Description
Hearty Chinese-inspired Crock Pot Pepper Steak simmers tender beef strips with colorful bell peppers in a rich, savory sauce. Slow-cooking magic melds robust flavors, delivering a comforting meal you’ll crave from first spoonful to last bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins and Vegetables:
- 1.5 pounds (680 grams) beef sirloin or flank steak, sliced into thin strips
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 3 bell peppers (red, green, yellow), sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Liquid Seasonings and Sauces:
- 0.5 cup (120 milliliters) beef broth
- 0.25 cup (60 milliliters) low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Dry Seasonings and Thickeners:
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
Serving Suggestions:
- Cooked white rice or noodles
- Chopped green onions (optional)
Instructions
- Slice beef into thin, diagonal strips, ensuring even thickness for consistent cooking. Chop onions into wedges and bell peppers into colorful strips.
- Layer beef, onions, and bell peppers inside the crock pot, distributing ingredients evenly across the bottom. Sprinkle minced garlic throughout the layers.
- Create a robust sauce by combining beef broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, ground ginger, and black pepper in a mixing bowl. Whisk ingredients until thoroughly blended and sugar dissolves completely.
- Pour the prepared sauce over the meat and vegetables, ensuring complete coverage. Gently stir to distribute sauce and coat all ingredients.
- Secure the crock pot lid and set to low temperature. Allow the dish to simmer slowly, transforming tough meat fibers into tender, succulent morsels. Cooking duration ranges between 6-8 hours for optimal texture.
- During the final half-hour of cooking, prepare a cornstarch slurry by mixing cornstarch with water. Fold the mixture into the crock pot to enhance sauce consistency and create a glossy finish.
- Once cooking completes, let the pepper steak rest for several minutes. Plate over steamed white rice or wide egg noodles, creating an inviting presentation.
- Garnish with freshly chopped green onions, adding a vibrant pop of color and subtle onion brightness to the dish.
Notes
- Use lean beef cuts like sirloin or flank steak to reduce fat and ensure tender meat that breaks down beautifully during slow cooking.
- Cut beef against the grain for maximum tenderness, creating melt-in-your-mouth texture that guarantees a delicious meal.
- Customize the sauce’s thickness by adjusting cornstarch amount – less for a lighter broth-like consistency, more for a rich gravy-like finish.
- Swap traditional white rice with cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles to make this recipe low-carb and keto-friendly without sacrificing flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-8 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg