Learn how to make the best Chinese Pepper Steak with sweet onions and crisp peppers, tossed in a delicious pepper steak sauce, plus my special trick for tender beef marinade!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American Chinese
Keyword Chinese pepper steak, Pepper steak and rice, Pepper steak with onions
Thinly slice the beef against the grain. In a bowl, marinade the beef from coconut aminos to starch. Stir-well. Set them aside in the fridge for 15-20 minutes while you prepare the vegetables.
Prepare the onion, bell peppers, and cilantro. Set the shallot and bell peppers in one bowl and cilantro in a separate bowl.
Mix the pepper steak sauce from olive oil to salt. Set it aside ready to use.
In a well-heated large cast iron or skillet, add 1 tbsp avocado oil. Pan sear the beef over medium-high heat in one layer without disturbing for about 2 minutes or until the beef is in golden brown color. Use a spatula with a firm tip to flip and cook the other side for about 30 seconds. Off heat, set the beef aside in one bowl along with the pan juices.
You should have some oil left in the skillet, if not, add 0.5 more tbsp of oil and reheat the skill until it feels warm. Add the bell peppers and onions over medium-high heat with a pinch of salt until the peppers are crisp tender, about 2 minutes.
Add the beef along with the juice back to the pan. Stir the sauce one more time then add it to the pan. Toss everything together for about 1 minute.
Off heat. Garnish with cilantro. Serve hot or at room temperature with rice.
Notes
Longhorn Chinese green pepper: Also known as cowhorn or green cayenne peppers, these can be used in addition to or in place of the bell peppers for a bit more spice and added fiber.
Sweetener: If you like a sweeter sauce, add a bit of brown sugar or honey.
Tangy & extra savory: Add a dash of vegan oyster sauce or worcestershire sauce to the beef sauce for extra depth of flavor.
Chinese shaoxing wine or Japanese mirin: Add a teaspoon to the beef marinade.
Starch: Potato starch or cornstarch will also work.
With noodles: If you don’t want to serve with rice, substitute egg noodles, shirataki noodles (low carbohydrates), or rice noodles for a fun twist.
Make extra sauce: Add a few tablespoons of chicken or beef stock to make a bigger batch of sauce and use it as gravy with rice and vegetables to give them pepper beef seasoning.
Make-ahead: Thinly slice the beef and toss it in the marinade. Make the sauce and prepare the vegetables. Store each separately in the fridge for 2-3 days for a shorter prep time when you’re ready to cook.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days for the best texture and flavor.
Reheat: Quickly stir fry to heat on the stovetop or pop in the microwave on high for 1 minute.