The Best Corned Beef and Cabbage
This Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe is easy to make. Ale braised corned beef is roasted with simple ingredients and paired with a caramelized pan roasted cabbage to create a dish that goes beyond the usual boiled dinner. Instructions are included for both the oven and slow cooker or crock pot.
Corned Beef and Cabbage
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Every year, on St. Patrick’s Day, we had corned beef and cabbage for dinner that was cooked in the slow cooker all day long. The smell of the cabbage was simply overwhelming….filling the house with the off-gasses from the vegetable that, by the end of the day, made me want to eat anything OTHER than corned beef and cabbage.
It was like I could taste it all day…so, why bother eating it. I was ready for something else. Like Bangers and Mash….or peanut butter or jelly.
When I moved out on my own, I vowed to never make Corned Beef and Cabbage ever again.
I LOVE corned beef and I really LOVE cabbage…maybe the problem is in the preparation.
Maybe the cabbage needs a little extra love all on it’s own so it doesn’t start to smell like a week old garbage pail in 90 degree heat. Get what I’m saying here?
So, I created…the BEST Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe on the planet. Maybe not the best on the planet but if you’ve ever been to Katz’s Deli in New York City…..this corned beef rivals it.
What Is Corned Beef?
Corned beef is a salt cured beef brisket commonly used in braising with cabbage in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. The term “corned beef” comes from the process used to cure the beef using large grained rock salt called “corns” of salt.
How to Make It
My favorite way to cook Corned Beef is in the oven but I also like a good Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage for the ease of preparation and the fact that I don’t have to be home to pull it out of the oven when it’s done cooking.
Now, we’re not curing our own beef here so don’t run away. But you’re creating two very simple dishes and then serving them together. It’s pretty simple.
The Corned Beef is braised in ale (or a lager if you’re not an ale fan) with a few carrots, celery and spices for 3 hours. (or 6-7 hours on low in the slow cooker/crock pot) Yep, it’s long but you can do this.
And the cabbage is fried in a skillet with some onions until they begin to caramelize then finished off with a quick roast in the oven. This prevents the cabbage from making everything taste and smell like cabbage…it also prevents the cabbage from becoming overwhelmed with the salty corned beef flavor.
What you get is a deep, rich flavor of sweet and salty that will completely blow your mind.
How to cook Corned Beef and Cabbage in the oven
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over med-high heat. Add the brisket to the pan fat side down and cook until golden brown, approximately 4-5 minutes.
- Turn the brisket over and brown the other side, approximately 5-6 minutes. Turn off the heat and drain the fat.
- Transfer the brisket to the slow cooker.
- Pour the ale over the brisket. Stir in the water, carrots, celery, mustard, thyme, mustard seeds and bay leaf.
- Cover and cook in the slow cooker on low for 6-7 hours.
- When the brisket has one hour left of cook time, heat the olive oil in a large skillet.
- Stir in the butter until melted. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the cabbage.
- Cook until wilted and beginning to caramelize. Season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes stirring after 10 minutes.
- When the brisket is done, it should be tender enough to pull apart with a fork.
- If it’s still tough, continue to cook for an additional 30 minutes.
- Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes covered with foil before slicing against the grain. Serve with the cabbage.
How To cook Corned Beef and Cabbage in the CrockPot
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over med-high heat. Add the brisket to the pan fat side down and cook until golden brown, approximately 4-5 minutes.
- Turn the brisket over and brown the other side, approximately 5-6 minutes. Turn off the heat and drain the fat.
- Transfer the brisket to the slow cooker.
- Pour the ale over the brisket. Stir in the water, carrots, celery, mustard, thyme, mustard seeds and bay leaf.
- Cover and cook in the slow cooker on low for 6-7 hours.
- When the brisket has one hour left of cook time, heat the olive oil in a large skillet.
- Stir in the butter until melted. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the cabbage.
- Cook until wilted and beginning to caramelize. Season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes stirring after 10 minutes.
- When the brisket is done, it should be tender enough to pull apart with a fork.
- If it’s still tough, continue to cook for an additional 30 minutes.
- Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes covered with foil before slicing against the grain. Serve with the cabbage.
- It’s so easy to make a slow cooker corned beef recipe from the oven version and it works well for busy family dinners!
