Tender corned beef with cabbage, carrots, and potatoes—perfect for St. Patrick’s Day in the slow cooker or Instant Pot!
Corned beef is a beloved classic, especially for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations across the United States, but this delicious beef recipe deserves a place at your table all year long. Whether you’re cooking with a slow cooker, Dutch oven, or pressure cooker, this post will walk you through everything you need to know to make the best corned beef at home, including how to brine your corned beef brisket from scratch if you’re skipping the grocery store seasoning packet.
Making corned beef from scratch might take a long time, but the results are worth it—tender meat, hearty vegetables, and rich flavor in every bite. Whether you choose the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or stovetop method, you’ll end up with a top-rated recipe perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or any day you’re craving a cozy, traditional beef roast.
We’ll cover all your options: stovetop simmering, crock pot convenience, and Instant Pot speed. Plus, we’ll share our favorite way to serve it—with cabbage wedges, red potatoes, and baby carrots, or sliced thin for beef sandwiches on rye bread with Swiss cheese and horseradish sauce.
What Is Corned Beef?
Corned beef is made from a tough cut of meat, typically the point cut or flat cut of a beef brisket, brined with kosher salt, pink curing salt (aka Prague powder, which contains sodium nitrite), and a flavorful mix of pickling spice, including mustard seeds, coriander seeds, juniper berries, and bay leaves.
It originated in the 17th century in Ireland and England and became a New England staple in the United States, especially around St. Patrick’s Day. The “corned” in corn beef refers to the large “corns” of rock salt or sodium chloride used in the curing process.
Serving Suggestions
Corned beef is traditionally served with cabbage, potatoes, and carrots, making it a complete cabbage meal. Or try these ideas:
- Corned beef hash with crispy potatoes and eggs the next day
- Grilled beef sandwiches on rye bread with Swiss cheese
- Add a little Dijon mustard, horseradish sauce, or even sour cream on the side
Do I Have to Use Pink Curing Salt?
Not necessarily. Pink curing salt (with sodium nitrite) preserves the pink color and enhances flavor. If you skip it, the beef will turn gray like a regular pot roast, but still taste delicious. For a naturally cured version, increase the kosher salt, add apple cider vinegar, and skip the sodium nitrate.
Optional Homemade Brine
If you want to make your own beef instead of buying pre-corned brisket at the butcher shop or store, you’ll need:
- Water
- Kosher Salt
- Pink Curing Salt
- Brown Sugar
- Black Pepper
- Mustard Seeds
- Coriander Seeds
- Juniper Berries
- Table Salt
- Bay Leaves
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Pale Ale or Apple Juice
Corned Beef Step by Step
Ingredients
- 3–5 lb corned beef brisket, flat cut or point cut (with seasoning packet or homemade beef seasoning)
- 6 cups beef broth (or cold water)
- 1 tbsp pickling spice (if not using the included packet)
- 1/2 head green cabbage, cut into cabbage wedges
- 1 cup baby carrots
Preparation
Slow Cooker Corned Beef (Low & Slow All Day)
This is the favorite way for many home cooks!
Place the entire brisket (fat side up) in a slow cooker.
Add enough beef broth or cold water to cover the meat.
Sprinkle with seasonings.
Cook on low heat for 8–10 hours, or on high heat for 5–6 hours, until fork-tender.
Add potatoes, carrots, and cabbage wedges during the last 2 hours.
Remove the meat to a cutting board, tent with aluminum foil, and rest 10 minutes before slicing.
Instant Pot Corned Beef (Quick & Tender)
If you’re short on time, the high pressure of an Instant Pot is your best bet.
- Place the brisket and seasoning in the pot. Add 4–6 cups of water.
- Seal and cook on high pressure for 90 minutes (for 3 lb) to 110 minutes (for 5 lb).
- Natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release.
- Remove the meat and add vegetables. Pressure cook for 5 more minutes.
- Let rest before slicing against the grain for tender meat.
Dutch Oven or Large Pot (Stovetop Method)
- The top of the stove method gives you classic, juicy corn beef.
- In a Dutch oven, cover brisket with cold water or beef broth.
- Add spice packet, bay leaves, and coriander seeds.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce to a simmer.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 3–4 hours until tender.
