Pepper Steak with Jaca

By Jaca Kitchen · · Updated

This sugar-free pepper steak swaps refined sugar for Jaca allulose to deliver the same sweet-and-savory Chinese-American takeout flavor with only about 4 grams of sugar per serving. Tender strips of beef, crisp bell peppers, and sweet onion simmer in a glossy soy-ginger sauce that spoons beautifully over rice — all the classic taste, none of the sugar crash.

This is a Jaca-adjusted, healthier version of the classic pepper steak: every bit of the brown sugar is replaced with Jaca allulose at twice the amount, so you keep the sweetness and lose the added sugar.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb top round beef, thinly sliced against the grain
  • 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper, cored and sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, cored and sliced
  • ¾ cup water
  • ½ cup Jaca allulose (replaces ¼ cup brown sugar)
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon dry sherry (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • Sliced green onions and sesame seeds, to garnish

Instructions:

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the water, Jaca allulose, soy sauce, dry sherry (if using), Worcestershire, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes.
  2. Add the beef strips, cover, and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours, stirring occasionally.
  3. Remove the beef from the marinade, reserving the marinade for the sauce.
  4. Heat the oil in a cast-iron skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Stir-fry the onion and both bell peppers for about 5 minutes, until tender-crisp, then transfer to a plate.
  5. Add the beef and sear for 1 minute without moving it, then stir and cook 2–3 minutes until browned. Transfer to the plate with the peppers.
  6. Whisk the cornstarch into the reserved marinade, pour it into the skillet, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking, for 2 minutes.
  7. Reduce the heat to medium and return the onion, peppers, and beef to the skillet. Stir and simmer 1–2 minutes until glossy and heated through.
  8. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve over steamed rice.

Prep: 20 minutes (plus 2 hours marinating) · Cook: 20 minutes · Serves: 4