Effortlessly Delicious Weeknight Pepper Steak: Your Go-To Recipe for Tender Beef & Flavorful Sauce
Your Go-To Busy Weeknight Pepper Steak Recipe
Why You’ll Fall in Love with This Easy Pepper Steak Stir-fry
- Incredibly Simple & Quick: If your evenings are anything like mine, you appreciate having a wholesome dinner on the table without it turning into a late-night affair. This pepper steak and rice recipe is a true lifesaver, coming together in a flash and boasting an incredibly straightforward preparation process. You’ll be amazed at how easily these simple steps transform basic ingredients into a gourmet-like meal, allowing you more time to relax and enjoy.
- Uses Basic, Accessible Ingredients: No need for a special trip to a gourmet store! With just a handful of everyday pantry staples and a couple of fresh items from your refrigerator, you’ll be well on your way to creating a hearty and undeniably delicious meal. This recipe proves that extraordinary flavor doesn’t require an extensive or exotic ingredient list, making it a practical choice for any home cook.
- Bursting with Rich, Deep Flavor: The magic truly happens in the sauce. Our special blend, featuring creamy mushroom soup, diced tomatoes, and a savory touch of soy sauce, creates an exquisitely rich and flavorful gravy that perfectly coats every tender piece of pepper steak. The result is a dish that’s not only delightfully savory but also wonderfully tender and easy to bite into, ensuring a satisfying experience with every mouthful. This isn’t just a meal; it’s a comforting flavor journey!
- Satisfying Comfort Food: Beyond its ease and taste, this pepper steak offers profound comfort. It’s the kind of meal that wraps you in warmth, reminiscent of home-cooked goodness. Paired with rice, it creates a complete and fulfilling dining experience that nourishes both body and soul.
Key Ingredients for Your Perfect Pepper Steak
For precise measurements and detailed instructions, please make sure to scroll down to the comprehensive recipe card below!
Steak: For optimal tenderness and quick cooking, you’ll need a tenderized round cut of sirloin, commonly known as minute steak or cube steak. These cuts are pre-tenderized, saving you time and effort.
Flour: All-purpose flour is perfect for dredging the steak. This step not only helps create a delicious brown crust but also acts as a natural thickener for the rich gravy.
Salt and Pepper: These fundamental seasonings are crucial for enhancing the natural flavors of the beef and ensuring your pepper steak is perfectly balanced. Don’t underestimate their power!
Oil: Any neutral-flavored cooking oil will work beautifully here. Options like avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or a standard vegetable oil are all excellent choices for browning the steak without overpowering its flavor.
Cream of Mushroom Soup: This ingredient is a true shortcut hero! It forms the creamy, umami-rich base of our sauce. While you could make your own from scratch, using canned cream of mushroom soup significantly speeds up the process without sacrificing flavor.
Mushrooms: Whether you opt for canned, pre-sliced mushrooms for convenience or fresh, thinly sliced mushrooms for a more robust earthy flavor, both will complement the beef and sauce wonderfully.
Tomatoes: Diced tomatoes add a touch of acidity and sweetness that brightens the entire dish. Feel free to use freshly diced tomatoes when in season, or readily available canned diced tomatoes for year-round ease.
Soy Sauce: A splash of soy sauce introduces a crucial layer of savory, umami depth to the sauce. If you’re looking for a gluten-free or soy-free alternative, coconut aminos work as a fantastic substitute.
Beef Bouillon: To create a rich and flavorful gravy, dissolve beef bouillon granules or cubes in hot water. This forms a robust beef broth that forms the liquid base of your sauce.
Bell Peppers: Sliced into vibrant rings, bell peppers are the star of this dish, adding not just a peppery crunch but also beautiful color. I often use a variety of colors—red, green, and yellow—to make the dish visually appealing and to offer slightly different nuanced sweetness.
Rice: Cooked rice, traditionally white rice, serves as the perfect canvas for soaking up every drop of that incredible pepper steak sauce. Prepare it according to package directions, ideally so it’s ready when your steak is.
Is Minute Steak the Same as Cube Steak? Understanding Your Beef Cuts
Yes, for all intents and purposes, minute steak and cube steak are very similar and often used interchangeably! Both terms refer to tenderized round cuts of meat, typically sourced from the top sirloin or top round. The key characteristic of these cuts is that they have been mechanically tenderized. This process involves passing the meat through a machine with blades or using a meat tenderizer tool, which creates small indentations or perforations across the surface of the steak.
