Slow Cooker Pepper Steak (Printable)
Tender beef strips with bell peppers in a savory-sweet sauce, slow-cooked to perfection for an easy weeknight dinner.
# What You Need:
→ Beef & Vegetables
01 - 1.5 lbs flank steak or sirloin, cut into thin strips against the grain
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, finely minced
→ Sauce
05 - 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
06 - 1/3 cup beef broth
07 - 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
08 - 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with their juices
09 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch
10 - 2 tablespoons cold water
→ Seasonings
11 - 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (optional, adjust to taste)
13 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
→ For Serving
14 - Cooked white rice
15 - Sliced green onions
# How To Make It:
01 - Slice the steak against the grain into 1/4-inch strips. Core and slice the bell peppers into even strips. Halve and slice the onion into half-moons. Mince the garlic cloves finely.
02 - Arrange the beef strips, sliced bell peppers, onion, and minced garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker insert.
03 - 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.
04 - Stir gently to combine all ingredients. Cover with the lid and cook on the LOW setting for 6 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender and the peppers have softened.
05 - About 30 minutes before the cooking time finishes, whisk the cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl to form a smooth slurry. Stir the slurry into the slow cooker, replace the lid, and continue cooking for the remaining time until the sauce has thickened to a glossy consistency.
06 - Taste the sauce and season with salt if needed. Ladle the pepper steak over cooked white rice and garnish with sliced green onions. Serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sauce does all the heavy lifting, savory, sweet, and just sticky enough to coat every strip of beef and pepper perfectly.
- It requires almost zero hands on effort, just fifteen minutes of prep and a slow cooker does the rest.
02 -
- Do not skip the cornstarch slurry step, without it the sauce stays thin and runs right off the rice instead of soaking into it.
- Slice the beef against the grain, going with the grain means some pieces will stay chewy no matter how long they cook.
03 -
- Partially freeze the steak for about twenty minutes before slicing, firm meat gives you clean, even strips instead of ragged ones.
- If you want thicker sauce, use three tablespoons of cornstarch instead of two, but never add cornstarch powder directly to the hot liquid without mixing it with cold water first or you will get lumps.