Easy way to Make Pepper Steak with Onions Stir Fry

Introduction

Pepper steak with onion is a savory, mouth watering, delicious stir fry of beef, bell peppers and onions in unumami flavor that cannot be missed. It’s both easy to make and very satisfying whether you’re cooking for yourself or planning to impress friends or family with an extra special weeknight dinner.

This recipe is bold with simple layers and easy to make. So it’s a dish with a background in Asian innuendo, and has become something of a favourite, wherever it may be. It’s all about the tender beef slices, crisp vegetables, and a delicious sauce that holds everything together.

What is Pepper Steak with Onion?

Stir fried with thinly sliced beef and bell peppers, onions, and a flavor packed sauce, pepper steak with onion is also a stir fry. Fast, easy, and most of all, versatile, the dish is a great option to keep in your back pocket for any home cook who wants to throw something tasty together without spending too long in the kitchen. There’s a beauty to this dish in contrast of the juicy beef against the crisp bell peppers coupled with the slight sweetness of the caramelized onions.

The layers of it are the Western cooking techniques and Eastern flavors that have come together in a beautiful texture and taste dish. Usually the base of the sauce consists of soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil garlic and ginger to give an umami packed backdrop to the beef and vegetables.

Ingredients for Pepper Steak with Onion

Selection of ingredients has a capacity of determining how tasty the pepper steak with onion will be, as a culinary end product. The following gives main compounds and their significance in preparing the dish.

Main Ingredients

• Beef: The meat is the hero here. You can use very thin pieces of beef such as flank steak, the sirloin, rib eye, or skirt steak. These are easy to cut when sliced thinly against the grain and are well-marinated as well. Marinade shifters in this category for example flank steaks is said to be of high beef flavor and appropriate marinade absorption capacity.
• Bell Peppers: Bell peppers exotic addition that brings some color and sweetness to the dish. You may decide to use red, green, yellow and even orange ones so that you have beautiful colors and different tastes. Every color of bell pepper suggests slightly different sweetness and also smell which makes your dish quite rich.
• Onions: Loads of onions are required and these should be fried until they are cooked right through and slightly browned. You can use either yellow or white onions, but you’d better avoid red ones because of their stronger taste. Onions to soak up the sauce well and assists in the thickening of the stir-fry.
• Garlic and Ginger: Here it is vital to use fragments releasing the aroma of the dish; garlic, ginger etc. Garlic contribute the basic flavor, and ginger makes the taste slightly hot and spicy. Soy sauce and oyster sauce both are ideal for giving the right taste to the stir – fry sauce.

Sauce Ingredients

• Soy Sauce: Basic to any stir fry recipe, soy sauce helps impart the salty and savory needs for the beef and vegetables. It serves as a base for the sauce .
• Oyster Sauce: This gravy is very thick and black and has a taste that is slightly sweet and salty and helps to enrich the dish. originally it is essentially used in Asian stir-fry dishes because of its special taste.
• Sesame Oil: The addition of a small amount of sesame oil gives a dish a richer flavor with a nutty taste and a very savory umami. Most commonly it is added to stir-frys to create and identifiable flavor that compliments both beef and vegetables.
• Cornstarch: Corn flour is used in thickening the sauce. It will help the sauce stick to the beef and vegetables, giving them a glossy sheen. It is the cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with water) that does just that for the dish.
• Sugar: Using a little sugar reduces the saltiness of the soy sauce and oyster sauce which is added later to the stir fry sauce. Also increases caramelization of the onions when stir frying.

Optional Additions

• Mushrooms or Carrots: Additional options may be mushrooms (shiitake or button ones) for this dish will give it an earthy, savory taste. It is also nice to add sliced carrots for an extra crunch and a sweetness the meat doesn’t naturally possess.
• Chili Flakes: For spiciness you should add chili flaked or fresh chili chopped and added to the stir fry. It offsets the richness from the beef and sauce, with an added zing, of spiciness.
• Scallions: Green onions, or scallions, can be cooked and used for the final decoration giving an extra mild onion taste to the dish. The green stems also add some garnishing value when scattered over the surface of the already plated foods.

Substitutions:

• Vegetarian Option: The beef can be substituted with tofu, tempeh or even seitan in a bid to make the dish vegetarian or vegan. These options can assimilate the sauce conveniently and at the same time they offer close texture of the beef.
• Gluten-Free Option: If you are on a no-gluten diet, then, tamari is a good replacement for soy sauce. To add to all of the above Slow Cooker Miso and Soba Soup is gluten-free and gives you that traditional savory deliciousness.
• Low-Sodium Option: In case you need the dish to have less sodium content then you should use low sodium soy sauce. A little extra sugar, or other seasonings, could be added to assist in this regard, to try and reduce the amount of salt included.

