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Instant Pot Corned Beef is the easiest way to make a tender, juicy corned beef and cabbage dinner without spending all day in the kitchen. This Pressure Cooker Corned Beef recipe cooks the brisket until it’s melt-in-your-mouth tender, then finishes the cabbage, carrots, and potatoes right in the flavorful broth for an easy St. Patrick’s Day meal everyone loves.
Table of Contents
- Kellie’s Note Corned Beef In a Flash
- Why You’ll Love My Instant Pot Corned Beef
- Ingredients For Instant Pot Corned Beef
- How to Make Instant Pot Corned Beef
- How to Store Leftovers
- Kellie’s Tips for Instant Pot Corned Beef
- What to Serve with Corned Beef
- More St. Patrick’s Day Recipes
- Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe
Kellie’s Note
Corned Beef In a Flash
Corned beef and cabbage has always been one of those dinners that feels like an event in the best possible way. It’s cozy, hearty, a little nostalgic, and when it’s done right, the brisket is so tender it practically melts into the cutting board. The only problem? Traditional corned beef takes its sweet time getting there.
That’s exactly why I started making Instant Pot Corned Beef. When I want all the classic flavor of my favorite St. Patrick’s Day dinner but don’t have all day to babysit a slow cooker or stovetop pot, the pressure cooker saves the day. You still get that juicy, fall-apart texture and rich savory broth, but in a fraction of the time.
I’ve made more corned beef dinners than I can count, and after testing the timing, vegetables, and best way to keep the cabbage from turning mushy, this is the method I come back to every single time. The brisket stays incredibly tender, the carrots soak up all that buttery broth, and the cabbage cooks just enough to become silky without losing its shape. It’s the kind of dinner that tastes like you worked on it for hours, even when the Instant Pot did most of the heavy lifting.
Why You’ll Love My Instant Pot Corned Beef
If you love corned beef and cabbage but don’t love the long cook time, this recipe is going to be your new best friend.
- It’s fast. Not twenty-minute fast, obviously, but much faster than slow cooking and still totally worth it for the results.
- The texture is exactly what you want. The brisket turns out juicy, tender, and easy to slice against the grain without drying out.
- Vegetables are cooked after the meat, not all together from the start, which is the secret to carrots that are soft and flavorful and cabbage that doesn’t collapse into mush. Your recipe specifically cooks the vegetables separately in the broth with butter, which helps keep the cabbage soft but not mushy and gives the onions and carrots extra flavor.
- It feels like a full holiday dinner without requiring holiday-level effort.
Ingredients For Instant Pot Corned Beef
You won’t need anything fancy here, which is one of the reasons I love this Pressure Cooker Corned Beef so much. The ingredients are simple, classic, and come together to create that rich, savory flavor everyone wants from a great corned beef dinner.
- Corned beef brisket – This is the star of the show, so look for one that comes with the spice packet since it adds a ton of flavor right from the start. I usually like a flat cut for cleaner slices, but a point cut works just as well if you want something a little richer and more marbled. If yours doesn’t include the seasoning packet, you can easily use pickling spice with a little mustard seed, peppercorns, coriander, and bay leaf.
- Beef broth or water – Either will get the job done, but beef broth gives the finished dish a deeper, richer flavor. Since the corned beef and spices already bring plenty to the pot, there’s no need to overcomplicate it. Chicken broth is totally fine in a pinch, but beef broth is my first choice.
- Onion and garlic – These build that savory base that makes the whole kitchen smell amazing as soon as the pressure releases. I usually use yellow onion, but white or sweet onion both work beautifully. Fresh garlic is best here, though garlic powder can step in if that’s what you have on hand.
- Bay leaf – It may seem minor, but bay leaf adds that subtle background flavor that makes the broth taste more rounded and cozy. If you don’t have one, you can leave it out, but it’s worth adding when you can.
- Carrots – I like cutting the carrots into larger pieces so they turn perfectly tender without getting too soft. If you want to switch things up a little, parsnips are a great substitute and add a slightly sweeter, earthier flavor.
- Green cabbage – Cabbage is what makes this feel like the full classic Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe. I like to cut it into wedges instead of chunks so it stays together better in the pot. Savoy cabbage also works really well and turns beautifully tender, but I’d skip red cabbage here since it changes both the flavor and the look of the dish.
- Butter – A little butter stirred into the broth before cooking the vegetables gives everything a richer, more finished flavor. You can use olive oil if needed, but butter really makes the vegetables taste better.
- Black pepper – Just a little black pepper at the end wakes everything up without overpowering the spice blend from the brisket. Fresh cracked pepper is always great, but regular ground pepper works perfectly well too.
