This easy Chinese Keto Pepper Steak Recipe features tender strips of steak with sauteed bell peppers and onion, all smothered in a thick, rich, flavorful sauce. It's a super easy, one-skillet keto dinner that your whole family will love ❤️
If you're looking for an easy, delicious, and hearty keto dinner, look no further!
This gluten-free, low-carb pepper steak features tender strips of budget-friendly steak, sauteed onion, and peppers smothered in a thick, super-flavorful sauce.
Or if you're looking for more, easy low-carb dinner recipes, I think you'll love this Keto Broccoli Beef Stir-Fry, Keto Chicken Lettuce Wraps, and Keto Teriyaki Chicken Stir-Fry!
This General Tso Shrimp from Cook At Home Mom also looks delicious! You just might need to make a few small adjustments to lower the carbs 👍
❤️ Why You'll Love This Keto Pepper Steak 1) Full of delicious Chinese flavors 2) Super-tender steak with sauteed peppers and onion 3) Quick and easy to make 4) Is gluten-free, low-carb, and keto-friendly.
Ingredients
- Flank Steak - Thinly slice it against the grain so it will be tender.
- Baking Soda & Water - Breaks down the fibers to tenderize the meat.
- Avocado Oil - Or oil of choice for stir-frying.
- Green & Red Bell Pepper - These add color and flavor.
- Onion - Adds flavor and a touch of sweetness.
And here are the sauce ingredients:
- Beef Broth - Flavorful base of the sauce.
- Tamari - Tamari is naturally gluten-free and is lower in carbs than soy sauce or coconut aminos. However, gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos (for soy-free) can be substituted.
- Sesame Oil - Adds a nutty, earthy taste. Common in Asian dishes. I prefer toasted sesame oil, but use any kind you like!
- Keto Brown Sweetener - Adds a touch of sweetness. Use any keto brown sweetener brand you prefer.
- Worcestershire Sauce - Adds depth of flavor.
- Siracha - Adds spice and flavor.
- Garlic - I add lots of garlic because it adds TONS of flavor!
- Ground Ginger - Adds a warm, slightly spicy flavor.
- Xanthan Gum - A keto thickener for sauces.
- Avocado Oil (or oil of choice) - Used to mix with the xanthan gum before adding to the sauce
💭Tip: Always mix xanthan gum with a small amount of oil or melted butter before adding to sauces to keep it from clumping.
Faq's
When making pepper steak, the steak cooks fast, so I recommend a firm, tender cut instead of one with lots of connective tissue that will need time to break down. Because of this, I recommend flank steak because it is lean, tender, and easy to chew when cut against the grain. However, top-round steak, top sirloin, ribeye, or flat iron steak can be substituted.
While flank and skirt steaks are similar, skirt steak has a little bit more fat and connective tissue. Because of this, flank steak is recommended over skirt steak in the recipe, but will still work in this recipe if needed.
For this recipe, I use a process called 'velveting' to tenderize the meat, a common technique in Chinese cuisine. For every 12 oz. of meat, soak in 1 teaspoon of baking soda with ½ cup of water (or liquid) and set for 15 minutes. Then, rinse the baking soda off and cook as desired.
Easy instructions
Step #1: In a large bowl, toss the steak slices with baking soda and water and let sit for 15 minutes. This is called "velveting" and will tenderize the meat.
Step #2: Place in a colander and rinse thoroughly with water. Then, place them on paper towels and pat dry. Be sure to get the beef really dry so it gets a good sear!
💭Tip: Freeze the beef for about 30 minutes before slicing, this will help you slice it more thinly. The thinner, the better!
Step #3: Stir-fry the bell peppers and onion until tender, about 5 minutes. Set aside on a plate.
Step #4: Add beef to the skillet in a single layer (cook in batches if needed), and cook for about 1 minute unmoved, to get a nice sear on it. Stir the beef and continue cooking until browned (beef doesn't have to be cooked through), about 2-3 minutes. Set aside on the plate with the peppers and onion.
Step #5: Mix together the xanthan gum and oil. Then, add all the sauce ingredients to the pan. Stir constantly until thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Step #6: Add the onion, peppers, and steak back to the skillet. Stir to combine all the ingredients and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through and the steak is cooked to the desired doneness.
Serving suggestions
Serve garnished with sesame seeds and green onions. And while this low-carb dinner is great on its own, I like to serve mine over cauliflower rice for a complete meal!
Or serve with any of the following keto noodles:
- Zucchini Noodles
- Hearts Of Palm Linguine (great texture, slight aftertaste)
- Miracle Noodles (no aftertaste, but chewy and kind of plastic-like)
- Spaghetti Squash (a bit higher in carbs)
And for dessert, this Keto Lemon Cake from Cooking LSL looks delicious! Or check out all of my Keto Desserts 👍
Storage
- Store: Store leftover Chinese Pepper Steak covered in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. To reheat, warm in the microwave or stovetop.
