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 1-½ 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 1-½ 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 ⅛ to ¼-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
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Corned Beef
Ingredients
- 1 small yellow onion , sliced (use ½ if large)
- 4 cloves garlic , peeled and lightly smashed with the back of a knife
- 2 tablespoons pickling spice
- 2-½ cups water
- 4 pound corned beef brisket , rinsed
- 12 ounces lager-style beer (nothing too bitter)
- 1 pound tiny potatoes (about 1-½ inches in diameter), or red-skinned potatoes cut into 1-½ 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 1-½ 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.
That Healthy Friend says
This recipe is the epitome of perfection! The beef was moist and tender. Instantpot for the win!
Kate says
Perfect corned beef! I accidentally sliced it with the grain for the first two slices and they shredded, but when I went the other way, they were perfect like in your video. It’s sonetimes hard to tell which way to go after it’s cooked!!! We’re having your hash this morning with the leftovers for breakfast.
Gina Baldocchi says
Perfect corned beef. I did the vegetables for 3 min. The carrots and potatoes were perfect but the cabbage was overcooked for my taste. I will definitely make again but next time I will cook the cabbage after taking the potatoes and carrots out.
Erica C says
Made it yesterday. Fantastic use of the Instant Pot!! For my family, the cabbage wasn’t at all over cooked after 3 minutes. Our’s was soft-tender and you could cut it with a fork and knife. Pretty much like when I make this dinner on the stove. I bet the size of the wedges has a lot to do with it too. But that corned beef! I don’t think I’ll go back to longer cooking methods. Perfect is the right word!!
J says
Should we use a first cut or second cut corned beef?
Striped Spatula Team says
Hi J,
You can use either a flat or a point cut corned beef. For either cut, be sure to note the direction of the meat’s grain before cutting, and slice across/against the grain for beautiful slices.
Happy Cooking,
The Striped Spatula Team
Linda says
Would be difficult to double this recipe? I will be making it for the first for 12 people.
Amanda Biddle says
Hi Linda,
I make this in the Instant Pot 6 quart Duo plus, and I definitely wouldn’t be able to fit a larger or second corned beef in there. I haven’t tested times and quantities for a much larger brisket in the 8 quart model. In general, it’s difficult to stack briskets in an IP to double with this method because the liquid needed to pull out the salt and make the meat tender would come up too high in the pot for pressure cooking.
Moani says
I made this yesterday for St. Patrick’s day for my family. It was a BIG hit! Many thumbs up! It was also my first time using my Instant Pot. It’s an 8 quart and easily fit the 4.2 pounder. I rinsed the meat really well under cold water and patted it dry prior to placing it into my IP. I chose not to double the pickling spice but otherwise followed your recipe exactly. Delicious! There have been requests now to add this into regular dinner rotation.
Melissa Tigera says
Just finished cleaning up from dinner and my family has already asked when I will make this again. I had a flat cut 4.1 pounder from Costco and my corned beef connoisseur husband said it came perfect. :) It was easy and no shredded meat like so many other recipes. Thanks for sharing this!
Debbie says
Great corned beef recipe. Made it after seeing the video on Facebook. I never get that excited either about cabbage with the corned beef but like others said it had great flavor pressure cooked with the strained cooking liquid. The meat is very tender but not stringy like my crockpot corned beef came. We’re making reubens with the leftovers tonight!
Amy says
Can I use beef broth instead of beer? My husband has Celiac .
Striped Spatula Team says
Hi Amy,
Yes, beef broth can be substituted. You can also use all water (4 cups total for the recipe).
Happy Cooking!
The Striped Spatula Team
Carl Jonard says
I used cider and it came out quite nice.
Kelly F Guncheon says
If the meat is too big for your One Pot, can you cut it in half and stack one on top of the other? If so, should cooking times/processes be altered?
Striped Spatula Team says
Hi Kelly,
We don’t recommend stacking the meat for this recipe. In order to draw the salt out of the corned beef during the cooking process, the liquid needs to reach the sides of the brisket. While we haven’t tested stacking, it seems that doing so would require adding too much liquid to the pot. That said, it’s okay if the brisket touches the sides of the pot in areas to fit, as shown in the video.
Happy Cooking!
