Chinese Pepper Beef Stir Fry is a takeout favorite! It is so quick and easy to make at home you’ll forget where you put the takeaway menu! Ready in under 30 minutes, the tender flank steak is cooked with bell peppers and onions in a savory peppery Chinese brown sauce. Plus get my top tip for the most tender stir fry beef EVER! Serve over rice or noodles. If Chinese Pepper Steak is your favorite PF Changs order then this Pepper Steak stir fry is going to be your new favorite simple dinner.
1teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper- see note 4&5
2tablespooncornflour
For the Stir Fry
2tablespoonoil
1onion – peeled and chopped
3garlic cloves - minced
1cupsliced red bell pepper
1cupsliced yellow bell pepper
1cupsliced green bell pepper
Instructions
Start with tenderizing the beef
Cut the beef into thin strips across the grain. (see the bulk of post for more about the grain of the beef)
Place in a bowl and sprinkle with the baking soda.
Let the beef marinade for 15 minutes then wash off the baking soda and rinsing it several times. (See note 3)
Pat dry with kitchen paper and set to one side.
Make the sauce.
Combine the ingredients for the sauce together in a measuring cup or jug.
Set to one side.
To make the pepper beef stir fry
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large frying pan over high heat, once the oil starts to shimmer add the beef and cook for 1 minute until almost cooked through. Remove from the pan.
Add the remaining oil to the pan
Keeping the heat high add the onion and fry for 1 minute.
Add the bell peppers to the pan and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Return the beef to the pan along with the minced garlic and stir to combine.
Give the sauce another stir and then add it to the skillet and bring to a simmer, the sauce will start to thicken.
Cook for 1-2 minutes until everything is cooked through and the sauce just coats the meat and veg.
Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Notes
Chinese Cooking Wine/Chinese Rice Wine – not to be mistaken for rice wine vinegar!!! You can sub in dry sherry if you like.
Baking Soda is also called Bicarb, Bicarbonate of Soda and Sodium Bicarbonate.
Make sure you wash the beef well to remove any traces of baking soda. It is amazing at tenderizing meat but has a terrible taste so you want to remove it.
If you can, try and use freshly ground black pepper rather than the pepper dust. It will have a better flavor. If you don't have any and have to use the powdered pepper, reduce the amount down to ½ teaspoon and taste.
If you like your pepper beef very peppery then you can add another teaspoon of black pepper. As the recipe is written it has a mild kick of pepper but isn't too spicy for the kids.