Jamaican Pepper Steak

This Jamaican pepper steak is a quick stir-fry loaded with tender beef, sweet bell peppers, and warm island spices. It's the kind of weeknight dinner that comes together fast but tastes like you spent hours on it.

You’ll find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Be sure to check out the blog post itself for extra tips and tricks!

Pepper steak is one of those dishes that reflects the Chinese influence in Jamaican cooking. The Jamaican version takes the stir-fry concept and adds scotch bonnet pepper, fresh thyme, allspice, and all-purpose seasoning. It's got that quick cooking method from Chinese cuisine, but the flavors are unmistakably Jamaican.

I make this when I want something quick and full of flavor. It works for a regular weeknight, but it's also nice enough for a romantic dinner at home. Serve it over rice.

Love, Tanya

JAMAICAN PEPPER STEAK AT A GLANCE

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Serves: 6 people
• Best For: Quick weeknight dinners, romantic dinners, meal prep

A QUICK LOOK AT THE INGREDIENTS

Ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions are on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

For the Beef

• Top sirloin or flank steak - Cut into thin strips about ¼ inch thick, slicing against the grain for tenderness.
• Soy sauce, all-purpose seasoning, ground allspice, and cornstarch - These season and coat the beef. The cornstarch also helps with velveting, keeping the meat tender, and thickening the sauce later.

For the Sauce

Beef broth, dark soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and cornstarch

For the Stir-Fry

Bell peppers, yellow onion, garlic, fresh ginger, scotch bonnet pepper, fresh thyme, olive oil, and green onions - I use red, yellow, and green peppers. Slice the peppers and onion about ¼ inch thick. You can go a little thinner, but keep them thicker than ⅛ inch. Slice the peppers about the same thickness as the beef. Slice the garlic, mince the ginger, and slice the scotch bonnet (remove seeds for less heat).

HOW TO MAKE JAMAICAN PEPPER STEAK

This recipe comes together quickly once you start cooking, so have everything prepped and ready to go before you turn on the heat.

Step 1: Marinate the beef

In a bowl, combine the sliced beef with all-purpose seasoning, allspice, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Mix until the beef is evenly coated. Let it marinate for 30 minutes while you prep your vegetables and make the sauce. This marinating time makes a real difference in flavor and texture.

Step 2: Make the sauce

In a bowl, whisk together the beef broth, dark soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, ground black pepper, and cornstarch. Set this aside until you need it later.

Step 3: Sear the beef

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the beef in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Sear for 2-3 minutes, until browned, flipping halfway through. Remove it from the pan and set aside.

Step 4: Cook the vegetables

In the same pan, add 2 tablespoons of oil if needed. Add the yellow onions and peppers and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring until they've softened. Add the garlic, ginger, green onions, scotch bonnet, and thyme sprigs and stir for another minute.

Step 5: Bring it together

Return the beef to the pan with the vegetables. Pour in the sauce you made earlier and stir everything together. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce thickens.

Step 6: Finish and serve

Remove from heat and serve hot over rice.

VARIATIONS

• Milder version - Skip the scotch bonnet entirely and use only bell peppers. You'll still get the Jamaican flavors from the thyme and allspice without the added heat.
• Chicken pepper steak - Swap the beef for thinly sliced chicken breast or thighs. The cooking time stays about the same.
• Extra vegetables - Add mushrooms, snap peas, or carrots to bulk it up.
• Spicier version - Keep the seeds in the scotch bonnet, or add a second pepper. Or use a scotch bonnet pepper sauce.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Serve this pepper steak over white rice, brown rice, or my Jamaican rice and peas for a complete meal. Fried plantains make a sweet contrast to the savory stir-fry. You could also pair it with Jamaican cabbage for a lighter side option.

MAKE AHEAD AND STORAGE

• Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The vegetables may soften a bit, but it still tastes good.
• Freezing: You can freeze this for up to 2 months. Let it cool completely before transferring to a freezer-safe container. With freezing, it may change the texture.
• Reheating: Reheat in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through. You can add a splash of water or broth if the sauce has thickened too much.

RELATED RECIPES

I hope you love this Jamaican pepper steak as much as we do. If you're looking for more Jamaican and Caribbean-inspired recipes, try these out:

• Jamaican curry chicken - Another weeknight favorite with bold island flavors.
• One-pot jerk chicken and rice - Everything cooks together for an easy cleanup.
• Brown stew chicken - A classic Jamaican comfort food with rich gravy.
• Rasta pasta - Creamy Caribbean pasta with jerk-seasoned chicken.

If you make this Jamaican pepper steak recipe, please let us know how you like it by leaving a review below. Your feedback is appreciated!

Tanya Harris

Jamaican Pepper Steak Recipe

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This Jamaican pepper steak combines tender beef strips with colorful bell peppers and warm island spices for a quick, flavorful stir-fry.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Course: entree

Cuisine: Caribbean

Calories: 215

Ingredients

  

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For the Beef

• 1 pound top sirloin or flank steak sliced into thin strips about ¼ inch thick
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose seasoning
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• ½ tablespoon cornstarch

For the Sauce

• 1½ cups beef broth
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the Stir-Fry

• 3-4 tablespoons olive oil divided
• ½ red bell pepper sliced into strips about ¼ inch thick
• ½ yellow bell pepper sliced into strips about ¼ inch thick
• ½ green bell pepper sliced into strips about ¼ inch thick
• 1 large yellow onion sliced into strips about ¼ inch thick
• 3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced
• 1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper thinly sliced (remove seeds for less heat)
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
• 3 green onions sliced

Instructions

 

1. In a bowl, season steak strips with all-purpose seasoning, allspice, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Mix well and let marinate for 30 minutes.
2. Make the sauce by whisking together beef broth, dark soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, ground black pepper, and cornstarch. Set aside.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add beef in batches (don't overcrowd) and sear for 2-3 minutes until browned, flipping halfway. Remove and set aside.
4. In the same pan, add 2 tablespoons oil if needed. Add the yellow onion and peppers and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring until the onion and peppers have softened. Add garlic, green onion, ginger, scotch bonnet, and thyme and stir for an additional minute.
5. Return the beef to the pan and add the sauce. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
6. Remove from heat and serve hot.

Nutrition

Calories: 215kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 19gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 832mgPotassium: 499mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 491IUVitamin C: 45mgCalcium: 71mgIron: 3mg

Notes

• Slice beef about ¼ inch thick against the grain for maximum tenderness
• Slice peppers and onions about ¼ inch thick for even cooking
• This is best served fresh, but leftovers keep for 3 days in the refrigerator

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!