Thinly sliced sirloin steak is peppered with a bold sauce and slow-cooked along with peppers and onions for a delicious slow cooker meal. Serve this Crock Pot Pepper Steak on a bed of rice, noodles, or steamed vegetables for an easy weeknight dinner that the whole family will love.
Pepper steak is typically a dish you would get at a Chinese restaurant, but it's actually very easy to make at home. All you need is a slow cooker and some simple ingredients!
This slow cooker pepper steak recipe is made with thinly sliced sirloin steak that gets added to the crock pot. Then, whip up an easy umami sauce with a base of garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. Add it to the crock pot with sliced bell peppers and onions.
Slow cook until the steak is tender, and then serve! This easy pepper steak is the perfect weeknight dinner to serve with your favorite sides or over a bed of grains. It's also great for meal prep since it reheats well!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- You can use any cut of beef you enjoy, especially the tougher cuts that tend to be the least expensive.
- The salty peppered flavor is completely irresistible and works well with the beefy flavor of steak.
- It’s an easy slow cooker meal that can be made in under 10 minutes. Simply let the slow cooker do the work for you!
- This recipe is perfect for meal prep and can be reheated throughout the week.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Sirloin Steak - This recipe uses sirloin steak, a cut of beef that is lean and relatively inexpensive and has a great taste when slowly cooked.
- Vegetables - A mix of sliced red and green bell peppers pair with onions for a delicious garden vegetable taste throughout.
- Garlic and Ginger - When fresh, these two ingredients are the star of any Asian-inspired umami sauce and give the meat bold flavor.
- Seasonings - A mix of salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper enhance the flavors in the dish and give it a slight kick of heat.
- White Sugar - Helps balance out the salty and spicy flavors well.
- Soy Sauce - Adds a traditional savory flavor to the dish that is salty and delicious.
- 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.
How To Make Pepper Steak In The Crock Pot
Prepare the beef: Thinly slice the steak against the grain into strips using a sharp knife.
Add beef and vegetables: Prepare the peppers and onions and add them to the crock pot along with the sliced beef.
Mix together the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients until they are fully combined and no lumps remain. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.
Slowly cook: Add the lid to the top and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or on LOW for 6-7 hours. Or until the steak is fork tender.
Serve: Ladle the beef and vegetables over a bed of rice, noodles, veggies, or your favorite grains. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- If you need help cutting the beef into small strips, place it in the freezer for about 20 minutes prior to cutting. This will firm up the meat and make it easier to thinly slice.
- The sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge until you're ready to use it.
- If you don't have time to make the sauce from scratch, you can also use a jar of pre-made pepper steak sauce. Just add it to the crock pot along with the beef and vegetables.
- You can add the peppers in the last hour of cooking to ensure they don't get too mushy.
- If you don't have fresh on hand, use dried ginger and garlic instead.
Variations
- Use different cuts of beef: Other cuts of beef that work well in this recipe include flank steak, skirt steak, or round steak.
- Try different proteins: 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 cook time accordingly.
- Try different vegetables: Add in some chopped carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, or zucchini in the last hour of cooking for more nutrients an fiber.
- Make it spicier: Add in more crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce or serve 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.
Storing & Freezing
Storing: Once cooled, any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and kept in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezing: To freeze, add the cooled steak and vegetables to a freezer-safe bag or container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge then reheat on the stove over medium heat until warmed through.
FAQ
Yes, this is thinly sliced steak so it will cook through in the slow cooker without needing to be seared or browned beforehand.
The steak strips are thinly sliced so they shouldn't be tough. If they are, it means they were cut too thick. 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.
More Crock Pot Asian-Inspired Recipes
- Slow Cooker Mongolian Chicken
- Slow Cooker Teriyaki Beef
- Slow Cooker General Tso Chicken
- Slow Cooker Copycat PF Changs Lettuce Wraps
- Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli
- Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Shredded Slow Cooker Honey Teriyaki Chicken
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Easy Crock Pot Pepper Steak
Equipment
- 2 lbs sirloin steak
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
- 1½ 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
Nutrition
*All nutrition information provided is automatically calculated and is an estimate and will vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact numbers on your ingredients, I would recommend calculating them with your prefered nutrition calculator.
Stef
made this today but with round steak. easy to toss together and steak was tender. Great recipe!
Ryan Allen
I makes me so happy to hear that you liked it. It is one of my favorites.
Nancy
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
It makes me happy to know this ended up in your dinner rotation.