Best Corned Beef and Cabbage

You don’t need to corn your own brisket to make authentic Corned Beef and Cabbage. Thanks to a clever blend of herbs and spices, you can transform store-bought corned beef into a tender, juicy one-pot meal special enough to serve on St. Patrick’s Day or any Sunday Supper.

Recipe For Corned Beef and Cabbage

As a classically-trained chef, I love to discover the essence of classic international dishes. It took several attempts to crack the code on the proper spices and ideal vegetables for the ultimate Corned Beef and Cabbage, and I’m excited to share the recipe with you.

Even though corning your own beef brisket is easy enough, I like to use store-bought corned beef. It’s okay to take the shortcut! Just give it a quick rinse to remove any excess salt. I also discard any included spice packets in favor of my own blend made with allspice berries, bay leaves, black peppercorns, and thyme. It just tastes better that way, and you know exactly what you’re getting.

Braise the beef low and slow until it’s fork-tender and falling apart. You want to keep the beef submerged in liquid as much as possible and cook it for several hours. If you need to step out, see my instructions for making corned beef in a slow cooker, instead (see Tips and Variations below).

Along with cabbage, I like a mixture of carrots, celery, onions, and potatoes. Choose small, waxy potatoes that hold their shape well. You can also omit the potatoes and serve your beef and veggies with a batch of Colcannon instead, a classic Irish side dish of mashed potatoes with cabbage or kale stirred in.

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Best Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe Ingredients

• Corned beef: Seek out beef brisket that has been already “corned” in salt, pepper, and pickling salt, which gives the meat a bright pink color. If your corned beef comes with a spice packet, discard it and use the spice blend in this recipe instead.
• Small red potatoes: Since they cook quickly, little red new potatoes work well.
• Green cabbage: Look for a firm and compact head. Cut the cabbage into wedges with the stem/core intact and the portions will stay nicely held together as they cook.

How to Make This Traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Trim any excess fat off of the corned beef, then put it in a Dutch oven or large sturdy pot with the bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice berries, thyme, chopped carrots, celery, and onion. Pour in the water and broth. Make sure the liquid covers the beef by about 1 ½ inches.

2. Cover and bake in the oven for 4 ½ to 5 hours, until very tender. You should be able to stick a fork into the thickest part of the brisket with no resistance when it’s ready.

3. When the brisket is done, remove the beef from the pot and place it inside a baking dish. Strain the liquid through a mesh sieve and discard the cooked vegetables, spices, and other solids. Skim off the fat. Pour about 1 cup of the cooking liquid over the beef, cover the dish with foil, and allow the meat to rest.

4. Return the cooking liquid to the pot and add the butter; bring to a simmer. Add the potatoes and carrots to the cooking liquid and simmer them until they just start to soften, about 10 minutes.

5. Then nestle the cabbage wedges into the pot and cook all the vegetables together for another 15 minutes until everything is nice and tender.

6. Just before serving, place the corned beef on a clean work surface for slicing. Before you start cutting, though, make sure you figure out which way the grain of the muscle fibers run. Using a sharp knife, make 1/4-inch slices against the grain, which will yield the tenderest pieces of corned beef.

7. Arrange the corned beef on a platter and serve with the cabbage, carrots, and potatoes. Season the veggies with salt and pepper before serving.

Tips and Variations of The Best Corned Beef and Cabbage

• Yield: Commercial corned beef has a high shrinkage rate. As much as 35% of what you buy is actually a saltwater solution, so it may yield less than you think. Plan for 8 servings from a 3- to 4-pound brisket.
• Add beer: If desired, add a 12-ounce can of lager to the cooking liquid for a flavor boost.
• Low and slow: Don’t rush it; tough cuts like brisket are at their best with low cooking temperatures over a long period of time. If in doubt about whether the corned beef is ready or not, keep cooking.
• Stovetop: In a large Dutch oven, add the corned beef, broth, water, chopped carrots, bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme, and allspice berries. Bring to a simmer. Cook until a fork slides easily in and out of the center of the brisket, about 2 to 3 hours. Skim off any impurities that rise to the surface with a large spoon, then proceed with the recipe at step 2. 
• Slow cooker: The steady and low heat of a slow cooker is ideal for corned beef and cabbage. Cook the meat covered for 8 hours on HIGH until tender. Then proceed with step 2, cooking the vegetables on the stovetop.
• Top off cooking liquid: If the level drops below the corned beef, pour more water, broth, or beer into the pot. The beef should always be submerged.
• Slice against the grain: To locate the grain, study the muscle fibers in the meat. In a brisket, they should all be fairly visible and run in one direction. You want to make slices perpendicular to the grain, instead of along with it (the latter method will result in a chewier texture).

