Slow Cooked Pepper Steak (Beef and Peppers)
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Combine delicious strips of sirloin, flavored in garlic, to a slow cooker filled with bell peppers, onions, and a simple beef bouillon broth for a perfectly easy no-fuss Slow Cooker Pepper Steak dinner tonight. These taste sirloin strips combined with the most perfect peppers are great served over rice or egg noodles.
While inspired by Chinese cuisine, beef and peppers are more of an American dish. Savory, tasty, and simply delicious!
Why you will love Beef and Peppers
Being at home lately (like ALLLLLLLLLLLLL the time) has made it super easy to plan and execute just about any meal. In the last week we have enjoyed chocolate banana bread, chicken enchilada dip, and cucumber salad, but no matter how much time I have on my hands, nothing, and I mean nothing, beats the ease of slow cooker meals. With just a little bit of prep in the morning, throwing everything in a crockpot makes dinner a breeze.
And just about 5 o’clock when you realize it’s time to start up a recipe, you will also realize your dinner is DONE and you have created a family favorite amazing meal!
This slow cooker pepper steak is incredibly easy to make and full of flavor. Tender delicious bits of steak, combined with your favorite peppers, onions (and even mushrooms if you want) is great to serve on rice or keep it low carb by eating just as is. Hearty, savory, simple – sear, cook, and enjoy!
It’s my intention to keep this recipe as simple as possible so you can enjoy a delicious meal without feeling like you are stuck in the kitchen all night. Feel free to add your own favorite spices and elaborate on this super family-friendly meal!
Ingredients
Scroll to the bottom for a printable version of this post, including all measurements and instructions, so you can follow along in your kitchen without being on your phone.
- cooking oil – I like to use Vegetable oil.
- beef sirloin or beef tenderloin- cut into one inch slices of beef and trim any excess fat
- seasonings: garlic powder, salt and black pepper
- vegetables: green pepper, red pepper, onion, diced tomatoes (do not drain)
- sauce: beef bouillon cube, cornstarch, soy sauce, sugar
Expert Tips and Variations
- Mix well before serving over white rice, buttered rice, brown rice, egg noodles or even healthier cauliflower rice.
- If you have any beef steak leftovers, its so easy to chop up and make into a loaded philly cheese steak dip as its a similar cuts of meat.
- To cut down on the salt (because soy has plenty in it) just leave out additional salt and pepper.
- Other than sirloin, flank steak works great.
- Its best to keep the vegetables large sliced so they do not cook too quickly in the pot veruses diced.
- Diced tomatoes OR stewed tomatoes is fine to add, but do not drain.
How to make Slow Cooker Beef Pepper Steak
Before you get started on crock pot pepper steak, sear the beef.
This is not totally necessary to cook through the sirloin, as it will certainly cook in the slow cooker, but it gives the meat a beautiful browned look on the outside as sirloin should be. I like to season my beef with garlic powder, salt, and pepper and occasionally some additional pepper flakes – but feel free to add a bit on minced onion or your favorite seasoning and flavors.
- Add oil and strips of beef sirloin to a large skillet.
- Sprinkle with garlic powder and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat beef over medium high heat and brown meat on both sides.
- Place seared beef in slow cooker.
Prep Peppers and onions
Once your meat is done, chop your peppers and onions into slices. I like to keep the slices a long slice because if you cut them super small, they may cook too quickly.
The long cut on this helps retains some of the shape and texture.
Note on tomatoes – there are tons of tomatoes with flavors already built into the can. Feel free to use one of the flavored ones to bring in some extra herbs to your meal without any extra work. The Jalapeno Rotel is my favorite for a bit of heat.
- Add green bell peppers, red bell peppers
- Add onions (yellow onion or white onion works) to the slow cooker.
- Add canned diced tomato.
- Mix all ingredients really well.
Make Beef Broth
This is a super simple beef broth to cook your pepper steak in. Once you are ready to serve for dinner, if you prefer a thicker gravy, transfer some of your broth to a saucepan and combine with corn starch on heat to thicken (about 1-2 minutes).
Sometimes when you work with corn starch, it’s easier to combine with a tad bit of old water before dumping it into the broth, which eliminates any chunks.
- In a small bowl, add cold water and bouillon and mix well.
- Stir in corn starch and pour into slow cooker.
- Add soy sauce and sugar to slow cooker and mix well.
- COOKING TIME: Place lid on slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
FAQ’s
How to store leftover pepper steak:
As always, store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
For a thicker gravy:
To make a thicker gravy, add 1 tablespoon cornstarch to a tad bit of water (just enough to liquefy cornstarch) and mix in with pepper steak 30 minutes prior to serving.
What kind of beef works best?
Sirloin, flank steak, tenderloin should all be fine.
Related Recipes
- beef and tortilla casserole
- Mexican ground beef casserole
- dried chipped beef dip
- Enchilada Dip
- Hamburger Soup
- Beef Cabbage Soup
Slow Cooked Pepper Steak
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 lbs beef sirloin cut into 1″ strips
- garlic powder
- salt and black pepper
- 1 green pepper sliced into long slices
- 1 red pepper sliced into long slices
- 1 onion chopped or sliced into long slices
- 14.5 oz. diced tomatoes 14.5 oz, diced tomatoes (do not drain)
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 1 cube beef bouillon
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- white rice for serving
Instructions
Prepping the Sirloin Beef
- To get started, you will want to sear your beef. Add oil and beef sirloin to a large skillet.
- Sprinkle sirloin strips with garlic powder (or minced garlic if you prefer) and season with salt and cracked pepper.
- Heat beef over medium high heat and brown meat on both sides to give a nice seared flavor and color.
- Place beef in bottom of slow cooker.
Prepping the Peppers
- Slice your bell peppers and onions into long strips.
- Add peppers and onions to slow cooker on top of beef.
- Open and add canned diced tomato.
- Mix all ingredients well in slow cooker.
Prepping the Beef Gravy
- In a small bowl, add HOT water and bouillon and mix well. (If you have powdered beef bouillon, it works really well to mix quicker)
- Stir in corn starch to hot beef broth, whisk together, and pour gravy mixture into slow cooker.
- Add soy sauce and sugar to slow cooker and mix well.
Pepper Steak Recipe
- Place lid on slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4.
- Mix slow cooker pepper steak well before serving over steamed white rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: The nutritional data provided here is auto-calculated and intended for your convenience only. As it’s generated via automation, its accuracy may be compromised. For precise nutritional insight, please compute the values utilizing the actual ingredients in your recipe through your chosen nutrition calculator or application.
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