Black Pepper Beef Stir-Fry is a Chinese-American weeknight dish featuring tender marinated beef cooked quickly with bell peppers, onions, and garlic in a rich, spicy sauce. The combination of soy, oyster sauce, and freshly ground black pepper creates bold, savory-spicy depth that makes it ideal served over rice.
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In a large bowl, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, oyster sauce, seasoning sauce, honey, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, black pepper, minced garlic, and grated ginger. Whisk until well combined.
Add the thinly sliced beef to the marinade and mix well to ensure all pieces are coated.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the beef marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Heat a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
Once the oil is hot, add the marinated beef. Cook for 2-3 minutes until browned, stirring occasionally.
Using a ladle, remove the excess liquid that has cooked out of the beef and reserve it in a measuring cup.
Continue to stir-fry the beef until it is fully cooked and browned. Remove the beef from the wok and set aside.
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the hot wok. Add the chopped bell peppers and onion.
Season the vegetables with garlic salt and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes until they are crisp-tender.
Return the cooked beef to the wok with the vegetables. Pour in the reserved cooking liquid.
In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water to create a slurry.
Pour the cornstarch slurry into the wok and stir everything to combine. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
Serve the black pepper beef immediately over cooked white rice.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, or microwave in 30-second intervals until hot through.
wok or large skillet (12-inch preferred for even heat distribution)
Marinate the beef in soy sauce and rice vinegar for at least 15 minutes, cut it against the grain into thin pieces, and avoid overcooking—cook only until no longer pink in the center.
Prepare the sauce and marinate the beef up to 4 hours in advance, but cook the stir-fry fresh just before serving to keep vegetables crisp and beef tender.
White or brown rice is traditional; jasmine or basmati work well. You can also serve over steamed noodles or cauliflower rice.
The spice level is moderate from black pepper and red pepper flakes. Reduce the red pepper flakes if you prefer milder heat, or omit for no spice.
Yes—double or triple all ingredients proportionally. Cook in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding the pan and steaming the beef instead of searing it.
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