Whether you’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, or just looking for a simple weeknight meal, this recipe for corned beef and cabbage is a winner!
This has been our go-to recipe for St. Patrick’s Day for many years. It’s also a great recipe for when carrots, cabbages, or potatoes are abundant in our garden.
Here’s how to make our quick and easy crockpot corned beef and cabbage.
Ingredients
1 package of ready-to-cook corned beef brisket 3-5 pounds
Corned beef can easily be found during the weeks leading up to St. Patrick’s Day. I’ve also been able to find it year-round at a few of the better grocery stores.
Look for a cut of brisket labeled flat or point with a nice fat layer across the top. Fat helps flavor the meat during cooking and keeps it moist. Any extra fat after cooking can be removed before serving.
1 medium Head of Cabbage
Green cabbage is the best choice for this cooking method. It has hardy leaves and holds up well during long cook times. Select a small head to medium size head, about 2 pounds.
You can also use savory cabbage that has a milder flavor. Do not use red cabbage, it might taste okay, but will turn gray during cooking which looks very unappetizing. Save the red cabbages for fresh eating.
1 large Cooking Onion
Any bulb onion used for cooking will work fine. We prefer yellow sweet Spanish onions.
1 Pound Carrots
About 1 pound of carrots is a good amount, or 4-6 large carrots.
1 Pound Potatoes
Select one pound of your favorite potato. The best potatoes I’ve found for this recipe are Yukon Gold, however, most potatoes, including home-grown, work fine. I don’t peel the Yukon Gold, but you may want to peel other varieties unless they are young “new” potatoes or potato fingerlings.
Beef Stock (or water or beer)
Over the years, I’ve tried beef stock, water, and dark beer to flavor my corned beef and cabbage. All three are great, but our family favorite is beef stock. I’ll use 4 cups of broth in addition to enough water to cover the veggies and meat in the crockpot.
Seasonings
Most prepackaged corned beef comes with a seasoning packet for cooking. That’s part of the “easy” in this recipe. If you prefer more or stronger seasonings, another “easy” is to add one to two teaspoons of pickling spice from your pantry.
You can also make your own seasonings. Try THIS RECIPE for mixing up a batch of corned beef seasonings.
Kitchen Essentials
- 1 six-quart crockpot
- Knife and cutting board
- Vegetable peeler
Directions
Step 1 Prep the Veggies
Once you’ve gathered your ingredients and tools, start by prepping the vegetables.
- Core your cabbage and cut it into 6 wedges.
- Coarsely chop the onion.
- Peel the carrots and chop into thick chunks 2-3 inches long.
- Wash and cut the potatoes into golf ball size pieces, or leave whole if small.
Step 2 Prep the Meat
Next, rinse your brisket under cool water to remove the excess brine. Set it in the bottom of your crockpot, fat side up.
Step 3 Assemble the Ingredients
Add the carrots, onion, and potatoes on top of the brisket. Reserve the cabbage wedges. You’ll add them during the last hour of cooking. Or, you can put it on top right away if you don’t mind the cabbage being well-done. Either step is a matter of taste preference.
Pour in approximately 6 cups of liquid. I use 4 cups of beef broth and enough water to almost come to the top of the crockpot.
Sprinkle your spices on top.
Step 4 Cook
Cover the crockpot and set on LOW for 6-8 hours.
Step 5 Add in the Cabbage
During the last hour of cooking, add the cabbage wedges.
Step 6 Check for Doneness
Once the meat has reached an internal temperature of 145°F it’s ready for serving.
Serving Suggestions
Remove the corned beef and let it rest on a cutting board 5-10 minutes. Then, remove any excess fat from the top and discard. Cut across the grain into slices.
Leave the vegetables in the warm broth until just before serving. Once the meat is ready to serve, remove the vegetables and set in a large bowl or serving platter. Serve immediately.
Serve the meat on one platter with cabbage wedges around the edge, and the other vegetables in a large bowl.
Additional sides for this meal: rye or pumpernickel bread with butter.
Easy Crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage
Equipment
- 1 6-quart crockpot
- 1 Knife and Cutting Board
- 1 Vegetable peeler
Ingredients
- 1 pkg. Corned Beef Brisket 3-5 lbs.
- 1 medium Head of green cabbage
- 1 large cooking onion
- 1 lb. fresh carrots
- 1 lb. fresh potatoes
- 32 oz. Beef stock
- Water Enough to fill crockpot
Instructions
Prep Veggies
- Core cabbage and cut into 6 wedges.
- Peel onion and coarsly chop.
- Peel carrots and cut into lengths 3-4 inches long.
- Wash and cut potatoes into golf ball size chunks, (or leave whole if small).
Prep the Meat
- Rinse your corned beef brisket under cool water to remove excess brine. Reserve seasoning packet.
- Place brisket in your crockpot, fat side up.
Assemble the Ingredients
- Place prepared carrots, botatoes, and onions on top of the beef in the crockpot.
- Pour over them the beef broth plus additional water to cover the meat and vegetables.
- Sprinkle seasoning packet over top.
Cooking Time
- Put cover on crockpt and set to LOW.
- Cook for 6-7 hours.
Add Cabbage
- Add cabbage wedges on top of vegetables in the crock pot.
- Cook an additional hour.
Check for Doneness
- Once the meat has reached an internal temperature of 145°F, the meal is ready to serve.
Notes
Serving Suggestions
Remove the corned beef and let it rest on a cutting board 5-10 minutes. Then, remove any excess fat from the top and discard. Cut across the grain into slices. Leave the vegetables in the warm broth until just before serving. Once the meat is ready to serve, remove the vegetables and set in a large bowl or serving platter. Serve immediately. Serve the meat on one platter with cabbage wedges around the edge, and the other vegetables in a large bowl. Additional sides for this meal: rye or pumpernickel bread with butter.FAQs
It is a beef brisket cured in a salt brine using large-grained rock salt called “corns”, hence, the name. It’s an historic preservation salt-curing technique used to store fresh meat before the invention of refrigerators. In modern times, it’s eaten more as a cultural food experience than as a necessity.
Popular dishes such as corned beef hash, Reuben sandwiches, and corned beef casserole are some of the many ways people have creatively used leftover corned beef.
Yes, you can! Simply wrap the leftover meat tightly in plastic wrap then seal in an air-tight freezer container or bag (vacuum-sealing is a great option!). Label and use within 3 months.
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