Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
Create a tasty and budget-friendly feast with 5 ingredients and patience.
Equipment
- 1 slow cooker or multipurpose cooker
- 1 Colander or slotted spoon or strainer
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 large cutting board
- 1 Cutting board for cutting cooked meat
Ingredients
- 1 package fresh corned beef brisket 3 to 3.5 pounds, with spice packet
- 6 cups water
- 1 pound potatoes red, yellow, or white (about 3 to 4 large)
- ¾ pound carrots (about 5 small)
- ½ large cabbage (about 2 pounds)
- mustard or creamy horseradish optional
Instructions
- Take the corned beef brisket out of the package and save the spice packet. Rinse the corned beef to get out some of the salt from the brining process. (Optional: If you are really watching your salt intake, soak the corned beef in water for 30 minutes before cooking then rinse.)
- Place the corned beef brisket into the slow cooker pot. Sprinkle spice packet over the top of brisket.
- Add enough room temperature water to cover brisket (about 6 cups, no more than 8 or you won’t be able to fit the remaining ingredients). Secure lid on slow cooker or multipurpose cooker and cook on low heat for 4 ½ hours.
- While the corned beef is cooking, wash and cut the potatoes into halves then cut each half into eight equal pieces. If you have some smaller potatoes, cut them so they are about the same size and cut pieces from the larger potatoes.
- Wash, peel, and cut the carrots into about 1 ½-inch pieces. Cut the thicker top end of the carrots into half lengthwise. Cut the cabbage into wedges.
- After the corned beef has cooked 4 ½ hours, add the potatoes and carrots and cook for another 2 hours on low heat.
- After the 2 hours of cooking with the potatoes and carrots have ended (6 ½ hours total), add the cabbage wedges to the slow cooker and cook for 30 minutes on low for firm cabbage, 1 hour for soft cabbage.
- Once the vegetables are done, remove the corned beef brisket from the slow cooker and transfer to a cutting board. Let this cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting.
- Pour the vegetables and cooking liquid into a colander. (Alternatively, you can use a slotted spoon or strainer to remove the vegetables if you plan on cooking more cabbage, see tips below.)
- Slice the corned beef against the grain into ¼-inch to ½-inch thick slices. Serve with the vegetables and a mustard or creamy horseradish (optional).
Video
Notes
Tips and Tricks
I want more veggies!
If you are a cabbage lover, go ahead and cook the entire cabbage head. Since the entire cabbage won’t fit into the slow cooker with the other vegetables, cook the first half of the cabbage per the recipe instructions. After removing the vegetables from the slow cooker, add the second half of the cabbage into the slow cooker and cook for 30 minutes on low (crunchy cabbage) or 30 minutes on high (soft cabbage).
Can I freeze the corned beef in smaller portions?
If you are going to freeze the corned beef, freeze it raw in the brining liquid. Doing so might help to protect the meat from freezer burn. Take the meat out of the bag and reserve the brining liquid. Then cut the meat into the portion size you prefer and but it in a freezer bag with the brining liquid. This should keep for up to 3 months.
How long do leftovers keep?
Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.