Cook it fast or cook it slow, either way this easy corned beef and cabbage creates fork-tender, fall-apart chunks of beef thanks to braising it in the Crock Pot or Instant Pot with beer and vegetables for an unbelievably easy and delicious one-pot dinner.
Each spring as the pansies peek through the snow and college basketball’s March Madness plays through the weekends, corned beef and cabbage is the highlight of our spring menu, particularly on St. Patrick’s Day. I’ve made my corned beef so many different ways over the years — cooking it on the stove-top or in the oven. But the method I always come back to is tossing everything in the Crock Pot or Instant Pot for one of the simplest dinners you’ll make all year.
This corned beef and cabbage recipe with potatoes, carrots, and a tangy horseradish sauce for dipping takes all of 5-10 minutes of prep and 4-5 hours in the Crock Pot or slow cooker. Or, make it in the Instant Pot pressure cooker and it’s done in just about 1 hour 30 minutes. The ease of making this meal is why I’ll cook a whole corned beef just so I can make my favorite Reuben sandwiches. Corned beef and cabbage. It’s how we do March around here.
What’s in Corned Beef and Cabbage
For such a flavorful dish, homemade corned beef and cabbage require surprisingly few ingredients. Whether you’re making slow cooker corned beef or Instant Pot corned beef, the ingredients remain the same:
- Carrots
- Yellow onion
- Small potatoes (red or purple)
- Corned beef round (leaner) or beef brisket (fattier)
- Beer (a brown ale, or lager work great, but even Bud Light will do)
- Fresh thyme
- Head of cabbage
- Sour cream
- Prepared horseradish
What is Corned Beef?
Corned beef is made with beef round (leaner) or beef brisket (fattier) that has been preserved through salt-curing
Is corned beef actually Irish or not? Traditionally served in the U.S. each and every St. Patrick’s Day, you won’t likely find it served at the local pub in Ireland, but it IS Irish-American.
The Difference Between Corned Beef Round or Corned Beef Brisket
Corned beef is usually offered in two cuts: beef round and beef brisket. Brisket comes from the front of the cow and round is from the back. Because these beef muscles are used most often, both cuts are relatively tough unless cooked low and slow. That’s what makes corned beef the perfect slow cooker meal.
Beef brisket cuts into more shreddy pieces with lots of juicy flavors while beef round cuts into more uniform slices that don’t fall apart. I’ve made corned beef with both cuts of beef with different results. So, which cut of corned beef is best?
Beef brisket has more marbling and fat which makes this corned beef juicy, fall apart-tender, and delicious. Brisket is offered in a point or flat cut. The flat cut has a generous fat cap on top of the meat that melts flavor into the meat as it cooks. The point cut has lots of fat and connective tissue for loads of flavor, but not as much meat.
If you prefer a leaner corned beef, go with the round cut. It’s leaner with far less marbling. But just like the meat of any kind with less fat and collagen, this cut won’t have quite the flavor and won’t be as juicy as beef brisket.
- When choosing your package of corned beef, remember it will shrink by about one-third when cooked.
- Look for an uncured corned beef round that has had no nitrates or nitrites added, which could have potential carcinogenic effects.
- I usually buy a 3 to a 4-pound piece of the pre-brined point-cut beef that handily serves 4 for dinner with enough leftovers for the best Reuben sandwiches.
- Like any meat, cut your corned beef against the grain for the best slices.
What Happens if You Don’t Rinse Corned Beef Before Cooking
While you can definitely rinse corned beef before cooking if you’re concerned about excess salt, I’ve found it’s really not necessary, so I never rinse mine. It’s all personal preference. If you do choose to rinse, it will still be plenty flavorful.
How to Cook Corned Beef in the Slow Cooker
- Arrange the carrots, onion, potatoes, and corned beef (fat-side up) in the slow cooker.
- Add the pickling spices and pour the beer over everything.
- Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves.
- Cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or until the corned beef is tender. Most recipes recommend you cook the brisket for 4 to 4 ½ hours on high in the slow cooker. In doing so you’ll have nicely cut portions that while tender, simply doesn’t fall apart when stuck with a fork. However, if you’re like me and want that fall-apart texture like the corned beef in the photo below, the longer you cook it, the more tender it will be.
- Place the cabbage on top of the beef and continue cooking for 1 more hour until the cabbage is tender.
How to Cook Corned Beef in the Instant Pot
Because I’m such a fan of pressure cooking in the Instant Pot, this slow cooker corned beef recipe was easy to convert.
- Cook the corned beef with the onion, spices, thyme, and beer on HIGH pressure for 90 minutes.
- Quick release, then add the potatoes, carrots, and cabbage to the pot.
