Jamaican Pepper Steak Recipe

Pepper Steak is a Jamaican stir-fried dish made of beef stripes and bell peppers and is usually served with rice. It is a flavorful and colorful recipe seasoned with thyme, ginger, and other Jamaican seasonings. 

The beef strips are cooked with bell peppers in a savory sauce that takes less than 2 hours but yields impressive results. It somehow tastes Asian-inspired because of the ginger and soy sauce. However, you’ll appreciate this pack of flavors.

So in this article, you’ll explore the details of the Jamaican Pepper Steak recipe along with the detailed ingredient list and serving tips.

How to Make Jamaican Pepper Steak 

Although Pepper Steak originally comes from China, it is one of the most popular stir-fried Chinese-American dishes. 

There are 3 different colorful peppers used to make this beef dish so attractive. The soy sauce makes the dish flavorful and seasons the beef incredibly, while the hotness comes from the hot pepper sauce. 

The beef used here is meant for flash cooking most of the time. In contrast, sirloin and top round cuts need more cooking and simmering. But they are what you’ll need for this Jamaican Pepper Steak recipe.

But that’s not it. The rest of the ingredients list is quite long. 

Ingredients:

(4 servings)

• 1 lb beef steak
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 piece white onion
• 1 cup beef broth
• ¼ cup light soy sauce
• 1 piece green bell pepper
• 1 piece yellow bell pepper
• 1 piece red bell pepper
• ¼ tsp sugar
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp hot pepper sauce
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 4-5 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

As we’ve already stated, cooking Jamaican Pepper Steak doesn’t take long, but cooking it isn’t as fast as cooking a prime-cut steak. Plus, there is a specific process included. 

If we were to break it down to one sentence, you would need to brown the meat, saute the onions, deglaze the pan with soy sauce, broth, and hot sauce, simmer the beef in this sauce and finally add pepper to cook for desired tenderness. 

But it wouldn’t be enough to cover this exquisite dish, would it?

That’s why we’ve got everything gradually listed in the steps below.

Step 1: 

Wash, clean, and cut the beef into strips. Season them with finely chopped salt, pepper, and half of the garlic. 

Step 2: 

Place a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Brown the beef strips in 2 batches and plate them out.

Step 3: 

Saute onion for a couple of minutes in the same pan. Then add the rest of the garlic and stir for a minute. 

Step 4: 

Add the beef broth, sugar, hot sauce, and soy sauce to the pan to deglaze it. 

After that, add browned sliced beef steak and tomato. Stir and bring to a simmer. When the meat is tender, lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer for approximately an hour.

Stir the mixture now and then, and add ½ cup of water if the sauce is drying out.

Step 5: 

Once the meat is cooked through, add red pepper, green pepper, and yellow pepper. Cook for another 8-10 minutes until the pepper reaches the desired tenderness. 

Serve immediately over noodles, rice, or any of your favorite sides.

Ingredient Substitution

When it comes to the flavor pack of the Jamaican Pepper Sauce, it’s all about the sauces used in this recipe. Play with the substitutes if you don’t like the tang or cannot eat spicy sauces.

We have a few things to keep your Pepper Steak interesting while maintaining your diet or following personal preferences. 

1. Worcestershire Sauce

Worcestershire sauce has a great extent of umami flavors, just like any soy sauce, which makes it a perfect substitute for light soy sauce here. 

It is made of fermenting anchovies with malt vinegar and sweet spices. This gives Worcestershire sauce slightly sweet notes with lots of umami. Besides, it’s completely gluten-free.

2. Homemade Hot Sauce

The thing about the hot sauce is they all follow the same pattern: part chili pepper part, water part, vinegar part, and salt. Since you most likely have all of these ingredients in your kitchen, why don’t you make your hot sauce? 

Making your hot sauce, you’ll be able to leverage the level of heat while keeping all of the flavors. Take 5 parts vinegar, 3 parts water, 2 parts cayenne pepper powder, and ¾ part salt. 

This will do as a substitute for store-bought hot sauce, and you can reduce the cayenne component if you like. 

What to Serve with Jamaican Pepper Steak 

Rice and noodles are the classic pairings to Jamaican Pepper Steak. But since they’re served together so often, it isn’t as impressive as it used to be. 

We encourage you to think outside the box and try something new to amplify some of the regular dishes with a succulent Jamaican side. 

Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese is a popular side since nothing could be better than creamy pasta covered in gooey cheese. But what everyone else appreciates is how easy this dish comes together. 

It would help if you cooked your pasta, melted the cheese, and mixed it all. But what you can do differently next time serves cheesy mac and cheese with Pepper Steak. This creamy dish has enough sharpness to work well with the Asian-inspired flavors of the meat.

Garlic Broccoli

Another popular side we want to drive your attention to is broccoli. It’s a good source of vitamin C and other nutrients. However, what makes it stand out for us is that it pairs wonderfully with meat dishes, this Jamaican Pepper Steak in particular. 

The garlic broccoli takes about 15 minutes to make, uses fresh and healthy ingredients, and works excellently along your beef dish. This is the finest choice if you want to offer your pepper steak with a healthy side dish.

How to Reheat Jamaican Pepper Steak 

The biggest challenge when reheating steak is not drying it out. However, stay assured it won’t happen with the Jamaican Pepper Steak. We’ve got you covered with 3 proven reheating methods.

Reheat Jamaican Pepper Steak in the Microwave

Honestly, a microwave is not the best way to reheat steak, but it’s the quickest if you run out of time. Put the steak and any accumulated liquids in a microwave-safe container.

Cover the container with plastic wrap or a microwave-safe lid and microwave in 30-second increments.

Reheat Jamaican Pepper Steak on a Stove

Reheat your pepper steak on the stove if you have some more time but don’t want to switch on the oven. Preheat the skillet over medium-low heat and add some moisture (e.g., beef broth) if necessary. 

Lower the heat and cover with a lid. Check every 3-5 minutes stirring occasionally.

Reheat Jamaican Pepper Steak in an Air fryer

Air fryers won’t compromise too much moisture, unlike other methods. Place the steak in the air fryer basket and preheat the air fryer to 350°F. Heat the steak for around 5 minutes, checking after 2 minutes.

How to Store Jamaican Pepper Steak 

The Jamaican Pepper Steak recipe is super easy to scale up. So don’t be surprised to find you’ve made too many of it and can’t finish in one go. Storing leftover Pepper Steak is easy as well. 

Store Jamaican Pepper Steak in the Fridge

Make sure to store leftover Pepper Steak in an airtight container to keep it fresh for about 3-4 days. 

Store Jamaican Pepper Steak in the Freezer

Before storing Pepper Steak in the freezer, let it cool completely. Then transfer to an airtight container or ziplock freezer bag and store for about 2-3 months. 

Note: if you want to make that Jamaican Pepper Steak a freezer meal, slightly undercook the veggies, so they don’t turn mushy once reheated.