Slow Cooker Pepper Steak (Printable)
Tender beef strips slow-cooked with bell peppers and savory-sweet sauce for an easy comforting weeknight dinner.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Meat & Main
01 - 1.5 lbs flank steak or sirloin, sliced into thin strips against the grain
→ Produce
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, peeled and minced
→ Sauce
05 - 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
06 - 1/3 cup beef broth
07 - 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
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
# How-To Steps:
01 - Arrange the sliced beef strips, bell peppers, onion, and minced garlic evenly in the bottom of the slow cooker.
02 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, beef broth, brown sugar, diced tomatoes with their juices, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Pour the sauce evenly over the beef and vegetables.
03 - Gently stir to combine all ingredients. Cover with the lid and cook on LOW for 6 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender and the peppers have softened.
04 - About 30 minutes before cooking is complete, whisk the cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl to form a slurry. Stir the slurry into the slow cooker, replace the lid, and continue cooking for the remaining time until the sauce is glossy and thickened.
05 - Taste the sauce and adjust with salt as needed. Ladle the pepper steak over bowls of cooked white rice and garnish with sliced green onions. Serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sauce strikes that elusive balance between savory and sweet without being cloying, and it thickens into a glossy glaze that clings to every strip of beef.
- You spend barely fifteen minutes prepping in the morning and come home to something that tastes like you stood at the stove for hours.
02 -
- Do not skip the cornstarch slurry step or you will end up with a watery puddle instead of the velvety sauce that makes this dish special.
- Resist the urge to lift the lid and stir during cooking because every peek releases accumulated heat and extends the cook time by roughly fifteen minutes.
03 -
- Partially freeze the steak for twenty minutes before slicing and the knife will glide through cleanly giving you uniform strips that cook evenly.
- Add a teaspoon of sesame oil at the very end rather than during cooking so its delicate flavor does not cook away over the long hours.