Melt-in-your-mouth corned beef, tender potatoes, sweet carrots and soft cabbage wedges,
all cooked low and slow in one pot.
This slow cooker corned beef and cabbage is the easiest way to make the classic St. Patrick’s Day dinner,
and your slow cooker does nearly all the work.
Let’s talk about why the slow cooker is perfect for corned beef.
Brisket is a tough cut. It needs hours of gentle heat for the connective tissue to break down and turn the meat juicy and fork-tender.
In the slow cooker, it simmers away for about 9 hours in beef broth and pickling spices, and you don’t have to do a thing.
The vegetables go underneath the beef, so they soak up all those savoury, spiced juices.
The cabbage goes in for just the last hour, so it turns tender without going soggy.
Slice the beef against the grain, pile it on a platter with the veg, and add a dollop of spicy mustard or horseradish sauce.
It’s made for St. Patrick’s Day, but it’s a great Sunday dinner any time, and the leftovers make amazing Reuben sandwiches.
Why You’ll Love This Corned Beef and Cabbage
- Hands-off: about 20 minutes of prep, then the slow cooker takes over.
- Fall-apart tender: 9 hours of low, slow cooking.
- One-pot meal: beef, potatoes, carrots and cabbage together.
- Cabbage done right: added at the end so it’s tender, not mushy.
- Great leftovers: perfect for sandwiches and hash.
Ingredient Notes & Easy Substitutions
Flat cut corned beef – A 5 to 6 pound flat cut is lean and slices neatly. Use the pickling spice packet that comes with it.
Potatoes – Small red new potatoes or Yukon Golds hold their shape well. Halve any larger than 2 inches.
Onion, baby carrots, celery and garlic – They form a bed under the beef and soak up the flavourful broth.
Pickling spice (optional) – An extra 2 tablespoons gives a bolder, more aromatic flavour.
Beef broth – Add enough to just reach the top of the beef, usually about 3 cups.
Cabbage – A medium head, cut into 1-inch wedges, added for the last hour.
Step-by-Step Guide to Making Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
1. Layer the vegetables
Put the potatoes, onion, carrots, celery and garlic in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. They’ll cook in the juices and keep the beef off the bottom.
2. Add the corned beef and spices
Lay the corned beef on top, fat side up, so the fat bastes the meat as it cooks. Pour in the juices from the package and add the spice packet, plus extra pickling spice if you like.
3. Add broth and slow cook
Pour in beef broth until it just reaches the top of the beef. Cover and cook on LOW for about 9 hours.
4. Add the cabbage
About an hour before serving, nestle the cabbage wedges into the broth around the beef. Cover and cook for another hour, until tender.
5. Slice and serve
Lift out the beef, trim the fat if you like, and slice or shred it against the grain. Serve with the vegetables and plenty of mustard or horseradish.
Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
Equipment
- 6-quart slow cooker
- Sharp knife and cutting board
Ingredients
- 1 (5 to 6 pound) flat cut corned beef with its pickling spice packet
- 4-6 small potatoes halved if larger than 2 inches; red new potatoes or Yukon Gold
- 1 large onion quartered
- 1 1/2 cups baby carrots
- 2 ribs celery cut into 3-inch pieces
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons pickling spice optional
- 2-4 cups beef broth
- 1 medium head cabbage cut into 1-inch wedges
Instructions
- Put the potatoes, onion, carrots, celery and garlic in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Set the corned beef on top, fat side up, and pour in any juices from the package. Add the spice packet that came with the beef, plus the extra 2 tablespoons of pickling spice if you want more flavour.
- Pour in enough beef broth to come just to the top of the corned beef (usually about 3 cups, depending on your slow cooker and the size of the beef). Cover and cook on LOW for about 9 hours.
- About an hour before serving, tuck the cabbage wedges into the broth around the beef. Cover and cook for about 1 hour more, until the cabbage is as tender as you like.
- Lift out the beef and trim off the fat layer if you like. Slice or shred against the grain and serve with the cabbage and vegetables, plus spicy mustard or horseradish sauce.
Notes
- Nutrition: Estimated per serving from the ingredients, based on cooked corned beef with the fat cap on and some of the broth. Corned beef is cured, so it is naturally very high in sodium; trimming the fat and leaving the broth lowers the numbers.
Nutrition
Tips for the Best Corned Beef and Cabbage
- Fat side up: it keeps the meat moist as it cooks.
- Don’t drown it: broth should just reach the top of the beef.
- Add the cabbage late: one hour is enough for tender wedges.
- Slice against the grain: it makes every slice tender.
- Keep the lid on: lifting it lets heat escape and adds cooking time.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Adding cabbage at the start: it turns mushy after 9 hours.
- Slicing with the grain: the meat will be chewy.
- Cutting the cook time short: corned beef needs time to get tender.
- Oversized potatoes: halve big ones so they cook through.
Easy Ways to Change It Up
The recipe card is the original version. These are optional ideas:
- Guinness: replace some of the broth with dark beer for a deeper flavour.
- Brown sugar glaze: brush the cooked beef with a brown sugar and mustard glaze and broil briefly.
- Different potatoes: use fingerlings or chunks of russet.
- More veg: add parsnips or turnips with the carrots.
How to Serve Corned Beef and Cabbage
Serve the sliced beef with the potatoes, carrots and cabbage, plus spicy mustard or horseradish sauce on the side. Irish soda bread and a pint of stout make it a proper St. Patrick’s Day feast.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
- Leftovers: store the beef and vegetables in airtight containers in the fridge and eat within a few days.
- Freezing: cooked corned beef generally freezes well, wrapped tightly with a little broth. The cabbage and potatoes are better eaten fresh.
- Reheating: warm gently with a splash of broth so the beef doesn’t dry out.
- Leftover ideas: Reuben sandwiches, corned beef hash or a Reuben casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does corned beef take in the slow cooker?
About 9 hours on LOW, plus about 1 more hour after the cabbage goes in.
When should I add the cabbage?
About an hour before serving, so it becomes tender without turning mushy.
Should corned beef be fat side up or down in the slow cooker?
Fat side up, so the fat bastes the meat as it cooks.
How much broth do I need?
Enough to just reach the top of the corned beef, usually about 3 cups.
How do I slice corned beef?
Slice it against the grain for the most tender pieces.
Tender corned beef, buttery potatoes and soft cabbage, all from one slow cooker: this is St. Patrick’s Day dinner made easy.
Set it up in the morning and come home to a feast.
