This Garlic Pepper Beef Recipe features tender and juicy beef sirloin, combined with mushrooms in a delicious savoury sauce.

This is a copy cat recipe from Jollibee, a fast food chain in the Philippines. You might want to try these Jollibee recipes; jollibee chicken joy, jollibee yumburger, and peach mango pie.
What is Garlic Pepper Beef?
The key that makes Pepper Beef so special is that the Beef Sirloin used is tender. The beef is marinated with soy sauce and oyster sauce for classic umami flavouring. The added sauce with mushrooms brings in the garlic and hints of pepper to balance everything together perfectly.
Jollibee Inspiration
I took some inspiration for this dish from the restaurant chain Jollibee, known to feature Garlic Pepper Beef on their menu.
While this simple Filipino favorite is not necessarily something that originated from the Philippines, it is massively popular and for good reason. It is just so tasty!
Ingredients
- Beef: Choose a tender cut of beef, such as sirloin, flank steak, or tenderloin. Slicing the beef thinly will help keep it tender.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is a key essential for this recipe. We need lots of garlic for toppings and for stir frying.
- Black Pepper: Freshly ground black pepper provides the signature peppery kick to this dish.
- Marinade: Marinating the beef with soy sauce, oyster sauce, and cornstarch not only flavours the meat but also helps tenderize it.
- Mushroom, Flour, Butter, Garlic Powder: for mushroom gravy.
How to make it
Step 1. Marinate the beef. In a bowl, combine the thinly sliced beef with soy sauce, oyster sauce, and cornstarch. Mix well to ensure the beef is evenly coated. Marinate for at least 20-30 minutes.
Step 2. Sear Beef. Sautè minced garlic for a minute. Add marinated beef and sear until brown. Set it aside.
Step 3. Make the mushroom gravy. In the same pan, melt some butter, stir in flour, add water and beef cubes. Mix until beef cubes is dissolved. Add in chopped mushrooms and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Step 4. Add Seared Beef. Add seared beef back in and simmer for another 3-4 minutes until sauce is thickened. Remove from the heat. Serve with steamed rice and enjoy.
Serving
Serve it as a main dish with rice, mashed potato or a side of vegetables for a satisfying and flavourful meal.
Storing
Allow the cooked Garlic Pepper Beef to cool down completely at room temperature for about 30 minutes after cooking. Transfer to an airtight container and store in refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Recipe FAQ'S
Marinating the beef with cornstarch and briefly stir-frying over high heat will help keep the beef tender. Avoid overcooking, as that can result in toughness.
Choose a tender cut of beef, such as sirloin, flank steak, or tenderloin. And cut them thinly to help keep it tender.
Looking for more Beef recipes?
Garlic Pepper Beef
Ingredients
- 1 lb. beef sirloin thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon butter unsalted
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 7 cloves garlic minced, half for toppings and half for searing beef.
Sauce/Gravy
- 2 tablespoon butter unsalted
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 2 cups water
- ½ piece beef cube
- 1 cup mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the thinly sliced beef with soy sauce, oyster sauce, and cornstarch. Marinate for at least 20-30 minutes.
- In a pan, melt butter, sauté half of the garlic until it becomes fragrant and slightly golden. Be careful not to burn it. This is for the toppings, set it aside.
- In the same pan, add the reaming half of minced garlic and sautè for a minute. Increase the heat to high and add the marinated beef to the pan. Spread it out in a single layer to allow even cooking. Sear for 2-3 minutes or until no longer pink. Set it aside.
- In the same pan, melt 2 tablespoon of butter. Stir in flour and mix until well combined. Pour in 2 cups of water, add ½ piece of beef cubes and mushrooms. Add black pepper and garlic powder. Let it simmer until the sauce is thickened.
- Add seared beef back to the pan and stir for about 2 minutes until sauce is fully incorporated.
- Once done, remove from the heat. Serve the Garlic Pepper Beef over steamed rice, and garnish with additional black pepper if desired.
Notes
- Beef: Choose a tender cut of beef, such as sirloin, flank steak, or tenderloin. Slicing the beef thinly will help keep it tender.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is key essential for this recipe. We need lots of garlic for toppings and for stir frying.
- Black Pepper: Freshly ground black pepper provides the signature peppery kick to this dish.
- Marinade: Marinating the beef with soy sauce, oyster sauce, and cornstarch not only flavours the meat but also helps tenderize it.
- Mushroom, Flour, Butter, Garlic Powder: for mushroom gravy.
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