You can choose to use the little packet of corned beef spices that come with the brisket for extra flavor it you want, sometimes I just make my own corned beef spices with dry mustard, dried thyme, mustard seeds and a bay leaf.
This Cast Iron Skillet from Lodge is my favorite cookware. A true workhorse in the kitchen, this pan is priced under $30. A must have in your cooking arsenal.
What To Serve With It
- Super easy Caramelized Cabbage and Onion Colcannon
- Mini Soda Bread Muffins….sooo cute and tasty!
- Make it a meaty dinner with simple Bangers and Mash
- Serve it up with a Nutty Irishman
- Finish with a sweet treat, Nutty Irishman Cupcakes
- Or THESE Bailey’s Irish Cream Scones
Trust me when I say….once you try the Very Best Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe, you will never make it any other way again.
More Easy Family Dinner Recipes
- The BEST Stuffed Cabbage Rolls ever made
- Super simple Stuffed Cabbage Roll Soup
- Easy Beef Cabbage Soup…a great way to use up that leftover cabbage that didn’t fit in the pan.
- Leftover corned beef? Try these easy Mini Reubens!
The leftovers are incredible in a reuben the next day or this easy Reuben Casserole….so good, in fact, you will not be saving this recipe for once a year any longer.
Want more simple recipe inspiration? Follow us on Instagram!
Get the Recipe: The Very Best Corned Beef and Cabbage
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 3 pound corned beef brisket
- 12 ounces ale or lager
- 24 ounces water
- 3 carrots, roughly chopped
- 3 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 1/2 cups sliced Vidalia onion, about one large onion
- 1 head savoy or green cabbage, core removed and sliced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- If oven cooking, preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- In a large dutch oven (or skillet, if cooking in the slow cooker), heat the oil over med-high heat. Add the brisket to the pan fat side down and cook until golden brown, approximately 4-5 minutes. Turn the brisket over and brown the other side, approximately 5-6 minutes. Turn off the heat and drain the fat. (If cooking in the slow cooker, transfer the brisket to the slow cooker at this time.)
- Pour the ale over the brisket. Stir in the water, carrots, celery, mustard, thyme, mustard seeds and bay leaf. Cover and transfer to the oven for 3 hours. (Or cover and turn the slow cooker on low for 6-7 hours.)
- When the brisket has one hour left of cook time, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Stir in the butter until melted. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the cabbage. Cook until wilted and beginning to caramelize. Season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes stirring after 10 minutes. (The onions and cabbage should start to turn golden brown and caramelize.)
- When the brisket is done, it should be tender enough to pull apart with a fork. If it’s still tough, continue to cook for an additional 30 minutes. Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes covered with foil before slicing against the grain. Serve with the cabbage.
125 Comments on “The Best Corned Beef and Cabbage”
I haven’t been able to eat or make corned beef and cabbage because of that stench when my mom would make it every year! Maybe your way will change my mind though, I’ll have to try it. Looks amazing! 🙂
Girl, I make this every year for St. Patrick’s Day so I am pinning to save this! It looks wonderful!
Oh. Oh my, this looks so damn good! It’s not even 7am here, and I’m already drooling over corned beef and cabbage! Wow. I’m seriously in awe.
This looks absolutely delicious. I’ve surprisingly never had corned beef and cabbage. Time to remedy that! And I don’t mind the smell of cabbage cooking, fortunately 🙂
Sounds perfect for St. Paddy’s day. Love that it is one pot too.
can I put the potatoes in the crock pot as well?
Yes, you can but I’d put them in when there’s about 1- 2 hours left in the cooking time so they don’t fall apart too much.
Hi, cooking in dutch oven pot. What do you recommend for cooking potatoes, throw it in the pot?…cook separately?
I cooked my potatoes separately, the potatoes picture are just simple boiled potatoes tossed in melted butter then sprinkled with a bit of chopped parsley and salt.
This recipe looks bomb!! I have everything to make this for dinner tomorrow night. Thank you !
I hope you love it!!! It’s our favorite!
I have this in the oven right now and it smells amazing!
You will love it! It’s one of my family’s favorite dinners.