Minute steak earns its name from its ability to cook very quickly, often in just a “minute” per side, thanks to this tenderization. Cube steak gets its name from the cube-like indentations left by the tenderizer. Regardless of the name, both cuts are prized for their tenderness and their quick cooking time, making them ideal for a wide array of American comfort food dishes, including chicken fried steak, Swiss steak, and of course, our delicious Pepper Steak. Their pre-tenderized nature makes them a fantastic choice for busy cooks looking to get dinner on the table without a lot of fuss.
How Do You Make Delicious Pepper Steak from Scratch (The Easy Way)?
You’ll be delighted to discover that this is truly one of the simplest and most foolproof pepper steak recipes available! We’ve streamlined the process to ensure you can create your favorite comforting meal without any stress or complicated techniques. Follow these easy steps to achieve a perfectly tender and flavorful pepper steak every time.
Step 1: Prepare and Dredge the Steak
First, take your individual slices of minute steak and thoroughly dredge them in a shallow dish containing a mixture of all-purpose flour, salt, and black pepper. This coating is crucial for two reasons: it helps create a beautiful golden-brown crust when seared, and it acts as a thickening agent for the rich, savory gravy that will develop later. Ensure each piece is evenly coated.
Step 2: Brown the Steak to Perfection
Next, heat a generous amount of oil in a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, carefully place the dredged steak slices into the hot pan, being careful not to overcrowd it (work in batches if necessary). Cook the steak for a few minutes on each side until it develops a beautiful golden-brown crust. This browning step is essential for building deep, rich flavor through the Maillard reaction. Remove the browned steak from the pan and set aside.
Step 3: Simmer the Steak in a Flavorful Gravy
Once all the steak is browned, return it to the pan. Then, add the remaining ingredients for the sauce: the cream of mushroom soup, sliced mushrooms (drained if canned), diced tomatoes (canned or fresh), soy sauce, and the beef broth prepared from your beef bouillon. Stir all these ingredients together thoroughly, ensuring the steak is well coated in the developing sauce. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and let it cook for 30-40 minutes. This slow simmer allows the flavors to meld beautifully and further tenderizes the minute steak, creating a rich and comforting gravy. Remember to stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Step 4: Add Bell Peppers for Freshness and Crunch
In the final five to seven minutes of the simmering process, arrange your colorful sliced bell peppers evenly on top of the simmering pepper steak. Cover the pan with the lid once more and allow them to cook just until they are tender-crisp, or “firm.” This last-minute addition ensures the peppers retain their vibrant color, delightful crunch, and fresh flavor, providing a wonderful textural contrast to the tender beef and rich sauce.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Pepper Steak
Why is my pepper steak tough?
There are typically two main reasons why your pepper steak might turn out tough. Firstly, the cut of meat you choose is crucial. If you opt for a tougher cut other than pre-tenderized minute steak or cube steak, it will require much longer cooking times to break down the connective tissues. Secondly, overcooking the steak, especially lean cuts, can quickly dry it out and make it rubbery. For minute steak, while it cooks quickly, a brief simmer in the sauce is key to tenderizing it without making it chewy.
How do you make steak truly tender?
Achieving tender steak involves a few key techniques. Start with a tender cut like minute steak or cube steak, which is already mechanically tenderized. If using a slightly tougher cut, you can further tenderize the meat by pounding it with a meat mallet. Marinating the steak prior to cooking with acidic ingredients (like citrus juice or vinegar) or enzymes (like pineapple or papaya juice) can also help break down muscle fibers. Finally, and crucially for this dish, cooking the meat “low and slow” in a moist environment (like simmering in gravy) allows collagen to break down into gelatin, resulting in incredibly tender, fall-apart beef. Don’t forget proper seasoning with salt, as it also aids in the tenderization process by helping the meat retain moisture.
Can I make pepper steak ahead of time?
Absolutely! Pepper steak is a fantastic dish for meal prep. You can prepare the entire dish, including cooking the peppers, and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The flavors actually deepen overnight, making for an even more delicious meal the next day. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of beef broth or water if the sauce has thickened too much.
What can I serve with Pepper Steak besides rice?
