Make restaurant-quality Chinese Pepper Steak Stir Fry at home with this easy recipe. From super-tender beef to a bold black pepper sauce, plus crisp bell peppers and onions, this dish delivers satisfying flavors and textures you’ll want again and again.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Pepper steak is a favorite at many Chinese restaurants because of its contrast of tender beef, punchy black pepper sauce, and crisp vegetables. Recreating that restaurant texture at home is simple when you use the traditional Chinese velveting technique to tenderize the meat.
Velveting uses a brief marinade with soy, mirin (or a substitute), cornstarch and a small amount of baking soda to break down muscle fibers and keep the steak exceptionally tender. It’s an easy step that makes a dramatic difference.
- Deep, savory sauce. The black pepper sauce is rich and balanced—savory oyster sauce and soy, a touch of sesame oil and mirin, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper create a flavorful glaze that coats the beef and vegetables.
- Weeknight-friendly. Aside from the 30–60 minute marinade, the entire recipe cooks quickly—about 20 minutes on the stovetop—so it’s perfect for busy evenings.
- Restaurant texture at home. Velveting yields tender, silky slices of beef that almost melt in your mouth rather than chew.
Ingredients
Below are the ingredients for the beef marinade, the black pepper sauce, and the vegetables. Substitutions are noted where relevant. For best results, use fresh garlic and a good-quality oyster sauce.
- Mirin – a sweet Japanese rice wine that adds mild sweetness and umami. If you don’t have mirin, use rice vinegar, sake, or a splash of white wine.
- Soy sauce – provides salt and depth; low-sodium soy sauce makes it easier to control the dish’s salt level.
- Cornstarch – included in the marinade to help velvet the beef and to thicken the sauce slightly.
- Baking soda – used in small amount in the marinade to tenderize the steak quickly.
- Flank steak – sliced into 1-inch strips. Skirt steak or top sirloin are suitable alternatives.
- Oyster sauce – adds sweet-salty umami and helps the sauce glaze the beef.
- Sesame oil – a little goes a long way for toasted, nutty aroma.
- Black pepper – freshly ground for best flavor and spice.
- Canola oil (or peanut/vegetable oil) – a high smoke point oil for stir-frying.
- Red and green bell peppers – sliced into roughly 1-inch pieces for color and crunch.
- Onion – yellow onion sliced into 1-inch pieces pairs well in this dish.
- Garlic – fresh minced garlic provides bright aromatics.
To make this recipe gluten free: use tamari (gluten-free soy sauce) and a gluten-free oyster sauce.
Instructions
Follow these steps to velvet the beef, prepare the black pepper sauce, and finish the stir-fry. Work quickly when stir-frying to keep vegetables crisp and the beef tender.
- Velvet the steak. In a large plastic zipper bag combine 2 tablespoons mirin, 4 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Add 1 pound flank steak, sliced into 1-inch strips, and toss to coat. Refrigerate 30–60 minutes. (Do not exceed 60 minutes or the texture can become mushy.)
- Make the black pepper sauce. In a small bowl whisk together 1/4 cup oyster sauce, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 1/2 tablespoon mirin and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Set aside.
- Cook the vegetables. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the sliced red and green bell peppers and 1 cup sliced onion; stir-fry 4–5 minutes until crisp-tender. Remove and set aside.
- Cook the steak. Increase heat to high and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Remove the steak from the marinade and add it to the wok (discard leftover marinade). Stir-fry the beef 4–5 minutes until browned.
- Add 2 teaspoons minced garlic, return the vegetables to the wok, and stir for about 30 seconds.
- Finish with the sauce. Pour the prepared black pepper sauce over the beef and vegetables. Toss to coat and cook 1–2 minutes until the sauce thickens into a glossy glaze. Remove from heat and serve immediately over rice or noodles. Garnish with sesame seeds and diced green onions if desired.
Serve it with
White Rice
Serve pepper steak over freshly cooked white or brown rice, or alongside your favorite noodles. The glossy black pepper sauce clings beautifully to rice, making each bite savory and satisfying.
Storage and reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To reheat, warm in a skillet over medium-high heat for 4–5 minutes until hot, or microwave for 2–3 minutes. Add a splash of water or a little oil while reheating if the sauce has thickened too much.
More easy Chinese recipes
If you enjoy making Chinese restaurant favorites at home, try other simple stir-fries and saucy entrees that use the same quick techniques and bold flavors.
Gluten Free Chinese Honey Chicken
Honey Walnut Shrimp
Gluten Free Kung Pao Beef and Noodle Bowl
Gluten Free Orange Chicken
Chinese Pepper Steak
Make restaurant-quality Chinese Pepper Steak Stir Fry at home with tender velveted beef, a savory black pepper glaze, and crisp bell peppers and onions.
- Servings: 4
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Marinating Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Author: Whitney Bond
Ingredients
Beef Tenderizer Marinade
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pound flank steak, sliced into 1-inch strips
Pepper Steak Sauce
- 1/4 cup oyster sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1/2 tablespoon mirin
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Vegetables
- 2 tablespoons canola oil (divided)
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup onion, sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
Instructions
- Combine mirin, soy sauce, cornstarch and baking soda in a large zipper bag. Add the sliced steak, toss to coat, and refrigerate 30–60 minutes. Do not exceed 60 minutes.
- Whisk the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin and black pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add peppers and onions and cook 4–5 minutes until crisp-tender. Remove and set aside.
- Turn heat to high, add remaining oil, and add the steak (discard remaining marinade). Stir-fry 4–5 minutes until browned.
- Add minced garlic, return vegetables to the pan and cook 30 seconds.
- Pour in the sauce and toss until everything is coated. Cook 1–2 minutes, until the sauce thickens into a glaze. Serve over rice or noodles, garnished with sesame seeds and green onions if desired.
Notes
- Mirin is a Japanese rice wine; if unavailable, use rice vinegar, sake or white wine.
- Flank steak is recommended, but skirt steak or top sirloin work well too.
- To make gluten-free: use tamari and gluten-free oyster sauce.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
- Calories: 359 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Protein: 29 g
- Fat: 20 g (Saturated Fat: 4 g)
- Sodium: 2630 mg
- Fiber: 2 g
- Sugar: 7 g
- Vitamin A: 1045 mg
- Vitamin C: 65 mg
- Iron: 3 mg