Jamaican Pepper Steak is made of tender strips of beef and sweet bell peppers cooked in a thick, spiced gravy. It's a Caribbean beef stir fry with a Chinese twist to it. The heat comes from a scotch bonnet, and you can swap it for a milder chili if you want.
I make it on weeknights when I want something quick with real heat, and it takes about 30 minutes of cooking. I serve it over plain rice, and any leftovers freeze well for another night.
It's better than any takeout version I've had, and it's an easy one to get right.
Jump to:
- What is Jamaican Pepper Steak?
- Jamaican Pepper Steak vs Chinese Pepper Steak
- Why This Recipe Works?
- Ingredients You'll Need
- How to Make Jamaican Pepper Steak?
- Recipe Tips From the Chef
- What to Serve with Jamaican Pepper Steak?
- Recipe Variations
- Storage, reheating, and Make Ahead Instructions
- Recipe FAQs
- Related Recipes
- Jamaican Pepper Steak
What is Jamaican Pepper Steak?
Jamaican Pepper Steak is a beef and pepper stir fry cooked in a brown gravy and served over rice. What makes it Jamaican is the seasoning, mainly allspice, thyme and scotch bonnet. Allspice is called pimento on the island, so look for that name if you shop in a Caribbean store. Some people write it as peppered steak, and that is the same dish.
Chinese workers came to Jamaica in the 1800s, and their stir frying and soy sauce became part of everyday cooking on the island. Pepper steak is one of the dishes that came out of that, with Jamaican seasoning and Chinese cooking.
Jamaican Pepper Steak vs Chinese Pepper Steak
Chinese pepper steak is a quick stir fry. The beef gets a couple of minutes in a very hot pan with soy sauce and ginger, and the peppers keep their crunch.
The Jamaican version starts the same way, with the beef browned in a hot pan. Then it simmers in stock until a brown gravy builds up around it. The gravy gets its color from browning sauce, and the seasoning is Jamaican rather than Chinese.
In Jamaica the gravy matters as much as the beef, and there's always rice underneath it.
Why This Recipe Works?
- It's 30 minutes of cooking, and it all happens in one pan.
- You can marinate the beef the night before, so there's very little to do when you get home.
- The heat is up to you. I use mild chilies at home, and a scotch bonnet takes it to where it would be in Jamaica.
- Sirloin stays tender in a hot pan, so nobody's chewing on a dry piece of steak.
- There's enough gravy to spoon over the rice, which is how it's eaten in Jamaica.
- It reheats well, so I often cook extra and keep some back for lunch the next day.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
- Steak - Sirloin is my favorite here. In the UK, rump or the packs sold as frying steak work well, and in the US look for top sirloin or flank. Round steak works if you slice it thinner.
- Peppers - I use a mix of colors for the look of it. Slice them thick enough that they keep some bite in the pan.
- Seasoning - Allspice and thyme are the two I never leave out. If you have whole allspice berries, crush them and use those, since they're stronger than ground. Fresh thyme sprigs are the first choice, and dried works. The cumin, nutmeg and smoked paprika are my own addition, along with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder, and a little brown sugar.
- Chili - The dish is traditionally made with scotch bonnet chilies. I use mild ones at home, so add as much or as little heat as you like.
- Flavorings - Fresh garlic, ginger, spring onions, tomato paste, and light soy sauce. Dark soy sauce works as well and gives you a deeper colored gravy.
How to Make Jamaican Pepper Steak?
Marinate the Beef
In a bowl, mix the olive oil with the salt, brown sugar, black pepper, onion powder, garlic granules, allspice, thyme, cumin powder, nutmeg, and smoked paprika.
Add the sirloin strips and turn them until they are coated all over. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and overnight if you can, so the flavors get into the meat. Don't leave it longer than 24 hours.
Stir Fry the Beef and Vegetables
Heat vegetable or sunflower oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Remove the steak strips from the marinade and shake off any excess liquid. Add the marinated steak strips to the hot oil.
Cook them until they are browned and cooked to your desired level of doneness.
