Corned Beef and Cabbage (Crock Pot or Instant Pot!) (2024)

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by Marcie //March 10, 2020 (updated 3/13/24)

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Corned Beef and Cabbage is tender, flavorful corned beef with cabbage, potatoes and carrots. Recipe includes both Instant Pot and Crock Pot instructions!

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I’m not Irish, but St. Patrick’s Day is one of my favorite days of the year. I think we can all admit that it’s fun being Irish for one day out of the year.

It doesn’t get much better than indulging in corned beef and cabbage, beer bread and beer while wearing green, does it?

I suppose it does if the meal ends with a shamrock shake. 🙂

Why you’ll love this recipe:
Recipe ingredients
How to make this recipe
- Instant Pot corned beef
- Slow cooker corned beef
FAQs
Recipe notes
More St. Patrick’s Day recipes you’ll love:

Why you’ll love this recipe:

Tender, flavorful corned beef is cooked with potatoes, carrots and cabbage for an easy one pot St. Patrick’s Day dinner.
You choose whether to make your corned beef and cabbage low and slow in the crock pot or fast in the Instant Pot.
This meal only takes (4) ingredients! There’s minimal prep, and it’s easily customized with your favorite veggies.
Add even more flavor by swapping out the water with beef stock, beer or a combination of both!

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Recipe ingredients

This recipe only requires (4) ingredients as outlined below:

Corned beef brisket. You’ll need one 3 1/2 – 4 1/2 corned beef brisket, along with the seasoning packet that’s included in the package. Discard the liquid in the package as it is quite salty, and rinse the corned beef before using if desired. It’s important to note that you do not need to add salt or any seasonings whatsoever when using the seasoning packet.
Baby potatoes. I love baby gold potatoes because they hold their shape the best. You can also cut larger potatoes into 2″ chunks.
Carrots. Cut the carrots into 2″ chunks to ensure that they do not cook too quickly.
Cabbage. Cut the cabbage in half, then each half into (4) wedges to prevent it from overcooking. There’s nothing worse than mushy cabbage!

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How to make this recipe

Corned beef may be made on the stove top, but the easiest ways to prepare it are in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot.

Instant Pot corned beef

I prefer to prepare my corned beef in the Instant Pot as it’s done in 60-90 minutes, and it’s perfectly tender every single time. Shoot for a cooking time of 90 minutes for a 3 1/2 – 4 1/2 lb. corned beef brisket.

This method also results in perfectly cooked vegetables. 5 minutes cooking time at high pressure is all you need!

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Place the brisket fat side up in the Instant Pot, then sprinkle the seasoning packet over the top and add the water.
Cook for 60-90 minutes, then quick release the pressure. Remove the lid when safe to do so, and remove all but 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
Place the potatoes and carrots around the corned beef in the pot, and place the cabbage wedges on top.
Cook at high pressure for another 5 minutes, then quick release the pressure.

Slow cooker corned beef

Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage is the low and slow way to prepare this meal. I recommend always cooking your corned beef on Low for perfectly tender meat.

In the past I tried speeding things up by cooking the brisket on High, but the meat wasn’t tender enough for me.

Place the corned beef fat side up in the crock pot, and sprinkle with the spice packet and water. Place the carrots and potatoes around the corned beef and cook 8 hours or until tender. Note: If you prefer firmer vegetables, add the potatoes and carrots halfway through the cooking time.
Place the cabbage wedges over the top of the corned beef when there is 45 minutes left of cooking time.

Slice the corned beef against the grain and arrange on a serving platter with the potatoes, carrots and cabbage. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and serve!

FAQs

What is corned beef?

Corned beef refers to the corning or curing process that was used to preserve meat years ago.

Originally, beef brisket was dry cured using large grains or “corns” of rock salt. Today, the brisket is normally brined in salt water, and often includes sugar and pickling spices.

Why is corned beef pink?

Corned beef gets is pink color because of the sodium nitrate mixture that it is brined or cured in.
There are nitrate free brands of corned beef on the market if you prefer that. My favorite brand is Wellshire Farms.

What is the best method to cook corned beef?

If you want your corned beef in a fraction of the time it normally takes, I highly recommend cooking it in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker. A 3 1/2 – 4 1/2 corned beef will be perfectly tender in just 60 – 90 minutes as opposed to several hours in the slow cooker or on the stove top.

If you’re not in a rush, corned beef in the slow cooker is a great option for you. Simply pop everything into the crock pot and forget about it for up to 8 hours.

Do I need to rinse my corned beef before cooking it?

It’s a good idea to rinse the corned beef to remove any excess salt from the brine. This will not remove any flavor as the brine has already been absorbed into the meat.

Should I discard the liquid from the package of corned beef?

The liquid, or corned beef brine, in the package is quite salty, so I prefer to discard the brine and simply cook the corned beef in water.

By the time you remove the corned beef from the package, it will have already absorbed plenty of flavor of the brine, so there’s really no reason to use it.

How do you cut cabbage for corned beef?

I prefer to cut a head of cabbage into (8) large wedges to prevent it from overcooking. It’s best to add the cabbage towards the end of the cooking time as it is quite mushy when it’s overcooked.

Recipe notes

Pro tip: Be sure not to add additional salt to this recipe as the corned beef is quite salty.
Rinse your corned beef before cooking to remove excess salt, and discard the liquid in the package.
Cooking time is subject to change, depending on the size of your corned beef.
The baby potatoes may be substituted with larger potatoes — just cut into quarters. The carrots may be substituted with parsnips, turnips or other root vegetables.
Substitute part of the water with Guinness or your favorite beer for more flavor!

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More St. Patrick’s Day recipes you’ll love:

Cabbage soup
Guinness beef chili
Irish beef stew
Irish brown bread
Sautéed cabbage
Shamrock shake recipe by Dinner at the Zoo

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