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    Corned Beef and Cabbage

    Erin go bragh! On St. Patrick’s Day—or any day, really—this corned beef and cabbage recipe makes for a feast that’s sure to put everyone in a celebratory mood.

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    sliced Corned beef with cabbage and potatoes on a plate

    Goodbye, Green Beer. Hello, Corned Beef and Cabbage!

    We’re real St. Paddy’s Day enthusiasts over here—we take our pinch of Irish heritage and basically run wild with it. But we’re not talking about getting decked out in shamrock gear and glugging green beer—though if that’s your thing, we salute you. While you do that, we’ll just be over here cooking up Bangers and Mash and a big pot of traditional corned beef and cabbage. Served with a little Guinness to wash it all down (and in the corned beef recipe too, for that matter) this corned beef and cabbage recipe makes for a true St. Patrick’s Day feast!

    ingredients for corned beef, beef stock, carrots, cabbage, potatoes, cinnamon sticks

    What Is Corned Beef?

    Corned beef is simply salt-cured beef brisket. While you can go the extra mile and cure your own beef brisket at home, we prefer to take the simpler route and buy our corned beef already cured and ready to go! Making your own corned beef is a multi-day process, and honestly, with a four-to-eight hour cook time (depending on which cooking method you choose) this corned beef and cabbage recipe takes long enough as it is.

    corned beef in a dutch oven
    corned beef with spices and in a soup pot
    cooked corned beef in a soup pot
    corned beef with potatoes and carrots

    Crock-Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage? Or Stove Top? There’s No Wrong Way.

    Our corned beef and cabbage recipe is all about a nice, slow cook, which you can achieve either with a slow-cooker, or using a big pot with a lid on top of the stove. Whichever way you prefer is just fine. Some people love the set-it-and-forget-it ease of a slow-cooker, while others feel like it’s a hassle to think so far ahead. And speaking of time, heads up! In the slow-cooker, the corned beef brisket will take 8 to 10 hours to cook, whereas the stove top version takes only 4.5 to 5 hours. A great rule of thumb for the stove top version is that you’ll need about 45 minutes per pound of brisket, but you can always check for doneness with a meat thermometer. For brisket, you’re looking for an internal temperature of 195°F.

    corned beef with potatoes, carrots and cabbage in a soup pot
    corned beef with potatoes, carrots and cabbage in a soup pot

    What You’ll Need to Make Corned Beef and Cabbage

    The main thing this recipe requires is TIME. There’s no workaround for that. But the ingredients are pretty basic! Here’s what you’ll need to make our easy corned beef and cabbage recipe:

    • Corned beef brisket. Around St. Patrick’s Day, it’s easy to find corned beef brisket at the supermarket. They come pre-cured and pre-packed along with a little packet of pickling spices.
    • A good stout beer—like Guinness!
    • Dried chillies or red pepper flakes
    • Cinnamon sticks
    • Garlic
    • Bay leaves
    • Red potatoes
    • Carrots
    • Cabbage
    sliced Corned beef with cabbage and potatoes on a plate

    How to Make Corned Beef and Cabbage

    Really, the meat (ha—couldn’t resist) of this recipe is the process of making the corned beef. The cabbage and veggies are added relatively late in the cooking process and just kind of soak up all of the juicy goodness leftover from cooking the corned beef. For the most part, the stove top and slow-cooker cooking methods are the same—the primary difference is the amount of time the meal takes to cook. Here’s how to make the very best corned beef and cabbage this side of the pond:

    1. Put the corned beef brisket, pickling spice packet and the remaining spices in a large pot or slow-cooker. Pour stout (in our house, it’s got to be Guinness, but any stout will do!) and water over the top until the corned beef is covered.
    2. Cook the corned beef brisket! Low and slow—either about 4.5 to 5 hours simmering on the stove top, or 8 to 10 hours in a Crock-Pot.
    3. If you’re using a slow-cooker, add the carrots and potatoes around the three-hour mark. A few hours later, when you’ve got just about an hour of cooking time left, add the cabbage.
    4. If you’re cooking the corned beef on the stove-top, cook the corned beef until it’s totally finished. Take the cooked corned beef brisket out of the pan, and put the carrots and potatoes in to the pot to simmer in the brisket cooking liquid. 20 minutes later, add the cabbage and simmer until it’s all cooked through.
    5. Slice (against the grain!) and serve!
    sliced Corned beef with cabbage and potatoes on a plate

    Tools You’ll Need:

    More Slow-Cooker Recipes We Love:

    Is there a better feeling than coming home and remembering that dinner is already done?! Oh yes, slow-cookers FTW. These five slow-cooker recipes are huge hits, every time:

    sliced Corned beef with cabbage and potatoes on a plate

    Sláinte!

