My Chinese black pepper steak recipe shows you how to create tender, juicy beef with crisp veggies and a rich, peppery brown sauce. Paired with steamed rice, you will have a colorful and satisfying meal in no time.
Recipe by Maggie Zhu on October 7, 2025
Prep time: PT20M
Cook time: PT10M
Total time: PT30M
Rating
4.97 stars (26 reviews)
Keywords
restaurant-style
Ingredients
1 lb flank steak
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chicken broth ((*Footnote 1))
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt ((skip this if you use salted Shaoxing wine))
2 tablespoons peanut oil ((or vegetable oil))
2 teaspoons ginger (, minced)
2 cloves garlic (, minced)
1/2 yellow onion (, sliced (*Footnote 2))
2 bell peppers ((I used green and red, sliced) (*Footnote 2))
Categories
Main
Cuisine
Chinese
Steps
To cut flank steak, divide the steak lengthwise into two equal pieces along the grain. Then slice each piece against the grain into 1/8” (3-mm) thick pieces. If the flank steak you use is quite thin, you can tilt your knife to a 45 degree angle so the slices are wider.
Combine steak, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, baking soda, and cornstarch in a medium-sized bowl. Gently mix by hand until the beef is coated with a thin layer of the mixture. Marinate for 15 minutes while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a 12” skillet (or a wok) over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, add the steak. Immediately spread the beef into a single layer using a pair of tongs or chopsticks. Sear without moving until the bottom is browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip the beef and cook until just cooked through, another minute or so. Turn to the lowest heat and transfer the beef to a plate, set aside.
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil into the same skillet and reduce to medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic. Give it a quick stir until fragrant. Add the onion and peppers. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
Stir the sauce mixture until the cornstarch is dissolved completely, and pour it into the skillet. Stir with a spatula immediately and cook until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, a few seconds. Add back the cooked beef. Quickly stir a few times to coat everything with the sauce. Turn off heat and immediately transfer everything to a big plate. Serve hot as a main dish.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 371 kcal
Carbohydrates: 14.8 g
Protein: 37.4 g
Fat: 17.7 g
Saturated Fat: 5.6 g
Cholesterol: 70 mg
Sodium: 1039 mg
Sugar: 7.4 g
Reviews
Bill Reznicek on 2026-03-07 (5 stars): Been making the Pepper Steak for years now. Excellent recipe! Sometimes add snap peas and sometimes a few quartered Campari tomatoes.
Steve Walker on 2025-12-14 (5 stars): This was so quick and easy to make. Family loved it! I would make a bit more sauce next time. Can't wait to try some more of your recipes. Thanks.
Moe on 2025-12-05 (5 stars): Excellent! The peppery-ness really came through. I've never had it at a restaurant even close to this. Thanks for a great (and easy) recipe!
Michael on 2025-08-04 (5 stars): This pepper steak is hands down the best I’ve ever made. It rivals some of the best takeout I’ve had. I doubled the sauce, but otherwise, I followed the recipe. I might add bamboo shoots, green onions, and mushrooms, but this is already a hit. It’s definitely going into our dinner rotation.
BABS on 2024-05-18 (5 stars): Maggie you did it again. This was great. I added mushrooms, celery and doubled the onions and peppers. I cut the amount of sugar to 1 tsp. My husband is a diabetic so I try to limit the amount of sugar in my recipes. I also used a ribeye steak that I had in the freezer. I will definitely make this again.
Carolyn on 2024-01-15 (5 stars): Worked perfectly as written. Looking forward to making this again soon!
Heather on 2022-05-24 (5 stars): My husband and I really enjoyed this recipe! We moved and lack serious Chinese/Cantonese cuisine. This was quite similar to the one I always order at one of my favorite Cantonese restaurant.
Vickie on 2022-03-13 (5 stars): This recipe was perfect! I increased the sauce a bit because I added some extra vegetables. So easy to make!! I’ll be making this a lot!
Aunt Rosen on 2022-01-11 (5 stars): Super delicious! I added 1/8 tsp ground white pepper to the sauce because my family really loves the flavor.
Terracharm Alexander on 2021-11-06 (5 stars): Your recipes are superb we all loved this one!
Gracia on 2021-05-13 (5 stars): Taste really good👍
Regina on 2021-02-28 (5 stars): Other than doubling the black pepper (since we love it spicy), I kept everything the same. I made it for a Lunar New Year's feast and it was a hit.
Dana on 2020-11-18 (5 stars): This was delicious! We just used vegetables in the dish (peppers, onions, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower) and served it over rice. It will be added to the rotation. Thanks!!
Dave on 2020-11-10 (5 stars): Thank you for this recipe Maggie, this was fantastic! I chose yours over others online for two reasons - it has onions, and detailed step-by-step directions. I had everything called for except the Shaoxing wine, so I substituted Extra Dry Vermouth, which seemed to work fine. I not very experienced at cooking Asian dishes - I usually let my Asian girlfriend make those :-) so I followed your directions to the letter and was amazed how well it came out. Served it over white rice with a sprinkling of sesame seeds - looks just like the photos! Will fry an egg to go with the leftovers. And I'll be back to try more of your recipes...
