This Black Pepper Angus Steak recipe is a homemade version of Panda Express' popular takeout dish using fresh and clean ingredients. This is a guaranteed winner, and sure to be added into your weekly quick-and-easy meal routine.
This stir-fry includes strips of marinated Angus steak, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and green beans, all coated in a punchy black pepper sauce.
Stir-fry is an ideal family dinner staple because of how quickly the meal comes together. Once the beef is marinated, the sauce is mixed, and the vegetables are chopped, you just need to sauté it together in a pan.
Are you looking for more easy dinner ideas for the family? Check out this Chicken and Brussel Sprouts Recipe that can be roasted together on one sheet pan, for easy clean up.
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What is Black Pepper Angus Steak?
Black Pepper Angus Steak is a signature dish from the popular restaurant chain, Panda Express. It’s also known as Shanghai Angus Steak in some Panda Express restaurants.
Beef is the star of the show in this Panda Express copycat recipe, so try to find a good source to let it really shine.
For another copycat recipe, try our olive garden crispy chicken fritta.
Ingredients and substitutions
For the Marinade:
Soy Sauce (or Tamari for a gluten free option)- The salt and soy in soy sauce is a key component to tenderizing the steak.
Red Chili Paste with Garlic- This ingredient is found in many Asian dishes, and adds a hint of heat and tanginess.
Fresh Ginger- Another staple of Asian dishes. Ginger adds its unique, spicy flavor to the meat.
Baking Soda - This is the secret ingredient to making your stir fry beef so tender.
For the Sauce:
Cornstarch- Cornstarch will play the role of thickener in this dish and allows the sauce to coat the stir-fried ingredients evenly. You can also use Arrowroot powder, Xanthan Gum or Tapioca flour.
Soy Sauce (or Tamari)- A great source of saltiness while staying true to Asian flavors.
Shaoxing Wine or Cooking Sherry- To balance out a dish, you need sweet, bitter, salty, sour and umami. The Shaoxing wine or cooking wine add that sour in the form of vinegar.
Sugar (or coconut sugar)- The little bit of sugar in this recipe helps to balance all the flavors.
Freshly Ground Black Pepper- Try to use freshly ground pepper if you can. When you use freshly ground pepper, the flavor is intensified and the spice is more pronounced.
Remaining ingredients:
Sesame Oil- Sesame oil adds a nice nutty flavor to the dish.
Garlic- This aromatic ingredient elevates all the other ingredients in the stir-fry.
Onion- The onion is chopped into small bite size pieces that become sweet when heated during the stir-fry process.
Red Bell Pepper- Bell peppers add so much freshness that is needed in such a savory dish. You can substitute red bell peppers for yellow, orange, or green if needed.
But we love the vibrant red color red bell peppers add to the appearance.
Green Beans- Green beans are another element of freshness needed for the dish and a great way to get more vegetables in your diet.
White or Baby Bella Mushrooms- Mushrooms soak up all the tasty sauce and add a great texture.
Angus Beef- Angus beef is known for its high fat content and beautiful marbling. This makes the beef tender and easy to chew. We have also had success using flank steak.
If you have any questions about this recipe, please leave a comment below and we will get back to you.
Step by step instructions
- Add the soy sauce, red chili paste, and grated ginger to a medium mixing bowl, and stir until combined. Add the beef and mix until the beef is coated.
- In a separate small mixing bowl, mix the cornstarch and water until smooth. Stir in the remaining soy sauce, wine or sherry, sugar, and black pepper; set aside.
- Heat the sesame oil in a wok or large frying pan.
- Add the garlic and cook on low heat for 10-20 seconds to release the flavor.
- Add the onion, bell pepper, and green beans, and cook until the onion starts to brown.
- Add the mushroom slices and the marinated beef, and cook until the outside of the meat is browned but still a little pink in the center.
- Then add the sauce and stir until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and serve.
For the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please see the recipe below.
Expert tips
When slicing your meat, hold the knife at a 45 degree angle and slice against the grain. You want uniform thin slices, no more than ½ an inch thick.
Don't skip the baking soda in the marinade. This is known as velveting your meat. You don't want to use more than a ¼ teaspoon in the recipe as we are only using 8 ounces of beef. Trust me, you will be amazed how this works.
Variations to try
Beef - Want to change the protein, this recipe works great with chicken, pork, tofu and shrimp.
Low Carb - On a keto diet, simply replace the sugar and cornstarch. Use a granulated sweetener and xanthan gum. The net carbs will go from 11 to 7 grams.
Spicier - This recipe already has some spice due to the red chili paste but if you want more simply up the amount or add in red chili flakes.
More veggies - Throw in some broccoli, cauliflower or some fresh greens to up the nutritional profile of this dish.
Storing and Reheating Tips
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat in a pan on the stove-top over medium-high heat until warmed through.
This recipe can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. Just allow the stir-fry to thaw in the fridge completely before warming it up to make sure it warms through evenly.
Serving suggestions
We enjoy over rice or cauliflower rice if you are watching your carbs. Its also great over rice noodles.
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📖 Recipe
Black Pepper Angus Steak
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce use Tamari sauce for a gluten free option
- 1 teaspoon red chili paste with garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda secret beef tenderizer
For the sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 oz. water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or Tamari sauce
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or cooking sherry
- 1 teaspoon sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Remaining ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small onion cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ red bell pepper cut into 1-inch pieces
- 8 oz green beans ends trimmed, cut into 3–4-inch pieces
- 6 small white or baby Bella mushrooms sliced
- 8 oz Angus beef cut into 1-inch strips
Instructions
- Add the soy sauce, red chili paste, baking soda and grated ginger to a medium mixing bowl, and stir until combined. Add the beef and mix until the beef is coated. Let the beef marinate at room temperature while you prep the veggies.
- In a separate small mixing bowl, mix the cornstarch and water until smooth. Stir in the remaining soy sauce, wine or sherry, sugar, and black pepper; set aside.
- Heat the sesame oil in a wok or large frying pan.
- Add the garlic and cook on low heat for 10-20 seconds to release the flavor.
- Add the onion, bell pepper, and green beans, and cook until the onion starts to brown.
- Add the mushroom slices and the marinated beef, and cook until the outside of the meat is browned but still a little pink in the center.
- Then add the sauce and stir until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and serve.
Notes
- Don't skip the baking soda in the marinade. This is known as velveting your meat. You don't want to use more than a ¼ teaspoon in the recipe as we are only using 8 ounces of beef. Trust me, you will be amazed how this works.
- Use arrowroot starch in place of the cornstarch, for a grain free option.
- You can use coconut sugar or a granulated sweetener, in place of the sugar.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in a pan on the stove-top over medium-high heat until warmed through.
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