This juicy Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe is perfect for your next St. Patrick's Day celebration or eating throughout the year when you're craving a nostalgic meal! This hearty meal brings together tender, flavorful corned beef with soft, savory cabbage, potatoes, and carrots, resulting in a wholesome comfort food. 

Looking for an easy corned beef and cabbage recipe?

This is the best corned beef and cabbage recipe you've ever had. A classic dish with a slow cooking process, corned beef and cabbage is an easy recipe the whole family will love, no matter the time of year.

If your dinner recipes are lacking, it's time to introduce corned beef and cabbage to your list. This dish is very similar to a Dutch oven pot roast as it also includes a tough cut of meat, potatoes, carrots, and onions. The only difference is the beef is corned beef and the meal includes cabbage, resulting in a slightly different flavor profile. And the dish is cooked low and slow for hours, allowing the flavors to develop, like loaded bratwurst stew or crock pot chili

What Is Corned Beef and Cabbage?

Corned beef and cabbage, a quintessential Irish-American dish, boasts a fascinating history intertwining Irish and American culinary heritage. Originating in the 19th century amid a wave of Irish immigration to the United States, its roots reflect a fusion of traditions. While bacon and cabbage were staples in Ireland, the affordability and accessibility of beef in America led to its prominence. Irish immigrants, adapting to their new surroundings, cured beef with coarse salt "corns," preserving it for lengthy voyages across the Atlantic. Though not native to Ireland, this hearty fare became synonymous with St. Patrick's Day in the U.S., cherished for its rich flavor and comforting appeal across diverse communities.

What you'll love about this recipe:


  • AUTHENTIC – This dish is the classic way to make corned beef and cabbage. 
  • COMFORTING – Like a song that reminds you of your childhood, this dish will bring back fond memories. 

What You Need to Make Corned Beef and Cabbage

  • Corned beef brisket (with spice packet) – you can usually find these at your local grocery store as it gets closer to St. Patrick's Day. 
  • Small red potatoes
  • Carrots
  • Onion
  • Cabbage wedges

How to Make Corned Beef and Cabbage

  • First, fill a large stock pot with enough water to cover the corned beef. Now, place the beef and the contents of the seasoning packet, if included with your purchase, into the stock pot. Bring the water to a simmer. Let it cook for 2 to 3 hours until the beef is tender enough for a toothpick or wooden skewer to be easily inserted into the meat.
  • Next, preheat your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the beef is done, remove it from the water and place it in a large roasting pan with a ladle of the cooking liquid. Put it in the oven to keep it warm.
  • While the beef is staying warm in the oven, it's time to prepare the vegetables. Place potatoes, carrots, and onion in the stock pot and bring them to a boil. Let them cook for about 10 minutes. Then, add the cabbage to the pot and boil everything for an additional 10 minutes.
  • Finally, take the beef out of the oven and slice it against the grain. Serve it with the drained vegetables, and you're ready to enjoy your delicious corned beef and cabbage meal!

Expert Recipe Tips


  • Check the Internal Temperature: Use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the corned beef. It should read 145ºF. 
  • Slicing Against the Grain: When it's time to slice the corned beef, be sure to cut against the grain. This technique breaks up the muscle fibers, resulting in slices that are tender and easy to chew.
  • Resting Before Slicing: Allow the corned beef to rest for a few minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, ensuring each slice is juicy and flavorful.
  • Choosing the Right Cut: When selecting your corned beef, opt for a flat cut if possible. Flat cuts tend to be leaner and more uniform in shape, making them easier to cook evenly. However, you can also use a point cut if you prefer more marbling and tenderness in your meat.

How to Store Leftovers & Reheat

Store leftover corned beef and cabbage in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze the corned beef separately for up to 2 months. 

​To reheat:

  1. Microwave Method: Place the desired portion of corned beef and cabbage in a microwave-safe dish. Cover the dish with a microwave-safe lid or microwave-safe plastic wrap, leaving a small vent for steam to escape. Microwave on high in 1-minute intervals until the dish is heated through, stirring halfway through to ensure even heating.
  2. Stovetop Method: For a more hands-on approach, you can reheat corned beef and cabbage on the stovetop. Start by placing a skillet or small saucepan over medium heat. Add a small amount of oil or butter to the pan to prevent sticking. Once the pan is heated, add the corned beef and cabbage, spreading it out into an even layer. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
  3. Oven Method: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Transfer the corned beef and cabbage to an oven-safe dish or baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil to prevent moisture loss. Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the dish is heated through.

What to Serve With Corned Beef and Cabbage

Corned beef and cabbage is a hearty meal on its own, but you can serve it with additional sides like Irish soda bread, homemade white bread, mustard, or horseradish cream sauce for extra flavor. Some people also enjoy pairing it with a pint of Guinness or another Irish stout for a complete St. Patrick's Day feast.