Cooking Tools and Techniques

Essential Tools

• Wok or Skillet: A wok is the recommended equipment for stir-frying since it has high sides that aid in the splattering of heat uniformly. Nonetheless, if a wok is unavailable you can also use a large skillet to perform the process.
• Sharp Knife: Specific for the beef and vegetables, slicing must be done correctly. One important reason is sharp knife so that the food is cut uniformly in size so that it cooks evenly.

Key Techniques

• High-Heat Cooking: Stir-frying uses high heat to brown the beef in order to create the crust and to keep the vegetables crunch. Older commercially available woks require that you heat up the surface of a wok or skillet before putting ingredients onto them.
• Layered Cooking: Do not overcook the food, to prevent this cook the ingredients in phases. Let begin with the beef, take the beef out of the pan, and last but not the least for the vegetables, stir fry them. Collect all the food at the end to enhance your ability to cook each food component to completion.
• Avoid Overcrowding: Bake in small portions to be able to have high heat to ensure that various textures do not become mushy due to steaming.

Step-by-Step Recipe to Make Pepper Steak with Onion Stir Fry

This is easy to prepare, tasty pepper steak with onion preparation will be ready in less than 30 minutes. Here is just the basic guide for stir fry.

Ingredients

For the Beef:

• 1/2 pound beef (sirloin or flank) thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp sesame oil

For the Stir-Fry:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ginger, grated

For the Sauce:

• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 cup beef broth
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved with 2 tablespoon of water

Instructions

1. Marinate the Beef: Use a small mixing bowl where you add beef to the mixture which includes soy sauce along with sesame oil and cornstarch. Blend ingredients before marinating the dish for 20 minutes minimum.
2. Prep the Sauce: In a bowl mix soy, oyster, pepper, sugar, broth. Keep it aside.
3. Cook the Beef: Heat one tbsp of vegetable oil using a wok above high flame intensity. Put the beef pieces in a single layer so you can stir-fry them until they turn brown. Side dish the proteins into a separate container. Side dish the proteins into a separate container.
4. Stir-Fry Vegetables: Continuation requires adding all remaining oil into the wok. Stir-fry garlic and ginger for about 30 seconds until fragrant. The wok should receive bell peppers and onions before mixing them together for 3-4 minutes of tender-crisp cooking.
5. Combine: Return the beef to the wok. Using the wok add the sauce contents while continuing to mix so every ingredient gets proper coating. To achieve a thickened consistency add the cornstarch slurry while stirring. The cooking process takes 1-2 minutes.
6. Serve: Hot pepper steak with onions should be served with steamed rice or noodles. Place sesame seeds or green onion slices on top for both taste and visual appeal.

Flavor Variations

• Spicy Pepper Steak: For the spicy lovers you can complement the sauce with chili flakes, Sriracha or fresh chili peppers.
• Sweet and Savory: Add a spoonful of honey or brown sugar to balance up the complete flavors that you are preparing to cook.
• Low-Sodium: They should use low salt soy sauce and avoid using extra salt on their foods as much as possible.
• Keto-Friendly: Substitute cornstarch with xanthan gum and pour over cauliflower rice for those consciously cutting on carbs.

How to Serve Pepper Steak with Onions

Pepper steak with onion pairs wonderfully with a variety of sides:

• Steamed Rice: It’s not a secret that this bread is ideal for absorbing flavors of the lip-smacking sauce. In this case, the choice may be white rice or jasmine rice; as for a darker variety, one has brown rice if he or she wants to be healthier.
• Noodles: Stir-fry the dish with noodles for a heartier meal. Either rice noodles or egg noodles are preferable as they soak in the sauce really well.
• Low-Carb Options: For carby lovers, cauliflower rice or zoodles are interesting to add on the side of pepper steak.

Well accompanied by this dish are plain cucumber salad, steamed-green vegetables or simply hot soup.

Tips for Perfect Pepper Steak with Onion

1. For maximum taste and texture, use fresh, premium ingredients.
2. To guarantee consistent cooking, cut veggies and beef consistently.
3. To ensure the beef is browned and juicy use a wok and put it on heat until seared.
4. Do not crowd the pan in order to have high heat while frying and also avoid steaming.
5. Also, try the sauce before popping it into the stir-fry and correct the ingredients that you may find unsuitable for your taste buds.

Conclusion

Making pepper steak with onion at home is as easy as ever when you get the right ingredients, equipment and methods. The Italian risotto dish is very versatile meaning that a cook can alter the taste and even the feel of the food while preparing it. Of course, there is a difference between meals taken alone and meals taken with friends, but pepper steak will always leave a positive impression.

Well now it is your turn to recreate to the recipe in your kitchen to achieve that perfect tangy taste. Please also remember to share your creations with us and tell us how the result was like.

FAQs about Pepper Steak with Onion