This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Green Pepper Steak with tomatoes and onions, served over rice for a complete meal.
Pepper steak is very easy to make!

Pepper Steak has been popular in the United States since the early 1950’s.
I’ve made a few changes to my mom’s recipe over the years.
- The original recipe called for twice the amount of soy sauce than I use now. I found this pepper steak recipe is better with less, but pass extra soy sauce when serving, for those who want more.
- Mom’s recipe calls for a slurry made with cornstarch, soy sauce and almost a cup of water. We now use low-sodium beef broth in place of the water for more beefy flavor in the sauce. More umami = yum!
- Instead of adding garlic and ginger to the skillet before the vegetables, I’ve switched the order. It takes longer for the vegetables to cook so they go in first. Garlic and ginger only need about 1 minute to become fragrant, which is all they really need to bloom. I found that overcooking garlic and ginger can make the sauce bitter.
- And I added onions, because who doesn’t love crisp-tender onions!
All these little tweaks have made this a much better dish that’s fool-proof and flavorful, every time!

Can you use red peppers instead of green bell peppers for pepper steak?
What are the best kind of tomatoes to use in pepper steak?
What’s the best cut of beef to use in pepper steak?
We haven’t tried every cut of beef for this recipe, but find that sirloin is always a great choice. Back in the day, I used round steak more often, like my mom, which is a little less expensive than sirloin. Flank steak is also a very popular cut for pepper steak. You have several great options here, and only need 1 pound of steak to feed a family of six.

Tips for making great pepper steak:
- Have all ingredients prepped and ready to go. Like most stir-fry recipes, it doesn’t take long to get this dish on the table.
- Make the rice first. Rice takes longer to cook than the beef!
- Slice the steak very thin. To make this a little easier, put the whole steak in the freezer for 30 minutes before slicing. It firms up enough to slice easily.
- Be sure to marinate the steak for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. This is the first thing I do, then start the rice, then prep the vegetables.
- Don’t overcook the vegetables. Crisp-tender is best!
- Use regular soy sauce, not low sodium, for the best flavor. I’m very sensitive to salty dishes and always use low-sodium soy sauce, except in this dish. The flavor can taste watered down, in my opinion.
- Finally, don’t really cook the tomatoes. Gently toss them in the warm sauce and serve!

Can pepper steak be made ahead of time?
Thanks for PINNING!
Let’s be cooking friends! When you try our recipe please feel free to leave a comment on this post. I’m sure your experience and insights will help all our readers, and it helps me too. Also, if you’re on Pinterest feel free to leave a comment and photo there if you have one! If you share on INSTAGRAM tag @savingroomfordessert so we can stop by and give your post some love. And we’d be very happy if you’d FOLLOW Saving Room for Dessert on FACEBOOK| INSTAGRAM| PINTEREST | TWITTER and subscribe to our YOUTUBE channel for all the latest recipes, videos and updates. Thank you!!!
PRINT THE RECIPE!

