This beef pepper rice is hearty, filling, and incredibly simple to prepare. With only a handful of ingredients, you can cook this classic fried rice dish with just one pan at home!

Inspired by the iconic restaurant chain: Pepper Lunch, I’d highly recommend you make yourself this homemade version to see what all the rave is about.

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What is beef pepper rice?

Beef pepper rice is one of the signature dishes from the restaurant chain “Pepper Lunch“. You can find Pepper Lunch restaurants all across Asia and they’re known for serving their dishes on a sizzling hot iron plate!

Whether you’re missing the taste of Pepper Lunch or simply wanting to make a delicious fried rice at home, this recipe is the one for you.

The recipe is straightforward: simply sauté your onions, add in your beef, then toss in the rice, corn, scallions, sauce, and butter, and mix. That’s it.

Back when almost all my meetings and lectures were online, I used to always prepare this in the middle of those meetings since it was so convenient. It’s incredibly easy and should only take you around 30 minutes, or maybe even less, to prepare.

Fast forward a couple years later, and it’s still one of my go-to weeknight dinners after those long days. It’s packed full of flavor and super filling!

Ingredients

Thinly-sliced beef: You can find these already packaged and pre-cut for you in the frozen section of most Asian groceries. Sometimes they’re either labeled “shabu shabu beef” or “beef for hotpot”. Rib eye, sirloin, or brisket are all great cuts.

Another, though more tedious, option is to slice them yourself. To make things easier, I’d recommend partially freezing the beef so you’re able to get cleaner slices!

Cooked rice: Any cooked rice can work for this recipe (leftovers are even better so you can clean out your fridge). I love using Jasmine or short-grain rice for this, though whatever your grain preference for rice is also fine.

Corn: Corn provides a little sweetness and crunch in every bite. You can either use fresh corn or canned.

Unsalted butter: The more the better, honestly. Butter gives the dish the perfect amount of richness. Be sure to use unsalted so you can better control how salty you want the rice to be.

Honey: To give our sauce some sweetness. Feel free to use any other sweeteners of your choice if you prefer.

Soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce: A combination of these will give our sauce a complex savory and umami taste!

Onion, green onions, ginger, garlic, black pepper: Spices and aromatics are the key to making sure our fried rice dish is flavorful and smelling delicious.

Instructions

Prepare the sauce in a separate bowl by combining all the ingredients together and mixing until well combined. Set aside.

In an oiled cast iron skillet or pan, sauté the onions until translucent and soft, about 2-3 minutes.

Arrange the beef in a circular formation along the outer edges of the pan.

Add the rice in the middle. Add in the corn, green onions, prepared sauce, and butter.

Toss all the ingredients together until evenly combined and continue to cook and “sizzle” for another 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the beef has cooked to your preferred doneness.

Serve warm and enjoy!

Cooking Tips

Taste your sauce and adjust: Before pouring the sauce over your rice, I’d recommend tasting it first to see if it’s to your preference. The sauce is entirely customizable and you can add whatever kind of sauces and seasonings you’d like to make it your own!

You could add chili oil to make the dish have a little kick, or even some extra honey to make it sweeter.

Use an iron skillet if you can: Just like the Pepper Lunch restaurants, serving/frying the rice over cast irons are one of the best ways to get perfect caramelization on your onions and a nice char on your rice (the crispy bits are my favorite).

In the end, it’s also mainly for aesthetics purposes. You could easily achieve this same effect with any other pan or non-stick pan so long as you cook the rice over medium-high heat.

You don’t need to arrange it: Again, it’s mainly for aesthetic purposes, especially if you wanted to wow your guests for serving! Otherwise, you can simply cook this how you usually cook fried rice without needing to arrange the beef and rice in a certain way.

For instance, when I’m cooking this on my own, I’d typically sauté the onions in the butter, add in the beef, then afterwards pour in the sauce to reduce slightly. To finish, I’d add in my rice and all the remaining ingredients to stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes until combined and charred.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Can I make this vegetarian?

You sure can. Simply replace the beef with any other protein substitute of your choice (e.g., plant-based meats, tofu, seitan) or you could even go for mushrooms.

Can I add more veggies to this?

Apart from the corn and onions, you can throw in anything from sliced carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, and celery. Feel free to add your other favorite vegetables to your preference!

Craving for more weeknight dinner ideas? Here’s a couple that you’ll love: