Slow Cooker Pepper Steak is a hearty and flavorful dish where tender strips of beef are slow-cooked with bell peppers and savory seasonings to perfection. Served with perfectly steamed white rice, it makes for a satisfyingly delicious and easy meal any night of the week.
Jump to:
🥩 The Ingredients
The ingredients for this recipe are easy to find and blend perfectly to create a deeply flavorful and satisfying dish. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and variations) below.
🫑 Substitutions and Variations
- Protein – There are a variety of cuts of beef you can use. Round steak is commonly used. Flank, flap, or skirt are all great options. No need to use an expensive cut, as the meat will be tender from the slow cooking process. Strips of chicken or pork tenderloin can be substituted.
- Peppers – Since they are a key ingredient for this dish, we don’t recommend omitting them. However, feel free to use red, green, yellow, or orange, or even better, a combination of them. To add a little heat, throw strips of a jalapeño pepper or sliced serrano pepper.
- Sauce ingredients – Hoisin sauce can be found in the Asian section of most supermarkets. Oyster sauce is a perfectly acceptable substitution. Light brown sugar or honey can be substituted for the dark brown sugar. Low-sodium soy sauce is always a great choice.
See the recipe card (with video) below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
👩🏼🍳 How to Make Slow Cooker Pepper Steak
- Step 1: In a small bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients.
- Step 2: Place the sliced peppers and onions in the bottom of your slow cooker.
- Step 3: Sear the strips of beef in the sesame oil until browned all over.
- Step 4: Place the seared beef over the peppers and onion, and then pour the sauce over the top.
- Step 5: Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours. Stir before serving.
- Step 6: Serve over a bed of steamed rice!
Expert Tip
If you leave the peppers in the slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours, they will be very tender and almost dissolve into the sauce. They are still delicious, but very melt-in-your-mouth tender. If you like your peppers not to be so tender, then stir them in after about 3 to 4 hours of cooking.
🍽️ How To Serve and Reheat
- This dish is wonderful served over perfect steamed white rice. However, we also enjoy it with cooked noodles (pasta). We serve with extra soy sauce at the table.
- For serving, either transfer the pepper steak from the slow cooker to a large bowl or platter, or plate each person’s dish individually.
- For a fun Asian dinner party experience, serve the pepper steak with homemade egg rolls, authentic scallion pancakes, or classic crab rangoon.
- Leftovers are even better the next day! Reheat in a skillet over medium heat, or place in a dish covered with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 325F°, or until heated through. It can also easily be reheated in the microwave.
🙋🏽♂️ Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make pepper steak in a wok by quickly stir-frying the beef and peppers, but the texture and flavor will differ from the slow-cooked version.
Yes, it freezes well—store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months and thaw before reheating.
No, it is typically mild, but you can easily adjust the spice level by adding chili flakes or hot peppers to suit your taste.
😋 Other Amazing Slow Cooker Dishes
Ready to make the best pepper steak this side of Chinatown? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Slow Cooker Pepper Steak
Video
Equipment
- Slow-cooker 7 or 8 quart
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 2 teaspoon garlic minced
- 2 teaspoon ginger minced
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- ½ cup beef broth or stock
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
For the Pepper Steak
- 2 tablespoon sesame seed oil
- 1½ lbs top sirloin cut into strips
- 1 medium onion cut into strips
- 3 bell peppers stemmed, seeded, and cut into strips
- steamed white rice for serving
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients. Whisk until the cornstarch has dissolved. Set aside.2 teaspoon garlic, 2 teaspoon ginger, ¼ cup hoisin sauce, ½ cup beef broth, ⅓ cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and sear for a few minutes on each side, until just browned. Set aside. Discard excess grease safely.2 tablespoon sesame seed oil, 1½ lbs top sirloin
- Place the bell pepper and onion strips in the bottom of your slow cooker.1 medium onion, 3 bell peppers
- Top with the seared beef and pour the sauce over the top.
- Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, remove the lid and stir the sauce. Stir occasionally as the sauce thickens.
- Serve at once with steamed rice!steamed white rice
Pamelia Cooper says
Have not tried it yet but I am going to. I love pepper steak
Kris Longwell says
We think you’re going to love it, Pamelia!! Keep us posted! xo
Robert Scalfaro says
I am diabetic, what can substitute for the sugar?
Kris Longwell says
Hi Robert, I believe Stevia would work for you, but you might check with your doctor first. You could omit the brown sugar and still have a delicious dish. Let us know if you make the pepper steak and how it turns out! Best, Kris & Wesley
Scott says
Love this
Kris Longwell says
Thanks, Scott! So good!!