This traditional corned beef and cabbage recipe is a delicious way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with your friends and family! While this dish takes a while to make, most of the time is hands-off, passive cooking time. It is worth all of the effort. Plus, you can use the leftovers in so many different ways!
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Corned beef and cabbage is a classic dish known for its rich, savory flavor and tender, slow-cooked meat. Traditionally enjoyed on St. Patrick’s Day, it’s just as good any time of year. The corned beef is simmered in a spiced broth for hours until fork-tender, then served with hearty vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and cabbage.
This one-pot meal is comforting, satisfying, and surprisingly easy to make with minimal hands-on time. Slow simmering is the key to achieving tender corned beef. Cooking it low and slow allows the meat’s connective tissue to break down, resulting in a juicy, flavorful brisket. The vegetables are cooked separately in the strained broth to preserve their texture and absorb all of the beef’s rich flavors.
Leftovers are wonderful and can easily be made into this Corned Beef Hash!
How to make corned beef and cabbage
First, gather your ingredients.
Ingredients
For best taste, always use the highest quality ingredients you have access to.
To make this corned beef and cabbage recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
- Corned Beef Brisket
- Pickling Spice
- Bay Leaves
- Garlic Cloves
- Cinnamon Stick
- Carrots
- Small Red Potatoes
- Yellow Onion
- Green Cabbage
- Dijon Mustard
Bay leaves are optional, but add great flavors to the mix!
Yellow potatoes work just as well as reds. I’d stay away from Russet potatoes for this, however. You need a firmer, more waxy potato to stand up to the broth and long simmer.
Making corned beef and cabbage
Corned beef and cabbage is a simple recipe that can be made in just a few steps. Here is how to make it.
First, rinse the brisket under cold water and place it in a large pot or Dutch oven. Cover with water and add the pickling spice, bay leaves, garlic, and cinnamon.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 3 hours with the lid slightly ajar.
Once fork-tender, transfer the brisket to a cutting board and let it cool. Slice against the grain once cooled.
Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve, discard the solids, and return the liquid to the pot. Add the carrots, potatoes, and onion to the broth. Simmer for 30 minutes, add the cabbage and cook for another 15-20 minutes until all vegetables are tender.
Stir in the Dijon mustard. Serve the sliced corned beef with the vegetables and some cooking liquid.
Leftovers
Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also vacuum seal and freeze for 2-3 months.
Always use common sense and good judgment when it comes to leftovers, though! If something looks or smells funky, don’t eat it.
I hope y’all enjoy this easy corned beef and cabbage recipe! Let me know if you try it.
More Recipes Like This
- Another great Beef Brisket Recipe with an entirely different flavor profile, but equally delicious!
- Try our Reuben Sandwich (w/ homemade Russian dressing) with some of the leftovers! Corned Beef is very similar to pastrami, and makes a great Reuben!
- Our Irish Potato Leek Soup can be cooked on the stovetop or the Instant Pot and tastes amazing! It would make a great side dish to serve as a part of a St. Paddy’s Day feast!
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Corned Beef and Cabbage
Our traditional corned beef and cabbage recipe is easy to make, tastes delicious, and is a perfect way to celebrate St. Paddy's Day with your friends and family!
Ingredients
- 4 pounds corned beef brisket raw
- 2 tablespoons pickling spice
- 2 bay leaves optional but recommended
- 4 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 3 large carrots peeled and chopped into 2″ pieces
- 24 ounces small red potatoes halved
- 1 large yellow onion peeled, halved, and quartered
- 1 large green cabbage cored and cut into 6-8 wedges
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Rinse the brisket under cold water and place the brisket into a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Add enough water so that the brisket is fully covered. Add the pickling spice, bay leaves, garlic, and cinnamon.
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Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, covering with the lid slightly ajar, then immediately reduce to medium-low and simmer for 3 hours.
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Use a fork to carefully check if the brisket seems cooked and starts to pull apart. Turn off the heat and carefully transfer the cooked beef to a pan or cutting board to fully cool (leaving the liquid behind in the pot.) I like to use two pairs of tongs to transfer the brisket to another large pot carefully; this way, you won't burn yourself or get it all over the counter if there's any dripping hot liquid from it.
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Set the brisket aside to cool.
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Carefully strain the cooking liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl/container and discard any of the spices/garlic/cinnamon. Give the pot a quick rinse to remove any leftover spices, and return the strained liquid to the now-empty pot.
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Add the carrots, potatoes, and onion to the strained liquid in the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
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Next, nestle the cabbage into the liquid, cover the pot, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until all the vegetables are fork-tender. Press the cabbage into the liquid as it wilts down so it's immersed.
- Add the mustard and mix into the liquid once the vegetables are cooked.
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Once the corned beef is thoroughly cooled, if there is excess fat on the brisket, trim it off and discard.
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Slice the corned beef against the grain using a sharp knife. Place the brisket onto a serving platter. Use a ladle to transfer the cooked vegetables & some liquid to the platter.
Recipe Notes
My 4-pound brisket cooked perfectly in 3 hours. If you use a 3-pound brisket, reduce the cooking time by 30 minutes and test to see if the brisket starts pulling apart at the 2 1/2-hour mark. The brisket shrinks substantially, so even though it starts off super big, it feeds 6-8 people.
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