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.
Mike Chaput says
Outstanding! Used a Costco Bill Bailey 3lb cut. Just laid it on a bed of sliced onions, added water, garlic, and a bottle of Blue Moon. Dropped cooking time to 80 minutes due to 3lb instead of 4lb. 20 minute natural release, and it’s perfect. Far more tender that previous slow cooker. My pot is an 8 qt.
Thanks for the guidance
Amanda Biddle says
Fantastic! Thank you for letting us know how it came in the 8-quart. We’ve had a lot of inquiries about it. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Debbi says
I’ve made many corned beef using other recipes but this one by far is the best we ever had! I made one last week (as a trial run) before I cook 2 for my boys and their families. Thank you. I followed the recipe to a T!
Lisa says
Have used this recipe twice now. Perfect each time!
Annie says
I have a five pound brisket. Do I need to add to cooking time or keep it the same?
I used your recipe last weekend with a little over 3# corned beef from Costco, used same time and it was PERFECT! Did not shed at all; very impressed. (Hence larger corned beef) Btw, used 4 cups water bc we are gluten free. Thank you for great recipe!
Amanda Biddle says
Hi Annie,
I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the corned beef! The brand Costco carried this year was excellent. I made several of them myself over the past few weeks.
We had a reader comment just the other day that she made a 5 pound and didn’t adjust the time. She said it came out great. Based on that, if you can fit the 5 pound in your IP model without overfilling with the liquid, I’d say go with the recipe as written. Let me know how it turns out!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Cynthia says
Best Corned Beef ever. I have cooked in oven and boiled on stove in the past and will use this method from now on. Used a flat cut brisket and low sodium beef broth in place of water and beer. Four pound brisket devoured by three of us. Shrunk down to almost half the original size.
JL says
I’ve never made a corned beef dinner in my life. This recipe helped so much. Thanks!
I have an 8QT IP. Cooked two briskets at the same time. I put some thickly sliced onion rings between the two. Used the spice packets from the briskets and enough water to reach the bottom of the first hunk. Then poured the beer over. Not being a drinker I asked the guy and the beverage store for his recommendation. He wasn’t sure but I ended up with a 16oz can of Narraganset. Being in the bigger pot the time took 30 minutes longer than the total two hours this recipe stated. Strained the liquid and I used it in the same pot for the the veggies…increased the time to 5 minutes instead of 3-4. Took about 25 minutes (the 8qt takes forever to come up to pressure). I was skeptical that 5 minutes was enough time to cook them. But they came out perfect!
Next time, I will be trying the Whiskey Mustard Glaze! Bookmarking this recipe and hoping to find some discounted briskets to freeze for future meals.
Amanda Biddle says
Thank you for your detailed review, JL! We’ve had a few readers wondering about making two briskets in the 8-quart model, so this is great info. Were they both 4 pound briskets?
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
JL says
They were both smaller – 2.5lbs. I hope to buy a couple of larger ones (at a discount this week) and I’ll try two in the 8qt and see how they come out. My (adult) sons were disappointed there weren’t more leftovers. So this should do the trick. Will report back! Thanks for the recipes!
JL says
No store had any hunk of meat over 3.25 lbs. But last night I cooked a flat and a point totaling 6.25lbs in the 8qt pot (without the lager). Set for 90 mins. Came out fine (although I do think the beer makes a difference). The corner was more moist – possibly fatty… than the flat. Anyway, sorry I couldn’t provide a result for cooking two 4lb hunks. But I really think it would only be a matter of adding a few more minutes to the cook time. Thanks again for the recipe!
Amanda Biddle says
Hi JL – the quantity you made in the 8qt is helpful, thanks! I think I’m going to pick up an 8-quart model when I catch a sale and start testing. So many people have been asking about the timing in them for single and multiple briskets! Your results will be a great starting point as I test. Thanks!
DeneanR221 says
New to cooking: can I use beef brisket to make this? Or do I need to buy a CORNED beef brisket? Our grocery store only sells a cooked corned beef (which I heard isn’t very good) or an uncooked beef brisket.
Amanda Biddle says
Hi Denean,
Yes, for this recipe, you’ll need an uncooked corned beef brisket. It goes through a brining process that gives it the characteristic color, texture, and flavor. Do you have a Costco near you? They sell them as well.
(If you can’t find corned beef and want to make one, you can also brine the brisket yourself. Here’s a link that explains how to do it: http://ruhlman.com/2010/03/corned-beef-how-to-cure-your-own/)
Mary L says
From the directions to the rave reviews, I’m definitely trying this recipe for our St. Patrick’s Day meal. Question – which cut do you prefer and why? Which one was used in the posted recipe?
Thanks in advance!
Amanda Biddle says
Hi Mary,
I’ve made this recipe with both flat and point cut. The flat cut will be leaner, and will give cleaner, more uniform slices since there’s less variation in thickness from end to end. The point cut has more fat/marbling in the meat (as opposed to just the fat cap on top), which adds flavor and juiciness, but I do find that the slices tend to fall apart a bit more. Both are delicious!
I’m giving them a totally unsolicited plug here, haha, but I’ve made this recipe twice so far this year with the Morton’s of Omaha Black Angus flat cut corned beefs (sold at Costco) for my leftovers recipes, and they were excellent. Juicier than I expected for flat cut.
Hope that helps!
Amanda
JL says
I used the flat cut only because I had no idea and asked the shopper next to me. I’ve been told the corner is fattier. Nothing wrong with that but the flat had enough fat across the top for me.
