This easy recipe makes delicious and tender slow-cooked corned beef. With step-by-step instructions, you’ll have the perfect St. Patrick’s Day dinner with tender and flavorful corned beef, cabbage, carrots, and baby red potatoes.
Slow Cooker Corned Beef with Cabbage
This slow cooker corned beef recipe is delicious, easy, and dependable, with minimal prep time and minimal ingredients. The results are amazing, with tender, juicy, and flavorful corned beef, onions, carrots, potatoes, and cabbage. This recipe is easy enough for even the new cook to master for St. Patrick’s Day or any weeknight. If you like this slow cooker recipe, try slow cooker pot roast, crock pot pulled pork, crock pot chicken tacos, and crock pot chili.
Slow Cooker Corned Beef Ingredients
What is Corned Beef
Corned beef is beef that has been cured or preserved with salt. Potassium nitrate or sodium nitrite gives commercially made corned beef its long-lasting pink color. We all know from our high school science class that nitrates and nitrites are forms of salt.
How to Cook Corned Beef and Cabbage in a Slow Cooker
- Unwrap the corned Beef and place it in a slow cooker, fat side up. Sprinkle the spice packet over the top of the corned Beef.
- Pour the beef broth into the slow cooker over and around the corned Beef. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.
- Add the onions, carrots, and potatoes. Cover and cook on low for 1 hour.
- Add the cabbage, cover, and cook on low for 2 hours.
Recipe Tips
- Leave the fat on the corned beef when simmering, as it helps cook it tender and gives it lots of flavor. For this method, cook it fat side up.
- 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. Simply add it to the cooking liquid with the beef.
- For aesthetic purposes, peel your carrots. You will appreciate the bright orange color.
- Small red potatoes are traditional. Baby yellow potatoes work well, too, because they are waxy like red potatoes. Don’t use russet potatoes. They are not waxy, and they break down during the cooking process.
- 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.
- Slice the corned beef against the grain, producing the most tender pieces that do not fall apart.
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 Irish Recipes
Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
Ingredients
- 3 lb corned beef brisket with spice packet
- 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 large yellow onion sliced in quarters
- 2 medium carrots peeled and cut in 1-2 inch chunks
- 12 small red potatoes
- 1/2 head green cabbage cut in wedges
Instructions
- Unwrap the corned beef and place it in a slow cooker, fat side up. Sprinkle the spice packet over the top of the corned beef.
- Pour the beef broth into the slow cooker over and around the corned beef. Cover and cook for 5 hours on low.
- Add the onions, carrots, and potatoes. Cover and cook on low for 1 hour.
- Add the cabbage, cover, and cook on low for 2 hours.
- Remove the corned beef to a cutting board. Let it rest for about 5 minutes. Trim away the fat. Slice against the grain into thin slices, that are about 1/4 inch thick.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the vegetables from the slow cooker to a serving platter with the corned beef.
Notes
- Leave the fat on the corned beef when simmering as it helps cook it really tender and gives it lots of flavor. For this method, cook it fat side up.
- 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. Simply add it to the cooking liquid with the beef.
- For aesthetic purposes, peel your carrots, as you will really appreciate the bright orange color.
- Small red potatoes are traditional. Baby yellow potatoes work well, too, because they are waxy like red potatoes. Russet potatoes are not waxy, and they break down during the cooking process.
- Once cooked, trim the fat from the beef. I like to leave just a very small portion of fat on for more flavor, but my husband likes it completely trimmed.
- Slice the corned beef against the grain, as this produces the most tender pieces that do not fall apart.
Nutrition
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Laura S
This was so delicious! I made it for St. Patrick’s day and my whole family enjoyed it. I did not know that it was that easy to make or that tasty. It will be on the menu every St. Patrick’s Day from now on.
Beth Pierce
That sounds like a great plan!
Mary Ellen
Great way to make corned beef! I am all about convenience lately, and your recipe was wonderful. So tender and tasty.
Ann
Made this yesterday for St Patrick’s Day and it was perfect! Tender and juicy, full of flavor – we loved it!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Ann! So glad that you liked it!
Carolyn Chambers
I’m always unsure about the liquid the corned beef is packed in – should it be rinsed off or added with the beef?
Beth Pierce
I discard any liquid left in the wrapper but I do not rinse it. Some of my readers do!
Archer
Great corned beef recipe. This is my new favorite way to make it! It was tender and flavorful and the vegetable were outstanding. Thank you!
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Archer!
Pamela Abrahamson
Awesome loved it
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Pamela!
Delores
Did you ever try using a bottle of Italian Dressing instead of beef broth. ?
Beth Pierce
No I have not. Thanks for the tip!
Debbie
Can I use Guinness beer in place of the beef broth!
Beth Pierce
Yes you sure can.
Mel Watkins
I love this recipe! I have always struggled with making corned beef and cabbage but not anymore. This was tender and tasty!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Mel! So happy that you mastered corned beef and cabbage!
Tammy Lynn
Using the slow-cooker is a great idea for St. Patrick’s Day! Since everything is cooked together in one pot this is such a time saver and frees up a lot of space on the stovetop. Will definitely need to try this…Looks perfect!