- Add vegetables in the final hour of cooking time.
- Slice across the grain and serve warm.
Corned Beef Leftovers
Storage: Store leftover meat, veggies, and cooking liquid in an airtight container up to 4 days.
Reheating: Use a microwave, oven, or skillet over medium heat until warmed through.
Freezing: Wrap slices in foil, then freeze in bags up to 3 months. Reheat gently in a hot skillet with a splash of broth.
Recipe
Originally Published On: March 2, 2026
Corned Beef
Ingredients
- 5 lb corned beef brisket (flat cut or point cut, with seasoning packet or homemade beef seasoning)
- 6 cups beef broth (or cold water)
- 1 tbsp pickling spice (if not using the included packet)
- 1/2 head green cabbage (cut into cabbage wedges)
- 1 cup baby carrots
Recommended Equipment
- Sharp Knife
Instructions
- Place the entire brisket (fat side up) in a slow cooker
- Add enough beef broth or cold water to cover the meat
- Sprinkle with seasonings
- Cook on low heat for 8–10 hours, or on high heat for 5–6 hours, until fork tender
- Add potatoes, carrots, and cabbage wedges during the last 2 hours
- Remove meat to a cutting board, tent with aluminum foil, and rest 10 minutes before slicing
- Place the brisket and seasonings in the pot
- Add 4–6 cups of water
- Seal and cook on high pressure for 90 minutes (for 3 lb) to 110 minutes (for 5 lb)
- Natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release
- Remove the meat and add vegetables
- Pressure cook for 5 more minutes
- Let rest before slicing against the grain for tender meat
- In a Dutch oven, cover brisket with cold water or beef broth
- Add the seasonings
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce to a simmer
- Cover and cook on low heat for 3–4 hours until tender
- Add vegetables in the final hour of cooking time
- Slice across the grain and serve warm
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Slow Cooker Dinners
- Easy Slow-Cooker Potato and Cheddar Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Dressing
- Pork Carnitas
- Sweet and Sour Chicken Bowl in the Slow Cooker
- Beef and Pork Chili in the Slow Cooker
- Slow Cooker Corned Beef
- Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
- Pasta Fagioli Soup (Olive Garden Copycat)
- Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Chicken over Pasta
- Slow Cooker Creamy Italian Chicken
- Kale Beef Stew with Smashed Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
- BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
- Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
- BBQ Pork Potatoes in the Slow Cooker
- Beef Roast: A Full Meal in the Slow Cooker
- Slow Cooker Steak Fajitas with Homemade Fajita Seasoning
- Minestrone Soup: The Perfect Warm Vegetarian Soup
- Orange Chicken in the Slow Cooker – Only 4 Ingredients
- Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers
Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Teriyaki Beef
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- Beef and Broccoli in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot French Onion Roast Chicken
- Instant Pot Lemon-Garlic Chicken
- Creamy Instant Pot Rice Pudding: The Ultimate Easy Dessert
- Orange Chicken in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Instant Pot Corned Beef
- Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin
- Butter Chicken in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
- Instant Pot New York Strawberry Cheesecake
- Instant Pot Turkey Roasted to Perfection
- Creamy Instant Pot Lemon Parmesan Risotto
- Instant Pot Red Beans & Rice
My mom is a big fan of corned beef and would love this recipe! And she’s got the slow cooker as well that she enjoys using, so it’s bound to be a hit when she tries this recipe out.
Nice! I love a good corned beef recipe, and now I have three. I actually made this last night in my Instant Pot, and it was great. I can’t wait to try your other methods!
Homemade versions usually beat the store packets. I think using apple cider vinegar instead of the pink salt is a better choice for a natural flavor. That leftover hash the next morning is the real reward.
Love it! Juicy and tender, such an amazing method of o cooking, recipe and ingredients was incredible.
This is an amazing recipe for beef! Though many followers of Hinduism avoid beef but for the rest of them, this recipe can act as the highlight of the house party!
I didn’t even realise corned beef was something you could slow cook, so this was genuinely eye-opening for me. Seeing the different methods laid out like this makes it feel much less intimidating. Such a helpful way to explain it.
This was so good! I always appreciate recipes that give different cooking options depending on how much time you have. Thank you for breaking it down so clearly.