Corned beef and cabbage is a hearty and comforting dish that's perfect for any occasion, whether you're celebrating St. Patrick's Day or simply craving a delicious meal. With its tender, flavorful beef and savory vegetables, it's sure to warm your soul with every bite. If you try this recipe, please rate the recipe card and leave a comment down below to help out the next reader! 

📖 Recipe

Corned Beef and Cabbage

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Author: Kita Roberts

Instructions

  • Fill a large stock pot with enough water to cover corned beef. Place beef, and contents of seasoning packet if included with purchase, in stock pot and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 to 3 hours, until a toothpick or wooden skewer can be inserted easily into the meet.
  • Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Remove beef from water and place in roasting pan with a ladle of cooking liquid. Place in oven to keep warm.
  • Meanwhile, place potatoes, carrots, and onion in the stock pot and bring to a boil, cooking for 10 minutes. Add cabbage and boil an additional 10 minutes.
  • Remove beef from oven and slice against the grain. Serve with drained vegetables.

Notes

Adapted from a call to a friend and Cook’s Illustrated

Nutritional informations provided as a courtesy and is only an approximatation. Values will changes based on ingredients used.

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Help out the next person and give it a star rating below!

Recipe FAQs

Corned beef is a salt-cured brisket. It's cured with coarse salt or rock salt to protect the meat from bacterial growth.

Corned beef is ready when it's fork tender. You can test it by inserting a fork or skewer into the meat. If it goes in easily and the meat feels tender, it's done. This usually takes about 2 to 3 hours of cooking. 

​Yes, you can! For a slow cooker, place all the ingredients in the bottom of a slow cooker and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours. For Instant Pot corned beef and cabbage, use the manual setting and cook on high pressure for about 90 minutes, then do a natural release for 10 minutes before quick releasing the remaining pressure.

Yes! Make the recipe 1-2 days ahead of time and reheat using the instructions above. 

21 Comments

  1. Belinda @zomppa says:

    That's the prettiest corned beef I've seen in quite some time! Listen, you don't need to feel guilty about anything. There's no one way of doing anything.

  2. I am skipping the corned beef meal this year in favor of a food blogging forum. I don't think my family will even miss it, but I sure will. I hope you don't mind if I drool over your platter for a few minutes.

  3. Gerry @ Foodness Gracious says:

    Your right, blogging can take up huge amounts of time! The corned beef looks great and for sure puts me in the mood for some celebrations this weekend, glad your mouth is getting better too....
    Take care

  4. Blog is the New Black says:

    I heart corned beef and cabbage. Like, love.

  5. That's nothing like any of the corned beef I've seen over here or from the cans 🙂
    Love cabbage!
    I'm keeping you to your promise! 😀

  6. Rachel @ Baked by Rachel says:

    I hope you're healing up nicely from your surgery! Time management is definitely hard. There is way more that goes into blogging than people probably think.

  7. I just had to leave you a comment that your first picture is all kinds of amazing! It is so well composed, well lit, and makes me want to dive into that scrumptious plate. Nice work (:

  8. I can never keep up with all the blogs I read either, and as a result tend to not comment unless I have something interesting to say. And speaking of your teeth, I hope your puffiness has died down! I would hate for you to be unable to enjoy the feasting of St. Patty's day!

  9. RavieNomNoms says:

    I just had this the other day. Gotta love the traditions around this time of year! Thanks so much for sharing your beef looks amazing (although I have to say the cabbage is always my favorite part).

  10. Stephanie says:

    Oh, I totally understand the time management issue. Blogging does take a lot of time. And for me as a grad student, I can't possibly read and comment on everyone's blogs, especially if they post every day or more than a couple of times a week. I always at least try to buzz everyone up!

    I hope your chipmunk cheeks are going away! lol

  11. Baker Street says:

    Corned beef and cabbage! YUM!

  12. Sandra's Easy Cooking says:

    Yum, yum! Amazing combo!

  13. Anita at Hungry Couple says:

    Your corned beef looks amazing! My sympathies on the wisdom teeth. I had all of mine out years ago and still remember the pain! Feel better.

  14. BigFatBaker says:

    I totally agree with everything you are saying. It's hard to find the time! There is just never enough time in the day. Great post! The corned beef and cabbage looks delicious!

  15. Really loving the look of this corned beef. Seems so healthy too! I must make it. Thanks for that.

  16. Found you recipe looking for new takes on corned beef and cabbage. I'm only commenting because you apologized for not having alcohol in this recipe. No fear my friend. Substitute some nice Irish beer for the water and you'll have your wish. Beer is a great stock base for corned beef and cabbage. Happy St Patty's to you. Beautiful pictures BTW.

    1. Haha! Beer would be a great sub for this. Thanks Linda 😀

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