Corned Beef and Cabbage

Classic Corned Beef and Cabbage

If you’re looking for a classic corned beef and cabbage recipe to try, this is a really good one. ♡

It’s everything you want this traditional Irish dish to be — tender, sliceable brisket simmered in warm spices and stout, buttery potatoes and carrots that soak up all the savory broth, and cabbage that’s soft (without getting mushy!). I like a lot of flavor in my corned beef and cabbage, and this recipe hits the spot every time!

I’ve included options below for how to either make this corned beef and cabbage on the stovetop, in the slow cooker, or in the Instant Pot, depending on what your day looks like. However you make this recipe, you’ll end up with a rich, flavorful broth and fabulously tender corned beef that tastes like it took far more effort than it actually did. Let’s make some!

Recipe Tips

Here are a few little tricks I’ve learned over the years that make this recipe even better:

• Use your largest pot. This recipe makes a very large batch and just barely fits in my 5.5-quart Dutch oven, so use a large pot (or Crock-Pot or Instant Pot).
• Rinse the brisket first. Don’t skip this step! A quick rinse removes excess brine and keeps the finished dish from tasting overly salty.
• Cook it fat side up. That layer of fat slowly bastes the meat as it cooks, which keeps everything extra juicy.
• Don’t rush the resting time. Letting the corned beef rest 10–15 minutes makes it easier to slice and helps lock all of those flavorful juices inside the meat.
• Slice against the grain. Look for the direction the muscle fibers run and slice perpendicular to them. This makes a huge difference in tenderness!
• Taste the broth before salting. Corned beef is naturally salty, so you often won’t need much (if any) extra salt for the vegetables.
• Add cabbage last. Cabbage cooks quickly! Adding it at the end keeps it tender and vibrant instead of mushy (womp womp).

Recipe Variations

Once you’ve made the classic version, here are some fun ways to switch it up:

• Swap the stout for apple cider to make the broth slightly sweeter and lighter.
• Stir in a splash of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice at the end to brighten everything up.
• Make it spicy by adding a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to the broth.
• Roast the cabbage instead for crispy caramelized edges and serve it alongside the boiled veggies.
• Turn leftovers into corned beef hash the next morning with crispy potatoes and a fried egg on top!

FAQ

Corned Beef and Cabbage

4.75 from 4 votes

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 3 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Makes: 6 -8 servings

Author: Ali

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This classic corned beef and cabbage recipe features tender slow-simmered brisket cooked in stout and beef broth with potatoes, carrots, and cabbage. See note below for Instant Pot or Crock-Pot options.

Ingredients

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Ingredients

• 1 (3–4 pound) corned beef brisket, with spice packet
• 1 large yellow onion, halved (or quartered)
• 6 garlic gloves, smashed
• 2 1/2 cups beef stock
• 1 (12 ounces) bottle Irish stout or amber beer (Guinness, Smithwick’s, or similar)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
• Vegetables
• 1 1/2 pounds baby red or Yukon Gold potatoes, halved
• 4 large carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into large chunks
• 1 small head green cabbage, cored and cut into thick wedges
• fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
• For serving
• finely-chopped fresh parsley
• whole-grain Dijon mustard (optional)

Instructions

• ▢
  Prepare the corned beef. Rinse the corned beef under cold water to remove excess curing brine, then pat dry. Place it fat side up in a large Dutch oven or stockpot.
• ▢
  Add aromatics and liquid. Nestle the onion halves and garlic around the brisket. Sprinkle the included spice packet over the meat, then add the bay leaf and peppercorns. Pour in the beef stock and beer — the liquid should mostly cover the brisket.
• ▢
  Simmer low and slow. Bring the pot to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Immediately reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer gently for 2½–3 hours, until the corned beef is very tender and a fork slides in easily. Skim any foam from the surface as needed.
• ▢
  Add potatoes and carrots. Add the potatoes and carrots to the pot, submerging them in the liquid as much as possible. Cover and simmer for 25–30 minutes, until they’re nearly tender.
• ▢
  Season the broth for the vegetables. Before adding the cabbage, taste the broth. Stir in ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, and add a small pinch of kosher salt only if needed (it’s likely already pretty salty).
• ▢
  Add the cabbage. Nestle the cabbage wedges into the pot. Cover and simmer for 15–20 minutes, until the cabbage is tender but still vibrant and not mushy.
• ▢
  Rest the corned beef. Transfer the corned beef to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Let rest for 10–15 minutes.
• ▢
  Slice and serve. Slice the corned beef thinly against the grain. Remove and discard the onion and garlic if desired. Serve with the potatoes, carrots, and cabbage, spooning some of the hot broth over everything. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with mustard, if desired.

Notes

Slow Cooker (Crock-Pot) Instructions: Cover and cook on low for 8–9 hours (or high for 4–5 hours) until the beef is very tender. Add the potatoes and carrots during the last 2 hours of cooking, then nestle in the cabbage wedges during the final 45–60 minutes, cooking until the vegetables are tender.

Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot) Instructions: Lock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 90 minutes, then allow a 15-minute natural release before carefully venting the remaining pressure. Transfer the corned beef to a cutting board and tent with foil. Add the potatoes and carrots to the pot, seal the lid again, and cook on High Pressure for 3 minutes, quick releasing afterward. Add the cabbage wedges and cook on High Pressure for 1–2 minutes, quick releasing immediately.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!