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    Home » Main Dishes » Pepper Steak - Instant Pot or Slow Cooker (Crock Pot)

    Pepper Steak - Instant Pot or Slow Cooker (Crock Pot)

    Published: Nov 13, 2019 · Modified: Dec 13, 2021 by Sula · This post may contain affiliate links · 46 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    Slow Cooker or Instant Pot

    Pepper Steak is a classic dish that warms you through and through on a chilly evening.  It is often described as “Chinese American” but it feels mostly American to me. I guess soy sauce as an ingredient qualifies it as a little Chinese?

    Either way, Pepper Steak is simple and satisfying.  I’ve made this many times in a slow cooker and recently adapted the recipe for Instant Pot use, for even faster and more convenient preparation.

    How to make Instant Pot Pepper Steak

    raw ingredients for pepper steak

    To start, cut the beef into strips. The recipe calls for sirloin, but I have used many different cuts of meat, such as chuck or stew meat. When you use an Instant Pot or slow cooker, pretty much any cut of beef becomes tender and delicious. 😃

    The beef strips are sprinkled with garlic powder and then browned in a skillet before transferring to the slow cooker (Use the sauté function for the Instant Pot). Green peppers and onion are cut into strips or large chunks as desired. Some people use one green and one red pepper, which sounds lovely and very colorful, but I have always stuck with 2 green bell peppers. Your choice. 😀

    sauteed meat and raw veggies in the instant pot

    Then, all the other ingredients are dumped into the slow cooker or Instant Pot.

    In my slow cooker I set it on low for 6 to 8 hours. For the Instant Pot I use the meat/stew setting, which is 18 minutes of cooking time (Note: Estimate about an hour’s total cycle time with the pressure/depressurize steps).

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    Once the cooking cycle is done you have the option of serving as-is or thickening the sauce with a mix of cornstarch with water – totally up to you.

    finished pepper steak with noodles

    Pepper steak is great with egg noodles or rice, according to preference (Whisper: And no one needs to know how easy it was!). 😄

    pepper steak
    5 from 46 votes
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    Pepper Steak - Instant Pot or Slow Cooker

    An easy, family favorite meal made in the Instant Pot for fast results, or in the slow cooker to cook all day while you are off to work.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time1 hr
    Total Time1 hr 20 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American, Chinese
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 294kcal
    Author: Sula

    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds beef sirloin cut into 2-inch strips
    • 2 to 3 teaspoons Garlic powder or to taste
    • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
    • ½ cup beef broth
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • ½ cup chopped onion
    • 2 large green bell peppers seeded and roughly chopped
    • 1 14.5 ounce can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
    • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
    • 1 teaspoon white sugar
    • 1 teaspoon salt

    Instructions

    • Sprinkle strips of sirloin with 2 to 3 teaspoons garlic powder, or to taste.

    Slow Cooker:

    • In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil and brown the seasoned beef strips. Transfer to slow cooker.
    • Mix beef broth with cornstarch until dissolved. Pour into slow cooker with meat. Stir in onion, green peppers, stewed tomatoes, soy sauce, sugar, and salt.
    • Cover and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low for 6 to 8 hours.
    • Thicken as desired with additional cornstarch/water solution. Suggested: start with 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water. Repeat as needed until desired consistency is reached. Mixture must be hot for cornstarch to thicken the sauce.

    Instant Pot:

    • Turn Instant Pot setting to sauté. Add oil and seasoned beef and cook until browned. Turn off the sauté function.
    • Mix beef broth with cornstarch until dissolved. Pour into the Instant Pot with meat. Stir in onion, green peppers, stewed tomatoes, soy sauce, sugar, and salt.
    • Cover, seal, and set to meat/stew cooking cycle (18 minutes). When cooking cycle is complete, allow IP to vent naturally for at least 20 minutes before removing the lid.
    • Thicken as desired with additional cornstarch/water solution. Suggested: start with 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water. Repeat as needed until desired consistency is reached. Mixture must be hot for cornstarch to thicken the sauce.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 294kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 1142mg | Potassium: 822mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 289IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 4mg

    Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.

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    And for another easy meal idea, check out my Instant Pot French Onion Chicken. Another delicious comfort food straight from your Instant Pot!

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    Filed Under: Beef, Main Dishes Tagged With: Carnivores, meals

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Emily Flint

      October 20, 2021 at 2:16 pm

      5 stars
      My family absolutely loved this pepper steak made in the Instant Pot!

      Reply
      • Sula

        October 20, 2021 at 5:59 pm

        It makes a great family meal!

        Reply
    2. Audrey

      October 20, 2021 at 11:36 am

      5 stars
      My family loved this recipe!

      Reply
      • Sula

        October 20, 2021 at 5:59 pm

        I'm so glad - it's a favorite here!

        Reply
    3. Wendy

      September 18, 2021 at 6:17 pm

      Threw in a can of unseasoned pinto beans - great dinner!

      Reply
      • Sula

        September 18, 2021 at 6:31 pm

        Ah what a nice variation - thanks for the idea!