- Freeze: Freeze for 2 to 3 months in an airtight container.
- Meal-Prep: Follow the recipe through step 7 (without mixing together the xanthan gum and oil), slightly undercooking the veggies so they don't get mushy when reheating. Then store the meat mixture and the sauce ingredients separately (without the xanthan gum/oil mixture). Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then pick up the recipe on step #8.
Substitutions and variations
- Gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos (for soy-free) can be substituted for the Tamari.
- While flank steak is recommended, top-round steak, top sirloin, ribeye, or flat iron steak can be substituted. Or, if you're looking for more steak recipes, I think you'll love this steak marinade without soy sauce!
- Additional vegetables, such as baby corn, snap peas, carrots, or other low-carb veggies can be added along with (or in place of) the peppers.
- Substitute the red bell pepper with an orange or yellow pepper if desired.
- For Paleo: Replace the sugar-free brown sweetener with coconut palm sugar, coconut aminos instead of Tamari, and replace the xanthan gum/oil mixture with 1 to 2 Tablespoons of Arrowroot or Tapioca Flour mixed with 2 Tablespoons of water to thicken.
- For Whole30: Follow the above recommendations for Paleo, leaving out the sweetener altogether.
Have you tried this easy keto pepper steak recipe? If so, let me know what you think in the comments below 👇
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📖 Recipe
Chinese Keto Pepper Steak
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Pounds Flank Steak - top-round steak, top sirloin, ribeye, or flat iron steak can be substituted
- 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1 Cup Water
- 2 Tablespoons Avocado Oil - or oil of choice
- 1 Medium Green Bell Pepper - cored and sliced
- 1 Medium Red Bell Pepper - or yellow/orange, cored and sliced
- ¼ Cup Onion - peeled and thinly sliced
- Green Onions - optional, for garnish
- Sesame Seeds - optional, for garnish
- Cauliflower Rice - optional, for serving
Sauce:
- ½ Cup Beef Broth
- 3 Tablespoons Tamari - gluten-free soy sauce, or coconut aminos for soy-free
- 1 ½ teaspoons Sesame Oil
- 3 Tablespoons Keto Brown Sweetener
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Siracha
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic - minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons Ground Ginger
- ¼ teaspoon Xanthan Gum
- ½ teaspoon Avocado Oil - or oil of choice
Instructions
- Prepare the cauliflower rice, if desired. Set aside.
- Freeze the beef for about 30 minutes before slicing, this will help you slice it more thinly. The thinner, the better! Then, cut the steak as thinly as possible against the grain.
- In a large bowl, toss the steak slices with the baking soda and water. Let stand for 15 minutes to tenderize. Place in a colander and rinse thoroughly with water. Then, place on paper towels and pat dry. TIP: Be sure to get the beef really dry so it gets a good sear!
- Combine all the sauce ingredients EXCEPT the xanthan gum and oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Heat a cast iron skillet or wok over medium-high heat and add the avocado oil.
- Once the oil is hot, add the sliced onion and peppers and stir-fry for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Transfer to a plate.
- Add additional oil to the skillet if needed, then add the beef in a single layer (cook in batches if needed), and cook for about 1 minute unmoved, to get a nice sear on it. Stir the beef and continue cooking until browned (beef doesn't have to be cooked through), about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the beef from the skillet and place on a plate with the peppers.
- In a small bowl, combine the xanthan gum and oil. Set aside.
- Pour the sauce that you have set aside into the pan. Then add the xanthan gum mixture, stirring constantly until thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the onion, peppers and steak back to the skillet.
- Stir to combine all the ingredients and simmer for 1-2 minutes or until heated through and the steak is cooked to the desired doneness.
- Remove from heat and serve over cauliflower rice garnished with sliced green onion and sesame seeds if desired.
Add Your Own Notes
Notes
- Additional vegetables can be added along with (or in place of) the peppers.
- Store: Store covered in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. To reheat, warm in the microwave or stovetop.
- Freeze: Freeze for 2 to 3 months in an airtight container.
- Meal-Prep: Follow the recipe through step 7 (without mixing together the xanthan gum and oil), slightly undercooking the veggies so they don't get mushy when reheating. Then store the meat mixture and the sauce ingredients separately (without the xanthan gum/oil mixture). Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then pick up the recipe on step #8.
Nutrition
NET CARBS = Total Carbs - Fiber - Allulose - Xylitol
Nutritional information is approximate and may vary. Sugar alcohols, xylitol, and allulose are included in the total carbs and fiber.
Looking for more information on the keto diet? Check out my
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