While rice is the traditional and perfect accompaniment, pepper steak is incredibly versatile! You can also serve it over creamy mashed potatoes, egg noodles, a bed of quinoa, or even polenta for a different take. For a low-carb option, consider serving it with cauliflower rice or steamed vegetables like green beans or broccoli. The rich gravy makes it adaptable to many sides!
Essential Tips for the Best Homemade Pepper Steak
- Storage & Leftovers: Any leftover pepper steak stores beautifully! Transfer it to an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, adding a little water or beef broth if the sauce has become too thick.
- Bring Meat to Room Temperature: For more even cooking, it’s always a good practice to let your minute steak come to room temperature for about 15-20 minutes before you begin cooking. This prevents the outside from cooking too quickly while the inside remains cold.
- Serving Suggestion: For the ultimate comforting experience, always serve your hot pepper steak and bell peppers generously spooned over a bed of freshly cooked rice, allowing the fluffy grains to soak up all that delicious, savory gravy.
- Choosing Bell Peppers: Don’t be afraid to mix and match! Using a combination of red, green, and yellow bell peppers not only adds vibrant color to your dish but also offers a slight variation in sweetness and flavor. Green peppers are slightly more bitter, while red and yellow are sweeter.
- Adjusting Sauce Thickness: If your gravy seems too thin after simmering, simply remove the lid and allow it to simmer uncovered for an additional 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reaches your desired consistency. If it’s too thick, add a splash of beef broth or water.
- Make it Spicy: For those who love a bit of heat, consider adding a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce when you combine all the ingredients, or a dash of hot sauce right before serving.
More Hearty & Delicious Recipes You Will Love
- Steak Fried Rice
- Salisbury Steak with Mushrooms
- Beef Tips with Gravy
- Hamburger Steak with Mushroom & Onion Gravy
- Classic Swedish Meatballs
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Print Recipe
Easy Weeknight Pepper Steak
5
minutes
45
minutes
50
minutes
Beef, Main Course
American, Chinese-American
beef, Chinese, cube steak, easy, fast, gravy, Pepper Steak, rice, simple, stir fry, weeknight dinner, comfort food, homemade
8
servings
410
kcal
Michaela Kenkel
Equipment
-
12-Piece Black Sharp Knife Set with Covers, Cutting Board and Sharpener
-
Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet With Assist Handle, 10.25″, Black
Prevent your screen from going dark
Ingredients
-
8
4-6 ounce cube steaks (minute steaks) -
flour
salt and pepper for dredging -
4
Tablespoons
vegetable oil -
2
cans of Cream of Mushroom soup -
2
4 ounce cans of mushrooms, drained (or fresh if you have them on hand) -
2
cans of diced tomatoes -
2
Tablespoons
of soy sauce -
2
teaspoons
of beef bouillon granuals or 2 cubes dissolved in 2 cups of water -
3
bell peppers sliced into rings
(I used one of each, red, green and yellow for this meal) -
4
cups
uncooked Minute Rice
prepared according to the package
Instructions
-
Dredge minute steaks thoroughly in the flour, salt, and pepper mixture. Heat vegetable oil in your frying pan over medium heat. Place the dredged steaks in the heated oil and cook until they are golden brown on both sides.
-
To the browned meat in the pan, add the cream of mushroom soup, drained mushrooms, diced tomatoes, soy sauce, and the beef broth (made from bouillon granules/cubes dissolved in water). Stir all ingredients well to combine. Cover the pan and simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring and gently flipping the meat occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.
-
During the last 5-7 minutes of simmering, arrange the sliced bell peppers on top of the steak and sauce. Cover the pan again and continue to simmer. This allows the peppers to become tender-crisp, retaining their vibrant color and slight crunch when served.
-
Serve the flavorful pepper steak and its rich gravy generously over a bed of freshly cooked rice.
Nutrition
Serving:
1
|
Calories:
410
kcal
|
Carbohydrates:
45
g
|
Protein:
15
g
|
Fat:
18
g
|
Saturated Fat:
4
g
|
Polyunsaturated Fat:
12
g
|
Cholesterol:
33
mg
|
Sodium:
1023
mg
|
Fiber:
2
g
|
Sugar:
6
g
This delightful recipe was originally published on March 14, 2013, and has been thoughtfully updated and re-shared on June 9, 2021, to enhance user experience and provide even more helpful tips and details.