Crockpot Pepper Steak is an effortless dump and go meal that takes 10 minutes to prepare, with no hands-on work while it cooks. Tender beef strips, peppers and onions are slow cooked in a savory unami sauce, then served over rice to make a hearty and wholesome dinner. Make it a full meal by adding rice to the crockpot (instructions on how to do this are below).
The slow cooking method tenderizes the beef, much more than the stove does. It's perfect served over fluffy brown rice, basmati or white rice, noodles and mashed potatoes, if you're not adding rice to the slow cooker.
Why I Love This Recipe
- It's a dump and go recipe- there is no precooking the ingredients!
- The beef turns out super tender and flavorful, think melt-in-your-mouth!
- It's hands off throughout the cooking process- nothing is added at a later time!
- 10 minutes of prep time
Table Of Contents
Ingredients
- Beef sirloin strips: sometimes called sirloin tips or beef for stir fry when precut. You can also use sirloin steaks that you cut into long slices.
- Bell peppers: my preference is a combination of green, yellow, red, and orange.
- Onion: I prefer a sweet onion but a yellow onion works too!
- Garlic cloves: go for fresh garlic but garlic powder in a pinch.
- Beef broth: substitute with water, as the recipe also uses bouillon cubes to make a concentrated beef broth.
- Beef bouillon cubes: or packets.
- Soy sauce
- Worcestershire sauce
- Honey: can replace with agave syrup or pure maple syrup.
- Ginger: I use ground ginger but you can grate fresh ginger root too.
- Cornstarch: added to the broth as a thickener. For a thinner sauce, leave out the cornstarch.
Instructions
This easy crockpot pepper steak is made in 3 simple steps.
- Make the sauce. Combine hot beef broth, bouillon cubes, soy sauce, worchestire sauce, honey, ground ginger, black pepper, salt and cornstarch in a mixing glass. Stir well, crushing the bouillon cubes.
- Place beef strips into the slow cooker. Pour sauce on top. Add peppers, onions and garlic on top of the beef.
- Set to LOW for 6 hours or HIGH for 3 hours. If possible, stir the ingredients once halfway through.
- When finished, stir well and transfer to a serving dish. Serve over rice or noodles or as a side with mashed or baked potatoes.
Kristina's Tips
- Add peppers at the end if you want them to have a crispier texture, with about 30-60 minutes left.
- Add rice directly to the crockpot. With 2 hours of cook time left, add 1 cup of rice and 2 cups of water (or broth for more flavor). This will make it a full dinner without having to cook rice separately.
Notes
- While there may not appear to be enough sauce at the beginning, the beef and vegetables will let out a lot of liquid and you will have more than enough at the end of cooking.Â
Variations
- Change the color of bell peppers: use all green peppers instead of a combination of colorful peppers.
- Make it spicy: add red pepper flakes or even a few jalapeño peppers to make a spicy pepper steak.
How To Serve Pepper Steak
While pepper steak is delicious enjoyed as is, especially for a low carb meal, it's traditionally served with white rice. You can use basmati rice or brown rice too, or serve it with sides like roasted baby potatoes, broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts, or green beans. It's also delicious served over mashed potatoes, mashed cauliflower, crockpot mashed sweet potatoes or instant pot sweet potatoes.
How To Store
Fridge: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer: use freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat: warm in the microwave or in the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sirloin is the most traditional and most tender cut of beef to use for this recipe. You can use already sliced meat usually labeled "beef for stir fry" or sirloin tips. If you can't find steak for stir fry that has already been cut, use sirloin steaks and slice them into long strips about 1 inch thick.
Yes! You can freezer pepper steak before or after cooking. To freeze it before, slice the meat, peppers and onions and place into a freezer safe bag. Pour the sauce into a separate bag. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months. When you're ready to use, cut open both bags and place the ingredients into the slow cooker while frozen. Cook on low for 6 hours. Slow cooker pepper steak can be frozen after cooking by placing the entire meal (even rice!) into freezer safe bags and freezing for up to 3 months (for optimal quality). Defrost overnight in the fridge.
