Chinese Black Pepper Beef – Restaurant Style! (VIDEO)
Aug 29, 2023, Updated Jul 31, 2024
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Black Pepper Beef, like Black Pepper Chicken, is SO delicious – the lightly marinated meat is tender and juicy, paired with crisp onions and bell peppers in a savory, black pepper sauce. It’s a Chinese restaurant favorite – and you’ll be pleasantly surprised how easy it is to recreate at home! Black Pepper Beef is one of my favorite dishes to whip up in 30 minutes and it’ll be one of your new favorites, too!
Watch the Black Pepper Beef Recipe Video Below!
Some American Chinese takeout dishes are battered and deep fried (like Orange Chicken) – Black Pepper Beef (and it’s beef counterpart, Black Pepper Chicken) is one of the ones that are not! If you want similar dishes that are not battered but instead covered in a savory sauce, try:
- a crowd favorite and one of my most popular recipes is Beef and Broccoli
- if you want a chicken dish with lots of veggies, make Chinese Chicken and Broccoli, String Bean Chicken, or Mushroom Chicken
- Cashew Chicken or Kung Pao Chicken is another great choice for a weeknight dinner!
Ingredients for Black Pepper Beef
This recipe is such a winner and perfect for a weeknight meal with a freshly steamed bowl of rice! Here is what you’ll need for the recipe:
- beef (steak) – I prefer flank steak or ribeye; see note below.
- soy sauce – I recommend using low sodium, light soy sauce – this is also called “all-purpose” soy sauce.
- baking soda – Baking soda is commonly used in Chinese cooking to tenderize beef. It neutralizes acid and raises the pH level, which causes the meat to become more alkaline. This causes the protein to have trouble tightening up, which results in more tender meat.
- sesame oil
- white pepper – I love white pepper and it’s used very commonly in Chinese cooking (another “secret ingredient” for cooking restaurant quality Chinese food at home). It has an earthier flavor than black pepper. I recommend having some in your pantry but if you can’t find it, you can always substitute with black pepper.
- cornstarch – Cornstarch is a key ingredient in Chinese cooking because it is used for velveting the meat. Velveting is a Chinese technique where protein is marinated in cornstarch and cooked quickly in hot oil, resulting in the meat becoming tender and silky.
- chicken stock or beef stock
- garlic
- white onion
- red bell pepper – I love cooking with bell peppers – they add great texture (crunch), color, and flavor!
- Other recipes that use bell peppers are Beijing Beef, Sweet and Sour Pork or Sweet and Sour Chicken, Drunken Noodles, and Sweetfire Chicken Breast!
- oyster sauce
- Shaoxing wine – If you cannot or do not want to use wine, you can sub with sherry, mirin, or chicken stock!
- sugar
- neutral oil – My favorite neutral oil is avocado oil, but you can also use canola or vegetable oil! I don’t use olive oil when cooking Chinese food for two reasons: 1. It has a low burning point and 2. I find that the flavor profile does not usually go with the dish.
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements!
Key Tip
Beef Tips
For Black Pepper Beef, I recommend using flank steak, rib eye, or strip steak. You can also use top sirloin, top round, or tri-tip steak.
Slice the beef into 1/4″ strips, against the grain.
Slicing against the grain is my key tip in super tender beef . If you’re not sure if you are slicing against the grain, look at the meat and follow the lines. They should be running in one direction – these lines are the muscle fibers. Slice across the lines. Cutting the muscle fibers will help keep the beef tender, as the fibers of the muscles won’t be able to get tough when cooked.
Flank steak is used often in Chinese cooking – other recipes that use it are: Beef and Broccoli, Beijing Beef and Orange Beef.
Black Pepper Beef: Recipe Instructions
1. Marinate the Steak
The first step is cutting the steak against the grain into 2″ pieces that are 1/4″ thick (refer to photos). Cut the steak into uniform pieces so they cook evenly when we fry them.
Next, place the sliced steak into a bowl with baking soda, light soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, cornstarch, and avocado oil. Mix well with your hands and let marinate for at least 15-20 minutes. While the steak marinates, mince garlic, slice white onion, and bell pepper.
2. Mix the Black Pepper Beef Sauce
Next, mix the sauce by combining beef stock, oyster sauce, shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, coarse black pepper, sugar, and corn starch. I always like to premix my sauce to have it ready to go during the fast cooking process.
3. Cook the Steak
Heat 4 tablespoons of neutral oil (I prefer avocado oil) in a pan or wok over high heat until just smoking. Add the steak, in batches if needed, for 2-3 minutes until golden brown and remove and set the steak pieces aside.
Once the steak is cooked, remove the excess oil, leaving about 2 tablespoons, then sauté the minced garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant. Next, add the onions and bell peppers and cook for another 1-2 minutes until cooked but still crisp.
4. Add the Sauce
Add back the cooked beef, followed by the sauce to the aromatics and vegetables and stir fry for another minute or two to let the sauce come to a boil and thicken.
Key Tip
Recipe Tips for Black Pepper Beef
Slice Steak Against the Grain
- Follow the lines (which is the muscle fibers) in the raw steak and cut against them. Slicing beef against the grain is an easy way to get tender beef– cutting the fibers of the muscle means they won’t get tough when cooked.