Once done, remove the steak pieces from the skillet and set them aside. If necessary, do it in batches to avoid overcrowding the skillet.
In the same skillet, add the sliced red and yellow bell peppers, as well as the sliced onion.
Sauté them until they become tender and slightly caramelized. Add the finely chopped garlic cloves, tomato paste, sliced chili, and finely chopped ginger to the skillet.
Stir-fry the mixture for about a minute to release the flavors. Return the cooked steak to the skillet and mix it with the sautéed vegetable mixture.
Add the sliced spring onions, soy sauce, and beef stock to the skillet.
Stir everything together to coat the steak and vegetables in the sauce. Let it simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens a little and coats everything.
If you want the darker, thicker gravy you get in Jamaica, stir a teaspoon of browning sauce in with the stock. To thicken it further, mix a teaspoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water, stir it in, and give it a minute to cook out.
Both are optional, and I usually leave them out.
Recipe Tips From the Chef
- Prep everything before the pan goes on. Once it starts, each stage takes a couple of minutes.
- Slice the beef thin and across the grain, about a quarter of an inch thick. It cooks in a couple of minutes and stays tender.
- Give the steak at least 2 hours in the marinade, and overnight if you can, but no longer than 24 hours.
- Wash the beef with a squeeze of lime or a splash of vinegar before you season it, which is how it's done in Jamaican kitchens.
- Get the pan properly hot and cook the steak in two batches. Crowded meat steams instead of browning.
- For a darker gravy, stir in a teaspoon of browning, or use dark soy sauce in place of the light.
- If you want the gravy thicker, mix a teaspoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water and stir it in at the end. Give it a minute to cook out.
- Taste the sauce before you add any salt. The soy sauce and the beef stock are both salty already.
- Scotch bonnet is the traditional chili and it is fierce, so start with half of one if you are not sure.
What to Serve with Jamaican Pepper Steak?
In Jamaica this is served over plain steamed white rice or rice and peas, which soaks up all the gravy. My Turkish Rice works just as well if that is what you already make at home.
I serve something sharp alongside it, either Persian Shirazi Salad or Greek Cucumber Salad.
Fried plantain is what you would see on a Jamaican plate most often. Fried dumplings, boiled yam and green banana are the other usual sides, and steamed cabbage is great if you want something green.
Recipe Variations
- Add a handful of pineapple chunks with the peppers for a sweeter version.
- Use jerk seasoning in the marinade instead of the spice mix if you want it hotter and smokier.
- Swap the beef for tofu or tempeh and use vegetable stock instead of beef stock for a vegetarian version.
- Stir a spoon of honey or brown sugar into the sauce to balance the heat with something sweet.
- Green bell peppers and carrots are what you would find in a Jamaican kitchen, so use those in place of the red and yellow peppers.
- Chicken breast or thigh strips work instead of beef, and they need a little less time in the pan.
Storage, reheating, and Make Ahead Instructions
Let the pepper steak cool completely, then keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. It freezes well for up to 3 months, so a double batch is worth doing.
Reheat it in a pan over low to medium heat with a splash of water or beef stock, stirring now and then until it's hot the whole way through. The microwave works as well on medium power, in one minute bursts with a stir in between.
Thaw frozen portions in the fridge overnight first, and don't reheat it any longer than it needs, or the beef goes chewy.
You can marinate the beef up to a day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge, which takes most of the work out of the evening. Slice the peppers and the onion in advance as well, and the cooking takes only 20 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Flank, skirt and ribeye all work and cook just as fast as sirloin. Round steak is the cheaper option, so slice it thinner and don't leave it in the pan too long. Avoid chuck, brisket and shin, which need slow cooking and stay tough in a stir fry.
Two things usually cause it. The strips were cut with the grain instead of across it, or the pan was too crowded, so the meat steamed in its own juices instead of browning.
Yes. A large heavy skillet works just as well, as long as it gets properly hot and the meat has room to sit in one layer. A wide pan matters more than the shape of it.
