Published by Best Fitness Routine. Editorial standards · Report a correction. Educational guidance; no individual clinical review is claimed unless a qualified reviewer is named.
About This Healthy Recipe
This black pepper beef stir-fry combines lean flank steak with two colors of bell pepper and onion. The measured pepper-soy sauce is lightly thickened, and cooked brown rice completes four dinner portions.
Slice beef across the grain and cook it separately from the vegetables. A short safe rest protects the cooking sequence while peppers retain a firmer texture.
The estimate uses a raw red-pepper reference for both bell-pepper colors, with that proxy disclosed. Soy sauce contributes sodium, and the recipe does not make a low-sodium or low-fat claim.
Why Readers May Like It
- 1Measured portions, staged stir-frying and clear doneness checks.
- 2Clear dry, cooked and drained ingredient weights.
- 3A complete four-serving meal with practical cooking cues.
Recipe Summary and Estimated Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated from the listed ingredient weights and the specific USDA records or manufacturer references linked below. Weights labeled dry, cooked or drained must be matched to that state.
4 servings
One serving is one quarter of the base batch. Values are estimates rather than laboratory analysis.
Per one quarter of the base recipe
Per one quarter of the base recipe
Per one quarter of the base recipe
Per one quarter of the base recipe
Brands, drained weights, substitutions and final serving sizes can change these values.
Ingredient-by-Ingredient Nutrition Breakdown
Gram weights are the calculation basis; household measures are approximate. Cooking water is listed for preparation, and drained water is not included.
| Ingredient | Amount used | Weight | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raw lean flank steak, trimmed, thin strips | about 1 lb 5 oz | 600 g | 846 kcal | 129.4 g | 0 g | 32.8 g |
| Red bell pepper, strips | about 2 medium | 250 g | 65 kcal | 2.5 g | 15.1 g | 0.8 g |
| Yellow bell pepper, strips | about 2 medium | 250 g | 65 kcal | 2.5 g | 15.1 g | 0.8 g |
| Onion, thick wedges | 1 large | 200 g | 80 kcal | 2.2 g | 18.7 g | 0.2 g |
| Brown rice, already cooked and safely chilled | about 3 cups | 600 g | 738 kcal | 16.4 g | 153.5 g | 5.8 g |
| Olive oil | 1 1/2 tablespoons | 21 g | 186 kcal | 0 g | 0 g | 21 g |
| Reduced-sodium soy sauce | 2 tablespoons | 30 g | 17 kcal | 2.7 g | 1.7 g | 0.1 g |
| Plain rice vinegar | 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon | 20 g | 4 kcal | 0 g | 0.2 g | 0 g |
| Honey | about 1 1/2 teaspoons | 10 g | 30 kcal | 0 g | 8.2 g | 0 g |
| Coarsely ground black pepper | about 1 1/2 teaspoons | 3 g | 8 kcal | 0.3 g | 1.9 g | 0.1 g |
| Cornstarch | about 1 tablespoon | 8 g | 30 kcal | 0 g | 7.3 g | 0 g |
| Garlic, minced | 3 cloves | 12 g | 18 kcal | 0.8 g | 4 g | 0.1 g |
| Water for sauce | about 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon | 100 g | 0 kcal | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| Full recipe estimate | 4 servings | — | 2087 kcal | 156.8 g | 225.7 g | 61.7 g |
How This Nutrition Estimate Was Prepared
- Match each listed ingredient to its linked food record or stated label reference.
- Multiply the per-100-g values by the listed gram weight and add the unrounded ingredient values.
- Divide the full calculation by four servings, then round for the cards.
- Recalculate if you change the ingredient brand, amount or serving yield.
Ingredient cells are rounded independently. The footer sums displayed cells; per-serving cards use the unrounded calculation, so small rounding differences are expected. Cooking-water losses affect finished weight, not the fixed four-serving calculation.
