This Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe is easy to make in the slow cooker or on the stovetop! It’s cooked low and slow for super tender, flavorful results every time!

Corned Beef and Cabbage on a white platter with carrots and potatoes.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Get ready for the best Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe you’ve ever had! This meat is SO tender that it honestly falls apart when I touch it with a knife. You barely have to chew it.

The corned beef cooks in chicken broth and beer with onions, carrots, potatoes, garlic, bay leaves, and a hint of Dijon. The flavor is unreal. 

Cooking this over low heat in the slow cooker definitely yields the best result, but I have stove top instructions in the notes as well. Don’t miss my PRO TIPS below, those are key!

How to Make It

Note: This is an overview. See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Add the beer, chicken broth, and Dijon to the slow cooker. Add the corned beef. Sprinkle the seasoning packet on top along with sliced garlic cloves, and arrange the onions around the outside.

Adding broth, beer, onions, garlic, and corned beef to a slow cooker.

Place the potatoes and carrots closely together around the perimeter, leaving room in the middle to add the cabbage later. Cook over low heat for 8 hours. 

A crock pot with Corned Beef, potatoes, and carrots before and after being slow cooked.

Top with 1½-inch cabbage wedges and cook for 2 more hours. Let the corned beef rest for 15 minutes, then slice it against the grain. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with butter, salt, and pepper!

Corned Beef and Cabbage in a crock pot and on a platter after it's done cooking.

Flat Cut vs. Point Cut

  • Flat Cut: Leaner of the two cuts. It slices well and is best if you want larger, uniform slices for serving.
  • Point Cut: This is the cut pictured above. The meat is more marbled which can yield more tender/flavorful results, but the marbling makes it more difficult to create slices that stay together.
  • Either option works well, it comes down to whether or not you want a leaner cut and if clean slices are important.

Pro Tips

  • Beer: Use a beer that you would want to drink, be careful about using very hoppy/bitter beer or something super strong in taste, as it will transfer that flavor in to the dish. (I often just use Bud Light.) Tuckerman Pale Ale is good too, but stronger in flavor. Chicken or Beef broth can be used instead if needed.
  • Chicken Broth: Many recipes cook corned beef in water as corned beef is already in a salted brine. I use broth because it adds delicious flavor to the potatoes, carrots, and cabbage during cooking. You can also use low sodium broth.
  • Potatoes/Carrots: Steaming these on the top of the crock pot ensure that they cook more gradually during the 10-hour process. At the end of cooking, the carrots are perfect and the potatoes are like butter- nice and soft but not crumbly. 
  • Use Yukon Gold or Red Potatoes: These have less starch than russets so they hold up better.
  • Make-Ahead Tips: I prefer to leave the corned beef in the package to keep it fresh until I’m ready to cook it. Feel free to slice the onions, garlic, carrots, and cabbage the night before and refrigerate in airtight bags. Don’t slice the potatoes until you’re ready to cook them. 
  • Low heat is best: Low and slow will definitely yield the best results for this recipe. If you need to cook it over high heat, do so for 6 hours and add the cabbage during the last hour.
  • Let it rest: Be sure to let the corned beef rest for 15 minutes before slicing in to ensure the juices don’t run out when you slice in. 
  • Slice against the grain: This is key for tender, easy-to-chew meat.
  • Leftovers: Leftover corned beef can be used to make Reubens, Corned Beef Hash, or Shepherds Pie. It’s also a great addition to Cabbage Soup, Stovetop Mac and Cheese, Grilled Cheese, Scrambled Eggs, and Omelets.

Storage

  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. You can also freeze leftover corned beef in an airtight container for 3-4 months.

A white platter with Corned Beef and Cabbage along with carrots and potatoes.

Tools For This Recipe

(Amazon affiliate links*)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.

  • 6-Quart Slow Cooker– This one has a digital timer and a lid that locks. Larger sizes are great for this recipe too, as they can fit more carrots/potatoes.
  • Spice Rack–This is the one I have, it’s a snap to measure out your seasonings quickly and easily. (Big time saver.)
  • Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer.
  • Garlic Peeler– Makes it really easy to peel fresh garlic.

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Tender Corned Beef and Cabbage on a white platter with carrots and potatoes.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 hours
Total Time: 10 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8 people
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This Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe is easy to make in the slow cooker or on the stovetop! It's cooked low and slow for super tender, flavorful results and is served with potatoes and carrots.

