Jamaican Pepper Steak

Learn how to make Jamaican pepper steak, a bold, delicious and flavourful Caribbean beef stir fry made with tender strips of marinated beef, colourful bell peppers and a rich, glossy sauce. This is definitely a must try island recipe, ready in an hour!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Jamaican

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 15

Total Time 40

Servings people

Calories 648kcal

Author Charla

Ingredients

1 lb beef sirloin cut into strips
1½ tablespoon browning sauce if using store bought use 1 teaspoon mixed with 2 tablespoon of water
1½ tablespoon soya sauce
1 tablespoon all purpose seasoning
¼ teaspoon onion granules
¼ teaspoon garlic granules
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon tapioca starch

To make the sauce

4 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion sliced
4 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon ginger minced
1 red bell pepper sliced
1 green bell pepper sliced
1½ tablespoon soy(a)sauce
1½ tablespoon gluten free oyster sauce (optional)
2 teaspoon fresh thyme stems removed
1 teaspoon hot sauce
⅓ cup beef stock
black pepper and pink salt to taste

Instructions

Place the beef strips in a medium sized bowl.
In a small bowl, add the ingredients for the marinade - browning sauce, soy(a) sauce, all purpose seasoning, onion/garlic granules, black pepper and tapioca starch and whisk to combine.
Pour the mixture over the beef, mix together to ensure every strip of beef is thoroughly coated.
Cover with saran wrap (cling film) and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for up to an hour.
Heat the 2tbsp of olive oil on medium heat in a medium sized skillet, frying pan or wok.
Add the beef strips in a single layer being careful not to overcrowd the pan.
Sear for roughly 2-3 minutes without moving until a crust is formed.
Start to toss the meat and continue to cook for a further 3-4 minutes until the meat is completely browned all over.
Remove the browned meat from the pan and set aside.
Wipe the pan clean with kitchen towel before re-using and add 2 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat.
Saute the onion, scallion and garlic until soft and translucent.
Add the bell peppers and cook for a few minutes.
Add the soy(a) sauce, oyster sauce, hot sauce, beef stock and thyme to the pan.
Stir and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes so the flavours can meld.
Finally add the beef to the pan and fold in with the bell peppers and sauce.
Cook for 5 minutes, stirring until the beef has heated through.

Notes

Free feel to tenderise the meat ahead of time, using a meat mallet or soaking the meat in one cup of pineapple) for 30 minutes.
If you are using the store bought browning sauce instead of my homemade version then use 1 teaspoon mixed with 2 tablespoon of water.
For a recipe like this one, choose the best cuts of beef, don't use the "stir fry cuts" those are an assortment of cuts and don't hold up very well in terms of texture.
Use any of the following - flank, skirt, sirloin or ribeye.
When cutting the steak be sure to cut against the grain rather than across the grain. Look at the direction of the muscle fibres running through the beef then cut vertically (against the grain).
Don't overcook the steak strips or you will compromise the texture (it will be tough and chewy).
Don't overcrowrd the pan, use a non stick pan that is large enough to accommodate the beef to prevent this.
Make sure the oil in the pan is very hot before searing as we want to brown the meat and not steam it.
Serve the pepper steak immediately and re-heating isn't recommended.
Chop the vegetables and prepare the sauce ahead of time to save time.

Nutrition