This Crock Pot corned beef and cabbage is a complete, hands-off dinner that comes out fork-tender every single time. The seasoned brisket slow cooks with potatoes, carrots, onions, and cabbage until everything is melt-in-your-mouth delicious. It’s a St. Patrick’s Day classic, but it’s also comfort food your family will love any time of year!
If you love this slow cooker version, you should also try our classic Corned Beef and Cabbage for an oven-friendly option. Pair either one with a warm loaf of Irish Soda Bread for the full experience.
Table of Contents
Before You Get Started
- Don’t add too much liquid. You only need about ½ cup of liquid in the slow cooker. The corned beef and vegetables release plenty of moisture as they cook, and too much liquid can dilute the flavor.
- Place the meat fat-side up. This lets the fat layer baste the brisket as it melts during cooking, keeping the meat moist and flavorful from start to finish.
- Add the cabbage halfway through cooking. Cabbage cooks faster than root vegetables and the brisket, so adding it too early will leave you with mushy, overcooked cabbage. Nestle it in around the 4-hour mark (on LOW) for tender cabbage that still holds its shape.
- Choosing your corned beef: Flat cut is leaner and slices neatly, while point cut is fattier and more forgiving in the slow cooker. Either works, but most pre-packaged, pre-brined corned beef briskets at the grocery store are flat cut.
How to Make Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
This recipe comes together with about 15 minutes of hands-on prep, and then the slow cooker does the rest. Here’s how to layer everything for the best results.
Step 1: Season the Corned Beef
Remove the brisket from the packaging and pat it dry. Rub the meat with brown sugar and the included seasoning packet. The brown sugar balances the salt from the brine and adds a subtle sweetness to the finished meat.
** Tip: If your brisket didn’t come with a spice packet, a simple mix of black pepper, mustard seed, and coriander works as a substitute.
Step 2: Layer the Vegetables
Place the potatoes, carrots, and onions in the bottom of the slow cooker. These sturdier vegetables handle the long cook time well, and also act as a “rack” to lift the meat slightly for more even cooking.
** Tip: You want all of your potatoes to be about the same size so that they cook evenly. For instance, very small potatoes can be left whole, while larger potatoes will need to be halved or quartered.
Step 3: Add Liquid and Meat
Pour the Guinness (or beef broth) over the vegetables.
** Tip: The Guinness adds a subtle depth of flavor, but the alcohol cooks off completely during the long cook time. Beef broth is a perfectly great substitute if you prefer to skip the beer.
⇢ Don’t worry if the liquid barely covers the bottom. The corned beef and vegetables will release plenty of juice as they cook. Resist the urge to add more liquid.
Place the brisket fat-side up on top of the vegetable bed.
⇢ No need to sear. Unlike a traditional roast, corned beef doesn’t benefit from searing before slow cooking. The long braise does all the heavy lifting for flavor and tenderness.
Step 4: Slow Cook
Cover the Crock Pot and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours. You’ll know it’s done when the vegetables are fork-tender and the meat easily pull apart slightly.
** Tip: The LOW setting is generally better than HIGH for corned beef. Low and slow breaks down the tough brisket fibers more gently, resulting in more tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat.
Step 5: Add the Cabbage
After about 4 hours on LOW (or 2 hours on HIGH), nestle the cabbage wedges around the meat. Keep the wedges intact (cored and cut into 8 wedges) so they hold together.
Note: If you forget to add the cabbage at the halfway mark, it’s not a disaster. Even adding it in the last 2 hours on LOW will give you nicely cooked cabbage.
** Tip: You’ll know the cabbage is done when it’s tender enough to pierce easily with a fork, but still holding its shape (not falling apart).
Step 6: Rest and Slice
Transfer the corned beef to a cutting board and let it rest for about 10 minutes. This is an important step because resting allows the juices to redistribute so the meat stays moist when sliced.
Slice thinly against the grain for the most tender results.
** Tip: “Against the grain” means that you want to cut perpendicular to the lines running through the meat. This ensures the most tender (rather than chewy) bite.
⇢ Don’t skip the rest. Even 10 minutes makes a noticeable difference in how juicy and tender each slice turns out.
Note: Corned beef will still look pink inside even when fully cooked. This is completely normal and comes from the curing/brining process, not from being undercooked.
Serving Suggestions
Since this meal is complete on its own (meat + potatoes + veggies), you don’t need too much more to round out the meal. Here are a few extras if you’d like to complete your table:
Bread:
Extra Sides:
- If you’d rather serve mashed potatoes on the side, skip the potatoes in the slow cooker and try our Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes instead.
- Coleslaw or Margeaux’s Coleslaw
- A simple House Salad to lighten things up
And remember, something as simple as whole grain or spicy mustard is a great condiment to brighten up the finished dish.
Storage and Leftovers
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Store the meat and vegetables separately if possible (vegetables get mushier when stored in the broth).
