Classic Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
Slow cooker corned beef and cabbage is one of the easiest ways to make tender, flavorful brisket without babysitting the stove. While we usually think of corned beef around St. Patrick’s Day, this no-fuss slow cooker recipe works year-round.
Here’s an easy way to put corned beef and cabbage in your slow cooker and come home to a no-fuss meal at the end of the day.
Should You Rinse Your Corned Beef?
The brine that is on the brisket is salty. We’ve cooked it both ways—rinsed and unrinsed—and found both delicious. If you are watching your salt, you may want to rinse it. Either way, it will be juicy corned beef and delicious.
What Size Corn Beef Brisket Do You Need?
When shopping at the store, choose a corned beef that is the right size for your family. We used about a 2-pound brisket, which fed four people (about ½ pound per person).
What Seasoning Do You Use for Corned Beef Brisket?
We use the seasoning packet that comes with the beef brisket along with garlic and bay leaves for this recipe. It already has the iconic mustard seeds that we expect to see in beef and cabbage recipes.
How Do You Cook Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage?
To make slow cooker corned beef and cabbage, cook the brisket on low for several hours until tender. During the last two hours of cooking, add the cabbage, potatoes, and carrots. This keeps the vegetables from becoming too soft. This keeps them from becoming to soft. If you are going for a cabbage soup, you could cook everything together at once.
If you are short on time, you can also cook your corned beef in the Instant Pot.
What Liquid Should I Use in the Slow Cooker?
Water works perfectly well for slow cooker corned beef, but you can also use beef broth for more flavor. Vegetable broth works too.
Do You Add The Vegetables In First?
We put the vegetables in the last 2 hours of cooking. This will cook the potatoes, soften the carrots and leave the cabbage a little more firm (not limp). We put the cabbage on top. If you have a preferred doneness, you can add your vegetables in sooner or cook longer.
What To Do With Leftover Corned Beef?
Leftover corned beef is perfect for corned beef hash, You can also use it to make a Rachel sandwich with corned beef. Both are great ways to stretch the meal into another day.
What Cut of Meat Is Corned Beef?
Corned beef is typically made from beef brisket that has been cured in a salt brine. Most grocery store briskets come with a seasoning packet that includes mustard seeds, peppercorns, and other spices.
Don’t forget to bake Irish Soda Bread for your meal too.
Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pound corned beef (with spice bag)
- half head of cabbage, roughly chopped
- 6 peeled & cut carrots
- 4-5 potatoes, peeled & quartered
- 1 cup water
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
Cooking Corned Beef
- Add water to slow cooker.
- Cut the corned beef in half (this helps it cook quicker)
- Place corned beef into slow cooker.
- The corned beef may come with a seasoning packet, if it does, put it on the meat.
- Add in the garlic and bay leaves.
- Cook the corned beef for 4 hours.
Cooking Veggies
- Place the cabbage, carrots and potatoes on top of the corned beef. (Cabbage on top)
- Place the top back on and cook for an additional 2 hours.
- Cut the meat and plate with the veggies and serve.
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