Description
Hearty slow cooker pepper steak recipe brings tender beef strips simmered in savory sauce. Rich Asian-inspired flavors invite home cooks to savor comfort and convenience with minimal preparation.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 lbs (1.36 kg) flank steak (sliced into thin strips)
- 4 bell peppers (sliced, mixed colors)
- 2 onions (sliced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 tbsps (45 ml) olive oil
- 1 ½ cups (360 ml) soy sauce
- 1 ½ cups (360 ml) water
- ½ cup (60 g) corn starch
- 1 cup (220 g) brown sugar (packed)
Instructions
- Meat Preparation: Slice flank steak into thin, uniform strips to ensure even cooking and consistent texture throughout the dish.
- Coating Process: Tumble meat strips in cornstarch within a sealed bag, creating a delicate protective layer that will enhance sauce thickness and provide a subtle exterior crisp.
- Liquid Foundation: Whisk olive oil, brown sugar, soy sauce, water, and minced garlic in the slow cooker until sugar completely dissolves, forming a robust flavor base.
- Initial Cooking Stage: Distribute cornstarch-coated beef strips evenly in the liquid, allowing complete flavor infusion and ensuring each piece absorbs the aromatic mixture.
- Slow Cooking Technique: Program slow cooker to low temperature, allowing meat to simmer undisturbed for 5-6 hours, developing deep, complex flavor profiles and tenderizing the protein.
- Vegetable Integration: Approximately 90 minutes before completion, introduce sliced bell peppers and onions, gently nestling them among beef strips to preserve cooking dynamics and add textural contrast.
- Final Preparation: Once cooking cycle concludes, verify beef’s tenderness and sauce consistency, ensuring vegetables maintain a slight crispness while absorbing surrounding flavors.
- Serving Recommendation: Present pepper steak atop steamed rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes, allowing the rich, developed sauce to cascade elegantly across the chosen accompaniment.
Notes
- Slice Strategically: Cut flank steak against the grain into uniform strips for maximum tenderness and even cooking.
- Cornstarch Coating Technique: Gently shake meat in sealed bag with cornstarch to create a light protective layer that thickens sauce and adds delicate texture.
- Low and Slow Magic: Maintain low temperature for 5-6 hours to develop deep, complex flavors and ensure incredibly tender meat that falls apart effortlessly.
- Vegetable Timing Matters: Add bell peppers and onions during last 90 minutes of cooking to preserve their vibrant color and slight crispness, preventing mushy texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 432
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 1630 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 62 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 88 mg