Ingredients
Measured ingredients
Step-by-Step Preparation
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Equipment links are paid affiliate links; use suitable tools you already own.
Equipment
- Chef’s knife (paid link)
- Cutting board (paid link)
- Mixing bowls (paid link)
- Whisk (paid link)
- Large wok or deep skillet (paid link)
- Kitchen tongs (paid link)
- Instant-read food thermometer (paid link)
- Microwave-safe food containers (paid link)
Before You Start
Slice beef across the grain and cook it separately from the vegetables. A short safe rest protects the cooking sequence while peppers retain a firmer texture.
Allow about 40 minutes. Components can overlap; use the doneness cues rather than the clock alone. Keep surfaces and utensils clean. Prepare sauce and cut ingredients before heating the pan. Where cooked rice is listed, cooking it from dry grains takes additional time.
Slice the beef across the grain
12 minutesUse a sharp chef’s knife (paid link) to make thin strips across the flank steak’s visible fibers. Prepare raw beef on a separate board, then cut bell peppers into strips and onion into wedges.
Prepare the pepper sauce
3 minutesMix soy sauce, vinegar, honey, black pepper, cornstarch and water in a clean bowl. Keep garlic separate. Stir until no dry starch remains.
Sear beef in two batches
6–8 minutesHeat 14 g oil in a wide large wok or deep skillet (paid link) or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Cook beef in shallow batches, turning to cook evenly. Transfer safely cooked strips to a clean plate.
Confirm temperature and rest the beef
3 minutesCheck several thicker strips with a instant-read food thermometer (paid link), reaching 145°F / 63°C. Allow at least a 3-minute rest before serving while you cook the vegetables.
Stir-fry peppers and onion
5–7 minutesAdd remaining 7 g oil and cook onion and peppers until tender-crisp, stirring frequently. Add garlic for the final minute. Cook in two batches if the vegetables sit in a deep crowded layer.
Heat the rice in parallel
3–6 minutesReheat the cooked rice in a suitable microwave-safe food containers (paid link). Reheat the listed cooked rice in a microwave-safe container with a small splash of water, covered with an appropriate vent. Stir midway and check 165°F / 74°C throughout, following appliance instructions. Keep hot for prompt serving. Never use rice left at room temperature beyond safe limits.
Glaze the vegetables and return beef
2–3 minutesRe-stir the pepper sauce, add to the vegetables and let it bubble until lightly thickened. Fold in the rested cooked beef and clean-plate juices and heat through promptly.
Serve four evenly balanced portions
2 minutesShare all rice, beef, peppers, onion and sauce among four plates. Keep the sauce with the portions instead of leaving most of it in the pan.
How to Know It Is Ready
Beef reaches 145°F / 63°C with a 3-minute rest; reheated rice reaches 165°F / 74°C.
Thin beef strips with tender-crisp peppers and a speckled light glaze.
One quarter of rice, beef, vegetables and sauce.
What This Meal Provides and What to Consider
Meal Balance
- The measured batch supplies about 39.2 g protein per serving.
- Vegetables and the listed grain or legume portions make this a full meal, rather than a protein-only snack.
Things to Consider
- Contains soy and wheat from the reference soy sauce.
- Black pepper can be assertive; adjust for preference rather than forcing a heat level you dislike.
Who May Enjoy This Recipe?
Stir-Fry meal planning
People looking for a practical meal with a measured grain, protein or legume component.
Home cooking
The estimate uses a raw red-pepper reference for both bell-pepper colors, with that proxy disclosed. Soy sauce contributes sodium, and the recipe does not make a low-sodium or low-fat claim.
Measured portions
People who want to understand how ingredient weights relate to a four-serving batch.
How to Adjust the Meal
Smaller appetite
Serve a smaller portion and save the rest. Recalculate nutrition for the portion you actually eat rather than labeling an unchanged serving low-calorie.
Larger appetite
Add vegetables or another suitable accompaniment, and include those ingredients in the meal calculation.
