Slow Cooker Corned Beef is an easy and delicious all in one dinner. With only 10 minutes of preparation you will love this corned beef and cabbage all year.
If you have never made corned beef at home, I have a recipe for you today that is so easy to make and fall apart tender. This corned beef and cabbage recipe should not be saved just for St. Patrick’s Day. It is a recipe that your family will love coming home to all year long.
I made this last year, and it was, hands down, the best recipe!! So delicious. It’s on the menu, again, this year!
What is Corned Beef
Corned Beef is a beef brisket that has been cured with salt. Curing is a process that often uses salt to preserve meat. The term “corned” most likely refers to the salt rocks that were used in the process.
Corned Beef has become a staple around St. Patrick’s Day in restaurants across the United States. Though once you try this recipe, I think you will agree it should be eaten all year.
How to Cook Corned Beef in a Crockpot
- Add the vegetables to the slow cooker.
- Make the cooking liquid: Combine the beef stock, vinegar, brown sugar, and seasonings. Pour it over the vegetables.
- Top with the corned beef.
- Cook on low: When cooking meat, especially beef, I always think cooking low in a slow cooker is best. Cook on low for 8 hours.
- Add the cabbage: Finally put in the cabbage wedges and cook for an hour. At this point the dish will be done. As soon as your cabbage is wilted your taste you can eat.
When this recipe is done, the beef practically falls apart. It is soft, tender, and full of this perfect combination of flavors from the spices in the sauce.
While it might seem that your meat isn’t going to get much flavor during cooking, the liquid will bubble up around it and give it plenty of flavor. You will love this easy recipe.
Substitutions and Variations
If there is a vegetable in this recipe that your family does not like, I would encourage you to leave it out and replace it with more of a vegetable your family does enjoy.
As mentioned above, the recipe is just about finished at the point that you are putting the cabbage in. So if your family does not enjoy cabbage, you can skip that step.
I do not recommend leaving out the vegetables all together. If you want to make it all potatoes, that is fine, but there needs to be a bed of produce for the corned beef brisket to sit on while it cooks.
What to Serve with Corned Beef
Cabbage, carrots, and potatoes are all often served with corned beef, so in this recipe is a one stop shop. You have a complete dinner when your slow cooker corned beef is done.
If you are looking for an after dinner treat, I would recommend my Baileys Brownies or an Irish Coffee.
Slow Cooker Corned Beef Leftovers
If you have slow cooker corned beef leftovers, I recommend storing the meat and the vegetables separate from the liquid. When you go to reheat:
- Put the meat on top of the vegetables in a baking dish.
- Pour some of the liquid in the bottom of the pan.
- Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes or until the dish is warmed through.
FAQ
Corned beef is considered done when it hits 145 degrees. This is not a recipe that you need an instant read thermometer for, just following the recipe will result in fork tender beef.
Yes! If necessary, you can cook this recipe ahead of time and then reheat the whole dish in the oven. Please read the section above marked “Leftovers” for directs.
This depends on the corned beef you buy. Some cured meats have gluten added to them, so look on the package or ask your butcher. There is no additional gluten in this recipe though.
Yes! You can easily cut this recipe in half with a small piece of meat. Though, the leftovers are so good, I think you should make the whole recipe.
Slow Cooker Corned Beef
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion cut into 1 1/2 inch wedges
- 5 large red potatoes (about 2 pounds) quartered
- 1 pound carrots peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces (about 5 medium carrots)
- 16 ounces low sodium beef broth
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 pounds corned beef brisket (seasoning packet discarded)
- 1 small head of cabbage cut into wedges
Instructions
- Add potatoes, carrots, and onion to the base of a 6 quart slow cooker.
- In a mixing bowl combine beef stock, garlic, bay leaves, brown sugar, vinegar, kosher salt, allspice, ground mustard, dill weed, and black pepper. Pour over the vegetables.
- Top with the beef and cook on low for 8 hours.
- Add the cabbage wedges on top and cook for an additioanl hour.
- Serve and enjoy!
Sandra says
I made this on Monday and my cabbage did not cook in an hour. I cooked the meat and veggies for 8 hours and then added a small cabbage cut into quarters and cooked for another hour.
Love the flavour but would like to try cooking on the stove and adding the cabbage to that.
I’m so happy you liked the flavor and I’m so sorry that your cabbage didn’t cook! Another option would be to cut the cabbage up more, and put it under the corned beef when you add it.
Leslie says
I have a question about adding the veggies at the start. I do not want mushy overcooked vegetables. So when would I add them in the cooking process. I read where we need a bed of veggies, I can put some leaves of cabbage & onions down. But potatoes & carrots I prefer soft but not overly so. Please advise. Thank you!!
Hi Leslie! I actually recommend cooking it as written. I wouldn’t have made it this way if the veggies turned out over cooked and mushy. :) That being said, if you absolutely hate soft carrots and potatoes, you could do a bed of onions, and then add the carrots and potatoes after a few hours of cooking on low.
Maritza Gamez says
I love this recipe and would love to make it! But I have a problem: I don’t have a crock pot. What kind of pot you think I should use?
I have only ever made this recipe in the crockpot. If I were finding another way to make it, I would likely make it in a dutch oven in my oven like a pot roast.
Kim says
I made this last year, and it was, hands down, the best recipe!! So delicious. It’s on the menu, again, this year!
I’m so happy you liked it so much! Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know.
Maritza Gamez says
Thank you Lisa for your reply, good idea using he oven. It’s a great recipe, I’ll let you know how it came out. Maritza Gamez
Capri says
I was curious about the layering and whether the corned beef would cook well. My husband much enjoyed this recipe as did I. It’s a keeper now.
I’m so glad to hear it!
Lisa C. says
I made this for St. Patrick’s Day and it was DELICIOUS! It’s going to be my go-to recipe from now on. The apple cider vinegar is genius. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe! I’ve shared it with all my friends.
I’m so glad you liked it!
Toey Forresr says
Hello, I enjoyed your Recipes very much
I make cake with Pieces Pig cake brought to work every one loved it !! Question
I don’t have slow cooker but I have pressured cooker !! Can I reduce the cooking to half ??
Hi! I would need to test this recipe in a pressure cooker before I could give you recommendations on how to alter it for that. I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake!
Donna Dague says
I made my first corn beef brisket with this recipe. I did it as the recipe said; and the corn beef was way up to the lid. I checked the vegs and I had layered them right with correct measurements. After 3 hrs on low; I removed the cabbage and moved the meat down to the carrots. Cooked the cabbage in the Dutch oven and put them down in the broth before the slow cooker was done.
The meal was delicious! We loved the broth; it made the vegs so good!
Thank you for sharing! 🙏🏻😀🎉
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Doris.councilman says
I usually do my cornbeef,and onions first my mother-in-law said to let it cool in its own juice take it out and do your veggies