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Slow Cooker Pepper Steak + VIDEO

This healthy slow cooker pepper steak recipe has all the flavor the classic Chinese-American dish is known for. You can make this Make this low-carb, paleo, whole30 beef recipe in your slow cooker or Instant Pot.

PIN FOR LATER

Updated 2019 with Instant Pot instructions

I love Chinese food but I rarely eat it because it’s too unhealthy and full of MSG. I’ve found that even though restaurants claim to be MSG free, sometimes they are not. Rather than chance it, I like to recreate my own version. Which is what I did here.

raw sliced beef, bell peppers, and onion

What Is Pepper Steak?

Pepper steak is a Chinese-American dish consisting of sliced beef steak cooked with sliced bell peppers, onions, and seasonings like soy sauce and ginger. The sauce is usually thickened with cornstarch. Pepper steak is usually stir-fried in a wok but of course I’m making slow cooker or Instant Pot pepper steak.

Pepper steak made healthy! This easy slow cooker version of a Chinese-American classic is both paleo and whole30 yet still packed with flavor.

before (slow cooker)

pepper steak in the pressure cooker before cooking

before (pressure cooker)

A Healthy Version Of Pepper Steak

Most pepper steak recipes include sugar and high amounts of sodium. This one does not. My Instant Pot or slow cooker pepper steak recipe is low-carb, paleo, and whole30 complaint. In the place of soy sauce I used coconut aminos, no sugar was added, and instead of cornstarch this uses arrowroot starch. Coconut aminos can sometimes be hard to find; if you’re not worried about being compliant, go ahead and use low-sodium soy sauce.

Pepper steak made healthy! This easy slow cooker version of a Chinese-American classic is both paleo and whole30 yet still packed with flavor.

after (slow cooker)

pepper steak in the pressure cooker after cooking

after (pressure cooker)

What Type Of Beef To Use

Pepper steak is usually made with round, sirloin, or flank steak. I used round steak that I sliced into strips. As with most of my recipes, I encourage you to use ingredients that you can find easily and that fit your budget. The key is to slice the beef into even strips.

cooked pepper steak in a bowl

Thickening The Sauce

After this is done cooking, there is an optional but recommended step of thickening the sauce with a slurry. My go-to slurry (sauce thickener) is always arrowroot starch mixed with water. This is the ratio that works for me: 2 tablespoons arrowroot flour mixed with 2 tablespoons of water. If you want your sauce to be thicker, use more slurry. If you want your sauce to be not so thick, use less slurry.

another pic cooked pepper steak placed with cauliflower rice

Other recipes you might enjoy:

Beef Stir-Fry

Cashew Chicken

Chicken & Veggies 

I serve my pepper steak with cauliflower rice.

I used a 6-quart slow cooker or Instant Pot for this recipe.

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Pepper Steak (Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30)

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  • Total Time: 3 hours 10 mins
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 lbs beef, sliced into strips
  • 3 bell peppers, sliced
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 1 tbsp oil (for pressure cooker)
  • 1 tablespoon arrowroot flour + 2 tablespoons water (optional)

Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup coconut aminos for slow cooker and 1/2 cup coconut aminos for pressure cooker
  • 1/4 cup beef broth for slow cooker and 1/2 cup beef broth for pressure cooker
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Slow Cooker

  1. Add the onion, garlic, bell pepper and steak to the slow cooker.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together sauce ingredients. Pour sauce into the slow cooker & stir to mix well.
  3. Cook HIGH 2-3 or LOW 4-6.

Instant Pot

  1. Turn on the IP and select Sauté. Once hot add oil and beef to the pot. Cook 3-5 minutes or until beef is browned. Remove beef from the pressure cooker.
  2. Add the onions bell peppers and cook 5-7 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
  3. Add beef broth and coconut aminos and deglaze the bottom by of the pressure cooker by scraping all the bits off off with a wooden spoon.
  4. Add beef back into the pressure cooker along with the remaining sauce ingredients. Stir to mix well.
  5. Close lid and seal valve. Set manual, high pressure to 10 minutes. Natural release pressure.

Optional step: After the pepper steak has finished cooking in the slow cooker or pressure cooker, mix together arrowroot powder & water. Pour into slow cooker or pressure cooker and stir. Turn off appliance. Allow 5-10 for the sauce to thickened to your liking.

  • Author: Shannon Epstein
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 3 hours

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 336
  • Sugar: 2.1 g
  • Fat: 9.3 g
  • Saturated Fat: 3.2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 7.9 g
  • Fiber: 1.3 g
  • Protein: 51.5 g
  • Cholesterol: 133.8 mg

 

 

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive money if you make a purchase using one of the links. For more about my disclosure policy see here: https://fitslowcookerqueen.com/about/disclosure-policy/

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”aAyBBRfx” upload-date=”2019-09-22T21:28:57.000Z” name=”Instant Pot Pepper Steak” description=”My pepper steak version of the Chinese-American classic dish is healthy yet still packed with flavor. Make this in your slow cooker or Instant Pot. “]

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak + VIDEO
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Courtney

Thursday 10th of September 2020

Hi Shannon! I am planning on making this tonight for my fiancé and I, but my Whole Foods is all out of arrowroot flour. Is there anything else you can use for a thickening agent?

Fit SlowCooker Queen

Thursday 10th of September 2020

Hello! Other suggestions include tapioca flour or cassava flour. If you're not worried about it being paleo/whole30 compliant you can use cornstarch. Sometimes I skip the thickening step all together:-)

Jenni

Monday 19th of March 2018

Hello! When do you add the arrowroot mixture? Same time as the sauce (before cooking) or do you add it after, before serving? TY!

Fit SlowCooker Queen

Tuesday 27th of March 2018

It's added at the end of cook time. I updated the recipe so that's clear. Enjoy!

The Thought Card

Thursday 31st of August 2017

This looks fantastic even though I don't eat steak let alone meat. I know that MSG is bad but I realized that I don't know why, I have a ways to go when it comes to healthier food choices.

Malini

Wednesday 30th of August 2017

Looks delicious! Always looking for paleo recipes to try!

Tami

Tuesday 29th of August 2017

I do love a good crock pot recipe. It makes life so much easier when you can start the crock pot in the morning and come to a ready-cooked meal at night. Glad to know this is also a healthy recipe!