Pepper Steak in a Crock Pot

When the slow cooker lid comes off, the beef should give easily to a fork and the broth should have turned into a deep, savory sauce. That’s the balance I want from pepper steak in a crock pot: tender strips of beef, a sauce that clings instead of running off, and bell peppers that still have a little bite.

Chuck steak makes that long, gentle cook worthwhile, while the onion and seasoned broth give the beef time to take on plenty of flavor. I add the peppers later rather than letting them sit in the cooker for the whole stretch. That small timing choice keeps them from collapsing into the sauce, so each bowl has tender beef and peppers with a bit of shape left.

Why Chuck Steak Needs the Long Cook Before the Peppers Go In

Chuck has enough connective tissue to benefit from a slow, moist cook. At first, the beef may seem firm even though it’s been sitting in the flavorful broth for hours; give it the time in the cooker to become fork-tender rather than expecting a quick-cooking steak texture. Cutting it into even strips helps the pieces cook at a similar pace, so you’re less likely to find a mix of very soft and stubbornly chewy bites.

The vegetables have different jobs, too. Onion goes in with the beef and softens as the cooking liquid develops, while bell peppers need less time to become tender. If they spend the entire cook in the slow cooker, they lose their shape and blend into the sauce. Adding them for the final stretch gives them enough time to soften without turning limp. There’s no separate searing step here; the slow cooker builds the dish around the beef, broth, and seasonings.

What the Beef, Peppers, and Sauce Ingredients Bring to the Pot

• Boneless beef chuck steak — Chuck is the right fit for a long cook because it becomes tender as it cooks in the liquid. Look for a piece with some marbling; it doesn’t need to be an expensive steakhouse cut. Cut it into even strips so the pieces finish at about the same time.
• Beef broth, low-sodium soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce — These make the savory base, with the soy and Worcestershire bringing more depth than broth alone. Low-sodium soy sauce helps keep the finished sauce from becoming overly salty as it cooks down. Regular pantry-quality Worcestershire works well; there’s no need for a specialty bottle.
• Garlic, ground ginger, black pepper, and brown sugar — Together, they give the cooking liquid a gentle warmth and balance its savory, salty notes. Mince the garlic so it disperses through the sauce, and pack the brown sugar when measuring it so the amount is consistent.
• Yellow onion and bell peppers — The onion softens into the cooking liquid, while bell peppers bring color and a fresher, slightly sweet taste. Choose peppers that feel firm and have unwrinkled skin. Any colors work; green peppers taste more vegetal, while red, yellow, and orange ones tend to be sweeter.
• Cornstarch — This thickens the cooking liquid into a sauce that coats the beef. It needs to be mixed with cold water first; adding dry cornstarch straight to the slow cooker is more likely to leave little lumps behind.

How to Cook the Beef First and Thicken the Sauce at the End

Start the Beef in the Seasoned Broth

Put the beef strips into a 6-quart slow cooker. Whisk together the beef broth, low-sodium soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, packed brown sugar, minced garlic, ground ginger, and black pepper, then pour that mixture over the beef and add the sliced onion. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Keep the lid on during the cook so the heat stays steady.

Add the Peppers for Their Shorter Cook

Once the first stretch is complete, add the sliced bell peppers and cover the slow cooker again. Cook for 1 more hour on LOW or 45 minutes on HIGH. Check the beef with a fork: it should be tender enough to pull apart easily, while the peppers should be soft but still hold their shape. If the beef is still resistant, it hasn’t reached the texture you want yet.

Thicken the Liquid Until It Coats a Spoon

In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and cold water until smooth, then stir the mixture into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce thickens. The liquid should look glossier and cling to the beef rather than pooling thinly underneath it. Stir gently so you don’t break up the tender strips or peppers.

Three Small Changes That Shift This Crock Pot Pepper Steak

Questions That Come Up When Cooking Pepper Steak in a Crock Pot

Pepper Steak in a Crock Pot

Crock pot pepper steak slow-cooks beef chuck in a savory soy and Worcestershire sauce until fork-tender. Crisp-tender bell peppers and a thickened sauce make it an easy slow cooker dinner.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 7 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Total Time 7 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Calories: 430

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the pepper steak

• 2 lb beef chuck steak boneless, cut into 1/2-inch strips
• 1 cup beef broth
• 0.33 cup soy sauce low-sodium
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar packed
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 0.5 tsp ground ginger
• 0.5 tsp black pepper
• 1 yellow onion medium, sliced
• 2 bell peppers sliced

For thickening

• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp water cold

Equipment

• 1 6-quart slow cooker

Method

 

Slow-cook the beef

1. Put the beef strips in a 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Whisk together the broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and black pepper, then pour the mixture over the beef and add the onion.
3. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
4. Add the bell peppers, cover, and cook for 1 more hour on LOW or 45 minutes on HIGH, until the beef is fork-tender and the peppers are crisp-tender.

Thicken the sauce

1. Whisk the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl until smooth, then stir the mixture into the slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on HIGH for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce thickens.

Notes

For the most tender beef, cook on LOW until it is fork-tender. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days or freeze them; use gluten-free tamari in place of soy sauce for a gluten-free option.