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.
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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.
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125 Comments on “The Best Corned Beef and Cabbage”
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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.
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.
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!
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 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!
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.