Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 02/23/22
Crock pot pepper steak in bowls with rice
Diana Rattray
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 6 hrs
Total: 6 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 8 servings

This easy crock pot pepper steak recipe is a tasty combination of steak strips and peppers in a delicious Asian-inspired sauce mixture. This is great comfort food, perfect for an everyday family dinner. This version calls for round steak

Pepper steak is a Chinese-American concoction flavored with soy sauce and ginger. The recipe has been an American favorite since the 1940s. If your family enjoys Asian flavors, they will surely like this combination.

Use green bell pepper or any combination of colored bell peppers you like. Serve the pepper steak over hot cooked rice or noodles and include a salad for a fabulous meal. Or serve the pepper steak of low carb cauliflower rice or cauliflower fried rice.

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Ingredients

  • 2 pounds beef round steak, about 1-inch thick, cut into 3-inch strips

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (e.g., canola, corn oil, safflower, etc.)

  • 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

  • 1 large onion, chopped

  • 1 medium clove garlic, crushed and minced

  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can tomatoes, cut up, with juices

  • 2 large bell peppers, cut into strips

  • 2 tablespoons cold water

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

  • Hot cooked rice, optional

  • Chopped fresh cilantro, optional

  • Sesame seeds, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for crock pot pepper steak.
    Diana Rattray

  2. Place the beef strips in the crockery insert of the slow cooker.

    Beef strips in the slow cooker.
    Diana Rattray

  3. In a bowl combine the vegetable oil, soy sauce, onion, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper, and ginger; pour over beef.

    Steak strips and seasoning mixture in the slow cooker.
    Diana Rattray

  4. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or until the meat is tender.

  5. Add tomatoes and green peppers; cover and cook on LOW for 1 hour longer.

  6. Combine the cold water and cornstarch to make a smooth paste; stir into the slow cooker, increase the heat to HIGH and continue cooking until the liquids have thickened.

    A cornstarch slurry.
    Diana Rattray

  7. Serve pepper steak over noodles or rice. Garnish servings with fresh chopped cilantro, parsley, or sesame seeds, if desired.

    Slow cooker pepper steak and rice bowls.
    Diana Rattray

  8. Enjoy!

Tips

  • Browning the meat can improve the color and flavor of any slow cooker dish. If you have the time, brown the beef over medium-high heat in a small amount of vegetable oil.
  • Want dinner on the table faster? Cook the beef mixture on the high setting for about 2 1/2 hours. Add the tomatoes and peppers and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Add the cornstarch mixture and continue to cook until the sauce is thickened.
  • For easier cleanup, cook the dish in a slow cooker cooking bag or liner. When the dish is done, pour it into a serving dish.

Recipe Variations

  • Switch from white sugar to the same amount of honey or brown sugar.
  • Add about 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms to the pot along with the tomatoes and peppers.
  • Instead of round steak, make the pepper steak with sirloin tips, flank steak, or lean chuck steak.
  • Instead of beef, make the pepper steak with strips of pork loin or pork steak in the recipe.
  • For a darker color sauce, add some browning sauce, such as Gravymaster or Kitchen Bouquet.
  • For sweeter Asian-style sauce, replace the sugar with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of Hoisin sauce, and 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil.
  • For a more savory gravy, omit the tomatoes and add about 1 cup of beef stock—preferably unsalted or low sodium—to the onion and seasoning mixture.
  • For a thicker sauce, use 2 tablespoons of cornstarch dissolved in about 2 tablespoons of cold water.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
291 Calories
14g Fat
6g Carbs
36g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 291
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 18%
Saturated Fat 4g 21%
Cholesterol 102mg 34%
Sodium 494mg 21%
Total Carbohydrate 6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 36g
Vitamin C 24mg 122%
Calcium 27mg 2%
Iron 3mg 18%
Potassium 423mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)