Slow Cooker Pepper Steak (Printable Version)
Tender beef strips slow-cooked with bell peppers and onions in a rich savory-sweet soy glaze.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meat
01 - 1.5 lbs flank steak or sirloin, sliced into 1/4-inch strips
→ Vegetables
02 - 2 bell peppers (1 red, 1 green), cored and sliced into strips
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, halved and sliced into half-moons
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
→ Sauce
05 - 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
06 - 1/3 cup beef broth
07 - 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
08 - 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
09 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch
10 - 2 tablespoons cold water
→ Seasonings
11 - 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
13 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
→ For Serving
14 - Cooked white rice
15 - Sliced green onions, for garnish
# Directions:
01 - Slice the flank steak or sirloin across the grain into 1/4-inch strips. Core and slice the bell peppers into strips, cut the onion into half-moons, and mince the garlic cloves. Place all of the meat and vegetables into the slow cooker insert.
02 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, beef broth, brown sugar, diced tomatoes with their juices, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes if using. Pour the sauce evenly over the steak and vegetables in the slow cooker.
03 - Stir gently to combine the ingredients. Cover with the lid and cook on the LOW setting for 6 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender and the peppers have softened.
04 - About 30 minutes before the cooking time ends, whisk the cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl to form a smooth slurry. Stir the slurry into the slow cooker, replace the lid, and continue cooking for the remaining time until the sauce has thickened to a glossy finish.
05 - Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt as needed. Ladle the pepper steak over bowls of cooked white rice and garnish with sliced green onions. Serve immediately.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The sauce tastes like it took all day to develop, and honestly it did, but you were free to live your life while it happened.
- Cleanup is basically one slow cooker insert and a cutting board, which is a small miracle on a weeknight.
02 -
- Slicing the beef against the grain is not optional, with the grain means chewy strips no matter how long you cook them.
- Adding the cornstarch slurry too early will cause the sauce to break down and lose its thickening power over extended heat.
03 -
- Pat the beef slices dry with paper towels before adding them to the slow cooker so the sauce does not get watered down.
- A glass of Pinot Noir alongside this dish is a pairing that will make a random Tuesday feel like a proper occasion.