Slow Cooker Pepper Steak Recipe

Slow cooker meals are ideal for whipping up time-saving homemade meals. Without the need to be present for the slow cooker to do its job, you can save on active cooking time. This means you can prep everything in the slow cooker before your busy day and come home to a prepared meal. Recipe developer, Erin Johnson, brings us this recipe for slow cooker pepper steak. Johnson says, "This is the perfect meal to come home to after work or school, without having to call for take out." We love serving this dish over rice, especially this 4-minute Instant Pot rice, for a complete meal.

Not only does the slow cooker save you time, but it also creates the ideal texture for the meat. Cooking low and slow can really optimize the tenderness of beef. Johnson notes, "I opt to make this in the slow cooker as opposed to on the stove because the beef gets so tender and delicious."

To make this slow cooker pepper steak, start by gathering your ingredients. For this recipe, you will need soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, honey, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, black pepper, grated ginger, cornstarch, stir-fry beef, bell peppers, and white onion. Johnson notes that "most grocery stores sell stir-fry beef in the meat department, but you can also slice flank steak for this." If you don't want beef, Johnson assures that "this recipe also is delicious with chicken."

In a small bowl, add the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, honey, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, black pepper, ginger, and 3 tablespoons of cornstarch. Using a whisk or fork, stir to combine this sauce. Then, set it aside. We will come back to this later.

Next, add the beef, sliced bell peppers, and onions to the slow cooker. No need to brown the meat before you slow cook it. Johnson notes, "I have tried this both with browning the meat before adding it and without and find the difference in taste to be negligible, so I no longer do." We love a time-saving hack!

Next, pour the sauce into the slow cooker and cover it with a lid before setting it on low to cook for 6 hours. We know that it will be difficult to wait this long, but patience is a virtue. "While you can cook this faster on high," Johnson says, "I prefer the long, slow cook to get the meat tender." It's best to do this the right way and wait for the full 6 hours.

When the time is up, you can get started on the cornstarch slurry. In a small bowl, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 1 cup of hot water. Whisk this to combine, then pour the slurry into the slow cooker. Give the mixture a stir and allow it to cook for just 15 minutes more. "The cornstarch slurry at the end thickens the sauce and makes it velvety and delicious, perfect for serving over rice," explains Johnson.