If you’re a fan of Japanese cuisine, you’ve probably heard of Pepper Lunch, a popular fast-food chain known for its sizzling hotplates of meat, vegetables, and rice.
Pepper Lunch is renowned for its DIY (Do It Yourself) style of dining where customers cook their meals to their preferred level of doneness. The meals are served on a patented electromagnetic plate that heats up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, ensuring the food stays hot and continues to cook right at the table.
But what if you could recreate this delicious dish at home with minimal effort? Using a rice cooker, you can easily make a delicious Japanese Pepper Lunch that’s both convenient and tasty.
This dish is flexible. Use whatever vegetables and proteins you have on hand to make it your own. Perfect for busy days or when you just don’t feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen.
What Type of Rice to Use
Choosing the right type of rice can be confusing, especially with so many varieties available. From long-grain basmati to aromatic jasmine rice, each type has its own texture and flavor. In Japanese cooking, however, Japanese short-grain or medium-grain rice is almost always the go-to choice.
Short-grain rice, often labeled as sushi rice, is particularly prized for its soft and chewy texture, which pairs beautifully with traditional Japanese dishes. Medium-grain rice is a great alternative if short-grain isn’t available (I actually almost always use medium-grain myself because it’s generally cheaper where I live!). Both are ideal for recipes like this one, where the rice’s stickiness helps meld the flavors into every bite.
Recommended Rice Cookers
Do I need to have a fancy rice cooker to make this meal? NO! Just like anything, generally, the higher the quality, the better. But you can make my rice cooker meals in a cheap rice cooker, too!
Click the rice cooker photos to see my favorite rice cookers. I included a budget-friendly rice cooker I love! I use the Tiger 5.5-cup model shown. About 1/2 cup of Japanese short- or medium-grain rice makes 1 serving.
Key Features to Look For in a Rice Cooker:
- Steaming Basket or Tray: Allows you to steam vegetables or cook other ingredients while the rice cooks.
- Multiple Cooking Functions: Ensure it has settings for steaming, slow cooking, and possibly even baking.
- Non-Stick Inner Pot: Makes cleaning easier and prevents sticking.
- Timer and Keep Warm Function: Useful for planning meals ahead of time and keeping them warm until you’re ready to eat.
5.5 cups or 10 cups
2 cups
Pepper Lunch in a Rice Cooker
- Total Time: 25 minutes
Description
A classic Pepper Lunch meal made entirely in a rice cooker features thinly sliced beef, corn, vegetables, butter, and freshly ground black pepper cooked together with rice for a convenient, flavorful one-pot dish.
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice (I recommend Japanese short-grain or medium grain for the most authentic Japanese experience!)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup corn kernels
- Black pepper to taste
- 1/2 lb steak, thinly sliced (I used sirloin but flank or ribeye is great too!)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Sliced green onions for garnishing (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the minced garlic, oyster sauce, and soy sauce. Mix well.
- Add the thinly sliced steak to the bowl, ensuring all pieces are well-coated with the marinade. Allow the steak to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Wash your rice thoroughly in cold water until the water runs clear. Strain the rice to remove excess water.
- Place the washed rice in a rice cooker and add the same quantity of water as you normally would for cooking rice. Sprinkle the corn kernels evenly on top of the rice and water. Season with black pepper to taste.
- Start the rice cooker. For me, I press the “Plain” button (this means I cook the rice as I normally would).
- Once the rice is cooked, quickly open the rice cooker lid and place the marinated steak slices on top of the hot rice. Immediately close the lid to retain the steam.
- Let the steak cook for 2-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the slices and your preferred level of doneness. For me, 3 minutes works perfectly.
- Open the lid, and serve the rice and steak mixture. Top each serving with 1/2 tablespoon of butter and garnish with green onions.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2
Why is it called pepper lunch? Looks super good and I want to try!
I’m not sure where the lunch part comes from, but Pepper Lunch adds black pepper to everything 🙂
This totally delivered on the sizzling beef bowl vibe without needing a hot plate.
That’s so awesome to hear, Camille! Thanks for sharing 🙂
This was really good and super easy to make!
So glad to hear! Thanks for sharing, Jess 🙂