Restaurant-style black pepper steak that is tender, juicy and rich, with crisp veggies and a scrumptious sauce that goes perfectly with steamed rice. {Gluten Free Adaptable}
Recipe by Maggie Zhu on November 15, 2017
Prep time: PT20M
Cook time: PT10M
Total time: PT30M
Rating
4.96 stars (23 reviews)
Keywords
restaurant-style
Ingredients
1 lb (450 g) flank steak (, sliced against the grain into 1/4-inch (5-mm) thick pieces (or plate, or boneless short ribs, or sirloin))
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine ((or dry sherry))
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup beef broth ((or chicken broth))
2 tablespoons soy sauce ((or tamari for gluten free))
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine ((or dry sherry for gluten free))
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce ((Optional) (omit for gluten free))
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons peanut oil ((or vegetable oil))
2 cloves garlic (, minced)
2 teaspoons minced ginger
1/2 white onion (, chopped)
2 bell peppers (, chopped)
Categories
Main
Cuisine
Chinese
Steps
Combine steak, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch in a medium-size bowl. Gently mix by hand until the beef is coated with a thin layer of the mixture. Marinate for 10 to 15 minutes.
Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.
Cut the aromatics and vegetables. Add the ginger and garlic to a small bowl. Add the onion and all the chopped pepper to another bowl.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a nonstick skillet (or a wok) over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the steak. Immediately spread the beef into a single layer using a pair of tongs or chopsticks. Sear for 30 seconds or so, until the bottom is lightly browned. Flip the beef with a spatula, until both sides are browned but still a bit pink inside. Turn to the lowest heat and remove the skillet from the stove. Transfer the beef to a plate and set aside.
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil into the same skillet and turn to medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic. Give it a quick stir until fragrant. Add the white onion and peppers. Stir and cook for 20 seconds.
Stir the sauce mixture until the cornstarch is dissolved completely, and pour it into the skillet. Stir with a spatula immediately and cook until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, a few seconds. Add back the cooked beef. Quickly stir a few times to coat everything with the sauce. Turn off heat and remove the skillet from the stove. Immediately transfer everything to a big plate so the ingredients won’t keep cooking in the hot skillet.
Serve hot with steamed rice or on top of boiled noodles.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 290 kcal
Carbohydrates: 18 g
Protein: 23 g
Fat: 13.5 g
Cholesterol: 43.5 mg
Sodium: 502 mg
Sugar: 9 g
Reviews
Michael on 2025-08-04 (5 stars): This pepper steak is hands down the best I’ve ever made. It rivals some of the best takeout I’ve had. I doubled the sauce, but otherwise, I followed the recipe. I might add bamboo shoots, green onions, and mushrooms, but this is already a hit. It’s definitely going into our dinner rotation.
BABS on 2024-05-18 (5 stars): Maggie you did it again. This was great. I added mushrooms, celery and doubled the onions and peppers. I cut the amount of sugar to 1 tsp. My husband is a diabetic so I try to limit the amount of sugar in my recipes. I also used a ribeye steak that I had in the freezer. I will definitely make this again.
Carolyn on 2024-01-15 (5 stars): Worked perfectly as written. Looking forward to making this again soon!
Heather on 2022-05-24 (5 stars): My husband and I really enjoyed this recipe! We moved and lack serious Chinese/Cantonese cuisine. This was quite similar to the one I always order at one of my favorite Cantonese restaurant.
Vickie on 2022-03-13 (5 stars): This recipe was perfect! I increased the sauce a bit because I added some extra vegetables. So easy to make!! I’ll be making this a lot!
Aunt Rosen on 2022-01-11 (5 stars): Super delicious! I added 1/8 tsp ground white pepper to the sauce because my family really loves the flavor.
Terracharm Alexander on 2021-11-06 (5 stars): Your recipes are superb we all loved this one!
Gracia on 2021-05-13 (5 stars): Taste really good👍
Regina on 2021-02-28 (5 stars): Other than doubling the black pepper (since we love it spicy), I kept everything the same. I made it for a Lunar New Year's feast and it was a hit.
Dana on 2020-11-18 (5 stars): This was delicious! We just used vegetables in the dish (peppers, onions, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower) and served it over rice. It will be added to the rotation. Thanks!!
Dave on 2020-11-10 (5 stars): Thank you for this recipe Maggie, this was fantastic! I chose yours over others online for two reasons - it has onions, and detailed step-by-step directions. I had everything called for except the Shaoxing wine, so I substituted Extra Dry Vermouth, which seemed to work fine. I not very experienced at cooking Asian dishes - I usually let my Asian girlfriend make those :-) so I followed your directions to the letter and was amazed how well it came out. Served it over white rice with a sprinkling of sesame seeds - looks just like the photos! Will fry an egg to go with the leftovers. And I'll be back to try more of your recipes...
Cheryl Ding on 2020-06-04 (5 stars): Thanks for the tips on cooking the beef this is always tricky, I made this and everyone loved it! :))) thank you Maggie!
Susan Chee on 2020-02-17 (5 stars): Great recipe, Maggie! I followed your instructions, even right down to having the sunny side up egg on top of the serving of rice and it turned out really well. I browned the sirloin steak in 2 batches so the pieces had a nice colour to them. The family truly loved this dish and this is one of many from your repertoire of excellent dishes which will be repeated often. I chanced upon your website only recently and am really happy that I did as your dishes are not difficult to perfect since your instructions are quite clear and most helpful. You'd be pleased to know that because I have had so many opportunities trying your recipes, my husband has now declared that he doesn't think he wants to have any more Chinese meals at restaurants as they aren't as good as my home cooking!