Packed with juicy beef strips and loads of zingy flavor, Slow Cooker Pepper Steak is one of the easiest dinner recipes. This hearty, dump-and-go recipe takes seconds to toss together. Plus, it's a perfect freezer meal to have on hand for days when you need something satisfying but have no time to even think about cooking.
Table of Contents
Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.
🗝️ Key takeaways
- The zingy peppers and tangy tomatoes make a budget-friendly cut of beef taste gourmet!
- Toss everything in the
slow cooker in the morning, and dinner will be ready when you get home—perfect on the busiest of busy days. - Keep an eye out for beef stew meat at the grocery store. It's already sliced up, so you won't even have to pull out a cutting board.
Slow cooker pepper steak is a family favorite and is so much tastier than takeout—in fact, it's cheaper and healthier, too!
Serve it over some rice for a delicious and effortless dinner that everyone will love.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
- Beef sirloin strips taste best in this recipe, but you can use beef stew meat (chunks) too.
- Use a can of diced tomatoes with chiles instead of regular stewed tomatoes for more spice.
- Toss in a bag of broccoli florets, corn, or snow peas during the last half hour of cooking. Be sure to replace the lid so the veggies steam.
- It's optional, but for more of an Asian kick, feel free to add a spoonful of Thai chili paste, a squeeze of sriracha sauce, or a drizzle of sesame oil.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page. Click on the image to see it full size.
Combine the soy sauce, tomatoes, stock, garlic, and sugar.
Add the beef strips.
Add the peppers and onions (no need to thaw.)
Cook on low for eight hours.
🤫 Cook's secrets -
Hint: You can thicken the cooked liquid by simmering it on the stove with a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon of water and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch). This is optional, but if you prefer a thicker sauce, it only takes a few minutes.
🍴 Equipment
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🥫 How to store leftover slow cooker pepper steak
Leftover pepper steak isn't common in my house—we gobble this dish up fast. However, if you've got some extras, it'll keep for 3 days.
Let the pepper steak cool, then portion it into an airtight container or storage bag. Keep it in the refrigerator.
You can also freeze leftovers—they'll keep for up to 3 months.
However, if you've already frozen/thawed the beef once, I don't recommend doing so again. Thawing it twice can make the texture drier.
Reheat leftover pepper steak in the microwave in 30-second increments until it's hot. If you have a larger portion, you can simmer it on the stovetop, too.
Marye's Tip
Using a bag of frozen peppers and onions keeps prep quick—you don't even thaw them. However, you can use fresh if you'd like, too.
💭 Things to know
- Raw beef keeps in the fridge for about 3 days before quality starts to decline. If you like to buy in bulk, prep a few freezer bags of pepper steak when you get home from the store to keep it as fresh as possible.
- Heads up—soy sauce usually has gluten. To make a gluten-free pepper steak, be sure to buy certified gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos.
- To prevent leaks in your freezer, I recommend using freezer-safe storage containers rather than plastic bags.
- However, if you prefer to use freezer bags, lay them flat on a rimmed baking sheet 'til frozen. Then, you can stack or slide them anywhere there's room. They'll thaw more evenly and take up less space this way.
- Slow-cooker pepper steak tastes great with rice. Use a rice cooker or even a package of Minute rice to keep dinner super easy.
👩🍳 FAQs
Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!
It's as easy as tossing everything in a container. Simply add all the ingredients to a heavy-duty freezer bag or an airtight, freezer-safe container (recommended to prevent leaks) and freeze!
Transfer the pepper steak from the freezer to the refrigerator 12-24 hours before you plan to cook it. Then, empty the container into the
Sure thing! If using tomatoes with chiles isn't enough, add a dash of spicy chili paste or some cayenne pepper.
I like to use sirloin strips or flank steak. It's a budget cut of meat because it can be tougher if not cooked correctly. However, in the
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slow cooker ! - If you're a fan of classic, hearty meals, this Old-Fashioned Beef Tips and Gravy recipe will deliver the flavor and comfort you crave.
🍽️ Serve with...
Orange Cream Salad is packed with flavor from pineapple, peaches, bananas, and—of course—oranges. It's creamy and refreshing but not too sweet. Plus, the marshmallows make it fun for the whole family!
Hearty and chewy, Guinness Irish Soda Bread is the perfect side dish for any soup or stew. It's ideal for scooping up the last bits of pepper steak sauce, too!
Copycat Furr's Millionaire Pie tastes as good as it did when you were a kid. If you're unfamiliar, it's an easy, no-bake dessert made of pineapple, coconut, pecans, and more!
🍽️ Repurpose leftover pepper steak
Don't let a drop of goodness go to waste—turn leftover
Add the leftovers to a stockpot with another can of tomatoes and an extra bit of seasoning to taste. You could also add some beef stock if you like it more brothy.
Simmer and enjoy as it is, or stir in some drained corn, Minute rice, cooked noodles, or frozen/diced potatoes for a bulkier meal.
📞 The last word
This is such an easy meal!
Slow cooking takes a relatively inexpensive cut of beef and tenderizes it into buttery, melt-in-your-mouth perfection. This pepper steak recipe is about to be a family favorite!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Pepper Steak
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 1 ½ pounds beef sirloin strips
- 1 cup beef stock
- 14 ounces frozen onions and peppers
- 14.5- ounces stewed tomatoes, undrained
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
To Freeze
- Add all of the ingredients to a labeled freezer bag.
- Freeze flat.
To Cook
- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Dump into the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.
- Serve over rice or noodles.
Notes
- If you’d like a little kick you can substitute diced tomatoes with chiles for the stewed tomatoes called for in this recipe.
- Leftovers, if there are any, make an excellent soup. Just add another can of tomatoes.
- I like to make several freezer bags of uncooked pepper steak and freeze them until I need them.
- Lay freezer bags flat on a cookie sheet to freeze. Then, you can stack or slide them anywhere there's room. They'll thaw more evenly and take up less space this way..
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
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