Pepper Steak in Crockpot

Let your crockpot do the heavy lifting—this savory pepper steak slow-cooks all day for fork-tender results every time. My husband and I were discussing gravy and this recipe came to mind. It makes its own gravy. We served it at our last get-together and it was a big hit.

If you want tender, fall-apart results every time, this is the newer slow cooker model I’d choose. It’s the upgraded version of the one I use — grab it here.

All nutrition facts are AI generated and approximate.

Ingredients

• Salt and pepper (for pounding steak)
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 2½ lb top round steak
• 1 cup flour
• 2 bell peppers (sliced ¼ inch)
• 1 yellow onion (sliced ¼ inch)
• 2 jalapeños, thinly sliced
• 2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes
• 2 Tbs Better Than Bouillon beef base
• 2 Tbs soy sauce
• 2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper

Directions

1. Salt and pepper each side of the steak and pound with a meat tenderizer.
2. Cut steaks into ¼-inch slices.
3. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high and brown the meat in batches, transferring each batch to the crockpot. (You can skip browning if needed, but it adds flavor.)
4. Add flour to the meat in the crockpot and stir until completely coated.
5. Add onion and peppers; toss with the meat and flour.
6. Stir in diced tomatoes, beef bouillon, soy sauce, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. (It may not all mix right away—that's OK. Stir again a few times as it cooks and after it softens.)
7. Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours.
8. Serve over rice or potatoes.

Notes

• Browning is optional: You can skip searing when you’re short on time, but it’s worth it for a deeper, richer flavor.
• Cut choice: Top round holds up beautifully to the long, slow cook and turns fork-tender.
• It makes its own gravy: The flour coating thickens the tomatoes and bouillon into a silky sauce—stir a few times as it cooks.
• Dial the heat: Leave out the jalapeños for a milder dish, or add more for a kick.
• Serving & storage: Spoon over rice or potatoes; leftovers reheat gently and taste even better the next day.

Why This Works

• Searing builds fond: Browning the floured beef develops a savory crust that flavors the whole pot.
• Flour thickens as it cooks: Coating the meat means its starch melts into the liquid, turning it into gravy without a separate roux.
• Low and slow tenderizes: Eight hours on low breaks down the tough fibers in top round into melt-in-your-mouth beef.
• Layered umami: Beef base, soy sauce, and Worcestershire stack savory depth behind the tomatoes.