Spicy Beef Pepper Stir Fry (Printable)
Tender strips of beef and crisp bell peppers tossed in a bold, spicy sauce for a quick meal.
# Ingredient List:
→ Beef
01 - 14 oz flank steak or sirloin, thinly sliced against the grain
→ Marinade
02 - 1 tbsp soy sauce
03 - 1 tbsp cornstarch
04 - 1 tsp sesame oil
05 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
→ Vegetables
06 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
07 - 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
08 - 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
09 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
10 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
11 - 0.8 in fresh ginger, grated
→ Sauce
12 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
13 - 1 tbsp oyster sauce
14 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar
15 - 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce, adjust to taste
16 - 1 tsp brown sugar
→ For Cooking and Garnish
17 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil
18 - 2 spring onions, sliced
19 - 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds, optional
# Steps:
01 - Combine flank steak with soy sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil, and black pepper. Toss and let rest for 10 minutes.
02 - Whisk soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce, and brown sugar until combined. Set aside.
03 - Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over high heat in a wok or skillet. Sear beef in a single layer for 2 to 3 minutes without stirring, then stir-fry for 1 additional minute until browned. Remove and set aside.
04 - Add remaining oil to the wok. Stir-fry garlic, ginger, and red onion for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Add bell peppers and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until crisp-tender.
06 - Return beef to the wok. Pour sauce over and toss quickly to coat. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes until sauce thickens slightly and beef is fully cooked.
07 - Remove from heat. Garnish with spring onions and toasted sesame seeds if desired. Serve hot with steamed rice.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It tastes like restaurant quality but happens in your own kitchen in under 30 minutes, which feels like a small victory on busy nights.
- The spice level is completely yours to control, so whether you like a gentle warmth or genuine heat, the dish adapts to what you actually want to eat.
- Watching the peppers go from raw to perfectly tender-crisp while staying vibrant and bright never gets old, and it's basically impossible to mess up once you nail the timing.
02 -
- If your wok isn't hot enough when you start, the beef will steam instead of sear and you'll end up with something closer to beef soup than stir fry, so don't skip the heating step.
- Once you add all the peppers at once, they cook down faster than you expect, so if you're not paying attention they'll go from crisp to mushy in under a minute.
- The cornstarch in the marinade is what gives you that velvety texture on the beef, but it only works if you don't crowd the pan when you're searing, because moisture prevents browning.
03 -
- Having everything prepped and sitting in bowls before you start cooking is the difference between feeling in control and feeling frantic, and it takes maybe five extra minutes upfront.
- Don't be afraid to let the beef sit in a single layer without stirring, because that's how it gets that golden crust that tastes so much better than pale, just-cooked beef.