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Pepper Steak in a Crock Pot

Pepper steak in a crock pot with tender flank steak and glossy pepper-soy sauce. Slow-cooked until the meat is fork-tender, then thickened with a quick cornstarch slurry for a coating finish over white rice.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Chinese-American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pepper steak base
  • 2 lb flank steak Thinly sliced against the grain.
  • 1 red bell pepper Sliced into strips.
  • 1 green bell pepper Sliced into strips.
  • 1 yellow bell pepper Sliced into strips.
  • 1 onion Sliced.
  • 4 garlic Minced.
Soy-ginger sauce
  • 0.5 cup soy sauce
  • 0.25 cup beef broth
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger Grated.
Thickening slurry
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp cold water
Serving
  • 1 cooked white rice For serving.
  • 1 sesame seeds For garnish.
  • 1 green onions For garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Layer steak and vegetables
  1. Place the sliced flank steak into the slow cooker in an even layer.
  2. Add the bell peppers, onion, and garlic on top of the steak.
Add soy-ginger sauce and slow cook
  1. Whisk together the soy sauce, beef broth, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and grated ginger, then pour the mixture over the steak and vegetables.
  2. Cook on LOW for 5–6 hours or on HIGH for 2.5–3 hours until the steak is tender.
Thicken sauce
  1. Whisk the cornstarch with the cold water until smooth, then stir it into the slow cooker.
  2. Cook on HIGH for 15 minutes, stirring once if needed, until the sauce thickens and coats the steak.
Serve
  1. Serve the pepper steak over cooked white rice and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.

Notes

For the most tender texture, slice the flank steak thinly against the grain and keep vegetables fairly dry before layering. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot. Freezing is yes—cool fully, freeze up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat. For a lower-sugar option, replace the brown sugar with an equal amount of brown sugar substitute that measures 1:1.