Asian Beef Pepper Steak Copycat Recipe for Marie Callender's (2024)

February 26, 2013 by MsDo 6 Comments

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With my gluten intolerance, I steer clear of most commercially prepared frozen and boxed dinners because they’re loaded with wheat. The wheat contains the gluten protein that gives my system all kinds of problems. One of the few frozen dinners that I can tolerate and actually like is the Marie Callender’s Asian Beef Pepper Steak. It does have a small amount of gluten, but not enough that it bothers me. It also doesn’t have bell peppers, instead it refers to spicy red pepper. Crazy, I know, but I like the spicy peppers, NOT any form or color of bell peppers!

Asian Pepper Steak Copycat Recipe for Marie Callender’s

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Looking for more of my Copycat Recipes? I have quite a few, check them out!

With the rising cost of everything these days, I rarely find the Marie Callender’s Asian Beef Pepper Steak for less than $3 each. I stocked up last week when they were on sale and bought 2 for $5. I had long planned to try and recreate the recipe for myself, but the Asian recipes make me a little more nervous than traditional American recipes.

I ate one of my frozen dinners this week in the name of research. 😉 It had been a while since I had eaten one and I needed to remind myself about the flavors that came through in the sauce. The research wasn’t enough though, so I read the ingredients. I do have a master’s degree in science education, but not a biochemistry degree so the ingredients weren’t perfectly clear to me. I stumbled through a few and decided that I was going to use my clear duck sauce and soy sauce. It was a wise combination!

Although I was creating my own recipe based on the original Marie Callender’s Asian Beef Pepper Steak, I was bright enough not to try and recreate the wheel. 😉 I bought fajita meat and matchstick carrots. Both of these are a tremendous time and energy saver for me. MS has robbed me of much of my upper body strength, so these little things are HUGE for me!

Overall, I was quite pleased with the result of my attempt at creating a copycat recipe for Marie Callender’s Asian Beef Pepper Steak. My measurements are estimates. You may need to adjust the measurements based on your personal preferences and needs.

Let me know if you try my copycat recipe of Marie Callender’s Asian Beef Pepper Steak and let me know what you think.

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Asian Beef Pepper Steak Copycat Recipe for Marie Callender’s

Prep time:

Cook time:

Total time:

Serves:5 servings

Serving size:about 2 cups

Asian Beef Pepper Steak Copycat Recipe for Marie Callender's (4)

MS Do created a copycat recipe of of Marie Callender's Asian Beef Pepper Steak, with sliced beef, carrots and onions in a sweet brown sauce over white rice.

Ingredients

  • 1¾ c. parboiled (Uncle Ben's) rice
  • 3½ c. water
  • 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 - 1½ pounds fajita steak
  • 1 med. yellow or white 87onion
  • 5 oz. matchstick cut carrots (julienne)
  • 2-3 Tbsp flour [(Gluten-Free Flour Blend)|http://dealsfrommsdo.com/gluten-free-substitute-for-all-purpose-flour/}
  • ⅓ - ⅔ c. (clear) duck sauce
  • ⅓ - ⅔ c. soy sauce
  • onion salt or powder
  • garlic powder
  • red pepper flakes (optional)
  • ½ pack green onions

Instructions

  1. Pour rice and water into microwave safe (CorningWare dish). Microwave about 17-20 minutes while preparing the rest of the dish. Prepare rice on the stove top if you wish.
  2. Peel and cut yellow onion into bite-size pieces.
  3. Wash and clean any "bad" spots on the green onions. Cut into ½" pieces or less.
  4. Cut fajita strips into smaller, bite-size pieces. Cut the meat last to avoid needing a separate cutting board for raw vegetables.
    Asian Beef Pepper Steak Copycat Recipe for Marie Callender's (5)
  5. Add olive oil to cover the bottom of a heavy, nonstick skillet. Heat oil.
    Asian Beef Pepper Steak Copycat Recipe for Marie Callender's (6)
  6. Heavily season with garlic powder and onion salt or powder.
    Asian Beef Pepper Steak Copycat Recipe for Marie Callender's (7)
  7. Add the seasoned meat to the hot oil and brown.
  8. When browning is nearly finished, add onion and brown well.
  9. Add carrots to the skillet and heat. Most of the carrot cooking will be done when reheating later.
  10. When everything is sufficiently browned, sprinkle flour over the top. Stir to distribute the flour throughout.
    Asian Beef Pepper Steak Copycat Recipe for Marie Callender's (8)
  11. Add duck, soy sauce, and water to create the brown sauce. Add red pepper flakes, if desired.
  12. Add water to thin sauce or to create additional sauce. Taste the sauce and adjust the amount of ducks sauce and/or soy sauce that tastes right to you.
    Asian Beef Pepper Steak Copycat Recipe for Marie Callender's (9)
  13. BEEP! The microwave rice should be cooked and ready to portion. Divide the cooked rice as evenly as possible into five freezer style containers.
  14. Top with the meat sauce mixture.
  15. Garnish with green onions.
  16. The final result? YUMMY! Even the pictures look the nearly the same!
    Asian Beef Pepper Steak Copycat Recipe for Marie Callender's (10)
  17. Allow to cool. Freeze and reheat as needed. Reheating time may vary depending on microwave and container used.