    We love St. Patrick’s Day almost as much as we love this corned beef recipe—and, as always, we hope you love this meal as much as we do! If you make it, let us know! Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!

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    Corned Beef and Cabbage

    Originally published: March 14, 2020

    • Serves: 8
    • Prep Time:  15 min
    • Cook Time:  5 hrs
    • Calories: 605
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    Ingredients

    • 1 (5-pound) corned beef brisket with seasoning packet
    • 1 cup stout beer, such as Guinness
    • 2 cinnamon sticks
    • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1 whole dried ancho chili pepper or 1 teaspoons red pepper flakes (optional)
    • 2 pounds red potatoes, halved
    • 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces
    • 1 small head green cabbage, cored, cut into 2-inch wedges
    • Whole grain or Dijon mustard (optional)

    Method

    Slow Cooker Method:

    1. In a 6-quart slow cooker, add the brisket along with the seasoning packet. Add the beer and enough water to just cover the beef. Add in the cinnamon sticks, garlic, bay leaves, and chili or red pepper flakes, if using.

    2. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours. Add the potatoes and carrots and cook on LOW for 2 more hours. Add the cabbage and cook on LOW until the cabbage and corned beef are tender, about 2 hours longer.

    3. Transfer the corned beef from the slow cooker to a cutting board and rest for 15 minutes before slicing against the grain. Serve with prepared potatoes, carrots, cabbage and mustard, if using.


    Stove Top Method:

    1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven with a fitted lid, add brisket along with seasoning packet. Add the beer and enough water to just cover the beef. Add in cinnamon sticks, garlic, bay leaves, and chili or red pepper flakes, if using.

    2. Over medium-high heat, bring the liquid to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the beef is tender, about 4-5½ hours. Transfer the beef to a large cutting board and allow to rest while the vegetables cook.

    3. With the liquid still simmering, add the potatoes and carrots to the same pot. Cook, undisturbed, for 20 minutes. Add the cabbage and continue cooking until the potatoes, carrots and cabbage are tender, about 10 more minutes.

    4. Slice the brisket against the grain and serve with prepared potatoes, carrots, cabbage and mustard, if using.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories605
    • Protein55 g
    • Carbohydrates33 g
    • Total Fat28 g
    • Dietary Fiber6 g
    • Cholesterol138 mg
    • sodium1766 mg
    • Total Sugars7 g

    Corned Beef and Cabbage

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Renee

      Is the stovetop cooking time work out to about an hour per pound? I have a 2.5 pound brisket. How would I adjust so that it doesn’t overcook? Thanks!

      45 - 50 minutes per pound is kind of standard. Hope you enjoy Renee!

    • Janet

      I have been looking at recipes and a lot of them say to add onion in before the corned beef. Have you tried this before?

      We don't typically make ours with onion but you could certainly add it!

    • Janelle

      Hi! Would the timing be the same for a smaller brisket? What should the internal temp be when finished? Thanks!

      Corned beef should be cooked to at least 145F degrees Farenheit. Timing would depend on how big your brisket it.

    • Laura

      Hi! I already sent in one question about this but I had to add quite a bit of water to completely cover the beef. Is that ok? Or should I not cover the whole thing? Thank you!

      It should be ok!

    • Laura

      If I don’t have cinnamon sticks, can I add ground cinnamon instead?

      Sure, 1 teaspoon should do the trick!

    • Jenna

      This was amazing!! So tender and SO flavorful! Used ground cinnamon instead of sticks and beef broth instead of beer per the recommendations. It turned out perfect!

      Thanks Jenna, we are so glad you loved it! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

    • Kate

      This has been my go-to recipe for 3 years now, love the flavor from the beer and cinnamon stick and the meat comes out moist and tender.

      Wow, amazing to hear this. Thanks Kate, we are so glad you love it!

    • Jenn

      Made this for St Patrick's day and it was a hit! Definitely a new annual tradition. Much yummier than my usual "just dye everything green" tradition.

      Thanks Jenn, glad you loved it!

    • Rakanishu

      First time eating corned beef and cabbage, but turned out great (slow cook). Cinnamon and red pepper comes through clear, brought everyone in the house down to see what was cooking.Just one note if you make this, thicken the meat and spice juices once you're done. That stuff is gold.

      Glad you all liked it!