Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

slow cooker corned beef cabbage and potatoes on an ivory ceramic platter

Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

Slow Cooker Corned Beef is reliably flavorful, tender, and juicy every time. Cook the potatoes, carrots, and cabbage alongside the brisket for a one-pot dinner that's perfect for St. Patrick's Day.

Prep Time10

Cook Time9

Resting time10

Total Time9 20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Irish-American

Keyword: cabbage, carrots, corned beef, slow cooker corned beef, slow cooker corned beef and cabbage

Servings: people

Author: Amanda Biddle

Ingredients

4 to 5-1/2 pound corned beef brisket (I use flat cut), rinsed in cool water
1 large yellow onion , halved and cut into 1/4-inch slices
4 large garlic cloves , peeled and lightly smashed with the back of a chef's knife
1 large dried bay leaf (or two small--see note)
2 tablespoons pickling spice (or the seasoning packet that came with your corned beef)
8 ounces beer (see note)
2-4 cups water
1-1/2 to 2 pounds baby potatoes (red or golden, 1-1/2 to 2-inches in diameter)
1 pound baby carrots
1 medium green cabbage , cut into 6-8 wedges
melted butter, chopped parsley, salt, and pepper , for garnishing the vegetables (optional)
whole grain mustard or horseradish sauce , for serving (optional)

Instructions

Cook the Brisket

Place onions and garlic cloves in the bottom of a 6 to 7 quart slow cooker insert. Sprinkle with half of the seasoning packet or pickling spice. Lay the corned beef over the onions with the fat cap up. Sprinkle the rest of the spice packet over the brisket.
Pour the beer over the corned beef, followed by enough water to just cover the brisket. Add the bay leaf to the liquid. Put the lid on the slow cooker and set it to LOW heat for 8-10 hours. (The corned beef will be ready when you can slide a fork in and out of the center of the brisket without resistance.)

Add the Potatoes and Carrots

With 5-6 hours remaining on the total cooking time, add the potatoes and carrots to the slow cooker. Nestle them around the brisket, submerging them in the cooking liquid where possible.
Replace the lid on the slow cooker and continue cooking on LOW until adding the cabbage.

Add the Cabbage

With 2 hours remaining, add the cabbage wedges to the slow cooker. (The insert will look full. This is ok as long as you can replace the slow cooker lid snugly.) Cover the slow cooker and continue cooking on LOW for the remaining time.
(2 hours of cooking on LOW results in fork-tender cabbage. For very soft cabbage, add the wedges to the slow cooker with 3 hours remaining. For crisp-tender cabbage, add the wedges with 1 hour remaining.)

Slice the Corned Beef and Serve

Remove the cabbage, potatoes, and carrots from the slow cooker. Place them on a serving platter or in a bowl and tent with foil to keep warm.
Remove the corned beef rom the slow cooker and place on a cutting board. Tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Trim the fat cap, as desired, and slice the meat against the grain into 1/4-inch slices.
If desired, strain some of the cooking liquid and drizzle it over the corned beef slices on the platter. We like to drizzle the potatoes, carrots, and cabbage with melted butter, season to taste with salt and pepper, and garnish with chopped parsley.
Serve the corned beef with your favorite mustard or horseradish sauce (recipe links in the notes below).

Notes

Bay Leaf: If your pickling spice or spice packet has a lot of cracked bay leaf in it, feel free to reduce the quantity of dried bay leaves or omit entirely. Some spice blends have more than others.

Beer: If using dark beer (such as stout), choose one with a mild bitterness. Guinness Draught is a good choice, as it’s less bitter than Guinness Extra Stout. Murphy’s Irish Stout is another smooth option.

For a lighter beer flavor, go with a lager—we like Samuel Smith's Pure Brewed Organic Lager. If you prefer to skip the beer, simply substitute an equal amount of unsalted beef broth or stock.

Potatoes: If using larger potatoes, cut them into 1-1/2 to 2-inch wedges. There's no need to peel thin-skinned varieties. If using regular carrots instead of baby carrots, peel and cut them into 2-inch lengths.

Glazing option: If you prefer your corned beef with a crispy, caramelized crust, glaze it after slow cooking. Simply follow the "Glaze and Serve" instructions in my Beer Braised Corned Beef with Whiskey Mustard Glaze recipe for a delicious finishing touch.

Serving Sauces: Creamy Horseradish Sauce, Roasted Garlic Horseradish Sauce.

Nutrition

QR code

Scan this QR code with your phone's camera to view this recipe on your mobile device.