Use a skillet to create real-deal 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}
Making authentic tasting stir fried black pepper steak might look intimidating, but it is easier than you think. I used to think dealing with beef in a stir fry was one of the most difficult things to do in Chinese cooking. Different from chicken or pork, beef can get really tough and chewy if you accidentally overcook it. However, once you know a few tricks, you will able to make restaurant-style black pepper steak in your own kitchen in no time.
Best black pepper steak
1. Use a nonstick skillet instead of a wok
Even though every single Chinese cookbook insists on using a wok for stir fry, I found that a nonstick skillet works perfectly for this dish. Not only can you make beautifully charred steak with a great flavor, but you will also need less oil and the steak will not cause any sticking problems.
If you’re curious about the pros and cons of a wok, read my previous post on 10 reasons not to use a wok. And if you want to know about the perfect stir fry setup, read wok vs. stir fry pan.
2. The key for tender juicy steak
- Choose the correct cut: I’ve tried flank steak, plate steak, boneless short ribs, sirloin, and tenderloin. All have yielded great results. If you cannot find these cuts, try to use a cut that has a finer grain and contains some fat.
- Always cut the beef against the grain. Try to maintain the same thickness and size for each slice.
- Always marinate the beef. The whole process will help soften the beef and add flavor. Plus the soy sauce will give the beef a beautiful char.
- Grill the beef instead of constantly stirring. One of the reasons we use a flat skillet; if you heat up the pan really hot, it only takes 30 seconds or so to sear each side, while the inside is a little pink. Roasting the beef instead of stirring will brown the steak better.
3. Why you need to remove the steak once
Transferring the half-cooked steak to a plate before adding the rest of the ingredients is crucial. When you add the sauce and veggies, the pan temperature will drop significantly. So the veggies won’t be seared properly, and the sauce will reduce very slowly. Both result in a soupy dish with overcooked meat.
4. Get used to the pace of stir frying
I found that Chinese stir fry has a much faster pace than most Western cooking. When I start cooking a dish, it takes me about 5 minutes (or maybe less) to finish. This means you have less than a minute between adding ingredients. So do read through the recipe before cooking, and move quickly when you start.
One last word
Although this black pepper steak is scrumptious enough to serve by itself, I highly recommend adding a sunny side up egg to your rice bowl. I learned this pairing from Chinese diners that cater lunch for office workers. Not only does the egg add volume to your bowl, but the runny egg yolk also goes perfectly with the spicy beef. Try it once and I guarantee you’ll be hooked 🙂
More Chinese stir fry recipes
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Beef Chow Fun
- Beef and Broccoli
- General Tso Tofu
- Orange Chicken
- Shrimp Chow Mein
Happy cooking!
If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.
Black Pepper Steak (黑椒牛柳)
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)
Marinade
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Sauce
- 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
Stir fry
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1/2 white onion , chopped
- 2 bell peppers , chopped
Instructions
- 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.
Nutrition
The post was originally published on Aug 18, 2014, and updated by Nov. 15, 2017. The current recipe contains more sauce and it’s more suitable serve over rice.
Wow, Maggie, this looks amazing!! Can’t wait to make this for the family!
Thanks Matt! Happy cooking and let me know how it goes! 🙂
Such an amazing combination of flavors! I am loving this.
Thanks Russell! I do love the flavor of this dish too 🙂
This is one of my husband’s favorites! I can’t wait to eat this with steamed rice. I might need to make extra rice. This sounds so delicious!
Glad you like this one Nami! Yes, it goes great with steamed rice.:)
Wow, now I’m hungry and drooling. Those pics make the beef look so juicy!!!
Hi Farah, thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment! Have a great weekend 🙂
This sounded so good, I made it just for me since I’m the only one in the house that likes peppers. It turned out delicious and juicy as promised!!! I will definitely make it again.
Hi Lori, I’m so glad to hear the dish turned out well and you like it! If you want to enjoy the dish with the rest of your family, maybe you can skip the peppers (and add more onion), or replace the pepper with broccoli (in this case, you need to quickly blanch the broccoli and drain them well before adding into the stir-fry).
Have a nice day 🙂
Looks amazing!! I am soo doing this with Chicken!
I cooked this last weekend while my wife was away, I had plenty left over until my wife came home. All gone when I went to the fridge, my wife liked it so much I’m cooking it again this weekend. Very nice indeed.
I’m so glad to hear you and your wife both enjoyed the dish Steve! Thanks for taking time and leaving a comment 🙂
Happy Friday and have a great weekend!
This looks really good. I will try it. Do you have a recipe for black pepper beef. My husband loves it at our favorite restaurant and I would like to make it for him at home.
Suddenly there’s a green onion???
I wondered about that too..LOL. I went back and re-read the recipe three times trying to find where I missed the green onion. I used it as a garnish.
Ooops, typo! Sorry about the mistake. I just added the green onions back to the ingredient list. But it works as a garnish as well 🙂
I hope your dish turned you to be alright!
Tried the Black Pepper Steak and it was delicious. Do you think I can make this in a crockpot?
I need to use 1lb steak. Should I just double all the ingredients and it will still turn out the same?
Hi Danielle, you can use 1 pound steak and double the rest ingredients. Just make sure you use a large skillet so it won’t get too crowded when you add all the veggies.
Happy cooking and let me know how the dish turns out!
This dish was easy to follow and my family was hypnotized by the smells. We almost didn’t make it to the table! Great weeknight meal that’s so much better than take-out!
Thank you,
Tru’
That sounds awesome Tru! I’m so glad to hear your family and you enjoyed the dish.
Yep, I always prefer to make Chinese dishes at home because they do taste better 😉
Oh wow, this looks so good!
That looks delicious. I have to try it.
We made this last night. This is the second time making it. We love it! It is superb.
I’m so happy to hear it! This is one of your favorites too 🙂
Hope you have a wonderful day!
Amazing recipe! The first time stir frying beef that came out juicy and tender. Used striploin sirloin steaks. The sauce was really good too but I would double the amount next time to have more for the rice!
Hi Cindy, I’m so glad to hear you made this dish and enjoyed it! Yes, it totally makes sense to double the sauce for serving with rice 🙂
This has to be the best site for great Chinese cuisine recipes. Every one of them I tried have turned out perfect. Thank you for sharing
David
Enjoyed your recipe but think a better technique!
Preparation the same!
But use more oil in the initial cooking about 1/2 cup and heat to about 350F
Quickly fry 45 to 60 seconds till 75% done
Empty oil into bowl
Clean pan
Heat pan to high heat add 2 table spoons oil and ginger, garlic , peppers and onion for about 1 minute
Add beef and peppercorns for 15 seconds
Add sauce stir fry for i minute till sauce thickens
Both recipes are similar but beef has a more silky texture with technique above.
Have tried many of your recipes and find them excellent.
Hi Cam, I’d be more than happy to try out your method the next time. Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
Awesome recipe and came out perfect. Served over a bed of jasmine rice that was left over from a previous meal that was frozen in the deep freezer in a ziplock bag and heated up piping hot in the microwave just before the stir fry was complete. Freezing any left over rice is a great time saver for busy folks. Thanks for sharing.
I have never commented on a reecipe before but this was Absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderfully detailed & delectable recipe, very appreciated. I’m a fan! My family enjoyed it immensely & will definitely be in our rotation. Looking forward to trying more of your yummy looking recipes! Thanks again
This is an amazing recipe. Will be trying it weekend or next week. Keep up the good work!