I made this the other day and it was great. I did tweak it a little by seasoning with garlic, pepper, a little ground mustard, mustard seed on top of the seasoning packet. I also cooked it for 3 hours 15 mins and put all my veggies in except for the cabbage, then cooked it for an additional 45 mins added the cabbage and continued cooking another 20 mins, let roast rest for 15 mins while everything stayed in the pot. It was a hit, the only problem was there was not enough for sandwhiches the next day as everyone loved it!
So glad you loved it! We have the same problem with the lack of leftovers. LOL!!
I”m not sure I ever saw a 13 pound piece of corned beef? Is this really the correct weight?
Ha ha! No. It’s 3-5 pounds. Holy cow that would be huge! Thanks for calling that out. 🙂
Now I see that it was 1 (one) 3 pound corned beef and I just read it wrong as 13! Thanks for clarifying.
Kellie what cut of corned beef do you use?
I used a flat cut brisket.
Corned beef was delicious but, the cabbage was not good at all.
I’m sorry you didn’t like the cabbage….that’s my favorite part! 🙂
I am cooking my corned beef in the slow cooker. Question: Is the oven at 300° to roast the cabbage? I saw that that is the temperature for cooking the corned beef, but since I’m cooking it in the slow cooker, I just wanted to doublecheck. Thanks!
It is 300 for both. Thanks!
Followed your recipe, we loved the aroma! Great tasting corned beef, thanks the recipe is a keeper!
You’re very welcome! Thanks for coming back to comment!
This is a keeper! I doubled the recipe (2-3lb corn beef) and cooked in a roasting ran for 4 hours at 325 degrees. It was probably the most tender corn beef I’ve ever made! The cabbage was a huge hit too. I cooked the potatoes separately and then added to the serving bowl with the seasoned carrots and celery to give them a little flavor. Delicious!
I’m so glad you liked it! It’s definitely our favorite here.
I made this dish on Saturday it was excellent. Next time I would still boil my corned beef first for a little while because it was salty. The cabbage was delicious! I cooked my potatoes separately because my family likes mashed potatoes.
I’m so glad you liked it! Great tip to boil first if you’re sensitive to salt.
Maryann, it will also help reduce the salt level if you rinse the corned beef well and dry it before browning it.
Kelli, just wanted you to know I love your corned beef & cabbage recipe, it’s the best I have made or have had. Thank you for sharing, it will be my #1 recipe for corned beef!
Oh! Thank you so much!!!
I would love to make this recipe in my Instant Pot. Has anyone adapted this recipe for the pressure cooker?
Do not use ale! I tasted the broth half way through. It was horrid. I drained it and am re seasoning it and using vegetable broth and beef broth. Hope it works.
Well, I’m sorry you didn’t like it but I wish you had just responded when you were finished cooking the recipe instead of in the middle. The braising liquid isn’t really meant to drink while the corned beef is cooking, it just adds flavor to the beef. I agree, alone the braising liquid isn’t the best but it really is what makes the Corned Beef the best ever. This recipe has been tested multiple times and tons of readers have loved it as much as I do. Thanks for giving it a try though.
Was delicious. I added potatoes to help absorb the salt. Also a friend gave me a glaze recipe to put on the beef when you put it in the oven with the onions and cabbage.
The ingredients for the glaze are: 2 tablespoons of Dijon style mustard, 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of paprika Mix together & spread evenly over top of the meat. Bake @ 375 degrees in oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until glazed. Slice meat across the grain 1/4 inch thick.
That sounds incredible! Thank you for sharing your glaze recipe, too!
This is such a yummy, classic dish for this time of year. It’s hearty & filling & delicious!
I agree! Thank you!
I loved the addition of the ale to the broth… it made the whole dish! So tender and flavorful!
That’s my favorite part, thank you!
One of my favorite dishes! So delicious
Thank you!
Such a fun tradition to make for St. Patrick’s Day! Comforting and delicious!
It really is! It’s our favorite.
This is a great recipe! Making it again this year, as requested.
I love doing the cabbage & onions separately, never did like the overcooked cabbage that didn’t have much unique flavor.
This, with skillet potatoes, is great.
Of course, my wife will mash it all together in a big Buddha Bowl/Dragon Bowl.
Great recipe, highly recommend!
Thank you so much!
