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Pepper Steak in a Crock Pot

Pepper steak in a crock pot with tender, thin-sliced flank steak and crisp-tender bell peppers in a glossy soy-ginger sauce. Slow-cooked until the meat softens, then thickened with a cornstarch slurry for a coating finish over white rice.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Chinese-American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pepper steak base
  • 2 lb flank steak Thinly sliced against the grain.
  • 1 red bell pepper Sliced.
  • 1 green bell pepper Sliced.
  • 1 yellow bell pepper Sliced.
  • 1 onion Sliced.
  • 4 cloves garlic Minced.
  • 0.5 cup soy sauce
  • 0.25 cup beef broth
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger Grated.
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp cold water
  • 1 cooked white rice for serving For serving.
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds For garnish (optional if preferred).
  • 1 green onions For garnish, sliced.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Assemble and sauce
  1. Place the thinly sliced flank steak into the slow cooker.
  2. Layer the red bell pepper, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, onion, and garlic over the steak.
  3. Whisk together soy sauce, beef broth, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and grated fresh ginger, then pour the mixture over the steak and vegetables.
Slow cook until tender
  1. Cook on low for 5–6 hours until the steak is tender, or cook on high for 2.5–3 hours.
Thicken the sauce
  1. Whisk cornstarch and cold water together, then stir the slurry into the slow cooker.
  2. Cook on high for 15 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the steak.
Serve
  1. Serve the pepper steak over cooked white rice and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.

Notes

For the best texture, slice the flank steak thinly against the grain so it softens evenly during the long cook. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop, adding a splash of beef broth if the sauce thickens too much. Freezing is not ideal because the bell peppers can soften further, but you can freeze if needed for up to 2 months—thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lower-sugar option, use a reduced-sugar brown sugar (or a brown-sugar substitute) in the sauce.