Steak and Pepper Stir Fry
Restaurant Quality, 15 Minutes Flat
A steak stir fry lives and dies by two things: the quality of the sear and the sauce. Get the wok screaming hot, cook in batches, and nail the sauce. This delivers tender strips of beef with charred peppers in a sticky, savoury glaze.
YIELD: 4 servings PREP TIME: 10 minutes COOK TIME: 10 minutes TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes DIFFICULTY: Easy COST PER SERVING: £2.85
Nutritional Information (Per Serving)
| Calories | Protein | Carbohydrates | Fat | Fibre | |----------|---------|---------------|-----|-------| | 460 kcal | 38g | 40g | 16g | 3g |
Ingredients
For the Steak
| Ingredient | Amount | Cost | |------------|--------|------| | Sirloin or rump steak | 500g | £6.00 | | Cornflour | 1 tbsp | £0.05 | | Salt and pepper | to taste | - | | Vegetable oil | 2 tbsp | £0.10 |
For the Vegetables
| Ingredient | Amount | Cost | |------------|--------|------| | Red pepper | 1 | £0.40 | | Yellow pepper | 1 | £0.40 | | Green pepper | 1 | £0.40 | | Red onion | 1 | £0.20 | | Garlic cloves | 3 | £0.10 | | Fresh ginger | 1 tbsp, grated | £0.10 |
For the Sauce
| Ingredient | Amount | Cost | |------------|--------|------| | Soy sauce | 3 tbsp | £0.15 | | Oyster sauce | 2 tbsp | £0.15 | | Rice vinegar | 1 tbsp | £0.10 | | Honey | 1 tbsp | £0.10 | | Sesame oil | 1 tsp | £0.05 | | Cornflour | 1 tsp (mixed with 2 tbsp water) | £0.02 |
To Serve
- 250g jasmine or basmati rice (dry weight)
- Sesame seeds
- Spring onions, sliced
Total: £11.40 | Per serving: £2.85
Equipment Needed
- Wok or large frying pan
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Small bowl (for sauce)
- Rice cooker or saucepan
Method
Step 1: Prep the Sauce
Mix the soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, honey, and sesame oil in a small bowl. In a separate small cup, mix 1 tsp cornflour with 2 tbsp cold water. Set both aside.
Step 2: Prep the Steak
Slice the steak against the grain into thin strips (about 5mm thick). Toss with 1 tbsp cornflour, salt, and pepper. The cornflour creates a light coating that helps the steak sear and thickens the sauce slightly.
Step 3: Prep the Vegetables
Deseed all three peppers and cut into strips. Slice the red onion into thin wedges. Mince the garlic and grate the ginger.
Step 4: Start the Rice
Get your rice cooking. It takes 12-15 minutes so start it before the stir fry.
Step 5: Sear the Steak
Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok over the highest heat until smoking. Add half the steak strips in a single layer. Don't touch them for 60 seconds. Flip and cook another 60 seconds. Remove to a plate. Repeat with the remaining steak and another splash of oil.
Step 6: Cook the Vegetables
Add the remaining oil to the wok. Add the onion wedges and peppers. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes until slightly charred but still crisp. Add the garlic and ginger. Cook for 30 seconds.
Step 7: Bring It Together
Return the steak to the wok. Pour the sauce mixture over everything. Toss to coat. Add the cornflour slurry and stir for 30 seconds until the sauce thickens and goes glossy.
Step 8: Serve
Pile onto rice. Scatter with sesame seeds and sliced spring onions.
Cost Breakdown
| Item | Cost | |------|------| | Sirloin/rump steak 500g | £6.00 | | Peppers (3) | £1.20 | | Red onion, garlic, ginger | £0.40 | | Sauces and seasonings | £0.57 | | Rice | £0.30 | | Oil | £0.10 | | Total | £11.40 | | Per serving | £2.85 |
Pro Tips
Slice against the grain. Look at the lines running through the steak. Cut perpendicular to them. This shortens the muscle fibres and makes every bite tender.
Cook in batches. Overcrowding the wok drops the temperature. The steak steams instead of searing and goes grey. Two batches, high heat, fast cooking.
Cornflour coating on the steak. This is a Chinese restaurant technique called velveting (simplified). It creates a thin barrier that keeps the steak juicy and helps the sauce cling to the meat.
Wok hei matters. That smoky, charred flavour only comes from a scorching hot pan. If you have a gas hob, use the highest setting. Electric hobs struggle here but a heavy cast iron pan helps.
Meal Prep Option
Stir fry is best fresh but can be prepped ahead to make weeknight cooking even faster.
- Fridge (cooked): Keeps for 2 days. The steak will be slightly less tender reheated.
- Prep ahead: Slice all vegetables and steak, mix the sauce, and store separately in the fridge. When ready to eat, the actual cooking takes 5 minutes.
- Reheat: Wok or frying pan over high heat. Don't microwave if you can avoid it as the steak goes rubbery.
- Batch tip: Double the sauce recipe and keep a jar in the fridge. Instant stir fry sauce all week.
Variations
Chicken version: Use 500g chicken thigh fillets, sliced thin. Cook for 3-4 minutes per batch instead of 2.
Budget swap: Use beef stir-fry strips instead of sirloin. They're cheaper per kilo and pre-sliced.
Noodles instead: Swap rice for 300g egg noodles. Cook them first and toss into the wok at the end.
Black bean sauce: Replace the oyster sauce with 2 tbsp black bean sauce for a different flavour profile.
Common Mistakes
Grey, steamed steak. Your wok was not hot enough or you added too much beef at once. The surface of the steak needs to hit screaming hot metal. Smoke is good.
Tough steak strips. You sliced with the grain instead of against it. Or you overcooked. Steak strips only need 2 minutes total in a hot wok.
Watery sauce. The cornflour slurry needs to be mixed fresh (cornflour settles). Give it a stir before adding to the wok. Also make sure the wok is hot enough that the sauce reduces quickly.
Soggy peppers. Overstirring and low heat cause this. Keep the heat high and let the peppers sit against the wok surface to get some char.
Shopping List
□ Sirloin or rump steak (500g) □ Red pepper (1) □ Yellow pepper (1) □ Green pepper (1) □ Red onion (1) □ Garlic □ Fresh ginger □ Soy sauce □ Oyster sauce □ Rice vinegar □ Honey □ Sesame oil □ Cornflour □ Rice □ Spring onions □ Sesame seeds
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Last updated: April 2026