Name: Slow-Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 315 min
Ingredients: 2 celery stalks, cut into 3-inch pieces; 3 carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces; 1 small yellow onion, cut into 1-inch wedges (root end left intact); 0.5 pound small potatoes, halved if large; 6 sprigs thyme; 1 corned beef brisket (about 3 pounds), plus pickling spice packet or 1 tablespoon pickling spice; 0.5 head Savoy cabbage, cut into 1 ½-inch wedges; Grainy mustard, for serving

Prep Time:

15 mins

Total Time:

5 hrs 15 mins

Servings:

6

Making corned beef and cabbage in the slow cooker is the easiest way to enjoy this St. Patrick's Day favorite. Our recipe requires just 15 minutes of prep—then the slow cooker does the work. There's no simmering pot on the stove to watch; the meat, carrots, onions, potatoes, and cabbage cook for between five and 10 hours, depending on whether you use the low or high setting. We add the cabbage wedges after the root vegetables, since they take less time to soften. This ensures they are still green and appetizing, but tender when this meal in one is ready to serve.

Slow-Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage — Brie Goldman

What Is Corned Beef?

The name is confusing—corn is not used in curing corned beef. Corning is actually a type of salt curing. The meat, typically a brisket, sits in the salty brine for at least a week. You can corn beef at home, but many home cooks prefer to buy an already cured beef to cook. The corned beef is cooked long and slow—and the result is a tender piece of meat.

Why Is It Called Corning?

Hundreds of years ago, long before modern refrigeration, meat was dry cured, which preserved it. One method used coarse pieces of salt that were sometimes as large as kernels of corn; fittingly, they were called corns of salt. The process that used these large pieces of salt became known as corning. Today, corned beef is cured in a brine rather than with corns of salt, but the name remains.

Corned Beef vs. Pastrami

Both corned beef and pastrami are made from brisket and both are salt cured. But pastrami comes from the fatty naval end of the brisket and is smoked after curing, whereas corned beef is boiled after the curing process.

The Right Way to Slice Corned Beef

Cutting corned beef correctly makes all the difference. Slicing the meat against the grain—which is the same technique you'd use for steak—makes it more tender. Cutting with the grain results in tough slices.

Let the corned beef rest for 10 minutes once it is finished cooking. This allows time for the meat juices to redistribute. If you slice corned beef immediately, the juices will seep out and the meat will seem dry.

Place the corned beef fat-side down on a chopping board. Use a sharp carving knife to remove any excess fat, if desired.
Slice the corned beef against the grain.

Ingredients

2 celery stalks, cut into 3-inch pieces
3 carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 small yellow onion, cut into 1-inch wedges (root end left intact)
½ pound small potatoes, halved if large
6 sprigs thyme
1 corned beef brisket (about 3 pounds), plus pickling spice packet or 1 tablespoon pickling spice
½ head Savoy cabbage, cut into 1 ½-inch wedges
Grainy mustard, for serving

Directions

Slow-Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage ingredients — Brie Goldman

Place vegetables in slow cooker:

In a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker, place celery, carrots, onion, potatoes, and thyme.

Brie Goldman
Add corned beef:

Place corned beef, fat side up, on top of vegetables and sprinkle with pickling spice.

Brie Goldman
Add water and cook:

Add enough water to almost cover meat (4 to 6 cups). Cover and cook on high until corned beef is tender, 4 1/4 hours (or 8 1/2 hours on low).

Brie Goldman
Add cabbage and cook:

Arrange cabbage over corned beef, cover, and continue cooking until cabbage is tender, 45 minutes (or 1 1/2 hours on low).

Brie Goldman
Slice corned beef:

Thinly slice corned beef against the grain.

Brie Goldman
Serve:

Serve with vegetables, cooking liquid, and grainy mustard.

Brie Goldman

Storing Corned Beef

Uncooked Corned Beef

Uncooked corned beef is generally sold in a pouch with pickling juices. It may have a sell-by or use-by date. Uncooked corned beef with a sell-by date or no date can be stored unopened in the refrigerator for five to seven days; if it has a use-by date, it should be stored unopened in the refrigerator until that date.

Uncooked corned beef can also be frozen. To freeze, drain the corned beef and wrap it well. Store in the freezer for no longer than one month. After this time, the beef is still safe to eat, but the flavor and texture will start to decline.

Cooked Corned Beef

Once cooked and cooled completely, corned beef can be refrigerated for three to four days—or frozen for two to three months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need to rinse corned beef before cooking?

Yes. Corned beef should be rinsed because it is cured in a salt brine; there is probably excess salt on the meat. The uncooked corned beef should be rinsed under cool running water before it is cooked.

Is corned beef and cabbage a traditional Irish food?

No, beef was relatively rare and pricey in Ireland, and corned beef and cabbage was not a well-known dish. Bacon and cabbage or a stew with lamb were more common foods. Corned beef became popular with Irish settlers in the United States, where beef was much more affordable.

Can you boil or bake corned beef and cabbage?

Yes, corned beef can be boiled or baked in the oven. The most common preparation is boiling, whether on the stovetop or in a slow cooker or Instant Pot.