My easy Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe is a delicious way to make this Irish meal. Make it in the Dutch Oven or in the slow cooker and have a tender, flavorful corned beef dinner all in one pot. Save this recipe to Pinterest so you can always find it.
My Corned beef and cabbage recipe is one of those dinners I look forward to each year. For us it is really only something we make around St. Patrick’s so that makes it kind of special. Growing up I really don’t remember my mom making it at all, but in my early 20’s my aunt would always make it and eventually those of us that were free started going to her house to enjoy the dinner. While not a stitch Irish, my family could really make a celebration out of anything and a good meal that’s special enough to have once a year is kind of the perfect occasion.
Slow cooker or the Dutch Oven?
I am giving you both the slow cooker corned beef and cabbage recipe and the Dutch Oven corned beef and cabbage recipe in this post. They are basically the same. The only real difference to me is that the slow cooker takes longer so if you are at work you can turn it on in the morning and have dinner mostly ready when you come home. However, I always prefer the Dutch Oven over the slow cooker because it makes all meat more tender. That said, it does take about 5 hours to cook in the Dutch Oven so of you do not have that kind of time to be cooking, the slow cooker is a great choice.
Seasoning the corned beef and cabbage recipe
I like to call my Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe well seasoned Irish food. I start the recipe with a dry rub on the corned beef and then sear it. After that I get the pot ready with some onions, beef broth, and Dijon mustard. Then I add the beef back in and add in the spice packet that generally comes with corned beef from the store (if your’s did not, do not worry) and add in even more dried spices to really create a beautiful flavor for the meat and vegetables. That all then gets cooked down together for hours with the complete time depending on your method of cooking.
Adding in the vegetables
I like to add in the carrots and cabbage with a few hours left in cooking. In the recipe for the Dutch Oven or the slow cooker below you will see the full instructions for the time. As for the potatoes, I use baby red potatoes for this recipe if I am going to add them to the pot. However, I tend to enjoy crispier potatoes with this meal and end up cooking these Roasted Baby Red Potatoes {HERE} often. Mashed potatoes like these {HERE} would also work well with my corned beef and cabbage recipe.
Serving tips
- My recipe will make a lot of broth, which I love. This can be thicken over the stove with a slurry of corn starch and water. Use a 1 to 1 ration and mix it together. Then add it to broth in a small sauce pan to create a gravy. I generally do not do this and leave the broth nice and soup-like.
- Or just simply serve with horseradish sauce or a spicy mustard.
- Cut with the grain to create slices of corned beef. Cut away from the grain to get more shredded corned beef.
- Serve in a large bowl with some of the broth or on a plate. My Irish Soda Bread {HERE} is a great bread to serve with it and good for excess sauce.
Tips for making my Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe
- Make sure to add those fresh herbs and bay leaves. And even if you have the spice packet, add the extra spices I have in the recipe. I think you will love the flavor enhancements.
- I love chunky vegetables and I think they really make a nice accompaniment to the corned beef. I cut the carrots in thirds and then slice them down the center. They should still fit into the pot nicely and cook well too.
- If you are using the baby red potatoes, cut them in half so you have an easier time fitting them into the pot and cooking them through.
- To save leftovers, keep them in an airtight refrigerated container for up to a week. You can reheat them on the stove over medium heat or you can use the microwave. The corned beef will get more tender when it is reheated.
Leftovers
For leftovers, you can chop up the corned beef and use it in a Rueben sandwich or you can even make a corned beef and cabbage soup. Save all the broth, chopped up the corned beef and chop the carrots and cabbage a little smaller. Reheat it on the stove and add some extra beef stock if you need to.
Looking for St. Patrick’s Day recipes?
If you are looking forward to enjoying the Corned Beef and Cabbage for St. Patrick’s Day this year, check out these recipes too to complete your celebration.
- Recipe for Cottage Pie {HERE}
- Irish Soda Bread Recipe {HERE} – One of the most popular recipes on the website!
- Irish Apple Cake recipe {HERE}
- Potato Leek Soup with Bacon {HERE}
- Irish Scones with Clotted Cream {HERE}
- Guinness Irish Stew {HERE}
- Baileys Chocolate Cake {HERE}
Looking for more Dinner recipes?
If you love a good slow cooker recipe or easy dinner like the Coned Beef and Cabbage recipe then check out these recipes too.