- Potatoes – These are optional, but if you want the full corned beef and cabbage dinner experience, I highly recommend adding them. Baby potatoes, Yukon Golds, or red potatoes all work well here, just as long as you keep the pieces close in size so they cook evenly.
How to Make Instant Pot Corned Beef
- Give the corned beef a quick rinse under cold water, then set it on the rack with the broth, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and spice packet.
- Cook on high pressure for 85 minutes for a 3-pound brisket or 90 minutes for a 4-pound brisket, then let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes so the meat stays juicy and tender.
- Transfer the corned beef to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil.
- While it rests, melt the butter into the broth using sauté, then add the onions, carrots, and potatoes if using.
- Nestle the cabbage on top, seal the lid, and cook on high pressure for 2 minutes, then quick release immediately. The carrots should be fork tender, the onions soft, and the cabbage just tender but still holding its shape.
- Slice the corned beef against the grain and serve with the vegetables and plenty of that flavorful broth spooned over the top.
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftover corned beef, cabbage, and vegetables in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
For the best texture, I like to store a little of the broth with the meat so it stays nice and juicy when reheated. You can warm leftovers gently on the stovetop or in the microwave in short intervals until heated through.
If you know you’re planning for leftovers, corned beef is also fantastic the next day piled onto rye bread with mustard, tucked into hash with crispy potatoes, or chopped into an easy breakfast skillet.
Kellie’s Tips for Instant Pot Corned Beef
- Don’t skip rinsing the corned beef. It helps tone down the saltiness from the brine.
- Cook the vegetables after the brisket, not with it. That one choice makes a huge difference in texture.
- Keep the cabbage in wedges. Wedges help keep it from overcooking.
- Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes after the meat cooks. It’s worth the extra few minutes.
- Slice against the grain. Always. That’s what gives you those tender slices instead of chewy ones.
- If your brisket is especially thick, add about 5 extra minutes to the cook time.
- For even better flavor, spoon some of the broth over the sliced meat right before serving.
- If you want the slices extra juicy, you can return the sliced corned beef to the pot on Keep Warm for a few minutes before serving.
What to Serve with Corned Beef
If you’re serving this for St. Patrick’s Day dinner, you really don’t need much more than the cabbage, carrots, and potatoes already in the pot, but a few sides never hurt.
- Irish Soda Bread Muffins
- The Best Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts
- Our Best House Salad
- The Best Creamy Horseradish Sauce
- Irish Brown Bread
For drinks, a cold beer, a crisp cider, or even sparkling water with lemon all work well with the rich, savory flavors.
More St. Patrick’s Day Recipes
If you’re building a full holiday menu, here are a few ideas to link internally in this section:
- Guinness Beef Stew
- The Best Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
- Irish Colcannon Potatoes
- Bangers and Mash with Onion Mustard Gravy
- Shamrock Shake
- Simple Roasted Cabbage Steaks
Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe
Equipment
- Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker
- chef's knife
- cutting board
- measuring cup
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 3 pound corned beef brisket, with spice packet
- 4 cups beef broth , or water
- 1 small yellow onion, cut into thick wedges
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 small green cabbage, cut into 6 to 8 wedges
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Optional: 1 pound baby potatoes or halved Yukon Gold potatoes
Instructions
- Rinse the corned beef well under cold water.
- Place the rack in the Instant Pot. Add the beef broth, garlic, bay leaf, and half of the onion wedges. Set the corned beef on the rack, fat side up, and sprinkle the spice packet over the top.
- Seal the lid and cook on High Pressure:85 minutes for a 3-pound brisket90 minutes for a 4-pound brisket
- Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.
- Transfer the corned beef to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil.
- Press Saute. Add the butter to the cooking liquid in the pot. Once melted, add the remaining onion wedges and the carrots. Stir for 2 to 3 minutes so they get coated in the buttery broth.
- Add the cabbage wedges on top. Season with black pepper. If using potatoes, add them with the carrots.
- Seal the lid and cook on High Pressure for 2 minutes.
- As soon as the timer ends, do a quick release immediately.
- For even firmer cabbage, cook for 1 minute on High Pressure. For softer vegetables, go up to 3 minutes, but 2 is usually the best texture.
- Slice the corned beef against the grain. Serve with the carrots, onions, cabbage, and some of the broth spooned over the top.
Notes
- Rinsing the corned beef helps remove excess brine so the finished dish isn’t too salty.
- For the most tender texture, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes before opening the valve.
- Cook the vegetables after the brisket so the cabbage stays tender instead of mushy.
- If your brisket is especially thick, add 5 extra minutes to the cook time.
- Cutting the cabbage into wedges helps it hold together better during cooking.
- For firmer cabbage, cook the vegetables for 1 minute. For softer vegetables, go up to 3 minutes.
- Slice the corned beef against the grain for the most tender bites.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
