Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

Name: Instant Pot Corned Beef
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 88 min
Total time: 168 min
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)); whole grain mustard (, for serving (optional))

Published: March 3, 2018 | Last updated: March 2, 2021 | by Amanda Biddle 159 Comments

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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, check out my Beer-Braised Corned Beef.

slices of instant pot corned beeef on a white platter with baby potatoes, carrots, and cabbage wedges

Since I got my Instant Pot, I’ve been having fun adapting and testing some of my classic recipes in it, mostly to see how the results differ using the pressure cooker function.

I’ve found that I do prefer some dishes cooked with traditional methods. As I’ve said before, I don’t think my heart will ever stray from its devotion to slow-braises in my Dutch oven!

Many times, though, the dishes that have emerged from my pressure cooker have been just as good as their slowly-cooked counterparts, with the convenience of not having to watch a pot for 3 or 4 hours on the stove or in the oven. Our yearly Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner has been one of those.

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 just as tender, succulent, and full-flavored as when I make it in my Dutch oven.

uncooked corned beef in a white bowl with a glass of beer and an instant pot in the background

Adapting Corned Beef and Cabbage for the Instant Pot

As with most classic recipes I’ve adapted for the Instant Pot, I found that I needed more spices and less liquid than when I cook a corned beef on the stove or in the oven. I doubled my usual pickling spices from 1 tablespoon to 2 to infuse into the brisket, and only needed 4 cups of liquid total, as compared to 5-6.

Unlike other meats, I don’t recommend making Instant Pot Corned Beef with the minimum amount of liquid required for pressure cooking. Corned beef is salt-cured brisket, and when you cook it with traditional boiling or braising methods, the substantial amount of liquid draws salt out of the meat. So, while the Instant Pot might only need 1 to 1-1/2 cups of liquid to pressurize,

the cooking liquid draws a good amount of the salt out of the meat. Corned beef can be very salty, and without adding enough liquid to reach to the sides of the brisket, you won’t draw enough of that salt out of the meat during the cooking process.

How Long Does it Take to Cook Corned Beef in a Pressure Cooker?

Instant Pot corned beef saves you about an hour of time, 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.

For a 4-pound corned beef (flat or point cut), we liked the texture of the meat best when cooked at high pressure for 85 minutes, with a 20-minute natural release. The meat was 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.

Read about the difference between flat and point cut brisket in “Tips for Buying Brisket” from Cooks Illustrated.

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.

small potatoes and baby carrots in a white bowl surrounded by green cabbage wedges

Cooking Vegetables for a Pressure Cooker Corned Beef Dinner

Adding potatoes, carrots, and cabbage to an Instant Pot corned beef dinner is a breeze. I like to strain the cooking liquid after I remove the corned beef from the pot, and discard the pickling spices and solids. Then, I just add some of strained liquid back into the pot with the vegetables, and cook on high pressure for 3-4 minutes, with a manual release.

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 enjoyed the flavor of these.

sliced pressure cooker corned beef with vegetables

Serving Instant Pot Corned Beef

When the corned beef comes out of the Instant Pot, I like to place it in a dish with a bit of the reserved cooking liquid and cover with foil to keep the meat warm and juicy. When ready to serve, slice the brisket against the grain in 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 sprinkle the vegetables with chopped fresh parsley for a pop of color and freshness, and sometimes, treat them to a light drizzling of melted butter.

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)

More Instant Pot Recipes on Striped Spatula

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