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Crock pot pepper steak with tender beef strips and colorful bell peppers served over rice

Crock Pot Pepper Steak

Tender beef strips and bell peppers in a savory takeout-style soy tomato sauce, with a simple timing trick that keeps the peppers crisp.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 6 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 290
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs beef sirloin or flank, round, or chuck, sliced into ¼-inch strips against the grain
  • 3 bell peppers — mix of red green, and yellow — sliced into strips
  • 1 large yellow onion sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1¼ cups beef broth
  • ¼ cup soy sauce low-sodium if you prefer
  • 1 can 14.5 oz diced tomatoes, undrained (or 2 tablespoons tomato paste + ½ cup extra broth)
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional, for gentle heat
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoons cold water for thickening at the end
  • Sliced green onions and sesame seeds to serve (optional)
  • Only if you sear the beef optional Step 1: 1 tablespoon oil.

Equipment

  • 6-quart slow cooker
  • Large skillet (optional, for searing)
  • Chef's knife
  • Cutting board
  • Mixing bowl
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Tongs

Method
 

  1. Step 1 — Sear the beef strips (optional, for a takeout-style crust). Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat and sear the strips in a single layer, 1–2 minutes per side, in two batches — crowding steams them gray instead of browning them. Move the beef to the slow cooker and pour in any skillet juices. No time? Skip it — seasoned raw strips straight into the cooker still come out tender and flavorful.
  2. Step 2 — Mix the sauce. Whisk the broth, soy sauce, diced tomatoes with their juice, brown sugar, Worcestershire, garlic, ginger, black pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Give it a taste now — this is your one chance to adjust before cooking: a pinch more sugar for sweetness, a splash more soy for salt.
  3. Step 3 — Load the cooker. Put the onion and half the pepper strips in the slow cooker with the beef, and pour the sauce over everything.
  4. Step 4 — Cook low and slow. Cover and cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the beef strips are tender.
  5. Step 5 — Add the rest of the peppers. Stir in the remaining pepper strips, cover, and cook 30–45 more minutes on HIGH (or 45–60 on LOW) — just until they are bright and crisp-tender. Prefer soft, melt-in peppers throughout? Add ALL the peppers back in Step 3 and skip this step. Prefer maximum crunch? Hold all of them for this step.
  6. Step 6 — Thicken and serve. Stir the cornstarch and cold water into a slurry, stir it into the sauce, and cook 15 more minutes on HIGH until glossy. Serve generously over rice with green onions and sesame seeds on top.