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Pepper Steak in a Crock Pot

Pepper steak in a crock pot with tender thin-sliced flank steak and crisp bell pepper strips in a glossy soy-ginger sauce. Slow-cooked low-and-slow for melt-in-your-mouth texture, then thickened with a quick cornstarch slurry for a sauce that clings to every bite.
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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
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 large onion Sliced.
  • 4 garlic Minced.
Soy-ginger sauce
  • 0.5 cup soy sauce
  • 0.25 cup beef broth
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger Grated.
Thickener & garnish
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp cold water
  • 1 white rice For serving, cooked.
  • 1 sesame seeds For garnish.
  • 1 green onions For garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Layer in the slow cooker
  1. Add the sliced flank steak to the slow cooker.
  2. Layer the bell peppers, onion, and garlic on top of the steak.
Make and pour the sauce
  1. In a bowl, whisk soy sauce, beef broth, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and grated ginger until smooth, then pour the mixture over the steak and vegetables.
Slow-cook until tender
  1. Cook on low until the steak is tender, about 5–6 hours (or cook on high for 2.5–3 hours).
  2. Whisk cornstarch and cold water together, stir it into the slow cooker, and 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 and against the grain so it stays tender after hours of cooking. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Freeze the pepper steak sauce and meat for up to 2 months (garnish fresh after reheating); rice is best cooked fresh. For a lower-sugar option, use a brown-sugar substitute (or reduce to 1 tbsp) to keep the balance without changing the thickening method.