Black Pepper Beef (15 minutes only!)

Name: Black Pepper Beef
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 lb sirloin; 2 tbsp oyster sauce; 1 tsp corn starch; 1 tsp black pepper; ½ onion (sliced); 2 bell peppers (sliced); 3 cloves garlic (minced); 2 tsp cooking oil; 1½ tbsp oyster sauce; 1 tbsp rice wine; 2 tsp soy sauce; 1 tsp black pepper; 1 tbsp water

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Today I’m sharing a relatively light and healthy, yet super flavorful and satisfying Chinese inspired recipe that we are loving, Black Pepper Beef.

Our Black Pepper Beef Stir Fry is beef seared and coated in a savory black pepper sauce, cooked along with bell peppers, onions, and garlic. A delicious burst of savory and spicy black pepper flavors in every bite of beef and veggies!

An easy and simple dish that makes a delicious quick dinner. The best part is, it is ready in under 15 minutes! (Yep, not a typo!)

A large wok filled with black pepper beef stir fry with bell peppers, a bowl of rice is in the background

Love a good beef stir fry? Don’t forget to check out these favorites: Korean Ground Beef Stir Fry, Steak Fried Rice, Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry and Ginger Scallion Beef.

Table of Contents

Black Pepper Beef Stir Fry

The magic of the Black Pepper Beef dish is all in the sauce and seasonings. Our focus here is to make our peppery sauce very flavorful, so that every piece of beef and veggies that touches the sauce is infused with big intense flavors.

I love this black pepper beef recipe because we were able to make the beef loaded with big flavor yet with truly little effort.

The sticky savory soy-based sauce that coats the juicy and tender beef has an incredible black pepper bite to it. And the tender juicy pieces of beef is accompanied by sweet red bell peppers which balances out the potent savory sauce.

Black pepper beef is is a classic dish that is also very popular and often found in Chinese restaurants across the United States. We make this at home instead of getting takeout way more often than not because it is so easy and much healthier this way.

Since I’m mostly cooking for two, I cook everything in a larger non-stick wok. If you are doubling the recipe, consider cooking them in batches because to avoid overcrowding the wok.

If you don’t have a wok, a large skillet works just as well, preferably one that retains heat well.

A bowl of rice topped with black pepper beef stir fry

Ingredients

Just a handful of simple ingredients is needed prepare Black Pepper Beef! You can find them all in mainstream large grocery stores these days:

Sirloin beef – depending on your budget, tenderloin or ribeye works great as well. These are all leaner cuts of beef that shouldn’t be to tough. You can use other cuts such as skirt steak or flank steak, but it will beef tougher.
Black pepper – the dominant flavor in this dish. Use newly ground black pepper for the best flavor.
Oyster sauce – a workhorse in many Asian dishes. Don’t be turned off by the name! It helps bring insane umami flavors to the dish. Find oyster sauce in mainstream stores in the Asian aisle or in Asian grocery stores
Rice wine – can be found in the Asian aisle of mainstream grocery stores. Gets rid of the gaminess in animal products during cooking and brings a touch of flavor and sweetness. Traditionally, shaoxing wine is used and it truly brings amazing flavors. If this is not available, substitute with a splash of white wine.
Soy sauce – probably the most popular sauce used to flavor Asian dishes. You can also opt for low sodium soy sauce.
Corn starch – this is used to coat the strips of beef so that it makes the beef more tender, and also slightly thicken the sauce in the dish.
Bell pepper – I use red bell peppers here, but you can use any kind (green, yellow, orange etc.). They help bring great flavors and a touch of sweetness to the dish.
Onion – I use either yellow, sweet or white onion for the flavor. Slice them in strips so they are about the same size as the bell peppers.
Garlic – minced up fresh cloves of garlic for best flavor. Avoid substituting with garlic powder – the flavor just isn’t the same for making Asian dishes such as black pepper beef stir fry!

How to make Black Pepper Beef

Step 1: Marinate beef

First, we are going to slice up the beef into thin strips – the strips should be no thicker than 1/4 inch. Staying within 1/8-1/4 inch thickness is a good rule of thumb. We want them thin so that they cook quickly and stay tender.

