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Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

I love a good slow cooker recipe. Pull this from your freezer the night before, put the whole bag in your Crock Pot in the morning, and come home at dinner to a delicious meal, ready to eat. Just add rice for a complete, filling meal with all the flavor vibes you love. Introducing our recipe for Slow Cooker Pepper Steak.

The top half of the image shows all of the ingredients for the dish in a freezer bag. The bottom half of the image shows a full slow cooker with the lid slightly ajar. In between, text reads "freezer meal slow cooker pepper steak."

The slow cooker is my friend. Cooking low and slow takes inexpensive and otherwise inedible meat and turns it into a feast fit for kings — all while I am away at work or appointments or errands. If you feel the same way about your slow cooker, you are going to love this recipe!

In fact, we have a whole collection of freezer meal slow cooker recipes you can stock in your freezer to have on hand. This makes life easier on so many levels. For one thing, it removes the decision making process from the meal time game. Just thaw a bag the night before, and cook it the next evening. No stressful last minute choice. Sometimes I give the job of bringing up a meal to thaw to one of the kids and let them pick.

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lbs. beef strips
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 14 oz. diced tomatoes
  • 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1 Tbsp. beef bouillon
  • 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. steak sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. steak seasoning

How to Make Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

Assembly Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients in a large resealable freezer bag.
  2. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.
A freezer bag with all of the ingredients for slow cooker pepper steak inside.

Cooking Instructions

  1. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
  2. Cook on low for 4-6 hours in a slow cooker.
  3. Add a cornstarch slurry at the end of cooking.
A collage image showing four square images: all of the ingredients in a bag, all of the ingredients in a slow cooker, all of the ingredients after hours of cooking in a slow cooker, and the finished dish served over rice on a black plate with a wooden table.

What are Beef Strips?

This type of cut (also called beef stir fry strips) is usually strips cut from a top round roast or eye of round steak, found in Northern grocery stores in the United States and in Canada. If you can’t find it where you are, just purchase a cheap steak or roast and cut it into thin strips for this recipe. Make sure to cut against the grain so that it isn’t too chewy or tough.

How do you make a Corn Starch Slurry?

Mix equal parts cornstarch and water. I have found mixing with my fingers makes the cornstarch blend in more easily. If you don’t want to do that, use a whisk or fork. If you let the slurry sit for a few minutes, the cornstarch will all settle to the bottom, so timing is important. As soon as you have mixed in the cornstarch with the water until “feels” dissolved, add it to your pepper steak to help thicken the sauce.

What is Beef Bouillon?

This is dehydrated beef broth, usually with added ingredients such as salt, seasonings, and possibly thickening agents. Bouillon comes in cubes or granules and helps to intensify the flavor and seasoning of your dish without adding more liquid. If your bouillon includes cornstarch it will also help thicken a sauce, but is usually not enough on it’s own.

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak Recipe Ideas

Close up of slow cooker pepper steak served over rice on a black plate with a wooden table.

Adding mushrooms to pepper steak is a definite “yes” for me. I am highly partial to shitake mushrooms, but really any kind of mushrooms or even a blend of mushrooms will work. I like to buy the ones that are sliced and pre-washed at the grocery store to save time, but I still peel off the outer layer to remove any extra residue that remains. Not everyone in my family loves mushrooms, so depending on how many people I am feeding — if I have two slow cookers going — I might do one with and one without.

Pepper Steak actually makes a great sandwich. Get hoagie rolls and scoop the dish right onto your roll using a slotted spoon so that it doesn’t get too soggy. Add Swiss or Provolone and have a little bit of the sauce au jus on the side.

Use leftovers on pasta with alfredo sauce! Yummm.

Forget to fire up the slow cooker in time? You can also make this dish in the Instant Pot. It should take about 18 minutes with a natural release at the end.

How do I store Slow Cooker Pepper Steak?

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to four days in an airtight container and reheated in the microwave, skillet, saucepan or oven. You can also freeze the leftovers in microwaveable containers and take them to work. I recommend freezing in individual containers with rice.

What to Serve with Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

Serve this dish over rice, (white rice, jasmine rice, brown rice, basmatti rice, it doesn’t really matter what kind), spaghetti or lo mein noodles, on baked potatoes, or on its own.

For side dishes, add a fresh green salad, fruit salad, or roasted veggies. If your family loves bread, add biscuits, crusty bread, or garlic bread to the table.

Keep it simple! You don’t have to add anything, so whatever you do add will be a bonus.

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak
Prep Time
12 mins
Total Time
4 hrs 15 mins
 
Servings: 6
Calories: 281 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 lbs beef strips
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 14 oz diced tomatoes
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tbsp beef bouillon
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp steak sauce
  • 1 tbsp steak seasoning
Instructions
Assembly Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients in a large resealable freezer bag.

  2. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking Instructions
  1. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

  2. Cook on low for 4-6 hours in a slow cooker.

  3. Add a cornstarch slurry at the end of cooking.