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5 from 2 votes

Traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage

Making corned beef is a lot easier than you think! Corned beef is made in a homemade brine and then slow cooks to tender perfection alongside cabbage, carrots, and potatoes. This meal is perfect for St. Patrick's Day!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time8 hours
Total Time8 hours 20 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Irish
Keyword: Corned beef and cabbage
Servings: 6 People
Author: Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

Brine:

  • 1 gallon warm water
  • 2 cups kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 5 teaspoons pink curing salt (not pink Himalayan salt)
  • 2 Tablespoons pickling spice
  • 4-5 lbs flat cut beef brisket

Vegetables:

  • 4 medium carrots (sliced)
  • 1 lb baby potatoes (halved)
  • 1 onion (quartered)
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon pickling spice
  • 1/2 cabbage (quartered)

Instructions

To Make the Brine:

  • Combine warm water, salt, brown sugar, and pink curing salt if using and stir until sugar and salt in a large pot until dissolved. Add the brisket and cover and put in the fridge for 5-7 days until your meat brines equally. If your meat starts to float, put a heavy plate on top.
    *Pink curing salt is optional but is what makes the meat turn pink in color. You can find it online or at a specialty meat shop. Read warnings about ingesting directly.

To Make Corned Beef in the Slow Cooker:

  • In a 5 quart slow cooker add carrots, potatoes, onion and salt and pepper. Remove the brisket from the brine and rinse in cold water. Place on top of the vegetables and top brisket with pickling spice. Fill with water until meat is almost fully covered. Cook for 7-8 hours on low and 5-6 on high adding in the cabbage the last hour of cooking.

To Make Corned Beef on the Stovetop:

  • Rinse the corned beef with water to remove salt. Place the corned beef in a large pot and fill with water and add pickling spice. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer to 50 minutes per pound or until tender. Add in the vegetables the last hour and cabbage the last 15 minutes before serving.

To Make Corned Beef in the Instant Pot:

  • Rinse the corned beef with water to remove the salt. Place the beef in the instant pot and fill with water and pickling spice. Select high pressure and cook for 90 minutes. When finished cooking quick release the pressure according to the manual. Remove the brisket and leave 2 cups water. Add in the potatoes, carrots, onion, and top with cabbage. Salt and pepper. Select manual setting and cook on high for 5 minutes or until the veggies are tender. Release the pressure according to the manual.

To Make Corned Beef in the Oven:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the brisket into a roasting pan and add 3 cups of water and pickling spice. Cook for 2 hours. Remove from the oven and add vegetables. Bake uncovered for another hour until vegetables are tender.

Notes

Originally Posted March 1, 2020
Updated March 5, 2022

Nutrition

Calories: 638kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 43406mg | Potassium: 1134mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 6811IU | Vitamin C: 88mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 6mg

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