Green Pepper Steak
Ingredients
- 1 pound sirloin or round steak, sliced thin against the grain
- ¼ cup soy sauce divided
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 2 large bell peppers, cubed (red, green, or both)
- 1 large onion, sliced into wedges
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced or grated
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 large tomatoes, cubed (or several small)
- Cooked rice for serving
- Soy sauce for serving
Instructions
- Pour 2 tablespoons soy sauce and sugar over sliced steak. Marinate at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. While the beef is marinating, prep the remaining ingredients.
- In a small bowl or 2 cup measure, combine the cornstarch, beef broth, the remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Whisk until blended. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large skillet over medium-high. Add half the beef and cook until browned around the edges. Turn the beef slices over and continue cooking for about 2 minutes more. Remove to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with another tablespoon of oil and more sliced beef until all meat is browned.
- Pour the last tablespoon of oil into the pan. Add the bell pepper, onions and black pepper. Sauté until the vegetables are crisp tender and slightly charred, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the in the garlic, ginger and crushed red pepper flakes, if using. Sauté, stirring constantly until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Return the cooked beef to the pan, along with any accumulated juices, and the beef broth mixture. Cook until the sauce thickens, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gently fold in the tomatoes and stir to coat. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
- Garnish with additional black pepper and parsley.
- Serve over hot cooked rice. Pass additional soy sauce for serving.
Recipe Notes
Here are a few more stir fry recipes you might enjoy:
Honey Cashew Chicken
Easy Stir Fry Vegetables
Spicy Basil Chicken Recipe
Love bell peppers? Try this delicious recipe for Mexican Stuffed Pepper with Cheese for another easy weeknight meal. Finally, for another beefy stir fry check out this Crispy Sticky Mongolian Beef recipe. It look insanely delicious!
Sherrell Goggin says
Great tips above, thanks for taking the time to write the revisions to your mom’s recipe and cooking tips. I didn’t have tomatoes on hand, which I think would have been a nice addition. I wanted a bit more complexity on the flavor, so I added ~10 crimini mushrooms (sliced) and 1 tbsp hoison sauce. I skipped the marinade (and hence, the sugar; really trying to cut out sugar from my diet), but it still turned out great. Thanks for posting!
Tricia Buice says
Thank you Sherrell! So glad you enjoyed our Green Pepper Steak recipe.
Brenda says
Great recipe. I was planning on having leftovers tomorrow but the family ate it all. (Just me and my hubby. 😬 )We used Farro instead of brown rice. I will be saving this one.
Tricia Buice says
Thanks Brenda! Glad you enjoyed it too 🙂
Cath says
Absolutely delicious . I used left over beef from Christmas and did increase the chilli flakes as we like an extra kick. This will definitely stay in my book of go to recipes
Tricia Buice says
I love that extra kick Cath. Glad you enjoyed it and will make it again. Yea!
Alicia b says
Love this recipe!!! I have made it twice this month so far!!!
Tricia Buice says
Thanks for the feedback Alicia! We love this recipe and have it on regular rotation. Thanks again for taking the time to comment and for trying the recipe.
NurseKim says
Very good! I made this keto by substituting Swerve (1:1) for the sugar and xantham gum for corn starch. I served it over riced cauliflower. Delish!
Tricia Buice says
Hi Kim! SO happy this worked out for you. Love your substitutions and appreciate you taking the time to comment. Bravo!
Shelley says
Good afternoon,
Can the left overs be frozen?
Thanks for your time,
Shelley
Tricia Buice says
Hi Shelley – I have not tried freezing leftovers. I think they will be fine, but the tomatoes may not hold up as well. It should be very edible, just not as pretty 🙂
Pamela says
Made this for supper tonight but without the rice to cut down on carbs. Very tasty! We loved it!
Tricia Buice says
Thank you Pamela! So happy you tried it. Leftovers are delicious too – enjoy!
Stella Serna says
I made the pepper steak for dinner and it was delicious, everyone loved it even though I think I added a little too much red crushed pepper but I love chilli. It looked really pretty too.
Tricia Buice says
Thanks the the feedback Stella! So glad it turned out good for you. I love the crushed red pepper too. Bring on the spicy 😉
Pam says
Woo hoo, Tricia!!! Love pepper steak and with the really beefy taste of sirloin, it’s even better! I need to know where you live so I can live next door and be there to mooch when you cook and bake!!! You’re my kind of cook! ☺
Tricia Buice says
Wish we were neighbors Pam because I’d love to taste some of your amazing creations too! Thanks so much 🙂
Marilyn says
Please tell your mom thanks for the great recipe….it’s absolutely delicious!!!
Tricia Buice says
Thank you Marilyn. Mom would have loved this whole blog thing 🙂 She’s been gone a long, long time but her legacy lives on!
Chris Scheuer says
Delish! This is my kind of dinner, for sure! Love the fresh, crisp veggies and that tender looking beef, yummy!
Tricia Buice says
Thanks Chris! The beef is so tender and flavorful – hope you’ll give it a try 🙂
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says
I love pepper steak and also grew up eating it, but haven’t made in ages! I love your updates, especially the tomatoes tossed in at the end for a fresh bite. Can’ wait to try this 🙂
Tricia Buice says
The tomatoes weren’t my favorite when I was a kid, but I sure love them now. Enjoy!
Liz says
How did you know I needed a new, easy, delicious dinner recipe. I’m stuck in a rut and this pepper steak is perfect!!!
Tricia Buice says
So glad I could help Liz! Enjoy 🙂
Linda says
I love these recipes from the past, the tried and true favorites our mothers made.
Mary says
Tricia this really sounds delicious. I love the ingredients you've used in this dish and I can't wait to give this a try. This is my first visit to your site. I really like the food and recipes you feature here. I'll definitely be back. I hope you have a great day. Blessings…Mary
A SPICY PERSPECTIVE says
Yay for mom! This looks like savory deliciousness. 🙂
Bri says
Trish..yes it did turn out great. It's one of those recipes that you make and make and then forget about and it falls out of the rotation. My family always accuses me of only trying new recipes and never repeating anything. I just forget which ones everybody likes!
Sarah @ The Smart Kitchen says
I have to laugh because as you were talking about picking out all the meat, I was just thinking how I would probably really want to just eat the tomatoes and peppers. Together, we could finish the dish!
Heather says
How do you get yours glossy like in the photo? Made tonight and the sauce was dull looking and tasted like cornstarch.
Tricia Buice says
Hi Heather. Perhaps there was a measurement error. I make this dish all the time and have for years and never had that problem. Our daughter and her in-laws have all made it recently and enjoyed it very much. Make sure you are using aluminum-free cornstarch. Sorry you didn’t care for it.