This Slow Cooker Pepper Steak is an easy and flavorful weeknight Chinese-inspired meal with just 10 ingredients that are mainly found in your pantry. Plus it only takes 15 minutes to prep since the Crockpot does all the work for you! Ideal for meal prep, this is a foolproof steak dinner that everyone loves.
![Slow cooker pepper steak and rice with veggies on a plate.](https://www.dinnerin321.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_4263-1-1024x1024.jpeg)
We love a good Asian takeout night in our house, it's simple and full of so many delicious flavors. Plus, we always tend to have leftovers for the next day (what's not to love about that!). That's why we wanted to create a takeout-inspired Slow Cooker Pepper Steak recipe that takes only 15 minutes to prep on a busy day!
Now usually pepper steak is a stir fry entree at a Chinese restaurant. It has a savory and sweet sauce that's full of intense flavor thanks to the beef broth and soy sauce. We love a stir fry, but also love the ease of using the slow cooker at home to cut down on the prep time for a busy week.
After testing this several times to get the flavor just right, we've really found that restaurant quality Chinese-steak recipe with layers of ginger, garlic, soy, and brown sugar flavors in each bite. Serve it over rice, vegetables, or even egg noodles for an irresistible meal any night of the week!
If you love the ease of a slow cooker recipe, you have to try some of our other fan favorites. Slow Cooker Korean Beef, Crockpot Mongolian Beef, and Slow Cooker Italian Beef are all top recipes on the site!
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- 10 Ingredient Restaurant Quality Recipe. With just a handful of pantry ingredients, you can make this Crock Pot Pepper Steak right at home! It's truly that easy.
- The Slow Cooker Does the Work. From start to finish, you only have to spend 15 minutes prepping this recipe. The crockpot will cook everything to perfection for you.
- Ideal for Meal Planning as a Make-Ahead Dinner. This recipe reheats and stores beautifully in the freezer. Make a double batch and reheat the leftovers a month or two later.
Laura Ashley's Tip: We use flank steak in this recipe since it's so tender when sliced into thin strips just like at a Chinese restaurant. You can use other cuts of steak too, just make sure they have nice marbling when sliced thin for a tender bite.
Ingredients
Scroll Down for Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Printable Recipe Card Below
With just 10 ingredients, many of these ingredients are already found in your pantry!
- Flank steak: The star of the show, when cut into thin strips and cooked, it becomes extremely tender in each bite, plus it's pretty affordable too!
- Cornstarch: Is a thickener for the sauce to ensure it coats the beef nicely and isn't too watery.
- Beef broth: The liquid that almost poaches the beef to make it melt in your mouth tender. You can also use reduced sodium beef broth too.
- Butter or Olive Oil: Adds richness to the sauce and helps tenderize the meat.
- Soy sauce: Adds saltiness and umami, the classic Asian flavors for this signature sauce. Use reduced sodium if desired.
- Brown sugar or brown sugar substitute: Adds a hint of sweetness to the sauce that rounds out the saltiness of the soy sauce and broth.
- Ground ginger: Brings that zesty and bright flavor to the sauce.
- Garlic powder: Infuses the meat with the garlic flavor we all love in Asian food.
- Bell peppers: Adds the crunch and fresh vegetable flavor to the beef.
- Onion: Brings that onion sweetness to the sauce and adds texture to the recipe.
- Rice, potatoes, noodles, or zoodles: These are all great options for serving underneath the peppered beef. Use your favorite!
- Green onions and sesame seeds: Totally optional, but we always love to garnish with these two ingredients.
![The ingredients to make crockpot pepper steak.](https://www.dinnerin321.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_4172-1024x1024.jpeg)
TOOLS YOU’LL NEED
- 6 Quart or Larger Crockpot
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Liquid Measuring Cups
- Cutting Board
- Chef's Knife
How to Make Slow Cooker Pepper Steak
- Cut steak into ½-inch strips. In a ziptop bag or large bowl, add steak and ¼ cup of the cornstarch. Shake until each piece is coated well.
![Coating flank steak in cornstarch in a bag.](https://www.dinnerin321.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_4181-1024x1024.jpeg)
- To a 6-quart or larger slow cooker, add the beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar substitute or brown sugar, ground ginger, garlic powder, salt and black pepper. Stir until combined well.
- Stir in the coated flank steak and butter or olive oil into the mixture.
![Mixing steak in liquid in a crockpot.](https://www.dinnerin321.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_4186-1024x1024.jpeg)
- Top the mixture with bell peppers and onion. (Note: If you prefer crispier peppers and onions, fold into the mixture when 1 hour of cook time remains on low heat or 30 minutes remains on high heat).
![Adding bell peppers to the top of flank steak.](https://www.dinnerin321.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_4189-1024x1024.jpeg)
- Cook on high 4 to 5 hours or on low 6 to 7 hours or until tender.
