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!
Mary Jane says
I’ve looked over the recipe several times. In step 2 you list water but I can’t seem to find the amount of water. Can you tell me how much to add?
Mary Jane
Thank you for catching that Mary Jane! That was leftover from a round of recipe testing. You will only need beef stock.
Randee says
The corned beef comes with a little packet of spices, throw them out?
Yup, discard those. I will add that to the instructions.
Randi Bennett says
I’m always looking for an easier recipe – mine is more complicated. Will try it this year! Just wondering – the picture of the sliced corned beef seems to be cut with the grain, instead of across the grain, which would totally fall apart. Also, your pre-cooked picture has the cabbage nestled with the veggies. Great photo, but I’m sure it’s just to show what veggies are used. I’ve loved all your recipes that I’ve tried. thanks
Hi Randi! The way the meat was cut wasn’t really with the grain, it was a cross cut but just barely. It made for slices that were very easy to fall apart if that makes sense. It’s such a tender corned beef recipe. I’m not sure if you are referring to the picture with the cabbage on top or the one later in the post, but both are after cooking was finished. The one with the cabbage on top is the way it is cooked, with the carrots and potatoes underneath the beef and the cabbage placed on top at the very end. The other photo is exactly what you said, a beauty shot to show what it is cooked with. I hope you enjoy this!
Judy Johnson says
The corned beef I buy doesn’t come with a spice packet, it comes with the spices already mixed with the “juices” of the corned beef. Would rinsing the corned beef and then add you spices work? My corned beef never seems to turn out. Thanks for sharing all your recipes.
Hi Judy! So, I wouldn’t rinse it. I would add it to the slow cooker as is. I think they all come with some juices, just add it and follow as written. I hope it works for you!
Sarah P says
Does this mean I should cook for a total of nine hours on low or eight and add the cabbage at the seven hour mark? Thanks!
It is nine hours of total cooking time with the cabbage being added at the 8 hour mark.
Carl Pirro says
Thanks Lisa, will be using this corned beef recipe.
Donna says
Do you have the Nutrition Information . Does not come up when I hit the arrow.
Geneva Cloward says
My daughter leaves for work at1:30 p.m. What will be different if I cook on high for 4 1\2 hours?
The meat might just not be quite as tender. In general I prefer low cooking for big cuts of beef, but it does work on high.
Kim says
Add the Kosher Salt with the spices?
Can’t wait to taste this!
Yes! Thank you for catching that.
Roxanne says
Can I add 16oz of dark beer instead of beef stock?
I’ve only tested it with 12 ounces dark beer and 4 ounces of water, which was delicious. I’m sure the full 16 ounces would be great too!