Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
This Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe is not only a classic Irish-American dish, but it’s also a Southern New Year’s tradition believed to bring good luck in the New Year! Here, you’ll learn:
- How many servings per pound and shrinkage (so you’ll know exactly how much to buy)
- Which additional seasonings are best for corned beef brisket
- Understand why it is pink in color and
- How to properly slice corned beef
The funny thing is, you won’t find this “traditional Irish dinner” on the tables in Dublin or Cork-it’s purely a Irish-American recipe here in the United States. Why? Irish immigrants to America were generally poor. Their traditional fare on St. Patrick’s Day in their native homeland was boiled bacon, but when they got to America, they couldn’t afford pork, so they opted for a cheaper, tougher cut of meat–brisket.
Today in Ireland, traditional St. Patrick’s Day dinners typically consist of lamb or mutton, Shepherd’s Pie, coddle, colcannan and champ.
Everybody’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, but there’s no need to wait till March to enjoy this dish! You can have this any day of the year! In the South, we often pair corned beef and cabbage with purple hull peas and cornbread for a New Year’s Day “Good Luck” dinner!
Ingredients
Simple ingredients you probably already have these in your kitchen-
- Corned beef brisket– most of the pre-packaged briskets are around 2-3 lbs. During the low and slow cooking process, the meat shrinks resulting in a yield of about 40-50%.
- Potatoes – I recommend waxy potatoes; either small red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes. These hold up best during the cooking time.
- Cabbage – a small to medium head of cabbage
- Carrots – peeled and cut; I do not recommend using baby carrots.
- Onions – onions are optional, but I recommend sweet yellow onions, but you can use white or plain yellow
- Beef broth – or beef stock
- Seasonings – see a list of recommended seasonings below
Seasonings for corned beef
If you buy a pre-packaged corned beef at the grocery store, you’ll notice it typically includes a small spice packet. This seasoning packet consists of allspice, peppercorns, coriander seeds and mustard seeds. This tiny packet is hardly enough spices to thoroughly season a corned beef, so I usually add:
- Combine in a small bowl a teaspoon each: ground allspice, peppercorns, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, black pepper, ground cinnamon
- few bay leaves (1-3)
Add the dried spices and bay leaves to the crockpot.
Servings per pound and shrinkage
A 3 lb. brisket shrinks to about 1.5-2.0 lbs. If you allow 6 oz. per person, you’ll get a little over 5 servings per piece of meat. The meat shrinks resulting in a yield of about 40-50% of its original weight.
An easier way to determine the yield is to buy one pound per person. That way, you know you’ll have plenty and there will be some leftovers! And don’t forget the Irish Soda Bread!
How to make easy slow cooker corned beef and cabbage
- Rinse the meat and place it in the slow cooker with the fat side up. Add 2 1/2 – 3 cups of beef broth- (you’ll need enough water to reach the barely cover the fat cap on the top of the meat.) Add the seasoning packet and additional pickling spices to the crock pot. Top with sliced onions (optional). Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- An hour before serving, cut a head of cabbage into quarters and place the cabbage in the slow cooker around the brisket. (If you want to add potatoes and carrots, add them two hours before you’re ready to serve.)
- You know the meat is done when it is “fork tender” or use a meat thermometer; when the internal temperature is 145ºF, it’s done!
- Use a heavy duty spatula to remove the meat from the slow cooker to a cutting board. If you find your brisket falls apart, or begins to shred when removing it from the crockpot, just use tongs to remove the tender shreds of beef.
Recipe Tips
- Make note of which way the grain is before you put it in the slow cooker; you’ll want to cut against (or perpendicular) to the grain
- Cook on low heat for 4-6 hours; add vegetables an hour or two before you’re ready to serve
- Let the meat rest a few minutes before slicing; you can slice off the fat cap if you prefer
FAQ’s
It’s a brisket–the point cut of meat from the front lower portion of a cow. It is a tough cut of meat, so you’ll want to cook it low and slow. The slow cooker is one of the best cooking methods for braising the meat, resulting in a delicious and tender cut of meat. The term “corned” refers to the corning, or brining process where the meat is cured and brined in curing salt.
Pink curing salt is responsible for the pink color of the pre-packaged corned beef. Pink curing salt is not the same as Himalayan salt. The brisket is pink due to the process of curing and brining in a mixture of pink curing salt and sodium nitrite.
If the pink color bothers you, purchase a flat-cut brisket and use the recommended seasonings. Your slow-cooker brisket will turn out as flavorful as the pink version, only it will not be pink, but brown.
Place the meat on a cutting board and slice against the grain. If you’re not sure which way to slice it, look at the direction of the “threads” in the meat; hold your knife perpendicular to the threads and slice. If you cut against the grain, the beef is easier to chew; if you slice with the grain, you’ll find it harder to chew.
If you have any leftover the next day, sandwiches are usually the easiest way to use leftover meat.
Buy a nice sesame seed bun and add a little corned beef, sauerkraut, provolone cheese and 1,000 Island Dressing and you’ve got a great pseudo-Hot Pastrami sandwich!
Or, re-heat in a skillet with diced potatoes and onions, making a homemade beef hash! Top it with a fried egg and call it breakfast!
Storage and reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Freeze up to 3 months. To reheat, you can heat it on the stovetop in a skillet or place it on a rimmed baking sheet and heat in in a 300 degree oven.
Some folks believe this meat and veggie combination represents good luck and prosperity in the New Year! The green cabbage represents cash and the beef represents health!
Add a side of black eyed peas and a slice of skillet cornbread and you’re in good shape for a prosperous New Year! Perhaps you’ll have a little luck of the Irish, too!
Related recipes
- Collard Greens
- Irish Soda Bread
- Irish American Guinness Stew
- Colcannon Potatoes (Irish potatoes)
- Roasted Cabbage Wedges with Parsnips
If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a rating and comment! I love to hear from you! Thank you!
Easy Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. point-cut corned beef brisket
- 4-8 cups beef broth , low-sodium
- 1 large cabbage head , quartered
- 1 large onion sliced (optional)
- 1 pound potatoes (optional); use Yukon Gold or Red Creamer (see notes)
- 6 large carrots (optional); sliced
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon of each: Ground allspice, dried bay leaves, ground coriander, ground cloves (optional), ground cinnamon, mustard seeds, ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Combine homemade seasonings and the packaged seasonings in a small bowl and set aside1 teaspoon of each: Ground allspice, dried bay leaves, ground coriander, ground cloves (optional), ground cinnamon, mustard seeds, ground nutmeg
- Place corned beef in slow cooker, fat side up (See Recipe Notes below)3 lbs. point-cut corned beef brisket
- Add sliced onions to slow cooker (optional)1 large onion
- Add 4-8 cups of beef broth (just enough to reach the top of the meat)4-8 cups beef broth
- Sprinkle seasonings over meat and liquid
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours (See Recipe Notes)
- Add carrots and potatoes 2 hours before serving time; add cabbage 1 hour before serving time1 pound potatoes, 6 large carrots
- Remove corned beef using spatula or tongs; slice against the grain; serve with vegetables
