A classic Chinese-American dish featuring tender slices of beef, vibrant bell peppers, and sweet onions, all coated in a savory, glossy sauce. Perfect for a quick and flavorful weeknight meal.
Ingredients:
- For the Beef Marinade:
- 1 pound flank steak or sirloin steak, thinly sliced against the grain
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper.
- For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (optional, for richer flavor)
- 1 tablespoon beef broth or water
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper (or black pepper)
- For the Stir-Fry:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 2 bell peppers (any color), sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch ginger, minced (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
- Optional: red pepper flakes to taste.
Instructions:
- Marinate the Beef:
- In a medium bowl, combine the sliced beef with soy sauce, cornstarch, vegetable oil, sugar, and black pepper.
- Mix well and let it marinate for at least 20 minutes, or up to 1 hour in the refrigerator.
- Prepare the Sauce:
- In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce (if using), beef broth/water, sesame oil, cornstarch, sugar, and white pepper. Set aside.
- Stir-Fry the Vegetables:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat.
- Add the sliced onions and bell peppers and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, or until slightly tender-crisp.
- Add the minced garlic and ginger, and stir-fry for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add red pepper flakes if desired.
- Remove the vegetables from the skillet and set aside.
- Cook the Beef:
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the skillet and heat over high heat.
- Add the marinated beef and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, or until browned and cooked through.
- Do not overcook the beef, or it will be tough.
- Combine and Sauce:
- Return the cooked vegetables to the skillet with the beef.
- Pour the prepared sauce over the beef and vegetables.
- Stir continuously until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Serve:
- Serve the sizzling pepper steak immediately over steamed rice.
Tips and Variations:
- For extra flavor, you can add a splash of rice wine or sherry to the sauce.
- You can use other vegetables like mushrooms, broccoli, or snow peas.
- If you don’t have flank steak, sirloin or even ribeye work well.
- To thicken the sauce more, add a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of cold water) slowly until the desired thickness is achieved.
- Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to your preference.