After beef is sliced, marinate with corn starch, oyster sauce, and black pepper. Doing this will give the beef so much more flavor. I marinate the beef before I start preparing everything else so that it can sit in the sauce for a few minutes.

Step 2: Prepare other ingredients

Prepare the rest of the ingredients so that you are ready to go once you start stir frying:

Slice onions and bell peppers – slice them into strips and keep them about the same size.
Bring together the sauce for the stir fry

Step 3: Stir Fry

Heat wok or skillet on high heat, then drizzle with cooking oil.

Now that from here on out, the process will go pretty fast. You never want to overcook the beef and veggies when stir frying this black pepper steak.

Once hot is hot, add onions and bell peppers to wok (or skillet), and cook them until they are slightly softer – this will probably take a couple of minutes. After that, remove and set aside.

Sauteing red bell peppers and onions until they soften in a wok

Add garlic and beef to wok. Stir fry until beef is no longer red and seared on the outside, for about 1 minute or so. Do not overcook.

Add onions and bell peppers back into wok.

Add sauce onto black pepper steak, toss to coat the black pepper steak and veggies in sauce, then remove from heat quickly.

Stir frying sliced beef in a wok, then combining with sauteed bell peppers and onions

Immediately serve black pepper beef stir fry over steamed white rice or brown rice. If you are looking for a low carb and healthier option, serve with cauliflower rice or quinoa.

Ah..take a moment and enjoy the deliciousness that is this black pepper beef. The beef is tender, the sauce clings to each piece of meat and veggies so that it coats it just enough to give it lots of peppery flavor while not overpowering it.

What’s even better? Dinner is done in 15 minutes. How about that? 🙂

This delicious black pepper beef stir fry makes the best quick and easy dinner. It’s faster to make it than to order Chinese takeout!

Top down view of a wok loaded with sliced beef and bell peppers in black pepper sauce

Tips and tricks

A few things to note when making black pepper beef stir fry:

Use a good cut of beef – high quality beef such as sirloin, tenderloin or ribeye provides a much better texture to the final product.
Prep ingredients – the stir fry process for black pepper beef goes really fast (less than 5 minutes!). Prepare all your ingredients and have it at arm’s reach when you start cooking.
Cook on high heat – black pepper beef (or any stir fry for that matter) taste best cooked on high heat so 1) make sure cooking oil is hot before adding anything into skillet, 2) use wok or skillet that can withstand high heat
Avoid overcrowding the wok/skillet – cook black pepper beef in two batches if needed. This will ensure every beef strip gets a nice sear and doesn’t end up boiling in its own juices instead.
Do not overcook beef – it is important to cook beef quickly over high heat so that beef is seared on the outside but not come out dry and chewy. For this reason, I like to slice my beef steak thinly prior to cooking to ensure they cook quickly and doesn’t dry out.
Cook each ingredient separately – do not dump everything into the wok/skillet at once! To get the best flavor and texture, follow the instructions and cook the veggies and beef separately and bring them back together to cook at the end.

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Store black pepper beef stir fry in air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

To reheat, drizzle a few drops of water into the dish and reheat in the microwave until warm. Avoid over reheating to avoid overcooking the meat. Because, overcooked meat = not tasty meat.

A bowl of black pepper beef served with rice, and a large wok in the background

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different cut of beef?

Yes, you can use other tender cuts such as tenderloin, ribeye, or filet mignon. For a more budget-friendly option, flank steak works too but it will come out tougher.

Can I add other vegetables?

Absolutely! Broccoli, snap peas, or carrots would make great additions to this stir fry or can substitute the bell peppers and onions. If you are using more vegetables, you may want to double the sauce.

What if I don’t have a wok?

A large non-stick skillet can be used instead, preferably one that can withstand high heat. Cook the ingredients separately in batches if skillet is too small.

How do I make it less spicy?

Reducing the amount of black pepper in the beef marinade and sauce will make it less spicy.

How do I prevent the beef from getting tough?

Ensure you’re using a tender cut of beef, and cooking it quickly over high heat. Avoid overcooking the beef to keep it tender. The corn starch used in the beef marinate does help tenderize the beef too.

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