Recipe For Corned Beef and Cabbage Storage

Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Freezer: To freeze leftovers, cool the Corned Beef and Cabbage completely. Transfer to a freezer-safe container. Label, date, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave to 165 degrees.

Make ahead: You can make the beef a few days ahead, but the vegetables taste best fresh from the oven. Save the cooking juices and store in the refrigerator separately from the beef for up to 24 hours. To serve, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a cutting board, transfer meat and cut in 1/4-inch slices across the grain. Return to the baking dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until meat is heated through, about 25 minutes. While beef is reheating, continue with step 3 in this recipe.

What to Serve with Cabbage and Corned Beef

Serve corned beef and cabbage with minced fresh parsley, soft Irish butter (Kerrygold is a good brand) prepared horseradish, whole grain mustard or Dijon mustard, hearty rye bread or soft dinner rolls, and a good Irish Stout.

You can also add more veggies to the pot like turnips, rutabagas, onions, parsnips, leeks, and mushrooms. I love beets too, but I roast the beets separately so they don’t turn everything pink. You can also skip the boiled potatoes and serve mashed potatoes or Colcannon on the side.

More classic Irish recipes

Beef Recipes

Shepherd’s Pie

Bread Recipes

Irish Soda Bread Recipe

Stews and Soups

Guinness Stew

St. Patrick’s Day

Irish Coffee

Cabbage and Corned Beef

By Meggan Hill

Thanks to a clever blend of herbs and spices, you can transform store-bought corned beef into a tender, juicy one-pot meal special enough to serve on St. Patrick's Day or any Sunday Supper.

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Servings 8 servings

Course Main Course

Cuisine Irish

Calories 347

5 from 12 votes

ReviewPrint

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• ▢ 1 (4- to 5-pound) corned beef rinsed, fat trimmed to ¼ inch, spice packet discarded (see note 1)
• ▢ 4 cups chicken broth
• ▢ 4 cups water
• ▢ 12 carrots peeled and divided, (3 chopped, 9 halved crosswise)
• ▢ 2 celery ribs chopped
• ▢ 1 onion peeled and quartered
• ▢ 3 bay leaves
• ▢ 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
• ▢ 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
• ▢ 1 teaspoon allspice berries
• ▢ 3 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes scrubbed (about 9, see note 2)
• ▢ 1 head green cabbage cut into 8 wedges (about 2 pounds, see note 3)
• ▢ Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ minced fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Instructions 

• Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a Dutch oven, combine beef brisket, chicken broth, water, chopped carrots, celery, onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme and allspice berries. Cover and bake until a fork inserted into brisket goes in and out easily, about 4 ½ to 5 hours.
• Transfer meat to a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish. Strain liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl and discard the solids. Skim fat from liquid. Pour 1 cup of the cooking liquid over the beef, cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
• Return the remaining cooking liquid to the Dutch oven, add the butter and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and simmer until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the carrot halves and cabbage, cover, and cook until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a serving platter, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
• To serve, slice the brisket across the grain in 1/4-inch slices. Arrange slices on a platter. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked vegetables to the platter and lightly moisten with cooking liquid as needed until served. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Notes

1. Corned beef: Seek out beef brisket that has been already “corned” in salt, pepper, and pickling salt, which gives the meat a bright pink color, and rinse under cold running water before starting step 1. If your corned beef comes with a spice packet, discard it and use the spice blend in this recipe instead. 
2. Small red potatoes: Since they cook quickly, little red new potatoes work well.
3. Green cabbage: Look for a firm and compact head. Cut the cabbage into wedges with the stem/core intact, and the portions will stay nicely held together as they cook.
4. Yield: Commercial corned beef has a high shrinkage rate. As much as 35% of what you buy is actually a saltwater solution, so it may yield less than you think. Plan for 8 servings from a 3- to 4-pound brisket.

Nutrition

Calories: 347kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 20gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 1946mgPotassium: 992mgFiber: 6gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 15630IUVitamin C: 89mgCalcium: 116mgIron: 3mg

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