Hi there, Looking forward to trying this! We’re not big drinkers so don’t typically have beer in the house. I’ll be buying a bottle specially for this recipe. Do you have a brand of ale or lager that you prefer to use? Thank you!
I’m not a big beer drinker either so I usually pick up a lighter ale (pale ale) like Sierra Nevada or something from Sam Adams. Purists would go for a Guiness but it’s very hoppy!
Ha! I think your blog is the only one I’ve ever read that I didn ‘t spot typos! I do have to say I am thrilled to find a way to make the stinky cabbage my husband insists on every St Patrick’s day!!!!! Forever in your debt! Oh, also, pinned your Bangers and Mash recipe. LOVE me some Bangers!!!
LOL!!! I’m still finding some typos myself but I try my best not to be lazy. Bangers are the best! So glad you love them.
Would Guinness be a good choice? 🙂
YES! Perfect!
Making this tomorrow for St. Paddy’s Day! Can’t wait!
Yay! Thank you!
It’s in the slow cooker now! Though my briskets didn’t come with a flavor packet. Dubbled the recipe for 2-3lbs briskets! You said to core and slice the cabbage. Is it more wedge style slices or 1 to 2 inches? Can’t wait to try it!
It really doesn’t matter how you cut the cabbage, you can have bit pieces or little pieces. Smaller will yield more melt in your mouth cabbage.
This was the most delicious corned beef I have ever made. I used three separate corned beef steaks totaling about 5.75 lbs, and did this in the slow cooker. I used 2 bottles of Smithwicks beer and did not need the full amount of broth/water. The cabbage prepared in this manner is so delicious. I will never go back to boiling my cabbage again. This is a keeper!
I prepared mashed potatoes in the instant pot and roasted asparagus and soda bread as sides. So delicious!!!
I love it! Boiled cabbage is just boo. LOL!
With an hour left, Am I suppose to transfer the brisket to the skillet with the cabbage and onions if cooking in the slow cooker and then roast all together?
No, please follow directions exactly as written. Thank you!
Perfect! A guest that only eats meat and potatoes when back for seconds on the cabbage!
YES! I love to hear that!
This looks very good. I want to try but my Dutch oven cover isn’t oven proof. It has a plastic knob handle. I hope it will be ok to just simmer for 3hrs.
It would work if you simmer covered for 3 hours, too. thank you!
Happy St Patrick’s Day! This is my first time making corned beef. I have made cabbage before. But in honor of the day… I used this recipe… exactly as written. I also made soda bread to go with it. It was wonderful. I used the crockpot and couldn’t have been more pleased. Thank you for my new yearly St Patty’s day meal!
So glad you loved it!
I am currently making this recipe (SO EXCITED). I have the crock pot with an oven safe inner pot. I am short on time, so do you think I should turn the crockpot on high, or just put the oven safe part of the crock pot in the oven??? Would it be pretty much the same on high for 3 hours?
It would definitely work well that way, too.
Home run Kellie! Followed the recipe exactly. Crockpot for the meat, stovetop & oven for cabbage. Turned out perfectly delicious. Happy St. Patrick’s Day. Thank you.
David
So glad you loved it!
This is my favorite Corned beef and cabbage recipe! Took it to a St. Patrick’s Day Party last year and it has been requested again this year! It’s our families favorite.
I’m so glad you love it! It’s our absolute favorite!
Well slap me and call me Sally. The best ever is no lie! I have been making corned beef for many years and tried many different recipes and this is truly the best ever. I made it yesterday and it was AWESOME!!!! I wanted to eat the whole thing myself unfortunately I had guests so I had to be polite and share.
LOL!!! Best comment ever. Thank you so much!
The Corned Beef part of this recipe was great just as I usually cook it it came out very tender but the really big star of this recipe is the most fabulous delicious cabbage recipe I’ve ever had in my life
Thank you so much!
I made this last night and it is excellent and so easy!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you for your comment!
13 pounds of corn beef brisket?? Do you mean 3 LBS?
Thank you, Nancy! It’s supposed to say (1) 3 pound brisket….I changed it so it’s less confusing.
No potatoes?
Nope! We cook them separately. Try the Irish Colcannon recipe, it’s excellent!
This will be a new staple for St.Pattys Day! Made this tonight and it was absolutely amazing! Thank you!
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it….it’s one of our favorites!
