Foolproof Corned Beef and Cabbage in the Slow Cooker
Nothing says St. Patrick’s Day like a delicious feast of corned beef and cabbage. Follow these easy steps to create this classic meal the right way!
Corned beef and cabbage is the St. Patrick’s Day dinner across most of America. It is also, surprisingly, not Irish. The dish was created in late 19th-century New York by Irish immigrants who substituted brined corned beef (cheap from the Jewish deli counter in their tenement neighborhoods) for the Irish bacon they could not afford. The combination stuck, and by 1900 was the standard March 17 meal in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago Irish neighborhoods. The slow cooker version below is the easiest route to a tender, flavorful result.
Quick Reference
- What it is: a brisket cured in brine (“corned” from the large salt grains used) and simmered with cabbage, carrots, and potatoes.
- St. Patrick’s Day origin: not Irish but Irish-American. The dish was developed by 19th-century Irish immigrants in New York who substituted corned beef for the Irish bacon they could not afford.
- Slow cooker time: 7-9 hours on low.
- Cut: corned beef brisket (flat cut leaner; point cut richer). Most grocery stores carry both around St. Patrick’s Day.
- Best with: rye bread, mustard, butter.
- Leftovers: reuben sandwiches, hash, corned beef chili.
Break Out The Slow Cooker
Why slow-cook corned beef? Three reasons. First, the slow cooker holds the brisket at a steady simmer for hours, which is what melts the connective tissue and gives you the fork-tender texture you remember from your grandmother’s kitchen. Second, the timing is forgiving: 7 to 9 hours on low gives you a wide service window. Third, the vegetables go in for the last few hours, so they cook just right without turning to mush. The stove-top method works too but demands more babysitting; the slow cooker is hands-off.
Foolproof Corned Beef And Cabbage Recipe
Serves 6 to 8.
Ingredients:
- 3 to 4 pound corned beef brisket with included spice packet (or 2 tablespoons mixed pickling spice)
- 1 large yellow onion, quartered
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 bottle (12 oz) stout or Irish ale (Guinness is traditional)
- 2 cups water
- 1½ pounds baby potatoes (Yukon Gold or red)
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 small head green cabbage, cut into 8 wedges through the core
- Fresh parsley, chopped, to finish
- Whole-grain or Dijon mustard, for serving
Instructions:
- Rinse the brisket. Remove from package and rinse under cool water to wash off the brine. Pat dry.
- Layer the slow cooker. Place onion and garlic in the bottom of a large (6-quart) slow cooker. Lay the brisket on top, fat side up.
- Add liquid and spices. Sprinkle the spice packet over the brisket. Pour the stout and water around it (not over it, to keep the seasoning on the meat).
- Cook low and slow. Cover. Cook on LOW for 6 hours.
- Add potatoes and carrots. Tuck the potatoes and carrots into the liquid around the brisket. Cover and continue cooking 2 hours.
- Add cabbage. Lay the cabbage wedges on top. Cover and cook 30 to 45 more minutes until cabbage is tender.
- Rest and slice. Lift the brisket onto a cutting board. Let rest 10 minutes. Slice against the grain into ¼-inch slices.
- Serve. Arrange brisket on a platter surrounded by the cabbage, potatoes, and carrots. Spoon some of the cooking liquid over the meat. Garnish with parsley. Serve with mustard and rye bread.
Tips for the Best Slow-Cooker Corned Beef
- Always slice against the grain. Brisket grain runs lengthwise. Slicing against it shortens the muscle fibers and gives a tender bite.
- Fat side up. Keeps the brisket basting itself as it cooks.
- Use stout or ale. The malty, slightly bitter beer complements the salt and balances the sweetness of the carrots. Water-only works in a pinch.
- Reserve the cooking liquid. A few cups make a great base for next-day cabbage and potato soup.
- Do not skip the parsley. Fresh herb is the only bright note on the platter.
What To Do With Leftovers
Leftover corned beef is the gift that keeps on giving. The most famous spinoff is the reuben sandwich (rye bread, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, Russian dressing, grilled until crisp). Corned beef hash with diced cooked potatoes, onions, and a fried egg on top is the classic morning-after breakfast. Corned beef chili and corned beef quesadillas both work surprisingly well. Freeze leftover slices in 4-ounce portions for quick reuse over the next few months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is corned beef and cabbage really Irish?
Not originally. The dish was developed by 19th-century Irish immigrants in New York who substituted corned beef for the Irish bacon they could not afford. The pairing became the American St. Patrick’s Day dinner by 1900. In Ireland, the more traditional dish is bacon and cabbage.
