Tender strips of juicy sirloin steak sautéed with onions and green peppers in a flavorful Asian sauce that is reminiscent of the Pepper Steak recipes found in American Chinese Buffets, only without all the added sugar or carbs!

What is Pepper Steak?

This dish is a combination of sautéed bell peppers, onions, browned sirloin steak, and a savory gravy-like sauce.

If you have ever enjoyed lunch or dinner at your local Chinese Buffet you have more than likely seen a version or two of Pepper Steak.

It was one of my favorites and compared to other typical choices on the buffets it was one of the lower-carb options.

I’m not going to say it was the best choice because it was still most likely thickened with corn starch, and filled with MSGs but compared to their Orange Chicken or Egg rolls it was a safer choice.

These days I don’t eat at those buffets as often, so we make our own version of Pepper Steak here at home. In this recipe post, I’ll share more about how you can make this dish at home as well. 

How do you make pepper steak from scratch?

You’ll be surprised and likely thrilled to find out that making this recipe is going to be super simple. The total dish, including, prepping the meat and ingredients, will be ready in around an hour.

I don’t know about you, but a good meal to feed my family that takes about an hour is my kind of cooking. The quicker the better, I say.

I’ll even walk you through making this dish in the slow cooker later so you can cook it while you’re doing other things if you’d like.

For This Recipe, You’ll Need To Shop For:

• oil for sautéing
• sirloin beef
• beef broth
• bell pepper 
• onion
• garlic
• Braggs Aminos or Soy Sauce
• Sesame Oil
• Xanthum Gum for thickening

When you’re ready to make your pepper steak, you’ll need to place a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the oil into the skillet and start by browning the strips of sirloin beef. Once the beef is cooked, move on to the veggies.

This is a one-skillet meal, another great bonus if you ask me, so you’ll toss the onions, peppers, and minced garlic into the skillet and cook them until the peppers are tender but not mushy. Then add the beef back into the skillet with the veggies. 

Next, add the beef broth, Aminos, Sesame Oil, and spices to the meat and peppers and bring to a low simmer. Once the dish is at a low simmer slowly add the Xanthan Gum (or your favorite Keto/THM approved thickener) and whisk it all together.

Lastly, let Easy Keto Pepper Steak simmer for about 8-10 minutes until the brown sauce has thickened nicely. Once the dish is nice and thick it is ready to serve. 

You can serve this over cauliflower rice, mashed cauliflower, or with a nice green salad. 

What is the Best Cut of Beef to Use In This Keto Pepper Steak Recipe?

In this dish, I love to use a nice sirloin beef cut. Sirloin is a very flavorful cut of beef that is extra versatile and lends itself to being juicy. Sirloin works wonderfully in this recipe because it is pretty tender and works well when cooked quickly. 

Sirloin steaks are also cut up and used in my Instant Pot Beef Tips and Mushrooms recipe or cut into bite-sized cubes for some kabobs on the grill. Yummy!

Another cut of beef that I’ve used in this recipe is skirt steak. It does tend to be priced more than sirloin and other cuts but it is super flavorful. You may be more familiar with this cut as beef fajitas. It is delicious and if cut against the grain super tender. 

Want to learn more about which cuts of beef are the best to use with different styles of cooking such as stir fry like this one? Check out this cool website from the Beef, It’s What’s For Dinner. 

Later in the post, I’ll give you tips and steps for making this recipe in your slow cooker. If you decide to go that route rather than this stovetop method then that will open up your options a little more on which cuts of beef you can use in this recipe.

The tougher cuts may even work better with that method since they will cook low and slow for many hours, making them super tender when you serve them.  

Can You Make This Easy Keto Pepper Steak In the Slow Cooker?

This recipe, as I’ve shown you in this post, is super easy to make on the stovetop in one large skillet, but if you need to easily take it one step further, then you can opt to make this recipe in the slow cooker. 

The slow cooker works great with this beef recipe because it tenderizes the beef way more than cooking on the stovetop, so that will open up the budget time and money. 

When you go the slow cooker route, I would recommend going with a cheaper cut of meat like the eye of round steak, or stew meat. These types of meats are fatter and tougher so they will stand up to the long cooking times in the slow cooker without drying out.

For more details and options on the beef cuts that will work well in this slow cooker option, check out this website. 

The steps for cooking this recipe in the slow cooker are as follows. 

1. Add the slices or cubes of beef to the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Layer the onions and peppers over the beef and mix the sauce.
3. Add in the beef broth, Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil, minced garlic, other seasonings, and Xanthan Gum in a blender or large bowl. Mix these ingredients well.
4. Pour the beef broth mixture over the beef, onions, and peppers. Place the lid on the slower cooker
5. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours. 
6. I like to check on my halfway through the cooking time to make sure it is thickening up nicely, just in case I need to add anything or more low-carb thickeners. 

 That’s it, now you are armed with a new Keto and THM “S” beef recipe that will satisfy any hungry family. Plus I gave you two options for preparing the recipe and both are easy and delicious. I don’t know about you, but I call that a winning recipe!

Yield: 6 servineg

Pepper Steak

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

A flavorful Keto and THM "S" recipe of Eye of Round Steaks sauteed with onion and green peppers in a wonderfully rich brown gravy.

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Ingredients

• 2 pounds of sirloin steak, cut into strips
• 1 tablespoon of Avacoado or Coconut Oil
• 1 1/2 large green bell peppers, cut into strips
• 1/2 cup of red onion, chopped
• 2 to 3 cloves or fresh garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 cups of beef broth
• 1 tablespoon of Braggs Aminos
• 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
• 1 teaspoon of Xanthum Gum for thickening

Instructions

1. To a large skillet, add the oil and turn on the burner to medium heat.
2. When the oil is heated, add the strips of steak to the skillet and saute them until they are fully cooked.
3. Next, remove the beef from the skillet and toss in the onions, peppers, and garlic. Cook the onions, garlic, and peppers until they are tender but not mushy.
4. Then add the beef back into the skillet of peppers and pour over the beef broth, sesame oil, soy sauce, and seasonings. Stir well.
5. Bring the dish up to a simmer. As it simmers slowly sprinkle over the Xanthum Gum or your favorite low-carb thickener.
6. Simmer more until the Keto Pepper Steak is as thick as you would like
7. Serve over cauliflower rice or creamy mashed cauliflower.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1/6 Skilllet
Amount Per ServingCalories 424Total Fat 25gTrans Fat 0gCholesterol 139mgSodium 885mgCarbohydrates 6gNet Carbohydrates 4.6gFiber 2.4gSugar 2gProtein 43g

I am not a nutritionist. If you have strict dietary needs I always recommend using an online nutrition calculator to calculate your totals using your exact brands you're using in this recipe as values may vary per brand.

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Keri Bucci

I am a southern girl through and through that loves to laugh, cook, read and spend time with family. My passions outside of home schooling my son are ministering to those in need and creating art in the kitchen! Every day is an adventure in our little house and I wouldn’t trade it or the chance to share here with you for anything!