There’s nothing quite as simple as a stir-fry for dinner: meat and vegetables tossed together with a tasty sauce, served on a bed of rice or twirled together with noodles. One of our favorites is a Chinese pepper steak, a Chinese-American staple originally known as qīngjiāo ròusī, from Fujian cuisine in China. This dish features tender slices of meat with stir-fried peppers, as well as other vegetable variations such as onions, mushrooms and tomatoes.
Our Chinese pepper steak recipe makes four servings, perfect for dinner or prepping lunches for the week, and it can be prepared in less than an hour. The timing will depend on how long you spend marinating the steak for this dish. Marinating the steak helps to soften it up, resulting in tender slices of meat later. So if you have some time to spare—and for the tastiest results—give the meat a full hour to marinate.
What’s the best cut of beef for Chinese pepper steak?
While top sirloin is recommended for this recipe, other cuts of beef, such as tenderloin, tri-tip and ribeye, could also work well. A thicker steak will result in that tender texture we typically desire in a Chinese beef pepper steak, so aim for steaks that are thicker versus thinner.
Ingredients for Chinese Pepper Steak
- Soy sauce: Soy sauce is used with black pepper to make a quick marinade for the steak and a sauce for cooking the vegetables. For this recipe we recommend using a reduced-sodium soy sauce. Coconut aminos could also work with this recipe, but keep in mind, they are milder and sweeter compared with a traditional soy sauce.
- Top sirloin steak: Chinese pepper steak is cooked with a pound of beef top sirloin steak, cut into tiny strips. Your local grocery store may save you the work by selling pre-sliced strips of beef.
- Cornstarch: The cornstarch is used to create a thick sauce that will coat the vegetables when you cook them in a wok or a skillet (either will work).
- Beef broth: The broth adds a savory element to the sauce for the vegetables, thickened with the cornstarch and mixed with the umami taste of the soy sauce.
- Canola oil: Both the steak and the vegetable medley are stir-fried in canola oil. Canola oil has a high smoke point and a neutral flavor, making it great for stir-fries. Vegetable oil and safflower oil can work as substitutes, if you don’t have a bottle of canola oil on hand.
- Garlic cloves and ginger root: These aromatics are used to help enhance the flavor of the cooking oil before cooking the steak in the skillet.
- Bell peppers: For this recipe, we recommend mixing a cup of sweet red bell peppers and green bell peppers. The peppers are julienned, also known as a “French cut,” creating much smaller pieces compared with a typical slice.
- Mushrooms: Along with peppers, mushrooms are added to this Chinese beef pepper steak to give it more volume and texture. Make sure to not overcook them.
- Tomatoes and green onions: Tomatoes and sliced green onions are tossed in last to add extra acidity and flavor to the dish. Look for medium-size tomatoes, such as Romas, that will make it easy to create thick slices.
- Rice: Although it’s optional, you can serve your Chinese beef pepper steak on a bed of hot cooked rice.
Directions
Step 1: Marinate the beef and whisk the sauce
In a shallow bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons of the soy sauce with black pepper. Add the beef and turn it over, making sure to coat all sides of the steak. Cover and refrigerate the meat for 30 to 60 minutes. While the beef is marinating, whisk together the rest of the soy sauce with cornstarch and beef broth in a small mixing bowl; set it aside for later.
Step 2: Cook the beef
Once the beef has sufficiently marinated, drain the marinade and discard it. Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet or a wok for one minute, or until the oil is hot enough to sizzle. Stir-fry the garlic and ginger root for one minute, then add the beef to the skillet and stir-fry it for four to six minutes, or until the beef is no longer pink when you cut it. Remove the beef from the skillet and transfer it to a plate or bowl, then keep it warm. You can do this by either popping it in the microwave or tenting it with aluminum foil.
Step 3: Stir-fry the vegetables, then toss everything together
Add the remaining oil to that same skillet or wok. Stir-fry the bell peppers for one minute, then add in the mushrooms and toss for another two minutes, or until the peppers are crisp-tender. Stir in the small bowl of sauce, then wait for the liquid to come to a boil. At this point the sauce will start to thicken, so cook and stir for another two minutes, until your vegetables are coated with thick sauce. Return the cooked slices of beef to the pan, as well as your slices of tomatoes and green onions. Stir-fry for another two minutes, or until everything is heated through. If desired, serve your Chinese pepper steak on a bed of rice and sprinkle it with sesame seeds and sliced scallions.
Recipe Variations
- Make it with pork, chicken or no meat at all: If you’re not a red-meat eater, you can swap out the sirloin steak and use thin-sliced pork belly or chicken breast instead. This recipe could also work well for vegetarians; just skip the meat, double down on the vegetables or swap out the steak with extra-firm tofu.
- Toss with noodles: Although this dish is typically served with rice, you could also toss the Chinese pepper steak with a wheat-based noodle such as ramen or spaghetti, if you’d rather have a noodle stir-fry for dinner.
- Add some spice: Want to give your Chinese pepper steak a little kick? Add your favorite type of hot pepper to spice it up.
How to Store Chinese Pepper Steak
If you find yourself with leftover stir-fry, this dish can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. You can reheat it in the microwave or on a stovetop before serving. Remember, reheating steak in the microwave may cause it to overcook and get tougher, so if you can heat it up over a skillet, you’ll likely end up with a more satisfying result.
Can you freeze the leftovers?
Yes, you can store your stir-fry leftovers in an airtight container or a sealed plastic bag in the freezer for up to three months. To reheat, defrost the pepper steak in the refrigerator overnight (or eight hours) then heat it up in a skillet on the stovetop. However, keep in mind that the cooked vegetables might go soft, so when you reheat them they won’t be as crunchy as they were when freshly made.
Chinese Pepper Steak Tips
How do you make sure the steak is tender?
Chinese pepper steak is known for having tender pieces of steak with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. To avoid ending up with chewy pieces of meat, use our tricks to make tough meat tender. Slice the steak thinly and across the grain, and do not skip the marinating phase before cooking. Cutting the meat against the grain helps to cut through those fibers and soften the slices, making them easier to chew.
How do you know your vegetables are finished cooking?
Vegetables in a stir-fry like this Chinese pepper steak recipe are meant to be “tender-crisp,” meaning the vegetables are cooked through but they still have a small snap when you bite into them. Learning how to stir-fry can take practice, but it’s worth the effort. Overcooked vegetables would make them too soft, so tender-crisp vegetables would create that ideal texture we look for in a stir-fry. Cooking the vegetables for two to four minutes is typically ideal to achieve this type of texture.