- Set to HIGH pressure and set for 5 minutes.
- Quick release, and check for doneness.
Pro Tip: If you’re in a hurry, you can cut the beef into 2-3 chunks so it cooks faster and more evenly. Since I slice mine up to serve anyway, I didn’t care whether I had a big chunk of meat to plate or not, and the tender bites were a-okay with me.
Why is Corned Beef Served With Cabbage?
Corned beef is traditionally served with cabbage because it was one of the cheapest veggies available to Irish immigrants at the time.
Can I Omit the Beer?
If beer isn’t your thing, simply cover the beef and veggies with 16 ounces or so of cold water or beef broth and let the stewing begin. The spices should flavor it all well enough.
Or, you can always go half and half water/broth to beer. It’s totally your choice.
Tips for Making the Best Corned Beef Recipe
Corned beef usually comes with its own spice packet included. If your spice packet feels a little skimpy, feel free to make your own pickling spice, or add an extra teaspoon or more of coriander seeds and allspice and another bay leaf or two to the whole deal once you’ve popped it into the slow cooker. Or, you can always brine your corned beef yourself (here’s a recipe for that) but in my opinion, that’s simply taking the ease right out of this Crockpot corned beef recipe.
Cook the veggies with the corned beef for more flavor, except for the cabbage. Because of its delicate nature, add the cabbage in the last 45 minutes to an hour of cooking time. You could also add the potatoes at the 3-hour mark if you like a firmer potato.
Don’t overcook the potatoes. The only part of this cooking cautionary tale is I would recommend removing the vegetables from the slow cooker at about 4 hours so they don’t turn into mush, then returning them when you add the cabbage to the cooker. The result is a fall-apart tender chunk piece of corned beef.
What to Serve With Corned Beef and Cabbage
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a 
rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage (or Instant Pot)
Ingredients
- 3 carrots , peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces
- 1 yellow onion , peeled and quartered
- ½ pound small potatoes , halved
- 1 corned beef brisket , (about 3-4 pounds), plus pickling spice packet or 1 tablespoon pickling spice
- 2 8 to 12-ounce beers , (I prefer ale or lagers)
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ head cabbage , cut into 1 ½-inch wedges
- ½ cup sour cream
- 3-4 tablespoons prepared horseradish , to taste
Instructions
To Cook in the Slow Cooker:
- In a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker, place the carrots, onion and potatoes. Place corned beef, fat-side up, on top of the vegetables and sprinkle with pickling spice. Pour the beers over the vegetables and brisket. Sprinkle with the sprigs of fresh thyme. Cover and cook on high until corned beef is tender, 5-6 hours or 10-12 hours on low.
- Arrange cabbage over corned beef, cover, and continue cooking until cabbage is tender, 45 min to 1 hour (or 1 ½ to 2 hours on low). Thinly slice the corned beef against the grain and serve with the vegetables and cooking liquid with the horseradish sauce.
To Cook in the Instant Pot:
- Cut the corned beef into 2-3 chunks so it cooks faster and more evenly. Add to the insert of a 6 quart Instant Pot with the fat cap up. Layer with the onion, spices, thyme and beer. Cook on HIGH pressure for 90 minutes then do a quick release.
- Add the potatoes, carrots and cabbage to the insert, close, and set to HIGH pressure for another 5 minutes. Natural release for 5 minutes, cut, and serve.
For the Horseradish Sauce:
- Mix the sour cream and horseradish together in a small bowl. Refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
More Easy Beef Recipes to Make
- Beef Stew with Butternut Squash (Instant Pot or Slow Cooker)
- Killer Beef and Three Bean Chili
- Beef Bourguignon
- The Best Steak Fajitas
- Homemade Sloppy Joes
- Cheeseburger Macaroni (aka Homemade Hamburger Helper)
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I did half beer half beef broth from bouillon but it left it too salty so I added some Worcestershire sauce and the vinegar in that balanced it out and added a nice bit of flavor, I enjoyed it immensely.
Happy to hear you enjoyed Shayna!
Perfect! I used my instantpot for it. Good timing. The only thing I had to change was the beer. I am gluten free. I have some gluten free beer, but I thought our turkey stock was a better choice. And my veggies came out perfectly. Thank you so much!
Glad you enjoyed!
What is the horseradish sauce for? Looking forward to making the recipe this weekend!
Hi Claire! The horseradish sauce is just for serving, because we love the tangy, zesty flavor it adds and how it helps cut some of the richness. It’s optional though, so feel free to leave it out if it’s something you don’t care for.
Do the vegetables get mushy
The veggies soften, but aren’t mushy. If you want, add them later in the cooking process.
