Deliciously simple, you can toss the ingredients together in 15 minutes flat — then leave the rest of the magic to your slow cooker.
For the past six months Mr. EN and I have been trying to pay extra attention to how much money we spend and in doing that, we found that one of the things we really needed to cut back on was eating out. If you love Asian food, this Slow-Cooker Sesame Beef Pepper Steak is not only easy to make, but also way better than takeout – plus you’ll save money by eating at home. 🙂
This pepper steak is…
- Loaded with Vitamin C from all the bright, shiny, colorful peppers – and the tomatoes!
- A good source of lean protein from the top sirloin – one of the leanest cuts of beef.
- Packed with Asian-y flavors. Together all of these ingredients make a really tasty sauce. I know you’ll love it.
Prep Tips
- Fresh is best for garlic. Yes, if you have garlic in a jar, garlic in a tube, or garlic powder you can use it (see recipe Notes below) but honestly, fresh is best. Go the extra mile and mince your own fresh garlic.
- Don’t skip the TOASTED sesame oil. It’s tempting to want to sub out another oil for the toasted sesame oil but DON’T DO IT. FYI: regular (not toasted) sesame oil is NOT the same thing as TOASTED sesame oil. It has an entirely different taste. You need TOASTED sesame oil to get the best flavor profile.
- This recipe makes four servings and it’s even better reheated on Day 2. If you cut the recipe in half to only serve two people – which I don’t recommend – you’ll need to use a smaller slow cooker to cook the food evenly and to keep the food safe.
Have I sold you on this yet? Just look at it. Is your mouth watering yet?
This Slow-Cooker Sesame Beef Pepper Steak is a restaurant quality meal made in the comfort of your own home. Enjoy!
Peace, love and good eats, from our empty nest to yours.
Trending in the EN Kitchen: San-J, Reduced Sodium Organic Tamari (gluten free)
Mr. EN’s Take on This Recipe: “I really do like this better than take out. It’s about time you made beef.”
Slow-Cooker Sesame Beef Pepper Steak
Yield 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound beef, top round or sirloin, cut into thin strips
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) no-salt diced tomatoes, with juice
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 small green pepper, diced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 ¼ cups low- or no-salt beef broth
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch + 3 tablespoons water
- 1 ½ - 2 cups sliced colored peppers (any color)
- Optional: green onions, fresh herbs, rice, toasted sesame seeds, crushed red pepper, pineapple chunks
Instructions
- Cut the beef into thin strips, discarding fat. Place in the bottom of a slow cooker.
- In a large bowl combine the diced onion, no-salt tomatoes with juice, brown sugar, low sodium tamari or soy sauce, sesame oil, Worcestershire sauce, diced green pepper, cayenne pepper, beef broth, garlic, and ginger. Stir with a whisk.
- In a small bowl stir together the corn starch and water. Add it to the tomato/soy/spice mixture and mix well.
- Pour the tomato/soy/spice mixture on top of the steak strips. Toss with tongs to combine, making sure the meat is covered.
- Cook on low for 4-6 hours until meat is tender and sauce is bubbly hot.
- About an hour before you are ready to eat, remove the lid of the slow cooker and add the pepper strips. Put the lid back on and cook 30-60 minutes more, or until peppers are just tender.
- Serve over hot cooked rice or quinoa.
- Optional - Garnish with fresh parsley, green onions, toasted sesame seeds, and/or crushed red pepper to taste. Add pineapple chunks if desired.
Notes
- If you don’t have fresh ginger substitute with 2 teaspoons fresh ginger paste, or 1 teaspoon ground dry ginger.
- If you don’t have fresh garlic substitute, ½-3/4 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic.
- Make this recipe gluten free by using low-sodium gluten-free tamari instead of soy sauce.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1/4 recipe
Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
Calories 368 | ||
% Daily Value | ||
Total Fat 15 g | 23% | |
Saturated Fat 5 g | 25% | |
Cholesterol 80 mg | 27% | |
Sodium 548 mg | 23% | |
Total Carbohydrates 22 g | 7% | |
Dietary Fiber 5 g | 20% | |
Protein 28 g | 56% | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Another one I can’t wait to try! Going to make it this week.