This tender, beer-infused Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage is the perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Using the pressure cooker function makes it easy and convenient to cook a traditional corned beef dinner in less time. For a recipe without an Instant Pot, try my Beer-Braised Corned Beef.
This reader-favorite recipe was originally published on March 3, 2018. We’ve updated this post in 2022 with additional cooking tips and photos.
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Why Make Corned Beef and Cabbage in the Instant Pot?
Adapting my Beer Braised Corned Beef for the Instant Pot was one of the first things I had in mind when I bought it. We were not disappointed! The pressure cooker corned beef, infused with aromatic pickling spices and lager, was tender, succulent, and full-flavored.
Instant Pot Corned Beef is a one-pot dinner that saves you about an hour of time from start to finish, as compared to braising in the Dutch oven. In comparison to crockpot corned beef recipes, which can take up to 8 hours, it’s substantially quicker.
What You’ll Need to Make Instant Pot Corned Beef
- 4-pound Corned Beef Brisket. You’ll find Corned Beef (salt-cured brisket) in flat and point cuts at the market. You can use either for this recipe, but I most often buy flat cut. (To read about the difference between the cuts check out Brisket: Flat Cut vs. Point Cut from Cuisine at Home.)
- Lager-style Beer. As with my Beer Braised Corned Beef, I prefer to use a lager that isn’t too strong or hops forward. I most often use a bottle of Samuel Smith Pure Brewed Organic Lager or Sam Adams Boston Lager.
- Water. To help pressurize the pot and draw salt out of the corned beef as it cooks.
- Pickling Spice. A classic mixture of whole spices such as cinnamon, peppercorns, mustard seeds, cloves, bay leaves, ginger, and coriander. If your corned beef comes with a spice packet, you can substitute it for the pickling spice.
- Yellow Onion and Garlic. Adds additional flavor the braising liquid. Peel and slice the onion, and peel the garlic cloves, leaving them whole.
- Carrots, Potatoes, and Cabbage. Make this a one-pot corned beef and cabbage dinner! I like to use baby carrots and creamer potatoes (red and/or yellow, about the size of golf balls), in addition to a wedged head of green cabbage.
I developed this recipe using a 6-quart Instant Pot; specifically, the 6-quart Duo Plus. I find that using the included handled trivet makes it easier to remove the tender brisket from the insert after cooking.
How to Make A Pressure Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner
Prepping the Brisket
Before cooking, rinse the corned beef thoroughly with cool water (2-3 times) to remove excess salt from the surface. I don’t recommend trimming the fat cap before cooking. The fat adds flavor and moisture to the meat, and can be trimmed before serving, if needed.
Add the sliced onions, garlic cloves, pickling spices, and water into your Instant Pot insert. Place the rinsed corned beef (fat side up) onto the trivet that came with your Instant Pot.
Nestle the trivet into the pot, and pour the beer over the brisket. Check the level of the liquid in the insert before sealing the pot; it should reach up the sides of the brisket.
Note: The amount of water you need may vary by your brisket’s dimensions. While the Instant Pot might only need 1 to 1-1/2 cups of liquid to pressurize, this is not enough to draw the salt out of the meat. Adjust the quantity of water as needed, but don’t exceed the insert’s fill line.
Pressure Cooking the Corned Beef
For a 4-pound corned beef, we like the texture of the meat best when cooked at high pressure for 85 minutes, with a 20-minute natural release. The meat comes out fork-tender, but still sliceable against the grain without falling apart.
Adding about 15 minutes to the cooking process for the Instant Pot to heat up to pressure, the corned beef itself takes about 2 hours total.
We always make a corned beef around 4 pounds to ensure leftovers for sandwiches and corned beef hash, but if you make a much smaller brisket, it will likely need a shorter cooking time. We’ve found 70 minutes at high pressure to be sufficient for 2 pound briskets, with a 15 minute natural release.
Remove the cooked corned beef from the Instant Pot, and strain the cooking liquid, discarding the pickling spices and solids. Place the corned beef in a dish with a bit of the strained cooking liquid and cover with foil to keep the meat warm and juicy.
Cooking the Potatoes, Carrots, and Cabbage Wedges
Adding vegetables to an Instant Pot corned beef dinner is a breeze. I love the flavor that the pressure cooker infuses into the vegetables from the beer-based cooking liquid. I don’t usually get that excited about boiled or steamed cabbage wedges, but I really enjoy the flavor of these.
Add 1-1/2 cups of the strained cooking liquid back into the Instant Pot insert, layering in the carrots, potatoes, and cabbage wedges. Cook the vegetables on high pressure for 3-4 minutes, with a manual (quick) release.
Serving Your Corned Beef Dinner
When ready to serve, slice the corned beef against the grain into 1/8 to 1/4-inch slices. Check Out: Here’s How (and Why) to Slice Meat Against the Grain from Kitchn.
If there is a substantial fat cap on the corned beef, you might want to trim it down or remove it entirely before slicing. This is entirely a matter of personal preference. We like to serve the brisket with some of the fat left on.
When serving, spoon a little bit of the strained cooking liquid over the sliced corned beef on the platter, and offer guests whole grain mustard on the side. I treat the vegetables to a light drizzling of melted butter and sprinkle them with chopped fresh parsley for a pop of color and freshness.
Have leftovers? Try making my Corned Beef Hash and Eggs for breakfast, Reuben Sandwiches, or Deli-Style Corned Beef Sandwiches for lunch!
