Slow Cooker Peppered Steak

Steak, bell peppers, and onions slow-cooked in a rich sauce make this crockpot recipe a go-to for busy days. Tender sirloin strips combined with vibrant bell peppers and onions create the perfect steak and peppers dish that’s both flavorful and hearty. Whether you serve it over rice or egg noodles or simply throw it into a tortilla to make fajitas, this peppered steak slow-cooked meal is sure to be a family favorite!

Why You’ll Love This Slow Cooker Steak and Peppers Recipe

This slow cooker pepper steak is one of those “set it and forget it” meals. The steak cooks down to tender perfection, and the bell peppers and onions soak up all the amazing flavors of the sauce. It’s hearty, savory, and incredibly easy to throw together. I love serving it over rice, but if you’re keeping things low-carb, it’s just as tasty on its own!

The best part? You can add your favorite veggies like mushrooms or change up the seasonings to make it your own. The result is always the same: a savory, slow-cooked meal that’ll have everyone coming back for seconds.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this flavorful steak and peppers recipe:

• Vegetable oil – for searing the steak.
• Beef sirloin or beef tenderloin – cut into 1-inch strips and trim any excess fat.
• Seasonings – garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
• Vegetables – green bell pepper, red bell pepper, onion, and a can of diced tomatoes (don’t drain!).
• Sauce ingredients – beef bouillon cube, cornstarch, soy sauce, and sugar

Before diving into this crockpot recipe, I like to start by searing the beef. Now, you don’t have to do this step, since the sirloin will cook perfectly fine in the slow cooker, but I love how searing gives the meat a nice browned look and adds extra flavor.

I usually season my beef with garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and if I’m feeling adventurous, I might throw in some red pepper flakes for a little kick. You can totally customize the seasonings—minced onion or your favorite spice blend works great too!

How to make Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

Searing the Steak

1. Add a little vegetable oil to a large skillet.
2. Toss in the strips of beef sirloin.
3. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper (or whatever spices you like).
4. Heat the beef over medium-high heat and brown the meat on both sides.
5. Once the steak is seared, transfer it to your slow cooker.

Prepping the Peppers and Onions

Now that the steak is ready, it’s time to chop up the bell peppers and onions. I prefer to keep the slices long rather than dicing them small—this helps the peppers retain their shape and texture as they slow cook. If you cut them too small, they might get too soft by the end.

And a quick note about the tomatoes: There are lots of canned diced tomatoes with added flavors, so feel free to grab a can that has some built-in herbs. My personal favorite is the Jalapeño Rotel—it adds just the right amount of heat!

1. Slice your green and red bell peppers.
2. Slice your onions (either yellow or white onions work well here).
3. Add the peppers, onions, and a can of diced tomatoes (don’t drain them!) to the slow cooker with the steak.
4. Give everything a good mix to make sure the flavors start combining.

Making the Beef Broth

This part is super easy, but it’s what brings all the flavors together while the steak and peppers slow cook. You can easily double or triple gravy if you are serving with noodles.

1. In a small bowl, combine cold water and a beef bouillon cube, stirring until it’s dissolved.
2. Stir in cornstarch and mix well.
3. Pour this broth mixture into the slow cooker.
4. Add soy sauce and sugar to the slow cooker and stir everything together.

Slow Cooking Time

Now that everything’s in the slow cooker, it’s time to let the magic happen.

• Cook on low for 6-8 hours for the most tender steak and perfectly cooked peppers and onions.
• Or, if you’re in more of a rush, cook on high for 3-4 hours and you’ll still get great results.

Expert Tips and Variations

• Mix well before serving over white rice, buttered rice, brown rice,  egg noodles or 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 verses diced. 
• Diced tomatoes OR stewed tomatoes is fine to add, but do not drain.