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 or Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage.
Before You Start Cooking
- Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage is a one-pot meal that shaves off about an hour from start to finish compared to braising in a Dutch oven. Compared to slow cooker corned beef, which takes 8 to 9 hours, the Instant Pot meal is substantially quicker.
- This recipe was developed using a 6-quart Instant Pot Duo Plus. You’ll need the handled trivet that comes with the Instant Pot—this makes it much easier to lift out the brisket once it’s cooked and tender.
- You’ll need a 4-pound corned beef brisket for this recipe. I use flat cut for the best slices, but readers have told me they’ve also used point cut with good results. (Check out Brisket: Flat Cut vs. Point Cut from Cuisine at Home to read about the differences between the cuts.)
How to Make Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
Before cooking, remove the corned beef from its packaging and rinse brisket thoroughly with cool water (2-3 times) to remove excess brine from the surface of the meat. This will help prevent the corned beef from being too salty after cooking.
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.
Step 1: Fill the Instant Pot
Add peeled and sliced yellow onions, whole peeled garlic cloves, and pickling spice (or the spice packet included with your corned beef) to your Instant Pot insert. Pour in 2-1/2 cups of cool water.
Place the rinsed corned beef brisket, fat side up, on the trivet that came with your Instant Pot. Nestle the trivet into the pot, then pour a 12-ounce bottle of beer over the brisket.
Tip: Choosing the Right 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.
If you want to use stout, go for a milder one like Guinness Draught, which is less bitter than Extra Stout, or Murphy’s Irish Stout.
Before sealing the lid, check the liquid level—it should reach up the sides of the brisket. 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 2/3 fill line.
Step 3: Pressure Cook the Corned Beef
Lock the Instant Pot lid in place and set the vent to sealing. Cook the corned beef at high pressure for 85 minutes for a 4-pound brisket, followed by a 20-minute natural release. With this timing, the meat comes out fork-tender but still sliceable against the grain without falling apart.
Keep in mind that the Instant Pot takes about 15 minutes to come up to pressure for this recipe, so the total cooking time comes out to approximately 2 hours.
We always make corned beef that weighs around 4 pounds to ensure leftovers, but much smaller briskets will take a little bit less time. We’ve found 70 minutes at high pressure to be sufficient for 2-pound briskets, with a 15-minute natural release.
Once the cooking is complete and the remaining pressure is released from the Instant Pot, carefully remove the corned beef. Strain the cooking liquid, discarding the pickling spices and solids.
To keep the meat warm and juicy, place the corned beef in a dish with a small amount of the strained liquid and cover it with foil while you cook your vegetables.
Step 4: Pressure Cook the Vegetables
Adding vegetables to an Instant Pot corned beef dinner is a breeze. I love the flavor that the pressure cooker infuses into the potatoes, carrots, and cabbage 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.
To cook the vegetables, add 1-1/2 cups of the strained cooking liquid back into the Instant Pot insert. Layer in baby carrots, creamer potatoes (red and/or yellow, about the size of golf balls), and a head of cabbage cut into 8 wedges (leave the core intact so they don’t fall apart.)
Be sure not to layer the vegetables past the pot’s 2/3 fill line. Pressure cook on high for 3 to 4 minutes (depending on how soft you like your vegetables), with a manual (quick) release.
Don’t want to cook vegetables in the Instant Pot? Skip this step and try my Roasted Cabbage Wedges on the side or a bowl of creamy Colcannon instead.
Serving Your Instant Pot Corned Beef Dinner
When ready to serve, slice the corned beef against the grain into 1/8 to 1/4-inch slices.
If the corned beef has a substantial fat cap, 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 to keep the meat juicy. While the meat is flavorful on its own, I usually offer guests whole grain mustard or horseradish sauce (like my Creamy Horseradish Sauce or Roasted Garlic Horseradish Sauce) on the side.
When adding the vegetables to the serving platter, I like to drizzle them with a little bit of melted butter and finish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley for a pop of color and freshness.
Don’t forget loaf of Irish Soda Bread, sliced and slathered with Irish butter!
Storing and Using Leftovers
Store leftover corned beef and vegetables in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To keep the meat from drying out, add a small amount of the strained cooking liquid over the slices.
Looking for ways to enjoy your leftovers? Try these favorite recipes:
- Corned Beef Hash: A classic breakfast with crispy potatoes and eggs.
- Reuben Sandwiches, Reuben Sliders, or Reuben Dip: With tangy sauerkraut and melty Swiss cheese.
- Corned Beef Sandwiches with Coleslaw: A deli-style favorite.
- Corned Beef and Potato Cakes: Pan-fried and crispy!
More St. Patrick’s Day Recipes
- Stout Beer Braised Short Ribs (Dutch oven or Instant Pot)
- Guinness Beef Stew
- Irish Scones
- Stout Braised Short Rib Cottage Pie
Craving more? Check out my full collection of St. Patrick’s Day recipes.
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 (or the seasoning packet that came with your corned beef)
- 2-1/2 cups water
- 4 pound corned beef brisket , rinsed in cool water to remove excess salt/liquid brine
- 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 or horseradish sauce , 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.
Video
Notes
To Glaze The Corned Beef (Optional)
This corned beef is also delicious served with my Irish Whiskey-Mustard glaze. The ingredients and directions can be found in my recipe, Beer Braised Corned Beef with Whiskey Mustard Glaze. After fully cooking the corned beef in the Instant Pot (instead of Dutch oven braising), follow the directions to “Glaze and Serve”.Nutrition Estimate
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
About our recipes
Please note that our recipes have been developed using the US Customary measurement system and have not been tested for high altitude/elevation cooking and baking.
Editor’s Note: This reader-favorite recipe was originally published on Striped Spatula on March 3, 2018. We’ve updated this post in 2022 and 2025 with improved copy to best serve our readers.
This is amazing! The best instant pot recipe I’ve ever had, and my family loved it!
Corned beef was tender and delicious!
Omg, this turned out so good! First time I had had corned beef in way too long. First time I have ever cooked it. Will definitely do again.
This recipe is awesome!!!!
I have used this recipe several times and it is always wonderful. Thank you for posting! Reuben’s on the menu later on this week!!! Happy family here!!
This recipe made the best corned beef I’ve ever had! Even my non-corned beef eater liked it! Thank you!
This was perfect,everyone raved about how Delicious dinner was. thank you.
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.
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!
Hi Julie, I havenโt used the meat/stew setting on my Instant Pot, but I believe it cooks under high pressure. (Just curious: is there a separate โpressure levelโ button youโre 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!
This is the third year I have used this recipe. This year I couldnโt 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 couldnโt use the insert tray unless the meat wouldโve been too high in my 6qt. They were sort of stacked on each other Fat side up. I was nervous it wouldnโt cook right. I ended up cooking it for 90 mins high pressure and 20 min slow release (in my head I was thinking I shouldnโt have to cook it longer because itโs 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 Iโve 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 theyโre ever had. Thank you for making me look like a hero.
Love this recipe and very easy. Thank you! Really like the whiskey glaze!
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!!
Excellent! No leftovers after adult son ate every last bite of corned beef and cabbage. Will definitely make again. Thank YOU!
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!
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!
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.
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 itโs the best ever!
Very good
This tasted amazing. After finishing off the leftovers(not much๐) 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. Iโve shared it at least 5 times!!!๐
Iโve 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!