If I use a larger brisket 4.5 lbs
Do I need to add more water or beer to cover it?
Possibly but you can just eyeball it.
Loved it!! Meat so tender. Everything perfect and great spices! I put it in my favorites.
Yay! I’m so glad to hear that! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Hi!
What temp should the oven be for the cabbage? 300 still?
Thanks-
Amy
That’s correct!
All time favorite corned beef recipe. I love the oven method and it turns out tender and flavorful. Took it to a St. Paddy’s day party and it was a crowd pleaser.
Your website is so hard to navigate it’s ridiculous! So many distracting pop ups and crap zooming across page. Cut down on your ads!
Hi Diana, Thank you for your input. If I cut down on the ads then I will require my readers to pay a subscription fee to help cover the high cost of running a website, skyrocketing grocery costs and basic necessities like electricity so I can continue testing recipes to share. The ads pay for all of those things so I can share my recipes for free. Apologies for the inconvenience.
Hi, I want to make this recipe this week! I’m wondering if it can be doubled? And if you happen to know what the time adjustment would be?
Hi Julie. Yes, it can be doubled and you would just add about 15 minutes per pound of corned beef to the cooking time.
I have historically always did the boiling method with corned beef, but I thought I would try this recipe and boy am I pleased. Meat was fork tender, carrots soft but not mushy. I added potatoes because I like them. I also really like the cabbage. This is a keeper.
Thank you so much!
I made this yesterday! Love it. I tried making corned beef years ago & it was way to salty. Found this recipe & gave it a try! It was great! My whole family approved! I added some garlic powder & corriander.
I’m so glad you loved it! Thank you for your comment!
Couldn’t make it through all of the ads to the actual recipe.
There’s a jump to recipe button at the top…..and you scrolled all the way through the ads to make a comment.
This only has the slow cooker method. What temp did you cook at in the oven?
It’s in the recipe card, the first like says if you’re oven cooking preheat to 300˚F. Enjoy!
This recipe looks amazing! Any recommendations on multipying the serving size and the cooking time? I have a 12-13lb corned beef brisket.
So you just need to roast it longer and definitely double the ingredients for the cabbage. Most importantly is to make sure you use enough liquid so it’s submerged so it braises evenly. It’s about 10-15 minutes of roasting time per pound, although, it may not take that long. Check it at the 4-5 hour mark for doneness.
This was very good! Even my son , who did not like Corned Beef and Cabbage liked it!
That makes me so happy! Thank you for your comment!
A little less ads on your recipe page. It was a hassle of hitting them by accident, and not being able to see the actual steps because they were in the way
I can show less ads but then that would require a paywall and subscriptions so the recipes would no longer be free. With skyrocketing grocery prices, I don’t want to add more expenses to my readers plates so if you could just scroll to the recipe card to get your free recipe, that would be great. My apologies for the inconvenience.
Haven’t made this yet but I’m curious as to why no review has pointed out that in the body of the post step 3 (after browning) on both the oven method and crockpot method reads: Transfer the brisket to the slow cooker.
The recipe itself has instructions for the oven – which is what I intend to try.
5 stars in anticipation of a great St Paddy’s day meal
It’s noted because I was including the recipe for both the slow cooker and oven. A CrockPot is just a brand name.
My new favorite corned beef and cabbage recipe for St. Patty’s Day! I’ll never put my cabbage in the broth again – we all loved it sautéed!
It’s so good that way! Thank you for your comment!
Best corn beef I have ever had! This will be my go to recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
OMGosh! So good I had seconds! I’m usually not that crazy about corned beef but this recipe is so good. I especially loved the cabbage and onions. Only thing I will do different next time is add more carrots ( love cooked carrots) and make more of the cabbage and onions. Absolutely delicious!
Thank you so much for your comment! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Hi Kellie…am new to this recipe…I love rutabaga and potatoes in my meat dishes, do you see a problem with adding these two items?…my wife loves my cooking, so I must be getting better…many thanks.
I think that will just make it even better!
This was fantastic! Everyone was raving over it. Corned beef came out so tender & such great flavor. And the cabbage….my new favorite way to cook it. I agree with you, the best corned beef & cabbage recipe!
Thank you so much! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
I just made this tonight and it was fantastic.
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!