Black Pepper Beef
Equipment
Ingredients
Beef
- 16 oz beef, cut into bite-sized cubes, see note 1
- 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp salt
Vegetables
- 1 onion, cut into thick chunks
- 1 bell pepper, cut into chunks
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water, mixed into a slurry
Instructions
- Place your cubed beef in a bowl and marinate with shaoxing wine, cornstarch, and salt for 15 minutes.
- While the beef marinates, cut your onion and bell pepper into thick chunks and finely mince your garlic.
- In a small bowl, combine dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, shaoxing wine, sugar, and plenty of black pepper. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
- Add oil to a pan over medium-high heat and add your beef, searing on all sides until nicely browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, add your garlic, onions, and bell peppers. Cook for a couple of minutes until slightly softened and fragrant.
- Return the beef to the pan and pour in your sauce. Bring everything to a simmer, then stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook until the sauce thickens and coats the beef.
- Serve over a fresh bowl of rice or enjoy it on its own.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What Makes This Black Pepper Beef So Easy To Make
I love making this Black Pepper Beef because it’s one of those dishes that is forgiving to make and is relatively low maintenance to make. All you’ll really need is a mixing bowl to marinate the beef, a cutting board, and a frying pan to make one of the simplest weeknight dinners. Everything comes together super quickly after the marination process. The beef will cook quickly, the veggies will keep their crispiness and flavor, and there’s just enough sauce to coat everything without completely drowning it. It’s everything a weeknight dinner, plus a little more!
How To Build The Flavor Of Black Pepper Beef
This Black Pepper Beef recipe is all about the balance and making sure each component is cooked to its peak flavor profiles! The beef is seared until it has those deep caramelized edges, the onions will be slightly soft but still crunchy, and the bell peppers will still have a little bite to them to add just enough freshness and balance in each bite. The best part of the dish is the black pepper. It adds enough depth and fragrance to taste like something you’d get from your favorite Chinese restaurant, but way fresher and healthier!
What You’ll Need To Make Black Pepper Beef
Beef
- 16 oz beef, cut into bite-sized cubes
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp salt
Vegetables
- 1 onion, cut into thick chunks
- 1 bell pepper, cut into chunks
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp sugar, or to taste
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water (slurry)
How to Make Black Pepper Beef
Add the beef to a bowl with Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, and salt. Mix well and let it marinate for about 15 minutes.
While the beef marinates, cut the onion and bell pepper into large chunks and mince the garlic.
In a small bowl, mix together all the sauce ingredients and set aside.
Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Sear the beef until browned on all sides, then remove and set aside.
In the same pan, add the garlic, onions, and bell peppers. Cook for 2–3 minutes until fragrant and slightly softened.
Return the beef to the pan and pour in the sauce. Let it simmer, then stir in the slurry until the sauce thickens and turns glossy.
Serve hot over rice or enjoy straight from the pan.
Tips & Variations
Don’t skip the marinade! The marinade helps the beef get to the level of tenderness you get at any restaurant and gives you a better sear, which will ultimately help you have a juicier piece of beef!
If you want to have your beef be as flavorful as possible, use freshly cracked black pepper. The cracking helps release the black pepper’s natural flowery aroma into the dish.
In order to get the juiciest bites of beef as possible, make sure there’s enough space in your pan to get a nicely caramelized outside.
Frequently Asked Questions
What cut of beef works best with this dish?
I personally prefer to use NY strip because it’s my favorite cut, but sirloin, flank steak, or ribeye are also great options because they also stay tender and cook quickly.
Can I use ground black pepper instead of freshly cracked black pepper?
You absolutely can! I like to use freshly cracked pepper because the peppercorns will release their aromatic oils into the dish, but ground pepper works just as well in a pinch!
Do I really need Shaoxing wine?
It adds depth as well as helps break down the muscle fibers of the beef, but if you don’t have it, dry sherry is the best substitute. You can also skip it and still have an amazing dish!
What’s the best way to serve Black Pepper Beef?
I personally love to serve my beef with just white rice, but it also tastes great with noodles!
Try These Next
• Want something just like this dish but with noodles? Try out my Black Pepper Beef Udon!
• Craving another quick beef dish? Check out my Honey Garlic Beef!
• Feeling chicken instead? You’ll love my Black Pepper Chicken!
