Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe

I’m all about any excuse to cook up hearty pub food (Bangers and Mash, anyone?) and this corned beef and cabbage recipe is perfect on St. Paddy’s Day or any day! I’ve got two cooking methods for you to choose from: stove top or slow-cooker! The main difference is the amount of time the corned beef and cabbage takes to cook. 

I love this recipe, because it takes minimal effort and it's almost impossible to overcook. Some cuts of meat take precise timing, but corned beef benefits from longer cooking. However you cook up Irish corned beef and cabbage, serve it up with a pint of Guinness on the side. It’s in the corned beef recipe, so you’ll have one open anyway! Try serving this meal as part of an over-the-top Irish feast, with Irish Nachos, Irish Cream Liqueur, and Baileys Chocolate Bundt Cake! 

Corned Beef & Cabbage Ingredients

• Corned beef: Corned beef is salt-cured beef brisket. Around St. Patrick’s Day, it’s easy to find corned beef brisket at most markets. It comes pre-cured and pre-packed with a packet of corned beef spices, usually whole allspice, mustard seeds, peppercorns, coriander and bay leaves. 
• Red potatoes and carrots: The carrots and potatoes get so flavorful as they simmer in the corned beef seasonings. 
• Cabbage: Of course! A whole head of green cabbage. 
• Guinness: You could use any stout beer, honestly. But for me, if it’s Paddy’s Day, I need to have Guinness. You can also make it without the beer. Try swapping stock or apple cider for the beer.  
• Seasonings: Red pepper flakes, cinnamon sticks, garlic, bay leaves

Stovetop VS Slow Cooker Method

Corned beef and cabbage is all about a nice, slow cook to tenderize the beef until it’s nearly falling apart, which you can achieve either with a slow-cooker, or using a big pot with a lid (a Dutch oven works great) on top of the stove. 

• In the slow-cooker, the corned beef brisket will take 8 to 10 hours to cook. 
• On the stove top, the corned beef and cabbage takes about 5 hours. A great rule of thumb for the stovetop version is that you need 45 minutes of cooktime per pound of brisket, always check for doneness with a meat thermometer. 

Corned beef is done when you see an internal temperature of 145°F on an instant-read thermometer.

How to Make Corned Beef With Cabbage

1. Put the corned beef brisket and spices in the slow cooker or Dutch oven, and add Guinness and water.
2. Cook! it for about 5 hours on the stove top, or 10 hours in a Crock-Pot.
3. If you’re using a slow-cooker method: Add the carrots and potatoes after 6 hours of cooking time, and the cabbage 2 hours after that. 
4. If you’re using the stove-top method: Cook the corned beef until it’s totally finished, and set it aside to rest while you add the potatoes and carrots to the pot to simmer in the juices for 20 minutes. Then, add the cabbage and simmer for another 10 minutes. 
5. After the corned beef has rested at least 15 minutes (regardless of cooking method) it’s time slice is against the grain so that every bite is super tender. 

How To Know When Corned Beef is Done

Like I mentioned above, the corned beef really can’t be overcooked! Brisket is great like that, a long cook is what tenderizes it. You can check for doneness by poking the beef with a fork, if it slides through easily into the meat with little resistance the beef is likely done. The internal temperature should reach 145°F, but texture is my favorite indicator. You want super super tender beef. 

Make Ahead Tips

Corned beef and cabbage is really pretty hard to mess up, and it’s a great one to make ahead of time. Just cook the meal completely ahead of time, and reheat it gently in a pot in a 300°F oven until the beef is totally warmed through when you’re ready to serve the meal. 

Variations

• Replace the some or all of the carrots with other root veggies, like parsnips or add turnips. 
• Add whole quartered onions along with the veggies for extra sweetness. 
• Add a little Irish bacon alongside the corned beef for extra richness. 
• Serve with compound butter, and horseradish cream on the side. 

How To Store + Freeze

Refrigerate leftover corned beef and cabbage for up to 4 days. I usually store the corned beef and veggies separately to keep the textures just right. Warm any leftovers before serving in a covered pot in the oven at 300°F until warmed through. You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. 

Sláinte!

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