they don't get too mushy.
Nutrition
*Nutrition information is an estimate. It may vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact ingredient numbers, I recommend calculating them with your preferred nutrition calculator.
Stef says
made this today but with round steak. easy to toss together and steak was tender. Great recipe!
Ryan Allen says
I makes me so happy to hear that you liked it. It is one of my favorites.
Nancy says
This is an excellent recipe. I made it once before for company and making it again for tonight's dinner at the request of family. Try it! You won't be disappointed. I served it over stir-fry rice with a chopped side salad.l It was a delicious dinner.
Ryan Allen says
It makes me happy to know this ended up in your dinner rotation.
Jennifer Morse says
Very easy recipe to follow, and very tasty!!! We will be making this again for sure!!!!!!
Ryan Allen says
I am so happy you enjoy it. It is one of my family's favorites.
Michelle says
My husband really liked it! Easy and nutritious
Ryan Allen says
So glad that he enjoyed it.
Holly says
I found this as I was looking for a pepper steak recipe. I lost my Mom's which was amazing but time consuming on stove top. I was glad to find it as done in the crock pot! I have a great Mongolian beef recipe that I do in the crock pot, so I changed a few things up that I learned while making it. I used less sugar and used lt brown sugar. I used a flat iron steak cut into thin strips, coated them with 2T of corn starch, No slurry needed.
I also used green onions instead of the white/ yellow onion. I added a can of water chestnuts at the end of cooking time. They warm up while everything else is cooling off. Served it over Jasmin rice. It's close to the "Mom"
recipe and a keeper. BTW the steak is soooo tender, it almost melts in your mouth.
Ryan Allen says
That sounds amazing! Love how you customized it with flat iron steak, green onions, and water chestnuts and made it closer to your mom’s recipe. Serving it over jasmine rice sounds perfect. Thanks for sharing your tips!
LT says
This was delicious! Will be making again. Glad I found your website!
Ryan Allen says
Thank you so much! I’m really happy you enjoyed it and found the site. I can’t wait for you to try more recipes!