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup beer, see notes
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 3 ½ - 4 lb. corned beef, plus the seasoning packet
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 yellow onion, sliced
  • 1 lb. carrots, cut into halves or thirds
  • 2 lbs. baby Yukon gold potatoes, washed and dried
  • 1 small head green cabbage, cut into 1 ½-inch wedges

For Serving

  • Freshly chopped parsley, butter, salt, pepper

Equipment

Instructions

  • Add the chicken broth, beer, and Dijon mustard to the slow cooker.
  • Add the corned beef (discard the juices from the package) and sprinkle the seasoning packet on top along with the garlic and bay leaves. Place the sliced onions in the liquid around the meat.
  • Slice the potatoes in half, they should be about 2-inches wide.
  • Arrange the carrots and potatoes around the perimeter, packing them closely together so that there is room in the middle to add cabbage later. (See process shots in blog post.)
  • Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. A 6-quart slow cooker will be full but the meat will render down and make more room for the cabbage later.
  • Add the cabbage wedges to the top of the slow cooker, packing them in tightly. Close the lid and cook for 2 more hours.
  • Transfer the cabbage, potatoes, and carrots to a serving platter and tent with foil.
  • Carefully transfer the corned beef to a cutting board and tent with foil. Let it rest for 15 minutes, then slice it against the grain. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with butter, salt, and pepper.

Notes

Flat Cut vs. Point Cut:
  • Flat Cut: Leaner of the two cuts. It slices well and is best if you want larger, uniform slices for serving.
  • Point Cut: This is the cut pictured above. The meat is more marbled which can yield more tender/flavorful results, but the marbling makes it more difficult to create slices that stay together.
  • Either option works well, it comes down to whether or not you want a leaner cut and if clean slices are important.
Pro Tips:
  • Beer: Use a beer that you would want to drink, be careful about using very hoppy/bitter beer or something super strong in taste, as it will transfer that flavor in to the dish. (I often just use Bud Light.) Tuckerman Pale Ale is good too, but stronger in flavor. Chicken or Beef broth can be used instead if needed.
  • Chicken Broth: Many recipes cook corned beef in water as corned beef is already in a salted brine. I use broth because it adds delicious flavor to the potatoes, carrots, and cabbage during cooking. You can also use low sodium broth.
  • Potatoes/Carrots: Steaming these on the top of the crock pot ensure that they cook more gradually during the 10-hour process. At the end of cooking, the carrots are perfect and the potatoes are like butter- nice and soft but not crumbly. 
  • Use Yukon Gold or Red Potatoes: These have less starch than russets so they hold up better.
  • Make-Ahead Tips: I prefer to leave the corned beef in the package to keep it fresh until I'm ready to cook it. Feel free to slice the onions, garlic, carrots, and cabbage the night before and refrigerate in airtight bags. Don't slice the potatoes until you're ready to cook them. 
  • Low heat is best: Low and slow will definitely yield the best results for this recipe. If you need to cook it over high heat, do so for 6 hours and add the cabbage during the last hour.
  • Let it rest: Be sure to let the corned beef rest for 15 minutes before slicing in to ensure the juices don't run out when you slice in. 
  • Slice against the grain: This is key for tender, easy-to-chew meat.
  • Leftovers: Leftover corned beef can be used to make Reubens, Corned Beef Hash, or Shepherds Pie. It's also a great addition to Cabbage Soup, Stovetop Mac and Cheese, Grilled Cheese, Scrambled Eggs, and Omelets.
Stove Top Method:
  • Add everything but the carrots, potatoes, and cabbage to a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover, leaving a small crack exposed. Simmer for 2 ½ hours.
  • Add the potatoes and carrots. Cover again and simmer for 25 minutes.
  • Add the cabbage and simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are fork tender.
  • Transfer the cabbage, potatoes, and carrots to a serving platter and tent with foil.
  • Transfer the corned beef to a cutting board and tent with foil. Let it rest for 15 minutes, then slice it against the grain. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with butter, salt, and pepper.
Storage:
  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. You can also freeze leftover corned beef in an airtight container for 3-4 months.
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 8 servings in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 551kcal, Carbohydrates: 34g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 108mg, Sodium: 2718mg, Potassium: 1448mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 9566IU, Vitamin C: 113mg, Calcium: 93mg, Iron: 5mg
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Irish
Author: Stephanie