Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage is the ideal hands-off Irish-American recipe. This dinner is perfect year round or specifically for a St. Patrick’s Day feast! This recipe takes 15 minutes to prep and 9 hours to slow cook. The dinner results in fork-tender corned beef and flavorful vegetables.
We love corned beef in my house. In fact, we eat it year-round. Not just for St. Patrick’s Day! I have been making this recipe for Slow Cooker Corned Beef since I was a newly wed. My mom taught me how to make Stovetop Corned Beef, but I knew their had to be an easier way.
I was working a full time job outside the house, and just couldn’t cook a corned beef brisket for hours on the stove. That’s when I gave the slow cooker a try. I was hooked after my first attempt and I think you’ll be, too! Make sure you checkout my even quicker method to cooking corned beef brisket in the Instant Pot.
Table of contents
Ingredients
If you love Irish food you’ll know that all these ingredients are pretty much a staple in the Irish diet.
- Corned Beef – Any size or brand corned beef will do. My rule of thumb is at least a half pound per person since the meat will shrink a little.
- Carrots – I love to use whole carrots, but baby carrots work as well.
- Onions – A few whole onions lend additional flavor and best of all tastes so delicious after slow cooking for hours.
- Potatoes – I love baby potatoes. Medium size potatoes work too. If you need to use a large potato you may have to cut the potato in half when you go to add in the cabbage.
- Cabbage – I like to use a small head of cabbage since it can be tight with all the other ingredients inside the slow cooker.
- Thyme – I love to use fresh thyme in the slow cooker. It just adds a little extra flavor.
How to Cook Corned Beef Brisket in a Slow Cooker
- In a large slow cooker, place the corned beef on the bottom of the slow cooker (do not rinse off–allow all the juices from the packaging to go inside the slow cooker). Sprinkle pickling spices on top of the corned beef.
- Layer with peeled carrots and onions, followed by the baby potatoes. Place sprigs of thyme around the slow cooker then pour the water over the ingredients.
- Set on low and cook for 8 hours.
- Once the corned beef and vegetables have cooked for 8 hours, move around the vegetables to make room for the cabbage.
- Submerge the cabbage in as much liquid as possible, place the lid back on the crock pot and place on high for 1 hour.
- Slice the Corned Beef against the grain, divide vegetables evenly among plates, and serve with a grainy mustard.
Slow Cooker Corned Beef FAQs
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions when cooking corned beef in the slow cooker.
Whenever I buy corned beef brisket I’ll estimate at least a half pound per person. Since I love leftover corned beef I try to purchase one pound per person.
Yes, you can overcook anything in the crockpot including corned beef. Low and slow is best when slow cooking. This gives you the most tender meat. You also want to make sure you don’t remove the lid too often and that the meat and most of the vegetables are covered in liquid.
Draining corned beef before cooking has seemed to become a controversial topic. I have never drained the
If you are cooking a corned beef brisket in liquid you should always cook the brisket fat side up. This will help keep the meat moist by both the liquid and the fat drippings. Prior to serving, I always take the time to carefully cut the fat off the meat.
You always want to slice the corned beef brisket against the grain. That means you are not slicing with the lines–you slice against them. If you slice with the grain you might risk
Tips & Tricks
Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks I’ve found helpful to get my crock pot corned beef on the table as quickly as possible.
- Slow Cooker – I use an oval KitchenAid 6.5 Quart Slow Cooker. Please make sure you are using a slow cooker of at least similar size and shape for the recipe.
- Cabbage – Smaller quarters of cabbage will cook quicker. Cabbage must be submerged in the liquid to cook.
- Boiling – If you don’t want to wait an extra hour, you can boil cabbage in a pot of hot boiling water for 10 minutes or until soft.
- Carrots – To save time, you can use baby carrots. I promise they will still taste just as good.
- Beer – You can substitute a bottle of your favorite beer for water. I would advise against fruit flavored or very stout beers. As these flavors could alter the taste of your dinner.
Leftover Corned Beef Recipes
If you love Irish food, you’ll love my other Irish Recipes.
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Slow Cooker Corned Beef
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. Corned Beef
- 1 tbsp Pickling Spice
- 10 Carrots peeled and cut in half
- 2 Onions
- 12 Baby Potatoes
- 12 oz. Water
- 10 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 1 Small Head of Cabbage quartered
Instructions
- In a large slow cooker, place the corned beef on the bottom of the slow cooker (do not rinse off–allow all the juices from the packaging to go inside the slow cooker). Sprinkle pickling spices on top of the corned beef.
- Layer with peeled carrots and onions, followed by the baby potatoes. Place sprigs of thyme around the slow cooker then pour the water over the ingredients.
- Set on LOW and cook for 8 hours.
- Once the corned beef and vegetables have cooked for 8 hours, move around the vegetables to make room for the cabbage.
- Submerge the cabbage in as much liquid as possible, place the lid back on the crock pot and place on HIGH for 1 hour.
- Slice the Corned Beef against the grain, divide vegetables evenly among plates, and serve with a grainy mustard.
Video
Notes
- Slow Cooker – I use a KitchenAid 6.5 Quart Oval. Please make sure you are using a slow cooker of at least similar size and shape for the recipe.
- Cabbage – Smaller quarters of cabbage will cook quicker. Cabbage must be submerged in the liquid to cook.
- Boiling – If you don’t want to wait an extra hour, you can boil cabbage in a pot of hot boiling water for 10 minutes or until soft.
- Beer – You can substitute a bottle of beer for water.
Nutrition
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My husband and I did this more than a few years ago and our precious corned beef/potatoes/cabbage turned out mushy. I think that was before we knew you weren’t supposed to take the lid off until it’s done. 🙂 I totally want to try again with your addition of beer!
Rachael, Yes–not taking the lid off is key as well as “low and slow”. Give it a try again–I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
I cooked my corned beef and cabbage in the slow cookier (minus the beer) last year. It was really good.
I have yet to make corned beef myself. It always kind of intimidated me, but using the slow cooker is a great idea!
Steph–seriously it is one of the easiest meals to make!!!
Love the idea of beer in here. I usually slow dry roast my corned beef (wrapped in foil) so don’t add liquid. This is definitely worth a try though!
Oh I’m intrigued… slow dry roast? I’ve never tried this way. I’ve only done stove-top or slow cooker. Do tell my friend!