Cut the Vegetables to Similar Sizes
- I always recommend cutting your vegetables into similar sized pieces so they cook evenly – this little step makes a huge difference!
Success is in the Prep!
- Once you start cooking, Black Pepper Beef will come together very quickly. The key to pulling this off successfully is having all of your ingredients prepped and in bowls right next to your wok or pan (like in the photo shown below)! Have your premixed sauce, beef, and vegetables ready and easily accessible during the cooking process. Make sure to stir the cornstarch slurry one more time before adding it into the wok or pan.
What to Serve with Black Pepper Beef
Recreate your favorite Chinese restaurant meal –
- Start with Egg Drop Soup (or Chicken Corn Egg Drop Soup, if you want a heartier version) or Hot and Sour Soup! You can’t forget Egg Rolls as your appetizer!
- Order some kind of rice (a fluffy Egg Fried Rice, Chicken Fried Rice, or Shrimp Fried Rice) and noodles (Chicken Lo Mein or Shrimp Lo Mein).
- Don’t forget your vegetables – Garlic Bok Choy, Smashed Cucumber Salad, or Gai Lan!
Storage and Reheating
You can store leftover Black Pepper Beef in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Because Black Pepper Beef is not coated in a batter, you won’t have to worry about trying to restore the crispy texture of the dish – I recommend reheating this in the microwave or in a hot pan/wok for a couple minutes (add a little bit of water if you want to loosen up the chicken pieces that stuck together in the refrigerator).
Cooking With a Wok (Alternatives)
By now, you know that I LOVE cooking with my carbon steel wok! It is my #1 most recommended kitchen tool, as I believe it is perfect for high-heat cooking and results in restaurant quality Chinese food!
If it is your first time cooking with a wok, make sure to read my “How To Season a Wok” post. There is a video included that shows exactly how to season your brand new wok and how to maintain it so it lasts for years.
If you cannot or do not want to use a wok, you can use a large pan, cast iron, or even a dutch oven.
My KEY TIP would be to avoid crowding your pan – crowding can lead to your Black Pepper Beef not cooking thoroughly and becoming mushy. If you think your dish will be crowded, use a larger pan, cast iron, or dutch oven, OR cook in batches.
If you tried this Black Pepper Beef or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Black Pepper Beef
Ingredients
- 1 lb flank steak, cut to 1/4" strips
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce, (low sodium)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 1/2 tbsp avocado oil
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1/2 white onion, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
Sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce, (low sodium)
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp coarse black pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 cup high quality beef or chicken stock
- 1/4 tsp MSG, optional
- 1/2 tbsp corn starch
Instructions
- Slice steak against the grain into 2" pieces about 1/4" thick. Place in a bowl and add baking soda, light soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, cornstarch, and avocado oil. Mix well and marinate for 20 minutes.
- Mince garlic and slice onions and bell peppers and set them aside with the beef.
- In a small bowl, mix together oyster sauce, shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, coarse black pepper, sugar, beef stock, msg (optional), and cornstarch. Mix until the sauce is thoroughly combined.
- Heat 4 tbsp of oil in a large wok or pan over high heat and cook the beef (in batches if needed) for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Remove the beef and leave about 2 tbsp of oil in the pan.
- Over medium high heat, add the minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add the sliced onions and bell pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes over high heat or until the vegetables are slightly softened but still crisp.
- Add the cooked beef back to the pan. Mix the sauce a final time to pick up any cornstarch, then pour the sauce along the edge of the wok or pan.
- Mix and toss the sauce and ingredients for another 1-2 minutes over high heat until the sauce has thickened. Serve with white rice and enjoy!
Notes
Storage and Reheating Tips
You can store leftover Black Pepper Beef in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Because Black Pepper Beef is not coated in a batter, you won’t have to worry about trying to restore the crispy texture of the dish – I recommend reheating this in the microwave or in a hot pan/wok for a couple minutes (add a little bit of water if you want to loosen up the chicken pieces that stuck together in the refrigerator).Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Good guide on how to cook beef nice and tender. Sauce was delicious as well.
@chekis_mom. Lyelichek@gmail.com. This was so so good! I’ve put this in my menu rotation. Thanks for making creating Chinese so easy!
So appreciate your tips on how to prepare the beef so that it is tender. Fantastic,
delicious recipe!!
This recipe was so easy and delicious! Definitely a keeper at my house!
I’ve probably made this recipe at least 6 times already, it’s so tasty! The last time I used pork tenderloin as that’s what I had. I added the baking soda and the meat was sooooo soft. I’ve found that all of CJ’s recipes that I’ve tried so far, about 7 of them, are foolproof, easy to make, and are absolutely delicious!!! In my opinion, you can’t go wrong with his recipes.
Fantastic recipe! Easy to make and totally delicious!!! I’ve made it with beef and pork loin and they are both super delicious.
this is one my favorite dishes. it’s dangerous that I now know how to make this.
Delicious, very easy to follow recipe, always turns out great. My kids request it for birthday dinners.
Tastes like I’m eating at a Chinese restaurant!
This is so easy to make and delicious.