- Slow Cooker Pot Roast Sandwiches {HERE}
- Classic Chili Mac Recipe {HERE}
- Slow Cooker Creamy French Mustard Chicken {HERE}
- Sheet Pan Kielbasa and Vegetables {HERE}
- Slow Cooker Sun Dried Tomato Chicken with Polenta {HERE}
- Sheet Pan Italian Sausage and Bell Peppers {HERE}
- Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken with Couscous {HERE}
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Thank you so much for joining me today, friends! I hope that you love my Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe. You can find the full printable recipe below. I hope that you will come back again!
Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe
Equipment
- 1 Large slow cooker or large Dutch Oven, about 5.5 qt My slow cooker is 8.5 qt
Ingredients
Seasoning for the Corned Beef
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried, crushed rosemary
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp dried sage
- 1/4 tsp ground mustard
Ingredients for the pot
- 3-4 lb corned beef roast plus the spice packet from the roast if it comes with one Reserve the spice packet until needed in the directions
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups beef stock plus enough additional stock to almost cover the corned beef. I usually use about 32 oz. plus 3 cups.
- 3-4 yellow onions, sliced into 1 inch rounds Enough to line the bottom of your pot
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 4 cloves of garlic, sliced
- 3 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/4 tsp caraway seeds
- 1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
- 6-8 large carrots, cut into thirds and then cut in half
- 1 medium head of cabbage, cut into quarters and then quartered again
- Optional: 10 baby red potatoes
- Optional: Fresh parsley, fresh thyme and horseradish sauce or stone ground mustard for serving.
Instructions
Instructions for making the Corned Beef and Cabbage in the slow cooker
- Combine the corned beef seasoning in a bowl and mix. Then pat the corned beef dry. If you want you can rinse it and then pat it dry but it will remove some of the flavor. Sprinkle all of the seasoning on both sides of the corned beef.
- In a slow cooker that sautés or in a large sauté pan on the stove, heat the extra virgin olive oil. When it is shimmering, add the seasoned corned beef and cook for 3 minutes per side. If you are slow cooking this but your slow cooker does not have a sauté function, do this step in a sauté pan on the stove. Remove the corned beef from the pan when the time is up and set aside.
- Add in 2 cups of beef broth and scrap the seasoning from the bottom of the pan/pot/slow cooker. Use a wood spoon so you don't damage the pan. Then whisk in the Dijon mustard. If you are making this in a sauté pan to slow cook, transfer it to the slow cooker now.
- Line the bottom of the slow cooker with the onion rounds. Then place the corned beef on top of that and add more beef broth until the corned beef is mostly covered.
- Add in the garlic, bay leaves, spice packet from the corned beef, mustard seeds, caraway seeds and fresh cracked pepper. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
- When you have 2-3 hours left, add in the carrots and the cabbage. If you are making the potatoes in the pot, add them now too and add them in first. Recover and cook the rest of the time.
- When the time is up, remove everything from the slow cooker. Slice with the grain of the meat to keep it from shredding. If you prefer more shredded corned beef, slice against the grain. Serve on a platter for people to enjoy with juice from the pot, stoneground mustard or horseradish sauce and fresh parsley and thyme.
Instructions for the Corned Beef and Cabbage in the Dutch Oven
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In the Dutch Oven, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat When it is shimmering, add the seasoned corned beef and cook for 3 minutes per side. Remove the corned beef from the pan when the time is up and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add in 2 cups of beef broth and scrap the seasoning from the bottom of the pan/pot/slow cooker. Use a wood spoon so you don't damage the pan. Then whisk in the Dijon mustard.
- Line the bottom of the Dutch Oven with the onion rounds. Then place the corned beef on top of that and add more beef broth until the corned beef is 3/4 of the way covered.
- Add in the garlic, bay leaves, spice packet from the corned beef, mustard seeds, caraway seeds and fresh cracked pepper. Cover and cook for 1 at 350 degrees. Then reduce the heat to 300 degrees and cook for 2 hours.
- Then add the carrots and if you are using them the baby potatoes to the pot. Cover and cook again for another 1 hour. When the time is up, add the cabbage to the pot. Cover and cook for another hour.
- When the time is up, remove the corned beef and vegetables. Slice with the grain of the meat to keep it from shredding. If you prefer more shredded corned beef, slice against the grain. Serve on a platter for people to enjoy with juice from the pot, stoneground mustard or horseradish sauce and fresh parsley and thyme.
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