Enjoy PF Chang’s Pepper Steak at home with this tasty copycat easy recipe. Featuring flank steak and bell peppers in an irresistible pepper garlic sauce.
Serve with white or brown rice for a quick and delicious weeknight dinner.
It’s always a treat to go to PF Chang’s, but a night out with the family can be expensive and time-consuming, especially when you just want a quick and tasty weeknight dinner. That’s why I recreated this simple version of PF Chang’s Pepper Steak recipe to make at home, and it’s now a family favorite.
It takes 30 minutes to prepare and is made all in one pot. Less dishes equals less cleanup and I’m all about that!
Cooking With Flank Steak
I use flank steak for this recipe. It’s a fairly lean cut of meat that can be a bit tough. Marinating helps to tenderize the meat, although it’s not necessary.
Recipes with this kind of steak typically call for cutting the steak into thin strips cut against the grain (which I talk about below). It is cooked quickly at high heat.
It’s delicious when grilled, seared, or in stir-fries. You can substitute top round or sirloin steak in this recipe.
How to cut against the grain
The grain of meat refers to the direction in which the muscle fibers run through the meat. In a flank steak, you’ll be cutting across the width of the steak as opposed to down the length. The idea is to cut through the fibers to shorten them, making the meat less chewy.
You are slicing against the grain (perpendicular) instead of parallel to it.
What oil should I use for easy pepper steak stir fry?
You need to choose an oil with a high smoke point since stir fry calls for high heat. The oil will literally start to smoke and taste bitter if you use an oil with a low smoke point.
I use peanut oil, which has a smoke point of 450°F. It’s often used in Asian cuisine and has a subtle nutty flavor. If you want to use another oil, palm oil has a smoke point just below 450°F and corn oil has a smoke point of 450°F.
Sunflower oil is a neutral oil with a smoke point of 440°F, and vegetable oil, including canola oil, has a neutral flavor and a smoke point of 400°F.
What goes in the easy pepper steak stir fry
It’s a really simple steak stir fry, with green bell pepper strips, peppers and onions, chopped parsley, and the pepper steak stir fry sauce. Sauce ingredients include sesame oil, beef broth, and oyster sauce. Make sure to use fresh garlic and ground ginger in this recipe for the best flavor for stir fry.
Pepper Steak Stir Fry Steps
Start by getting your skillet or wok very hot. Add 1 Tablespoon of peanut oil. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add flank steak strips. Let them cook for a few minutes until the pink disappears.
Transfer to a plate and add the remaining oil to the skillet. Turn the skillet to medium heat and add the sliced peppers and onions sesame oil, and savory sauce. Stir-fry until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
Add in garlic, ginger, oyster sauce, and beef broth, stirring often. Once the sauce thickens, add cooked beef strips back in and toss to coat. Remove from heat and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve with rice or noodles and other side dishes.
What goes well with Beef and Pepper Steak Stir Fry?
You can serve Pepper Steak over white rice, brown rice, fried rice, cauliflower rice, or Asian noodles.
Tips For Stir Frying
- Have all your ingredients chopped and prepped before you start to cook.
- Use a good quality skillet or a wok for stir-fry. I like a cast iron skillet or heavy-duty wok for this great recipe.
- A few vegetable additions for more variety: water chestnuts, carrots, broccoli, and pea pods. You can sub in red or orange peppers if you don’t have green bell peppers on hand.
- If you’re sensitive to salt, use light soy sauce in place of the regular version for stir fry
Give this quick and easy restaurant-quality pepper steak stir fry recipe a try and tell me what you think of this delicious meal for the whole family.
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