This Easy Italian Pepper Steak and Rice is a cozy dish made with sauteed peppers, onions and top round. The flavor punch comes from plenty of garlic and a good glug of red wine to get the sauce started! Basic ingredients cooked simply to create a memorable thick sauce that will hug you from the inside out.
Pepper Steak and Rice was a classic dinner in our house growing up. My mom made it at least once a month, rain or shine. Somehow, I'd never made it myself until recently and have completely fallen back in love with this scrumptious saucy dish!
The combination of peppers, onions and steak is nothing new. And just about every cuisine has a play on this combination.
But this Pepper Steak recipe takes things to the next level by using a whole bunch of garlic, a glass of red wine (for the pan... but you should probably pour yourself one too!) and letting everything stew together for plenty of time.
How to Make Easy Italian Pepper Steak and Rice
First we saute the peppers and onions, then we cook down the beef. Here we use a cheap cut of meat because we'll let it cook down and tenderize for quite awhile.
Add in the seasonings and wine to get the sauce started. My mom used to always use a can of beef gravy, but here we'll mimic the gravy with beef broth and flour right in the pan to create a thick, luscious, shiny sauce.
Then serve it right over a cozy bed of rice. So that you can sop up all that sauce. A total must.
How Long Does Pepper Steak and Rice Last?
I suggest storing the Pepper Steak and Rice in separate containers. They'll keep in the fridge for up to a week and in the freezer for up to a month. It's delicious as lunch leftovers!
Easy Italian Pepper Steak and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup white rice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-2 green pepper sliced in thin strips
- 1 medium onion sliced in thin half-rounds
- 1.25 lb top round cut into 1/2 inch chunks
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 3 cloves garlic crushed and separated
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoon white whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1/2 tablespoon worcestershire
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds optional
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Cook the rice: In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add in rice and lower the heat to low. Stir with a fork and cover. Cook for 20-25 minutes until water is gone and rice is cooked through. Turn off heat, but keep warm.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan (choose one with a cover). Add in sliced peppers and saute for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in sliced onion and continue cooking for another 10 minutes until vegetables are softened and onions are translucent. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
- Put the pan back on the heat and add in beef chunks. Increase the heat to medium high and brown the beef quickly. There will be a considerable amount of liquid, but let it cook down and burn off so that the pan gets some brown spots (fond). This should take about 10-12 minutes.
- Add red wine to the pan with 1/4 cup water while scraping the bottom of the pan to release some of the fond (brown spots = flavor!). Let the liquid cook down for about 5 minutes until it’s gone.
- Add in 2 crushed garlic cloves and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir and let cook for 2 minutes. Add the peppers and onions back into the pan along with flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Stir and let flour cook for 2 minutes. Add in beef broth and worcestershire. Stir together and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove the lid and add in the remaining garlic clove and fennel seeds, if using. Let simmer for 5 minutes, then serve over a bed of rice.
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