The Striped Spatula Team
Dana says
It was absolutely delicious! I cooked a 4.5# corned beef but is was so sad at how much it shrank down…barely enough for 3 and I only ate 3 ounces. What size would I need to a family of 5 with leftovers? I was SO looking forward to having this for a couple of meals.
Striped Spatula Team says
Hi Dana, we’re glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Corned beef does shrink down when cooking, but that sounds like an unusual amount of shrinkage. The standard buying guidelines for corned beef are 3/4 pound per person, up to 1 pound per person allowing for leftovers. A 4.5 to 5 pound cut should easily feed 5. Was it a particularly fatty brisket?
JesseK says
I’m such a snob when it comes to cooking and instant pot recipes have really pretty pictures but I find this isn’t always the case…
Until now… nailed it with cooking times and “doneness”…. of course there’s the obligatory “what I added” on a online recipe… just used some more salt and pepper on the vegetables and salted butter.
Amazing meal! Great recipe!
Dee Selk says
I loved the recipe and corned beef was awesome. I would like to know if you know why the meat seemed a little salty? Any suggestions. I didn’t add anything other than the original package of pickling spices that came with the beef and the lager beer.
Striped Spatula Team says
Hi Dee,
We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed the corned beef recipe! By nature, corned beef is very salty, and some brands are much saltier than others. (We’ve even found the same brand to vary quite a bit in salt from year to year.) A lot of the salt is drawn out into the cooking liquid during the pressure cooking process, but rinsing the meat before cooking can also help to tone it down a bit.
Happy Cooking!
The Striped Spatula Team
Opal Burgess says
I followed the recipe and I made it perfectly using my instant pot. Thanks for sharing your recipe Miss Amanda, you are awesome.
Ryan T says
Corned beef with beer is great wouldn’t change a thing. The flavor of the vegetables is much better than other recipes.
Nicole says
Best corned beef I’ve ever made. Did a trial run for a St. Paddy’s party I’m having. The meat was very tender without totally shredding and flavorful. This is my new corned beef recipe.
Sharon Kaplan says
I definitely want to make this but do you have any tips for making this in the 3 QT Instant Pot Duo?
Striped Spatula Team says
Hi Sharon,
Thank you for your question! To make the recipe as written, you’d need a 6-quart Instant Pot. The 3-quart wouldn’t fit a brisket of this size, or the volume of liquid. We haven’t tested this recipe with reduced quantities in the smaller IP.
The Striped Spatula Team
Jim says
Great recipe. I used a bottle of craft beer and cooked veggies 3 mins. I’d like to try it with the glaze from your other corned beef recipe next. But this one is excellent as it is.
Roselyn says
Delicious! So nice and easy to make :)
I had a 5 lb corned beef brisket that I made in an 8qt Instapot and it came out perfect! I followed the recipe as is- ThankYou!
John Little says
The corned beef itself was outstanding! I did embellish the cooking liquid, using amber ale mixed with brown sugar and coarse-grained mustard, but the texture of the corned beef was the best ever, and that’s due to the method, not my flavorings. If you like some firmness in your potatoes and carrots, I’d cut the time for the vegetables in half. After 4 minutes, even with quick-release, we thought they were too mushy for our taste.
Striped Spatula Team says
Hi John,
Thank you for your comment. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed the corned beef recipe.
In developing the recipe, most of our taste testers preferred the vegetables cooked for 3-4 minutes. 3 minutes for a firmer bite, 4 for softer. We don’t recommend reducing the time in half to 2 minutes. In our tests, while the baby carrots were crisp tender after that period, the whole baby potatoes were inedible in the middle.
Thank you for visiting Striped Spatula,
The Striped Spatula Team
Jennifer Goldberg says
This is how corned beef should be. Soft, juicy, and not stringing apart. Thank you for all of your tips. Some food blogs don’t have a lot of helpful writing outside of the recipe but I love how your posts are about the recipe. Good read and great corned beef dinner.
Laura says
I’ll never make corned beef another way again. Fabulous. I only got a little sputter from the beer when I did the release. The flavor it gave everything was amazing. Hubs asked me to buy another corned beef and make it again.
Linda says
Agree with all of the other reviews. This corned beef is perfection. I’m going to try a bigger one in my 8qt and see how it comes.
Jillian says
Best corned beef dinner I’ve ever made. Looking forward to sandwiches today. Thanks for the great recipe!