quick

5-Ingredient Beef and Bell Pepper Stir Fry (20 Minutes)

Name: 5-Ingredient Beef and Bell Pepper Stir Fry
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Chinese-American
Ingredients: 0.75 lb flank steak or sirloin; 2 unit bell peppers; 4 unit garlic cloves; 3 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp honey; 1 tbsp cornstarch; 2 tbsp neutral oil; 0.25 tsp black pepper; 2 cup cooked white rice

Saucy beef and peppers over rice — 5 ingredients, 20 minutes, done.

Total: 20 min
Prep: 8 min
Cook: 12 min
Serves: 2
Difficulty: easy
Calories: 858
Cost: $$$/serving

When you're staring at the fridge at 6pm with zero energy, this is the move. Thin-sliced beef hits a hot skillet with colorful bell peppers and a simple soy-garlic sauce, and dinner is on the table in about 20 minutes. It tastes like something you'd order from a Chinese-American takeout spot — savory, a little sweet, and genuinely satisfying. You only need 5 real ingredients (rice aside), and the whole thing comes together in one pan. Expect bold flavor without a lot of work.

Ingredients

0.75 lb flank steak or sirloin — thinly sliced against the grain, about 1/8-inch thick
2 unit bell peppers — any color mix, thinly sliced
4 unit garlic cloves — minced
3 tbsp soy sauce — low-sodium preferred
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp cornstarch — for coating the beef
2 tbsp neutral oil — vegetable or avocado oil
0.25 tsp black pepper
2 cup cooked white rice — for serving; microwave pouches work great

Method

1 Pat the sliced beef dry with a paper towel. Toss it in a bowl with the cornstarch and black pepper until evenly coated. This helps the beef sear rather than steam.
2 In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce and honey. Set aside.
3 Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat until shimmering — about 1 minute.
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4 Add the beef in a single layer. Let it sear undisturbed for 1–2 minutes until browned on the bottom, then stir-fry for another 1 minute. Transfer to a plate.
5 Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the bell peppers and stir-fry over high heat for 2–3 minutes until slightly softened but still crisp.
6 Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn.
7 Return the beef to the skillet. Pour the soy-honey sauce over everything and toss to coat. Cook for 1 minute until the sauce thickens slightly and everything is glossy.
8 Serve immediately over cooked white rice.

Variations

Vegetarian swap — Replace the beef with 8 oz of extra-firm tofu, pressed and cubed. Toss in cornstarch the same way and sear until golden before adding the peppers.
Faster swap — Use pre-sliced beef stir-fry strips from the grocery store to skip the slicing step entirely — shaves off 5 minutes of prep.
Spicy version — Add 1–2 teaspoons of chili garlic sauce or a pinch of red pepper flakes to the soy-honey sauce for heat.

Notes

Slicing the beef thin is the most important step — pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes beforehand if it's hard to slice. High heat is key: don't crowd the pan or the beef will steam instead of sear. If your skillet is on the smaller side, sear the beef in two batches.