Why is it called ‘corned’ beef?
From the large salt grains historically used to cure the meat. The grains were the size of a kernel of corn. The cooking has nothing to do with the vegetable.
What is the difference between flat cut and point cut?
Flat cut is leaner and slices more uniformly; better for slicing presentation. Point cut is fattier and richer; better for shredding and reuben sandwiches. Both work in this recipe.
Can I cook corned beef in the Instant Pot?
Yes. Pressure cook on high for 75 minutes with a natural release, then add vegetables and pressure cook 6 more minutes. The texture is slightly less tender than the slow cooker version but the time savings is huge.
Why is my corned beef tough?
Almost always because it was sliced with the grain rather than against. Brisket grain runs lengthwise; you must slice perpendicular to those fibers for tender bites. Cooking time matters less than slicing direction.
Edward Higgins
Edward Higgins is a freelance writer, artist, home chef, and avid fly fisherman who lives outside of Portland, Maine. He studied at Skidmore College and Harvard University. His article 10 Best Edible Insects appears in the 2020 Farmers' Almanac.
- Edward Higgins
- Edward Higgins
- Edward Higgins
- Edward Higgins
Sounds great
This is my basic recipe BUT at the very end place the meat under a broiler for a few minutes to crisp up the outside. Delicious!!
That sounds delicious! I’ve never had it that way and I think it is a must try!
DO NOT ADD THE PACKING BRINE!
That awful red brine (red dye, nitrates, etc) should be discarded and if you have time. soak the corned beef in cold water for at least 15 min to get rid of the excess salt & any brining chemicals. Rinse well, place in slow cooker fat side down (I always score any fat). Add water just enough to cover, add the spice pack (I always add a fresh bay leaf, black peppercorns and even a couple of sliced garlic cloves). One hour per pound on low is all it takes.
Not a boiled cabbage fan, but will saute cut-up cabbage in olive oil and butter (stops butter from browning/burning) with caramelized onions. I also prefer either boiled mini potatoes or red potatoes tossed in a bit butter and dill, or a rough mash of unpeeled red potatoes.
Oven-roasted carrots adds more color to your plate.
Don’t forget the stone-ground mustard for the corned beef and even a crusty loaf of bread as well.
Thank you for this information.
Damn! I’m so mad I didn’t see this before I wasted $30!!! Next time! Ty
The cooking directions are incorrect. Do NOT cook it on high for the whole time and a 6 to 8 hour boil is way too long. Put the meat and liquid from the bag into a pot big enough to hold the meat with an inch or two (at least) above it. Fill the pot with water until there’s at least 1 inch or more water over the meat and bring it to a boil. A white or grey foam will form – this is a protein called albumen that floats up. Skim this off into a bowl, then drain the water out of it back into the pot. I prefer to add the spice packet at this time so that I don’t accidentally skim off the spice & discard it. Once the pot is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer (just barely boiling) and cook for about 3 hours until fork tender. Add water to keep the meat submerged or just turn it over now and then so both sides cook (corned beef tends to float). Remove the meat to a platter/cutting board to rest and then cook your veggies. Cut across the grain, not with the grain.
Thank you for your tips and instructions!
great recipe! BUT rinse the corned beef, add water, stock, beer to cover, and proceed as directed. Cooking in the beef in the pickling juice makes it way to salty. Otherwise, perfect!
This is one of my favorite meals. I cook the meat in the pressure cooker with enough water to cover it using the brine from the package. I will also add 2-3 tablespoons of pickling spice to the water. Once the meat is done, I remove it to a plate, drain the water through a sieve and add the vegetables to it and cook it slowly until they are done. The flavor from the water of the meat is absorbed into the veggies and they are just too wonderful. Serve as you would any other way – the taste you will never forget.
I cook mine with ginger ale , cook separate as I put food coloring in the water as they boil so that they are green !! Could you put a rcook potatoes separateecipe for Irish soda bread that is made with flour and you add Dried cranberrys
Recipe looks great but for the Brisket. I do not like red cure corned beef. I use only gray cure done the old fashioned way.
Thank you! I’m making it for the first time this year and had no idea how to cook the meat or cabbage
I cook mine until it does fall apart with a wooden spoon, (just my taste) and I also cook the cabbage and potato’s in the same pot adding them in the last hour. I make sandwich’s with the cabbage and corned beef with mustard, its always been one of my favorite meals. Thats why I buy 10 packages of corned beef every St patty’s day, so I can enjoy them all year long.