Pepper steak and rice is a savory stir-fry combining thinly sliced beef and multicolored bell peppers in a soy and rice vinegar sauce, served over fluffy white rice. It's a quick, nostalgic comfort dish that comes together in under 30 minutes.
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Thinly slice the bottom round steak, onions, and bell peppers.
In a zip-top bag, combine the sliced steak with 1/2 cup soy sauce, rice vinegar, black pepper, and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.
Massage the ingredients into the steak and let it marinate in the refrigerator for 25 minutes.
While the steak marinates, prepare the rice. In a pot, combine the washed parboiled rice, water, salt, and 3 tablespoons of butter.
Bring the rice to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes.
Heat olive oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the marinated steak in batches and brown it. Once browned, remove the steak and set it aside.
In the same pan, melt 1/4 cup of butter.
Add the sliced onions and peppers to the melted butter and cook for about 3 minutes, until slightly softened.
Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
Return the cooked steak to the pan with the vegetables.
Pour in 1.5 cups of beef broth, 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, and the can of tomato sauce. Stir to combine.
In a separate small bowl or cup, whisk together 1/2 cup of beef broth, brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to create a slurry.
Pour the slurry into the pan and stir everything together well.
Bring the mixture to a low boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pan and let it cook for about 5 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
Serve the pepper steak over the cooked rice.
Store cooked steak and peppers separately from rice in airtight containers for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a skillet over medium heat; add a splash of water if the sauce thickens too much.
large skillet or wok (12-inch preferred for stir-frying in batches)
Bottom round steak is ideal because it's lean and affordable. Slice it thinly (¼ inch) against the grain to ensure tenderness during the quick stir-fry.
Yes. Slice the beef and chop all vegetables up to 4 hours ahead. Store separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator, then stir-fry when ready to eat.
Slice the meat thin and against the grain, use high heat, and avoid overcooking—cook just until browned, 2–3 minutes per batch. Remove it from the pan before cooking vegetables to prevent toughening.
Low-sodium soy sauce works well as a 1:1 swap. Rice vinegar is traditional; white vinegar or apple cider vinegar can substitute but will shift the flavor slightly.
Store the steak-pepper mixture and rice separately in airtight containers for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a skillet or microwave; the cornstarch-thickened sauce will thicken further when cold.
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