Only as spicy as you make it. The spice mix itself is warm rather than hot, and all the real heat comes from the chili you choose. My version with mild chilies is gentle enough for children.
It's a dark, slightly bitter Caribbean seasoning made from burnt sugar, used to color stews and gravies. You'll find it in Caribbean shops or the world food aisle, and dark soy sauce is the closest substitute.
Mix a teaspoon of cornstarch into a tablespoon of cold water or stock first, then stir it in a little at a time with the pan bubbling. Give it a minute to cook out. Dry cornstarch tipped straight into the pan clumps.
The strips are done when there's no pink left on the outside and the edges have browned, which takes two to three minutes a batch in a hot pan. They finish cooking in the gravy, so take them out a little early rather than late.
Related Recipes
For more side dishes to go with your Jamaican Pepper Steak why not try:
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Jamaican Pepper Steak
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 1 tablespoon good quality olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic granules
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme or oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
For the Stir-fry
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or sunflower oil
- 1 ½ lbs sirloin steak (700 grams)
- 1 red bell pepper (sliced)
- 2 yellow bell peppers (sliced)
- 1 medium onion (sliced)
- 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- ½ tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 chili (sliced)
- 1 teaspoon ginger (finely chopped)
- 2-3 spring onions (sliced)
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- ½ cup beef stock
Instructions
Marinate the Beef
- In a bowl, mix the olive oil with the salt, brown sugar, black pepper, onion powder, garlic granules, allspice, dried thyme or oregano, cumin powder, ground nutmeg, and smoked paprika.
- Add the sirloin strips and turn them until they are coated all over.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and overnight if you can, so the flavors get into the meat. Don't leave it longer than 24 hours.
Stir Fry the Beef and Vegetables
- Heat vegetable or sunflower oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
- Remove the steak strips from the marinade and shake off any excess liquid.
- Add the marinated steak strips to the hot oil and cook them until they are browned and cooked to your desired level of doneness.
- Once done, remove the steak from the skillet and set it aside. If necessary, do it in batches to avoid overcrowding the skillet.
- In the same skillet, add the sliced red and yellow bell peppers, as well as the sliced onion. Sauté them until they become tender and slightly caramelized.
- Add the finely chopped garlic, tomato paste, sliced chili, and finely chopped ginger to the skillet. Stir-fry the mixture for about a minute to release the flavors.
- Return the cooked steak to the skillet and mix it with the sautéed vegetable mixture.
- Add the sliced spring onions, soy sauce, and beef stock to the skillet. Stir everything together to coat the steak and vegetables with the delicious sauce.
- Let it simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens a little and coats everything.
- Optional, for a darker and thicker gravy: stir 1 teaspoon browning sauce in with the stock, then thicken with 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water and cook it out for a minute.
Notes
- Slice the beef thin and across the grain, about a quarter of an inch thick, so it stays tender.
- Marinate the steak for at least 2 hours, and overnight if you can, but no longer than 24 hours.
- Wash the beef with a squeeze of lime or a splash of vinegar before you season it, the way it is done in Jamaican kitchens.
- Cook the steak in two batches in a properly hot pan. Crowded meat steams instead of browning.
- For a darker gravy, stir in a teaspoon of browning, or use dark soy sauce in place of the light.
- For a thicker gravy, mix a teaspoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water and stir it in at the end.
- Add the peppers late and keep them moving so they still have some bite.
- Taste the sauce before adding any salt. The soy sauce and the beef stock are both salty already.
- Scotch bonnet is the traditional chili and it is fierce, so start with half of one. Milder chilies work if you prefer less heat.
- Sirloin is my first choice, though flank, skirt, ribeye or round steak all work.
- Green bell peppers and carrots are the traditional vegetables, and chicken strips work in place of the beef.
- Serve it over plain steamed white rice or rice and peas.
- Leftovers keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer. Reheat in a pan with a splash of water or stock until hot the whole way through.
katherine morris says
My mom used to make this we served it over rice it's delicious
Ayla Clulee says
Dear Katherine, thank you for sharing your experience with us.
Best wishes
Ayla