Your recipe for corned beef has been my go-to for YEARS. When the briskets show up at the butchers, I buy extras so I can have more than once a year. Making another one today for Memorial Day sandwiches.
Thank you, Leslie! I’m glad you like it!
Best corned beef I have EVER had!! Amazing!
Happy to hear that!
Oh this looks so good. Corn beef is not my favorite but come March it is a must. I haven’t tried making it with beer before. Seems like a good addition to try come my annual crock pot cooking session.
I love corned beef and cabbage. This recipe is the best!! Thanks Heidi I can already taste it yummy
Me too!!
Just made this recipe, it was freakin’ fabulous! I used Miller Lite beer, in my 6 quart IP Ultra. Followed the recipe to a T. Can’t wait for reubens tomorrow!
Sounds like someone is watching football! Glad you like it Sam!
this was a pretty solid recipe… ended up with lots of leftover cabbage and didn’t even add the potatoes (primary because my IP had no more room left for them aaaand because I already made a side of mashed potatoes… didn’t want to suffer from tater overload). My husband and I loved it, so I will definitely be following this recipe again in the future!
I just made this and it was absolutely delicious! It made a ton of food, so we will be having it for lunch, dinner and leftovers!
Yay! Enjoy!
Yum! I grew up in CB and cabbage and love it! My husband grew up eating boiled dinner with ham. Ever try this or have any suggestion on cuts or recipes?
I made this for dinner last night, and it was so, so YUMMY!!! I can’t wait to use the leftovers for Reuben sandwiches. I’ve made these sandwiches a few times over the years, but it’s been a long, long time. They were definitely a family favorite growing up. I’ll let you know how those turn out under your Reuben recipe, as I plan to use it as well. Thank you for sharing!!!
I made this today for St. Patrick’s Day dinner. It came out PERFECTLY!! I literally was able to eat it with a spoon it was so tender & melt in your mouth! The beer gave it a nice (subtle) flavor. I’ve made corned beef & cabbage in the crockpot many times before, but this recipe takes the cake. Thanks so much for sharing :)
This was really good! Irish husband loved it. We do not cook with, or drink, alcohol, so your suggestion to use beef flavoring was great. Happy St Patrick’s Day!! …burp…
Made this recipe for Saint Patrick’s Day 2018 and it came out perfect! I especially liked the sour cream horseradish cream which was perfect compliment to the corned beef.
Hi I would like to try this recipe. Where do you buy the corned beef with spice packet?
I get it at my local supermarket. You could buy corned beef and then the season packet separate in your seasoning isle.
Just curious if there’s a reason mine came out so incredibly salty. I know corned beef is salty by nature but this was take a sip of beer after every bite salty. Thanks!
I usually rinse mine off to get a little of the brine off before I start to cook it!!! Maybe that would help??
just in time, was looking for a good corned beef recipe to make tomorrow night, saw this linked in your Friday post and am very happy to be able to use it in my slow cooker, thank you!
Wooooooow, me like it! I’ll do it today, tonight….no…immediately!
My first attempt at Cornbeef and cabbage and it was a huge success with this recipe. My only alteration was using 2-12 Samuel Adams. My husband love it and said it was delicious!!!
a beauty! Like turkey, don’t know why this dish isn’t in the typical person’s rotation other than holidays? A mystery but love corned beef and this one looks very appetizing for making tomorrow, too much to try to put together on a Friday! thank you!
Anyone use Guinness?
Great recipe! I used a 12 oz. beer and about half a cup of beef broth instead of 2 8 oz. beers. It was delicious, thank you!
Tip: it takes about 4 12oz beers to cover everything in the crockpot & I recommend you do that! Helps the meat cook evenly.
I don’t like corn beef, but this ended up being the BEST I’ve ever tasted!!! My Irish husband thought it was amazing! He had never had it with beer nor onions in a crockpot and he was in heaven!!! I don’t like cabbage so I made a side of roasted potatoes but he thought this cabbage type helped the recipe even more!!!
Although the meat tasted good the meat definitely needed to cook longer than the recipe said. Also, the veggies if cooked according to the recipe won’t look like the pictures, they lose all color. Even though I followed the recipe exactly as explained, the veggies were bitter and had to be thrown out. My husband and I ate the meat later meanwhile we had to make emergency quesadillas for the kids to eat.
My new crock pot’s highest setting is more like the medium setting on my old crock pot. I cooked this for a total of 8 hours. I added the onion and one can of mild beer at the start. Then added the carrots at 5 hours and the cabbage at 6 hours. Everything cooked perfectly. This was the best corned beef and cabbage I have ever eaten!