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Asian Beef Pepper Steak Copycat Recipe for Marie Callender's (2024)

FAQs

Why is Chinese pepper steak so tender? ›

This Chinese Pepper Steak is crazy tender thanks to 1) slicing the beef thinly, 2) slicing the beef across the grain and 3) marinating the beef. The marinade is a very thick combination of soy sauce, rice wine, cornstarch etc. and it makes ALL the difference between buttery tender beef and okay beef.

How do you thicken pepper steak sauce? ›

Add bell pepper an hour before serving. Add 1/3 of cornstarch to one cup of water to thicken the soy sauce before serving. Bring pepper steak to a boil and slowly add cornstarch until it thickens to a light gravy. If you desire more gravy add an additional 1/2 cup of soy sauce, plus 1 cup of water.

How do you make pepper steak not chewy? ›

  1. Cut Against the Grain. Cutting the steak against the grain also helps keep it from getting tough. ...
  2. Braise. After marinating and properly cutting the steak, braising can further help keep the meat from getting too tough. ...
  3. Slow Cook. If you don't have time to braise the steak, slow cooking is always an option.

What is the best cut of beef for pepper steak? ›

Flank steak is our cut of choice for pepper steak—it's marbled with fat, full of beefy flavor, and easy to cut into thin, tender slices. That being said, flank isn't your only option. Skirt steak will give you a very similar result, or if you're looking for a cheaper choice, sirloin is another great option.

How do Asians get the beef so tender? ›

While there are several ways to velvet, a pound of meat needs about two teaspoons of cornstarch and two teaspoons of oil, says Leung. You may also include two to three tablespoons of water. For beef, add a 1/4-teaspoon of baking soda for tenderizing. Additional seasonings are optional and vary from recipe to recipe.

How do Chinese get their beef so soft? ›

This is how to tenderise beef with a Chinese restaurant method called “velveting beef”. Also used for chicken, it's a simple, highly effective technique using baking soda that transforms economical beef so it's incredibly tender in stir fries and stir fried noodles.

What can I use instead of cornstarch in pepper steak? ›

Arrowroot powder: I use this grain-free starch in place of cornstarch in the beef marinade to help thicken the sauce. Avocado oil: Instead of using canola oil or peanut oil, my preferred high-temperature neutral oil is avocado oil. It's used in both the beef marinade and in the pan to sauté the dish.

Can I use flour instead of cornstarch for pepper steak? ›

If you prefer a thicker sauce, stir in a little flour or cornstarch just before removing from the heat.

Why is my pepper steak tough? ›

Many butchers cut their pepper steak from different parts of the steer. Depending on where the pepper steak is cut from, it can be very tender or it can be very tough. Many people assume that it is the way they are cooking it, but it has to do with the quality of the meat and where it is cut from.

What seasoning tenderizes steak? ›

Salting. Most cuts of steak benefit from being salted up to an hour in advance of cooking, but especially tougher cuts. In addition to seasoning the steaks, salt helps break down proteins and make the meat more tender. Liberally salt the steaks up to an hour before cooking, then proceed according to your recipe.

Does pepper steak get softer the longer you cook it? ›

The better the quality of the meat, the softer it will turn out in the end. The second thing I learned about cooking pepper steak is to cook it low and slow. The longer the steak simmers, the longer the meat will tenderize.

What brings out the flavor of steak? ›

What spices go well with steak? There are many spices available for seasoning a steak, with salt and pepper topping the list. However, other spices, like thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, and minced onion, are also good options to enhance your steak's flavor. Or, use a one-and-done approach with Chicago Steak Seasoning.

What is pepper steak in Chinese food? ›

Pepper steak (Chinese: 青椒牛肉; pinyin: qīngjiāoniúròu) is a stir-fried Chinese dish consisting of sliced beef steak (often flank, sirloin, or round) cooked with sliced bell peppers, bamboo shoots and other seasonings such as soy sauce and ginger, and usually thickened with cornstarch.

What is the difference between pepper sauce and peppercorn sauce? ›

Pepper sauce is crafted from chili peppers whereas peppercorn sauce is made from peppercorns specifically black, green, or other varieties.

What is the name of the spicy Chinese sauce? ›

Shacha Sauce (Chinese bbq sauce) (沙茶酱, shāchá jiàng)

It's also a little spicy. Bullhead is the most widely available and popular brand we have seen and also comes in a spicy version. Try our Sha Cha Chicken or Sha Cha Beef, both of which use this Sacha sauce as the primary seasoning.

What kind of meat is pepper steak made from? ›

Pepper steak isn't an actual type of meat. The title can make it appear to be a specific type of steak but it's just the name of the dish because it contains peppers and steak. The steak often used in pepper steak dishes is flank, sirloin, or round steak.

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