Kathy L says
The recipe states 55 minutes prep time. But in the blog the only prep you mention is the 15 minutes to bring the pressure up. Is it a typo on the recipe or am I missing something? Also, should you bring the brisket to room temp before cooking?
Looks good. Can’t wait to try.
Striped Spatula Team says
Hi Kathy,
The prep time isn’t a typo. It includes all processes that aren’t dialed into the instant pot controls as active “cook time”, including ingredient prep, two rounds of pressurization for the corned beef and vegetables, natural release, and the time it takes for manual depressurization. This all adds up to a total time of about 2 hours for the brisket (referenced in the blog post), and 2 hours and 23 minutes (give or take a few minutes by model) for the whole meal.
The brisket doesn’t have to be brought to room temp before pressure cooking.
Happy Cooking,
The Striped Spatula Team
Phil Swayzee says
Perfect recipe for this dish. Won’t make it any other way from now on. Good ol’ can of Bud worked just fine. Thanks for sharing.
Rachel says
Would white grape or apple juice work as a beer substitute in this recipe? Thanks in advance!
Striped Spatula Team says
Hi Rachel,
White grape juice and apple juice would both be a lot sweeter than the beer is, so I would recommend either using an extra 12 ounces of water, or a sodium-free beef broth as substitutes for this recipe. (The liquid is designed to pull salt out of the corned beef as it cooks, so you wouldn’t want to use a salty broth.)
Hope that helps!
Jessica says
Hello. I’m planning on feeding approximately 10 people… plan on making 2 roasts, 4.5lbs each. Do I need to adjust the cooking time? Any other tips you can provide will be appreciated! Thanks in advance!
Striped Spatula Team says
Hi Jessica,
Thanks for your question! Since the recipe was developed and tested with a single brisket in the 6-quart IP model, we aren’t able to advise with certainty for significantly larger or multiple briskets in the 8-quart model. (The instant pot can only be 2/3-full for pressure cooking, so two corned beef briskets won’t fit in the 6 quart for cooking at the same time; if you’re using a 6-quart model, they’d have to be made separately.)
With regards to the 8-quart model, we wouldn’t want to steer you wrong with instructions for something we haven’t personally and extensively tested!
Carl says
Can I make two cornbeef briskets in 6qt intapot? And if possible how much time and temp? Thank you.
Striped Spatula Team says
Hi Carl,
We don’t recommend making two, 4-pound briskets in the 6-quart model at the same time. For pressure cooking, the max line for the pot is around 2/3 full, and in our tests, that fits a single brisket plus cooking liquid.
Dana J says
Best corned beef I’ve ever made! This recipe is a keeper. Your photos are gorgeous too. I didn’t plate mine quite as nicely but it sure tasted good!!!
Sara says
How many servings will this yield? I have 8-10 adults to feed!
Striped Spatula Team says
Hi Sara,
You can find the yield for any of the recipes on the site at the top of the recipe card. For a 4 pound brisket you’ll feed 4-5. For corned beef, generally plan on 3/4 pound per person, up to 1 pound per person with leftovers (the brisket will shrink when it’s cooked).
Happy Cooking!
The Striped Spatula Team
Mary says
Can I use Michelob beer for the corned beef
Striped Spatula Team says
Hi Mary, yes, a lager like Michelob original should work fine.
Happy Cooking!
Janice Ball says
What would be the cooking time for a smaller brisket? Let’s say 2 -3 lbs?
Striped Spatula Team says
Hi Janice,
Amanda talked a little bit about this in the blog post above. While she hasn’t personally tested this recipe with a 2-pound brisket, recipes on Instant Pot’s website call for 70 minutes at pressure with either a straight quick release or a 15 minute natural release for 2 pounds. We recommend allowing some period of natural release given the beer in this recipe.
Happy Cooking,
The Striped Spatula Team
Debbie says
I made this with a 5.27 lb.. point roast. It’s the best we’ve ever had. I didn’t change the time even though it’s larger and it was perfect. I didn’t add water. I used 4 cups beef broth and a light colored NA beer instead of dark. Even though it was excellent ill try a good dark next time. Thank you for the best recipe! I love your simple complete instructions also! Thanks again! You rock!
Chanda says
Can’t wait to try this. I don’t have a rack for my Instant Pot. Can I just set the brisket on top of the onions and liquid? Thank you in advance.
Striped Spatula Team says
Hi Chanda,
You can, yes. The meat will be very tender after cooking, so you’ll have to be careful lifting it out. You might try using a meat fork and a large spatula to take it out of the pot.
Hope you enjoy the recipe!
The Striped Spatula Team
Samantha says
Hello!
What beer you would recommend using with this recipe? TYIA!
Striped Spatula Team says
Hi Samantha,
Most commercial lagers will work well. You just don’t want to use anything that’s very hops-forward, so that the braising liquid isn’t too bitter. For an imported beer, we’ve used Samuel Smith Brewery’s organic lager (England) several times. Amanda also made this recipe last week with a bottle of Sam Adam’s Boston Lager for her upcoming reuben sandwich post, and it came out great.
Happy Cooking!
The Striped Spatula Team
Lyn says
Hi, would love to make thos tonight but my brisket is still frozen. Do you think I can still use this recipe and make time adjustments or wait until my meat has thawed? Thanks!
Striped Spatula Team says
Hi Lyn,
For the best results and most even cooking, we recommend fully thawing the corned beef first.
Happy Cooking!
The Striped Spatula Team