I’m so glad you found the recipe worked well! Thanks for circling back to let us know and happy Corned Beef and Cabbage Day :)
This recipe came out perfect!! So delicious!! Thanks so much :):) I’ve been wanting a damn good recipe for a very long time and these are wonderful! I am so excited about them .Can’t wait to make them again!
Hello guys ,
I’m glad to see your post and like these recipe .
Thanks, my daughter and I always go out for a Ruben when she’s in town ! I’m going to surprise her this time made it for her !! hopefully a GUY can’t screw it up !
Wish me luck …… Thanks Mike
LOOOOKS SOOOO GOOOOOD !
nice! thank you so much! Thank you for sharing. Your blog posts are more interesting and impressive. I think there are many people like and visit it regularly, including me.
nitrites in corned beef are necessary for the pink color of the beef….without it will be ugly gray!
Have made this dish all year round for 7 years but just in the past two years, added beer. It really makes a different. thanks for the additional idea of adding more spices that has help. the one packet is not enough
I’m so glad it’s one of your favorites too Bob, and thanks for the comment.
This was DELICIOUS!!! So much good flavor! We used 2 Shock top Pumpkin wheat ales (24 oz). Your tips for the vegetables made them perfect! Thank you!
I’m making this today for St Patty’s! The crockpot is already making its magic,
This is so close to my recipe that I know it has to be delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Oh yum! thanks
I made this today and wish I wouldn’t have used the ale, it gave the carrots a weird taste and my brisket looked brown not pink. The best part was the horseradish sauce. Won’t be using this recipe again. Sorry!
Too bad you didn’t like it Evita. Not sure why your brisket turned out pink, the ale must have been stronger than the one I used. You could try with a regular Bud Light for a lighter taste.
I’m making this today for St Patty’s! The crockpot is already making its magic, but just hoped for some clarification one point. Do you cook the meat for 5-6 hours, THEN put the cabbage in and cook it for ANOTHER 45 min -1 hour? Just want to be sure I have the timing right. Thanks!
That’s how I do it Stephanie. Keep an eye on your cabbage and cook it til it’s done to your preference.
Putting this in the slow cooker right now! So excited! xoxoxo
Just tossed this all in the crockpot. Followed your recipe but with beer/water. Can’t wait to eat it after work tonight!!
What could you use in place of the beer?
Water or water/broth combo would be ok.
how do you make corn beef and cabbage the regular way and not with a slow cooker?
Hi Fenia, you could cook it in a dutch oven on the stove-top for 3-4 hours over medium-low heat. No need to brown, just toss the meat in with the veggies then add the cabbage in the last hour or 45 minutes of cooking.
I love that you douse your corn beef in beer, this looks so good!
This sounds incredible. I’m loving your slow cooker method for this must- have dinner!
I love the recipes with such great stories behind them that we still love and this one is a classic!
I’ve actually never made corned beef and I had in my head that it was something super labor intensive. But crock pot to the rescue. Hooray! This sounds fabulous, Heidi. I’ll take two servings and skip the green beer this year (I’ll just have regular beer instead!).
My Mom always made corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day. This brings back memories. Oh yes, and memories of drinking too much green beer at an Irish bar in Denver. (I camped on my knees in a ladies bathroom stall if you know what I mean. yuk)
Corned beef is definitely something I love to eat but have never attempted to cook it at home. I love that this all comes together so easily in the slow cooker. How fun it must have been to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with your friends during college!
Seriously, why have I never made corned beef? I always think about it around this time of year but then I don’t get around to it. Yours looks perfect and if college Heidi can do it so can I :)
I look forward to corned beef every March, and I’ve found making it in the slow cooker to be my favorite way as well (with beer too). :) I love savoy cabbage and all the veggie goodness you’ve packed in here — this is corned beef and cabbage perfection!
Yum! What a fun and easy (thank you crockpot) St. Patty’s Day dinner.
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
I have corned beef every St. Patricks day (week) – love it! I also have it in the fall. I’ve done different cooking methods also but I’ve never added beer – it gets drank! lol I might let some go in the crock pot this year. This is so close to my recipe that I know it has to be delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
I’m defrosting the brisket now. Thanks!
Whoa! I am glad I wasn’t the only green beer drinker in college. Also, I so wish I had a plate of this gorgeous corned beef in front me. Bookmarked to make during Spring Break next week!
Boy, does this ever look good. Many thanks!
This has to be one of the prettiest slow-cooker meals I’ve ever seen. Inspiring!
Oh this looks so good. Corn beef is not my favorite but come March it is a must. I haven’t tried making it with beer before. Seems like a good addition to try come my annual crock pot cooking session.
Seriously, why have I never made corned beef? I always think about it around this time of year but then I don’t get around to it. Yours looks perfect and if college Heidi can do it so can I :)