- If you desire a thicker sauce texture, whisk together the remaining cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl. Once combined, stir the cornstarch slurry into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat or until desired consistency is reached.
![Adding a cornstarch slurry to crockpot pepper steak.](https://www.dinnerin321.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_4256-1024x1024.jpeg)
- Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, zoodles, or noodles!
![Slow cooker pepper steak and rice with veggies on a plate.](https://www.dinnerin321.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_4259-1024x1024.jpeg)
Expert Tips
- Optional to sear the steak first. You can sear the steak first on the stovetop before placing into the slow cooker to add a nice crust and flavor to the outside of the meat.
- Use cornstarch to thicken the sauce to your liking. There's cornstarch in the sauce mixture to start when cooking the steak.
- If the sauce is still too watery after the steak has finished cooking, make a slurry by mixing 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water. Stir this into the steak mixture and cook on high heat until thickened.
- Add the veggies in later for a crisper texture. If you prefer your vegetables with a crisper texture, add them to the crock pot just one hour before serving.
- Customize with your favorite veggies. We use peppers and onions in our version, but you can also use baby corn, bok choy, or broccoli!
What to Serve with Crock Pot Pepper Steak
There are so many options of what to serve this pepper steak recipe with! Here are some of our favorite suggestions.
- White rice or brown rice. The classic way to serve, use white or brown rice. We have a foolproof 3 ingredient rice recipe that's too easy to make.
- Egg noodles. Boil them according to package instructions.
- Broccoli. Use our garlic broccoli and mushrooms recipe! It's the best side dish for this.
- Zoodles or zucchini noodles. A light way to serve, just sauté them or boil them for no more than a minute. So delicious!
- Ramen noodle salad. Fresh and vibrant flavors and full of vegetables, it's a great starter or side dish to this steak recipe.
Storage and Freezing
The best part about this slow cooker pepper beef is that it refrigerates and freezes beautifully! We recommend you make a double batch and freeze it for a later date - that's truly a pro meal prep tip.
For the fridge, simply store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. While in the freezer, you can freeze for up to 2 months.
Reheat in the microwave for a couple of minutes or in a skillet on the stove over medium-low heat until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Flank steak is the best option in our opinion. It's affordable and so tender when sliced thin and cooked in the slow cooker. You could also use stew meat or round steak too.
Yes! The crockpot will cook the steak to perfection and keep it moist.
This is probably because of the quality of the steak sourced. Make sure it's a flank steak for ideal tenderness.
We find that tougher cuts of steak with more marbling are better for the slow cooker. The long cook time gently breaks down the steak making it melt in your mouth.
More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes
- Crock Pot Carnitas
- Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing Casserole
- Crock Pot Beef and Noodles
- Slow Cooker Cube Steak
Slow Cooker Pepper Steak
Ingredients
- 2-2 ½ pounds flank steak cut into strips
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch divided
- 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
- 3 cups beef broth regular or reduced sodium
- ½ cup soy sauce regular or reduced sodium
- ½ cup brown sugar or brown sugar substitute
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 bell peppers thick sliced
- 1 large onion thick sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt or amount as desired.
- ½ teaspoon black pepper or amount as desired
- Optional bases: rice, potatoes noodles, or zoodles
- Optional garnishes: green onions and sesame seeds
Instructions
- Cut steak into ½-inch strips. In a Ziploc bag or large bowl, add steak and ¼ cup of the cornstarch. Shake until each piece is coated well
- To a Crockpot, add beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar substitute or brown sugar, ground ginger, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir until combined well.
- Stir in the coated flank steak and butter into the mixture.
- Top the mixture with bell peppers and onion. (Note: If you prefer crispier peppers and onions, fold into the mixture when 1 hour of cook time remains on low heat or 30 minutes remains on high heat).
- Cook on high 4-5 hours or on low 6-7 hours or until tender.
- If you desire a thicker sauce texture, whisk together the remaining cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl. Once combined, stir the cornstarch slurry into the crockpot. Cover and cook on high heat or until desired consistency is reached.
- Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, zoodles, or noodles!
Video
Notes
- Optional to sear the steak first. You can sear the steak first on the stovetop before placing into the slow cooker to add a nice crust and flavor to the outside of the meat.
- Use cornstarch to thicken the sauce to your liking. There's cornstarch in the sauce mixture to start when cooking the steak.
- If the sauce is still too watery after the steak has finished cooking, make a slurry by mixing 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water. Stir this into the steak mixture and cook on high heat until thickened.
- Add the veggies in later for a crisper texture. If you prefer your vegetables with a crisper texture, add them to the crock pot just one hour before serving.
- Customize with your favorite veggies. We use peppers and onions in our version, but you can also use baby corn, bok choy, or broccoli!
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