More of our Favorite St. Patrick’s Day Recipes
- Roasted Cabbage Wedges
- Cabbage and Leek Colcannon
- Stout Beer Braised Short Ribs (Dutch oven or Instant Pot)
- Irish-American Soda Bread
Instant Pot Corned Beef
Ingredients
- 1 small yellow onion , sliced (use 1/2 if large)
- 4 cloves garlic , peeled and lightly smashed with the back of a knife
- 2 tablespoons pickling spice
- 2-1/2 cups water
- 4 pound corned beef brisket , rinsed
- 12 ounces lager-style beer (nothing too bitter)
- 1 pound tiny potatoes (about 1-1/2 inches in diameter), or red-skinned potatoes cut into 1-1/2 inch wedges
- 1 head cabbage , cut into 8 wedges
- 1 pound baby carrots
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley , for garnish
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted (optional)
- grainy mustard , for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Combine onion, garlic, pickling spices, and water in the insert of a 6-quart Instant Pot. Place the corned beef brisket, fat side up, on a rack on top of the onions. Pour beer over the brisket.
- Seal lid and set the unit to HIGH pressure for 85 minutes. Let pressure release naturally for 20 minutes, then manually release the remaining pressure.* Remove corned beef and place on a dish or a cutting board, spooning a bit of the cooking liquid over the top. Cover with foil to keep warm.
- Strain cooking liquid and discard solids. Return 1-1/2 cups of liquid to the Instant Pot and add potatoes, carrots, and cabbage wedges. (Reserve remaining cooking liquid.) Seal lid and set the unit to HIGH pressure for 3-4 minutes, depending on how soft you like your vegetables. Quick release pressure.
- Slice corned beef against the grain. Spoon a little bit of the reserved cooking liquid over the corned beef slices on your platter. Sprinkle parsley over the vegetables, and if desired, drizzle with melted butter. Serve corned beef with mustard.
Laura Lovgren says
This recipe made the best corned beef I’ve ever had! Even my non-corned beef eater liked it! Thank you!
Marilyn says
This was perfect,everyone raved about how Delicious dinner was. thank you.
Iva L. says
This was terrific! And sooo easy! I followed the recipe exactly and everything came out perfect. I only make corned beef a couple of times a year, but I’ve been making it for decades. I would say this was among the best, and it took waaaay less time! Thanks for a delicious and easy recipe.
Julie says
I’m trying this recipe for the first time, I usually boil my corned beef in a Dutch oven on top of the stove, but I’m short on time. I have an Instant Pot that doesn’t have a “high” setting choice when you use manual, so I’m using the “meat/stew” setting for 92 minutes for a 4.28 lb. Corned beef. Will this cook it tender? Fingers crossed and a prayer to Saint Pat!
Amanda Biddle says
Hi Julie, I haven’t used the meat/stew setting on my Instant Pot, but I believe it cooks under high pressure. (Just curious: is there a separate “pressure level” button you’re able to use with the manual setting? I believe all of the IP models can cook under either high or low pressure.) Let me know how the meat/stew setting works out for you!
Jamie says
This is the third year I have used this recipe. This year I couldn’t find a four pound piece and I was having 6 adults so I bought two three pound pieces of meat. I followed the directions for water onions and garlic and used a little more beer to cover the meet just to the max fill line. I couldn’t use the insert tray unless the meat would’ve been too high in my 6qt. They were sort of stacked on each other Fat side up. I was nervous it wouldn’t cook right. I ended up cooking it for 90 mins high pressure and 20 min slow release (in my head I was thinking I shouldn’t have to cook it longer because it’s two separate pieces totaling 6lbs not one big piece). I then let the meat rest while the cabbage and potatoes cooked (I cooked these separately because of the amount I used) so in total maybe the meat rested for 20ish mins wrapped under the foil). It was the most incredible corned beef I’ve ever made. My in laws were happy, my grandmother in law who is harder to please than they are was happy. The meat was so tender and the sides were just as delicious. They all said that it was the best corned beef meal they’re ever had. Thank you for making me look like a hero.
Mary says
Love this recipe and very easy. Thank you! Really like the whiskey glaze!
Deena says
This is my go-to recipe for corned beef n cabbage. DELICIOUS! My husband loves when I make this. Thank you for a great recipe!!
Roxanne says
Excellent! No leftovers after adult son ate every last bite of corned beef and cabbage. Will definitely make again. Thank YOU!
Tina says
I made this for my family and it was a huge hit we are making it again today. Thanks for such a great but simple recipe!
Jessica says
We LOVE this recipe! I have made it 3 or 4 times now and always plan to have leftovers for hash. Let me tell you, there are never any leftovers! Be sure to do the whiskey glaze in the broiler, makes this exceptional!
Lisa says
Made this for my family. It turned out excellent! I would rate this recipe at the top of the scale. I shared the recipe with a coworker. Her husband asked her to make it again. Then I overheard her sharing the recipe with another coworker. I am making it for a second time tonight. Making more meat though. I want left overs for Reuben sandwiches. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Karen says
Made a 5 pound corn beef. Very tender and flavorful.
Used chicken broth in place of the water. Glazed with
spicy mustard and apricot jam. My husband said it’s the best ever!
John says
Very good
Christine says
This tasted amazing. After finishing off the leftovers(not much🎉) I saved the juices, added some chicken stick and cooked potatoes brought up to a boil and used my immersion blender to make smooth. I added about 2 cups extra sharp cheddar gave a good stir and about 1/2 cup heavy cream(not necessary). After I plated it I put some chopped bacon I had left from breakfast. Thank you so much for your delicious recipe. I’ve shared it at least 5 times!!!🍀
Janine says
I’ve been making this quite often and we LOVE it! I skip the veggies and we make it into Reuben sandwiches. Any chance I can cook the corned beef from frozen? If so, How would I do that? I like to have a few briskets in my freezer. It would be awesome to just pull one out and go!