Instant Pot Pepper Steak Recipe: Tender Beef with Bell Peppers

This Instant Pot Pepper Steak is a savory, healthy meal that’s ready quickly. Thinly sliced flank steak cooks with colorful bell peppers, onions, scallions, garlic and ginger in a bold stir‑fry sauce for a simple weeknight dinner.

Prepared in the Instant Pot, this pepper steak retains rich flavor while minimizing hands‑on time and cleanup. The pressure cooker preserves the juices and yields tender beef in just a few minutes of active cooking. The recipe is easy to customize—swap or add vegetables to suit your preferences—and it works well as a low‑carb or keto option when paired with cauliflower rice or served on its own.

What you’ll love about this recipe:

• Minimal cleanup: Everything cooks in the Instant Pot so you avoid multiple pans and long cleanup.
• Healthy: Low in carbs and relatively low in fat; serve it alone, with extra vegetables, or with a starch to round out the meal.
• Customizable: Use your favorite vegetables to change the flavor profile or to add variety.
• Budget friendly: Flank steak is an economical cut that becomes tender and flavorful when sliced thin and cooked properly.

Ingredients for Pepper Steak

Here’s a concise ingredient overview. Quantities and full instructions appear below in the recipe card.

• Vegetables: red and green bell peppers, yellow onion, scallions
• Neutral oil: canola, vegetable, or another high‑heat oil
• Aromatics: fresh garlic and grated ginger
• Beef: thinly sliced flank steak (skirt or other thin cuts can be substituted)
• Sauce: soy sauce or tamari (choose a gluten‑free option if needed), rice vinegar, dark brown sugar (or monkfruit for a low‑carb swap)
• Liquid: water or low‑sodium beef broth to create pressure
• Seasoning: fine sea salt and black pepper
• Thickener (optional): cornstarch mixed with water; xanthan gum is a keto alternative

How to cut steak against the grain

For the most tender results, slice flank steak thinly and against the grain. Identify the direction of the muscle fibers in the raw meat, then cut perpendicular to those fibers in thin strips. This shortens the muscle strands and makes each bite more tender and easier to chew.

How to make this steak stir fry in the Instant Pot

This recipe was developed using a 6‑quart Instant Pot. Follow the steps below for reliable results.

Sauté the vegetables

Use the Instant Pot’s “Sauté” function and heat the oil until hot. Add sliced peppers, onion and the white parts of the scallions. Sauté on medium to medium‑high, stirring every minute or two, until peppers soften and onions become translucent. Stir in garlic and ginger and cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Press “Cancel,” remove the cooked vegetables to a bowl, and set aside.

Add sauce and steak

With the pot empty, add soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, salt, pepper and 1 cup water (or broth) and stir. Add the thinly sliced steak and mix to combine. The water provides the steam needed for pressure cooking; do not reduce it significantly or you may trigger the burn warning.

Pressure cook and finish

Cover and set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook on High for 8 minutes. When the timer finishes, quick‑release the pressure to avoid overcooking the beef. Once the lid can be safely removed, stir the steak. If you want a thicker sauce, switch to “Sauté,” return the cooked peppers to the pot, then stir in the cornstarch‑water slurry quickly to avoid lumps. Cook 2–3 minutes until the sauce thickens, then turn off the pot.

Serve

Serve the pepper steak over steamed rice, cauliflower rice, or alongside sesame noodles. Garnish with the sliced green parts of the scallions and, if desired, a sprinkle of sesame seeds or chopped toasted peanuts for crunch.

Tips and tricks

• Always slice flank steak against the grain for the best texture.
• Swap or add vegetables—snap peas, broccoli, mushrooms or baby corn work well—to change the dish’s character.
• For extra texture, top the finished dish with toasted sesame seeds, chopped peanuts, or cashews.

Pepper Steak Stir Fry FAQ

Other Instant Pot recipes

• Instant Pot Chili — hearty and easy to make
• Easy Instant Pot Mongolian Beef — a flavorful sauce and tender beef
• Rosemary Vegetable Beef Stew — comforting chunks of beef and vegetables
• Asian Chicken Thighs — juicy and fast in the pressure cooker

Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Pepper Steak

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 15 mins

Total: 25 mins

Yield: 4

Author: Annie Holmes

This Instant Pot Pepper Steak combines tender flank steak and vegetables in a savory stir‑fry sauce for a quick, flavorful meal.

Ingredients

• 1 each red bell pepper and green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 4 scallions (white and green separated and sliced as directed)
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 1.5 lb thinly sliced flank steak, cut into strips
• 3 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari)
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar (or monkfruit for keto)
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water (optional)

Equipment

• 6‑quart Instant Pot or similar electric pressure cooker

Instructions

• Trim and slice scallions: cut the white parts into 1½” pieces and slice lengthwise; thinly slice the green parts and reserve for garnish.
• Select “Sauté” on the Instant Pot and heat until it reads “Hot.”
• Add oil, sliced peppers, onion and the white parts of the scallions. Sauté on medium to medium‑high, stirring every 1–2 minutes, until peppers soften and onions are translucent. Stir in garlic and ginger and cook 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
• Press “Cancel,” remove the cooked vegetables and set aside.
• Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, salt, pepper and 1 cup water (or broth) to the empty pot. Add the sliced steak and mix.
• Cover and pressure cook on High for 8 minutes. Quick‑release the pressure when the timer finishes; do not open the lid until the float valve drops.
• Open the lid when safe, stir the steak, then switch to “Sauté.” Return the cooked peppers to the pot. Stir in the cornstarch slurry quickly and cook 2–3 minutes until the sauce thickens.
• Turn off the Instant Pot, transfer to a serving dish or serve over rice, and garnish with the green scallion slices.

Notes

Low carb / keto options:

• Use monkfruit brown sugar instead of regular brown sugar.
• Substitute 1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum for cornstarch to thicken the sauce.

Nutrition (approximate, using low carb ingredients): Calories 313; Fat 12 g; Protein 38 g; Net Carbs ~8 g per serving.