On high, this recipe cooks for 3 hours and on low it cooks for 6 hours. I prefer cooking beef recipes on low so the meat gets extra tender and flavorful. But in a pinch, a shorter time on low is fine!
If you find yourself less than pleased with how soft slow cooked peppers turn out, add them to the crockpot during the last hour of cook time. Keep in mind though, that the peppers give the sauce flavor and you won't have as much of it if you don't cook them for the entire 6 hours.
Recipe
Dump and Go Slow Cooker Pepper Steak
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef sirloin strips or sirloin steak cut into slices
- 3 large colorful bell peppers sliced thick
- 1 large onion sliced
- 3 garlic cloves
- ¾ cup beef broth
- 3 beef bouillon cubes
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch or flour
Instructions
- Make the sauce. Combine hot beef broth, bouillon cubes, soy sauce, worchestire sauce, honey, ground ginger, black pepper, salt and cornstarch/flour in a mixing glass. Stir well, crushing the bouillon cubes.
- Place beef strips into the slow cooker. Pour sauce on top. Add peppers, onions and garlic on top of the beef.
- Set to LOW for 6 hours or HIGH for 3 hours. If possible, stir the ingredients halfway through.
- When finished, stir well and transfer to a serving dish. Serve over rice or noodles or as a side with mashed or baked potatoes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Danielle says
I used 1.5lbs of stew meat. Everything was great except the sauce was completely liquid. Would it have been the amount of meat?
Kristina Tipps says
Do you mean that the sauce was too thin for you? The sauce should be all liquid, but when you serve it over rice or noodles, it will absorb into the rice or noodles so you want some extra. If it was just too thin, you can add flour or cornstarch in the beginning and that should thicken it up!
Sam says
The stew meat probably had more fat than sirloin would have so it thinned your sauce.
Sydney says
Cooked on high for 3 hours. Kept the entire recipe the same. My steak was suuuper dry. Any idea what could’ve caused this?
Kristina Tipps says
Hi Sydney- The age/quality of the steak could have caused it to dry out. I would recommend cooking it on low (as with all other meat recipes) to prevent it from happening next time.
Anonymous says
Too watery. Peppers and onions over cooked. Was disappointed
Silvana says
Hi
The recipe looks delicious. Wondering what size of crockpot?
Thanks in advance
Kristina Tipps says
Hi Silvana, I have made it both in 6 and 8 quart crock pots but it should work in a 3 quart crock pot also. Anything smaller than that, you may need to cut the recipe in half.
B says
Prepared this on the eve of a busy day (took 10 minutes total) and threw it in the slow cooker in the morning. Paired it with rice and a bagged salad. Not only easy but delicious and EVERYONE in the family agrees (no small feat!). Highly recommended!
Kristina Tipps says
I am so glad you all enjoyed it!
Amy says
When I make anything with beef I put my meat in flour salt and pepper then brown it in a frying skillet then transfer to my crockpot because my meat is super tender. This was definitely a delicious recipe. Thanks for sharing. I will make this again.
Teresa says
Can I make this with stew meat? That's all I have right now?
Kristina Tipps says
Yes, you can use stew meat. Enjoy!
Robin says
You say water in one of your comments but none is listed in the recipe. Is that only if your making your own beef broth? If not I’m adding 3/4 cup canned beef broth and the 3 bouillon cubes w/ no water correct? Thanks for your help!
Kristina Tipps says
Hi Robin. You are correct- only use water to make your own beef broth. Otherwise, you are adding 3/4 cup canned beef broth plus 3 beef bouillon cubes. I hope you enjoy it!
Brittney Peterson says
Ugh!!!! the beef bouillon said to dissolve in 2 cups of water so I did 6 for the 3 cubes and poured it in for the sauce !!
Kristina Tipps says
Oh no! This recipe makes a concentrated sauce, so you only want to dissolve the 3 cubes in the water/broth that is called for in the recipe which is 3/4 cups. Don't follow the instructions on the beef bouillon package for dissolving them. I hope you try it again and enjoy it more next time!
Cary says
I made this recipe for the first time today. It was easy-to-follow and perfect for a no-fuss meal on a weeknight. My husband loved it served over rice! Will definitely make this one again! Thanks for sharing the recipe.