This Traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe cooks everything low and slow with the perfect spices in a Dutch oven or large stock pot. Serve with simmered baby potatoes, carrots, and tender cabbage for the ultimate Irish meal.
Are you looking for a tasty and simple dish to make for St. Patrick’s Day? Try this mouth-watering corned beef and cabbage recipe that is sure to impress your friends and family. My Mom would make this dish every St. Patrick’s Day.
She loved it so much that she would even make a batch for one of the Irish priests at our church. It is such an easy recipe that you, too, can participate in the Irish custom. If you like this recipe, try Mississippi pot roast, Irish stew, hamburger stew, and cottage pie.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Corned beef brisket: Remember, the flat cut is better for slicing, while the point cut is better for shredding.
- Spice packet: Don’t skip the spice packet. It is full of peppercorns, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, anise seeds, and crushed bay leaves. It gives the corned beef its extra delicious flavor. Add it to the cooking liquid with the beef.
- Bay leaves: Don’t forget to remove and discard the bay leaves. They are sharp on the edges and could cut your mouth or pose a choking hazard.
- Potatoes: Red and gold potatoes are traditional and waxy enough to stay together through the simmering. Russet potatoes will begin to break down during the cooking process.
- Cabbage: Go with traditional green cabbage
How to Make Corned Beef and Cabbage
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
First, add the corned beef to a large Dutch oven or stockpot and cover it with cool water or beef broth. Now add the bay leaves and the spice packet. Cover the pot and simmer for 2-2 1/2 hours, or until the brisket is almost fork tender.
Add the potatoes, onions, and carrots, and simmer covered for about 30 minutes. Add the cabbage wedges and simmer covered for 10-15 minutes. Remove the vegetables, cover them, and keep them warm.
Remove and discard the bay leaves. Finally, trim excess fat from the corned beef and slice against the grain. Serve promptly in a dish with potatoes, carrots, and cabbage with horseradish sauce or honey mustard sauce on the side.
Preparation Tips
- When simmering, leave the fat on the corned beef; it helps cook it tender and adds flavor. For this method, cook it fat-side up.
- The key is to simmer, not boil, the beef and vegetables—low and slow, as my late mother used to say.
- For aesthetic purposes, peel your carrots; you will appreciate the bright orange color.
- Once cooked, trim the fat from the beef. I like to leave a tiny portion of fat on for more flavor, but my husband likes it trimmed completely. As my Mom always said, “Different strokes for different folks.”
- Slice the corned beef against the grain, producing the most tender pieces that do not fall apart.
- Corned beef is cured with salt and is naturally high in sodium, so go easy on any added salt.
Flat Cut or Point Cut Corned Beef?
Don’t let these two different cuts confuse you. Corned beef, after all, is simply beef brisket cured in salt brine. Corned beef brisket is then split into two cuts, the flat and the point cut. The flat cut is much leaner but still has a thick layer of fat, so it cooks up moist and tender. It is best for slicing and is my first pick for traditional corned beef.
The point cut gets its name from coming to a point at one end. It is marbled with more fat and connective tissue. This cut cooks up tender and juicy but is best for shredding.
Storage and Reheat
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at 50% power for 1 minute increments until warm. You can freeze the corned beef, potatoes, and carrots for up to 2 months, but I do not recommend freezing the cabbage.
More Cabbage Recipes
Traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds corned beef brisket with spice packet
- water or beef broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 lb. baby yellow potatoes
- 5 large carrots peeled and chunked
- 1 head green cabbage cut in wedges
Instructions
- In Dutch Oven or large stockpot, add corned beef and cover with water or beef broth. Add spice packet and bay leaves. Cover and simmer for 2-2 1/2 hours. The brisket should be fairly fork-tender.
- Add potatoes and carrots; cover and simmer for additional 30 minutes. Add cabbage; cover and simmer for 15 additional minutes.
- Remove the bay leaves and discard them. Remove corned beef and vegetables from the pot and cover to keep warm. Remove any fat from the corned beef and slice against the grain.
Notes
- When simmering, leave the fat on the corned beef; it helps cook it tender and gives it lots of flavor. For this method, cook it fat side up.
- The key is to simmer, not boil, the beef and vegetables—low and slow, as my late mother used to say.
- For aesthetic purposes, peel your carrots; you will appreciate the bright orange color.
- Once cooked, trim the fat from the beef. I like to leave a very small portion of fat on for more flavor, but my husband likes it trimmed completely. As my Mom always said, “Different strokes for different folks.”
- Slice the corned beef against the grain, producing the most tender pieces that do not fall apart.
- Corned beef is cured with salt and is naturally high in sodium. So go easy on any added salt.
Nutrition
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Marysa
Such a great classic for St Patrick’s day! I’ve never made this before, but this recipe is easy to follow. I’d like to give this a try.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Marysa! Enjoy!
Nayna Kanabar
Your recipes are always so hearty and delicious with easy to follow instructions to create wholesome meals.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Nayna!
Nisha
This slow-cooked corned beef and cabbage is one of my favorite recipes. I loved that it was easy to make and tastes delicious, all the tips in the recipe were very useful. I am glad that my grocery store carries corned beef year round.
Beth Pierce
That is great! My grocery store carries it year round too!