        Reply
    4. Charlie Sikon

      October 13, 2020 at 4:53 pm

      I'm making this right now but me and hubby like are vegetables a little crispy so I'm going to cook it for 15 minutes and instapot do a quick release and then add the peppers and onions that have been seared and cook for another 3 minutes!

      Reply
      • Sula

        October 13, 2020 at 8:14 pm

        Yes that would definitely give you veggies with more texture! Let me know how you like it!

        Reply
    5. Soniya

      August 14, 2020 at 11:00 am

      Oh wow! This looks so delicious and inviting 👌 can't wait to try it.

      Reply
      • Sula

        August 14, 2020 at 4:50 pm

        I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

        Reply
    6. Angela

      August 14, 2020 at 10:55 am

      5 stars
      What a delicious and easy dinner! I can't wait to make this for my family. Thanks so much for sharing!

      Reply
      • Sula

        August 14, 2020 at 4:50 pm

        You are very welcome! 🙂

        Reply
    7. Nicole Triebe

      August 14, 2020 at 10:28 am

      5 stars
      Love this easy delicious family dinner! So quick to make and my family ate it up!

      Reply
      • Sula

        August 14, 2020 at 10:50 am

        So glad your family liked it! I consider it one of my "reliables" to always have in the rotation. 🙂

        Reply
    8. Katherine

      August 14, 2020 at 10:21 am

      5 stars
      This recipe looks awesome for the whole family!

      Reply
      • Sula

        August 14, 2020 at 10:49 am

        Yes, it is!

        Reply
    9. Pam Greer

      August 14, 2020 at 9:55 am

      5 stars
      We love pepper steak at our house, and now I love that I can make it in the Instant Pot!! So quick and easy!

      Reply
      • Sula

        August 14, 2020 at 10:49 am

        The Instant Pot really makes life easy, don't you think?

        Reply
    10. Emily Liao

      August 06, 2020 at 6:16 pm

      5 stars
      This was so hearty and delicious for dinner! The flavors really coated the steak well.

      Reply
      • Sula

        August 06, 2020 at 9:27 pm

        I'm glad you liked it!

        Reply
    11. Monica | Nourish and Fete

      August 06, 2020 at 1:50 pm

      5 stars
      This steak has so much flavor, and I love that it can be made in either the slow cooker or Instant Pot! So convenient!

      Reply
      • Sula

        August 06, 2020 at 3:15 pm

        Convenient for sure!

        Reply
    12. beth sachs

      August 06, 2020 at 1:05 pm

      5 stars
      I love making meals in my slow cooker. I'll be giving this pepper steak recipe a go soon.

      Reply
      • Sula

        August 06, 2020 at 1:31 pm

        Yes, these hands off methods are just the best!

        Reply
    13. Mindy Fewless

      August 06, 2020 at 12:40 pm

      5 stars
      This was the perfect weeknight meal for the whole family!! So good!

      Reply
      • Sula

        August 06, 2020 at 1:31 pm

        I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    14. Jessica Formicola

      August 06, 2020 at 11:49 am

      5 stars
      We had this for dinner last night and it was so delicious! We used the Instant Pot and it turned out perfectly!

      Reply
      • Sula

        August 06, 2020 at 11:57 am

        I'm so glad - it's a favorite here!

        Reply
    15. Jill

      August 06, 2020 at 11:18 am

      5 stars
      Quick and easy in the instant pot and the flavors were great. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Sula

        August 06, 2020 at 11:21 am

        You're welcome. Isn't it great when easy and good come together?

        Reply
    16. Andrea Metlika

      July 30, 2020 at 9:12 pm

      5 stars
      This looks perfect! I really like that I can make it in the IP.

      Reply
      • Sula

        July 30, 2020 at 9:21 pm

        Me too - the Instant Pot is like an easy button for this meal!

        Reply
    17. Sharon

      July 30, 2020 at 8:35 pm

      5 stars
      I love how easy this dish is to make. Grab a few ingredients and you have a hearty dinner that the whole family loves.

      Reply
      • Sula

        July 30, 2020 at 9:22 pm

        Yes, family friendly for sure!

        Reply
    18. Patty at Spoonabilities

      July 30, 2020 at 7:57 pm

      5 stars
      I love pepper steak. It is such delicious and comforting meal. Great recipe!

      Reply
      • Sula

        July 30, 2020 at 9:23 pm

        Thank you, I so agree!

        Reply
    19. Sara

      July 30, 2020 at 5:56 pm

      5 stars
      I haven't had pepper steak in ages. This looks like pure comfort as it was a regular family meal in childhood!

      Reply
      • Sula

        July 30, 2020 at 9:23 pm

        In my childhood too. We need to remember these classics!

        Reply
    20. Amy

      July 30, 2020 at 4:44 pm

      5 stars
      This looks like such a great family meal!

      Reply
      • Sula

        July 30, 2020 at 9:25 pm

        It definitely is!

        Reply
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