Can I double the sauce?

Yes, the recipe notes that you can add more sauce to use with other foods, such as rice and pasta. Using extra sauce will result in a saucy dish that you can serve with other foods. Don't overcook the beef and vegetables when making the sauce. Shake or stir the doubled sauce well before adding it to the pan with the hot beef and vegetables.

How can I make it friendlier for picky eaters?

Add more or less sugar, as recommended in the article. The onions and peppers are cut into large pieces and likely to be visible in servings of the dish. Don't add chili flakes if you want to reduce the level of spiciness. Serve plain rice with the dish so people can add as much sauce and as many vegetables as they want.

What beef cuts work best?

Rib eye and sirloin are the preferred tender meat choices for this recipe. Skirt, flank, and hanger steaks are also suitable choices if thinly sliced across the grain. Thinly slicing meat across the grain can make it more tender. Thinly sliced meat will also cook more quickly in a pan.

Can I prepare black pepper beef ahead?

Yes, it is possible to marinate the beef while preparing other stir-fry ingredients, such as bell peppers, onions, garlic, and ginger. The recipe instructions call for a minimum 15-minute beef marinade. Other ingredients can be prepped during the beef marinade time. Stir-fry dishes should be cooked as close to serving time as possible to avoid soggy vegetables. Other stir-fry ingredients should be fully prepped in advance because the sauce thickens quickly when cooked.

How do I store and reheat leftovers?

Leftovers may be stored in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to four days, according to the article. Leftovers can be reheated on a stove top over medium heat or in a microwave for two to three minutes or until hot. The sauce may thicken during refrigeration. Be sure to mix leftovers well before eating them. Use a large container when storing leftovers to avoid squashing the beef and other vegetables as they cool.

Black Pepper Beef with Crisp Bell Peppers and Peppery Stir-Fry Sauce

By Mason BrooksSep 23, 2026

Serve this Black Pepper Beef dish to your family as an easy meal. Cook sliced marinated beef with bell peppers and onions. Add a dark, peppery sauce finished with toasted sesame oil. Other vegetables and rice can be served with the dish.

Black Pepper Beef with Crisp Bell Peppers and Peppery Stir-Fry Sauce

The beef is marinated with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, vegetable oil, baking soda, and freshly ground black pepper before cooking. Sauce ingredients include beef broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, black pepper, cornstarch, chicken powder, and chopped onion and bell pepper. More chopped garlic and ginger are added to the beef for extra flavor.

Prep sauce and vegetables ahead of time to streamline the process of stir-frying beef in a wok or other pan. Stir-frying is a rapid cooking method. Sauce is fully cooked when it is slightly reduced and clings to the beef and vegetables at the end of the stir-frying process. Overcrowding the pan is a common mistake that can occur while stir-frying. Cook beef in multiple batches as needed to avoid steaming.

Serve with hot or cold rice and steamed or stir-fried vegetables. Leftover seaweed soup can be safely stored in a sealed container for up to four days, as reported in the article. Leftover soup can be reheated on the stove or in the microwave.

Why you'll love this recipe

It's a good meal to serve at a family dinner when you don't have much time because beef, peppers, and onions cook very quickly in a wok or other large pan after marination for a short time.
Freshly ground black pepper is more fragrant and flavorful than ground black pepper to consumers who prefer black pepper in a sauce.
Rice makes this dish suitable for serving at the table by using the extra dark sauce as a topping for steamed or fried rice and vegetables.
Picky eaters can consume beef and rice. Large slices of bell pepper and onion can be consumed with other foods.
Leftover food can be eaten for more than one meal because the recipe notes that leftover food can be kept covered in the refrigerator for up to four days.
The sauce can be doubled to serve families that like gravy and may want to put extra peppery stir-fry sauce on the side dishes of rice and other pasta.

Instructions

Cut the beef into thin slices against the grain.

Marinate the beef with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, neutral oil, baking soda, and freshly ground black pepper.

Mix gently to coat the beef.

Let the beef marinate for at least 15 minutes while preparing the remaining ingredients.

Combine all black pepper sauce ingredients until smooth.

Prepare the bell pepper, onion, garlic, and ginger.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok or large pan over medium-high heat.

Briefly fry the marinated beef until browned on all sides, working in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding.

Set the seared beef aside.

In the same pan, fry the onion and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes until lightly softened.

Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

Pour in the prepared sauce and simmer for about 1 minute until slightly thickened.

Add the beef back to the pan and pour in the sesame oil.

Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, until the sauce coats and clings to the beef and vegetables.

Serve warm with rice and vegetables.

FAQ

Serve black pepper beef with fresh or fried rice and vegetables. Other dishes suggested in the article include stir-fried and steamed vegetables to add bulk to the meal. One reason to serve the beef with rice and other dishes is that the rice can soak up the thick black pepper sauce. Rice and vegetables should be served before the beef, as the beef should be consumed immediately after stir-frying.

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Dinner Beef Asian Chinese Quick Meals

Black Pepper Beef with Crisp Bell Peppers and Peppery Stir-Fry Sauce

By Mason BrooksSep 23, 2026

Servings

Jump to recipe

Why you'll love this recipe

It's a good meal to serve at a family dinner when you don't have much time because beef, peppers, and onions cook very quickly in a wok or other large pan after marination for a short time.
Freshly ground black pepper is more fragrant and flavorful than ground black pepper to consumers who prefer black pepper in a sauce.
Rice makes this dish suitable for serving at the table by using the extra dark sauce as a topping for steamed or fried rice and vegetables.
Picky eaters can consume beef and rice. Large slices of bell pepper and onion can be consumed with other foods.
Leftover food can be eaten for more than one meal because the recipe notes that leftover food can be kept covered in the refrigerator for up to four days.
The sauce can be doubled to serve families that like gravy and may want to put extra peppery stir-fry sauce on the side dishes of rice and other pasta.

Ingredients

Servings4

•1 lb beef (approximately; sirloin or ribeye)
•2 tbsp oil (for frying)
•1 bell pepper (cut into chunks)
•½ onion (cut into chunks)
•4 cloves garlic (minced)
•1 ½ tsp ginger (minced)
•1 tsp sesame oil
•1 tbsp soy sauce (for marinade)
•1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (for marinade)
•1 tbsp cornstarch (for marinade)
•1 tbsp neutral oil (for marinade)
•½ tsp baking soda
•¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper (for marinade)
•½ cup unsalted beef stock
•1 tbsp soy sauce (for black pepper sauce)
•1 tbsp oyster sauce
•1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (for black pepper sauce)
•2 tsp sugar
•2 tsp freshly ground black pepper (for black pepper sauce)
•2 tsp cornstarch (for black pepper sauce)
•1 tsp dark soy sauce
•¼ tsp chicken powder

Instructions

1
Cut the beef into thin slices against the grain.
2
Marinate the beef with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, neutral oil, baking soda, and freshly ground black pepper.
3
Mix gently to coat the beef.
4
Let the beef marinate for at least 15 minutes while preparing the remaining ingredients.
5
Combine all black pepper sauce ingredients until smooth.
6
Prepare the bell pepper, onion, garlic, and ginger.
7
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok or large pan over medium-high heat.
8
Briefly fry the marinated beef until browned on all sides, working in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding.
9
Set the seared beef aside.
10
In the same pan, fry the onion and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes until lightly softened.
11
Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
12
Pour in the prepared sauce and simmer for about 1 minute until slightly thickened.
13
Add the beef back to the pan and pour in the sesame oil.
14
Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, until the sauce coats and clings to the beef and vegetables.
15
Serve warm with rice and vegetables.