Protein adjustments
If changing raw lean flank steak, trimmed, thin strips, check its product label and recalculate. A larger amount may also change texture and cooking requirements.
Substitutions, Dietary Notes, and Allergens
Practical Substitutions
- Use all red bell pepper at the same total weight for a closer match to the nutrition reference.
- Use an equal raw weight of pork tenderloin, cooking to 145°F / 63°C with a 3-minute rest and recalculating.
Allergen Information
Contains soy and wheat from the reference soy sauce.
Check packaged ingredient labels for the allergens relevant to you. A substitution changes both the recipe and the calculation.
Storage and Meal Preparation
Refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the surroundings exceed 90°F (32°C). Use shallow containers and a refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or colder. Use cooked leftovers within 3–4 days; reheat hot leftovers to 165°F (74°C). Keep clean ready-to-eat sauces separate when that helps preserve texture.
Keeping This Stir-Fry
Store rice separately from the beef mixture when practical, using shallow refrigerated portions. Pepper texture becomes softer after storage.
Reheating the Meal
Use safely refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days and reheat to 165°F / 74°C. Add a little water to loosen the sauce and avoid an unnecessarily long boil.
Where cooked rice is listed, the preparation and cooking times assume safely cooked rice is already available. Cooking rice from dry grains takes additional time and different starting quantities.
Frequently Asked Questions
That changes both texture and cooking requirements. Ground beef must reach 160°F / 71°C, and its fat percentage changes nutrition. This version is written for lean flank strips.
Along-grain slices, thick pieces and prolonged simmering can all affect tenderness. Slice thinly across the grain and avoid a long finishing simmer after the safe cooking and rest.
The listed ingredients provide an estimated 39.2 g protein per one quarter of the batch. Brands and portions can change this value.
Use the 2× or 3× control for gram quantities and serving count. Keep the per-serving estimate as a base guide; use larger cookware or batches and check doneness rather than multiplying the cooking time.
Nutrition Sources and Recipe Notes
These values are planning estimates, not individualized nutrition advice. Use the labels for your exact products when precision is important. The recipe has not been kitchen-tested and the image is a generated illustration of the intended dish.
Nutrition Data Sources
See our Nutrition Calculation Methodology for weights, rounding and substitutions.
Food Safety Reference
Recipe development note: this page does not claim independent kitchen testing. The image is illustrative and does not document a tested result. Ingredient-based nutrition estimates can change with brands, weighing state, preparation and serving size; use exact labels when precision matters.
Useful Tools for This Recipe
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The links below are paid affiliate links.
These are the tools used in the preparation above. Use suitable equipment you already own, or compare options if you need an item.
Chef’s knife
Cut the recipe ingredients into the specified sizes.
Compare on Amazon →Paid link · opens in a new tabCutting board
Use a clean preparation surface and separate raw meat from ready-to-eat food.
Compare on Amazon →Paid link · opens in a new tabMixing bowls
Keep wet mixtures, coatings or fillings organized during preparation.
Compare on Amazon →Paid link · opens in a new tabWhisk
Mix the batter, eggs or sauce until evenly combined.
Compare on Amazon →Paid link · opens in a new tabLarge wok or deep skillet
Use a wide stable pan compatible with your stove. Cook ingredients in shallow batches and keep handles clear of the edge; a lid supports brief vegetable steaming.
Compare on Amazon →Paid link · opens in a new tabKitchen tongs
Turn strips or gently lift noodles. Clean utensils after contact with raw meat before handling cooked food.
Compare on Amazon →Paid link · opens in a new tabInstant-read food thermometer
Check stated safe temperatures, inserting sideways into thin meat where needed. Clean the probe between raw and cooked checks.
Compare on Amazon →Paid link · opens in a new tabMicrowave-safe food containers
Use shallow food containers and a vented microwave-safe cover for the rice; check the exact heating and storage instructions. A storage lid is not automatically microwave-safe.
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