Reheating: Reheat sliced corned beef gently in a skillet with a splash of the cooking broth, or microwave covered. Vegetables reheat well in the microwave or in a covered skillet.
Freezing: Corned beef freezes well for up to 2-3 months. Slice before freezing for easier reheating. The cooked vegetables (especially cabbage and potatoes) don’t freeze as well, so freeze the meat on its own if possible.
Leftover ideas: Leftover corned beef is perfect for corned beef hash, Reuben Sandwiches, or a Reuben Casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do you cook corned beef in a slow cooker?
You can cook the corned beef on LOW for 8-10 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours. The LOW setting is recommended for the most tender results. Cooking times can vary slightly depending on your individual slow cooker and the thickness of your brisket. For instance, a 3 lb. brisket may be done closer to 8 hours, while a 4 lb. brisket may need closer to 10.
Is it better to cook corned beef on low or high in a crock pot?
LOW is generally better for tenderness. The longer, gentler cook breaks down the tough brisket fibers more effectively. HIGH works if you’re short on time, but the texture may not be quite as melt-in-your-mouth.
Does corned beef need to be submerged in liquid in the slow cooker?
No. This is one of the most common misconceptions. You only need about ½ cup of liquid. The sealed slow cooker traps steam, and the meat and vegetables release a significant amount of juice as they cook. Adding too much liquid actually dilutes the flavor.
Why is my corned beef still pink after cooking?
Corned beef stays pink even when fully cooked because of the curing/brining process (specifically the sodium nitrite used in curing). It’s perfectly safe and expected. Doneness is determined by tenderness (fork-tender), not color.
More Slow Cooker Comfort Dishes
- Slow Cooker Pot Roast
- Slow Cooker Beef Stew
- Mississippi Pot Roast
- Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings
- Slow Cooker Pork Chops
⭐️ Looking for More Like This? → Cozy Crock Pot Dinners
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Watch How to Make It
Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
Ingredients
- 1 (3-4 lb.) pre-brined corned beef brisket, with spice packet
- 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 24 ounces baby gold or red potatoes, halved (leave very small potatoes whole)
- 1 lb. baby carrots
- 1 (14-ounce) bag frozen pearl onions (or 1 large yellow onion, sliced)
- ½ cup Guinness beer (or substitute beef broth)
- 1 small head green cabbage, cored and cut into 8 wedges
- Optional: chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the corned beef. Remove the brisket from its packaging and pat dry. Rub the brisket all over with the brown sugar and the contents of the seasoning packet.
- Layer the vegetables. Place the potatoes, carrots, and onions in the bottom of a large (6-quart or larger) slow cooker.
- Add the liquid. Pour the Guinness or beef broth over the vegetables.
- Add the meat. Place the corned beef fat-side up on top of the vegetables.
- Slow cook. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours.
- Add the cabbage. About halfway through cooking (4 hours on LOW or 2 hours on HIGH), nestle the cabbage wedges into the slow cooker around the meat. Cover and continue cooking until the cabbage is tender but still holds its shape.
- Rest and slice. Transfer the corned beef to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice thinly against the grain.
- Serve. Arrange the sliced corned beef on a platter with the vegetables. Spoon some of the cooking liquid over the top and garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
- Fat-side up matters. Placing the brisket fat-side up allows the fat to baste the meat as it cooks, keeping it moist and flavorful.
- LOW is recommended. Low and slow (8-10 hours) gives the most tender results. HIGH (4-5 hours) works in a pinch, but the texture won’t be quite as melt-in-your-mouth.
- Don’t add extra liquid. The ½ cup of Guinness or broth is all you need. The slow cooker traps steam, and the meat and vegetables release plenty of juice as they cook.
- Add cabbage at the halfway point. Root vegetables can handle the full cook time, but cabbage will turn mushy if it cooks too long. Adding it halfway through gives you tender cabbage that still holds its shape.
- No beer? No problem. Beef broth is an easy swap that still gives you great flavor. The Guinness adds a subtle depth, but the recipe works beautifully without it.
- Corned beef stays pink. Even when fully cooked, corned beef will have a pink color from the curing process. This is completely normal. Check for doneness by tenderness (it should be fork-tender), not color.
- Slice against the grain. Look for the long lines (muscle fibers) running across the brisket and slice perpendicular to them. This is the key to tender, easy-to-eat slices.
- Let it rest. Give the brisket a full 10 minutes on the cutting board before slicing. This helps the juices redistribute so the meat stays moist.
- Flat cut vs. point cut: Flat cut is leaner and slices more neatly. Point cut is fattier and more forgiving. Either works well in the slow cooker.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. The sliced corned beef freezes well for up to 2-3 months (freeze the meat separately from the vegetables for best results).
- Reheating: Warm sliced corned beef gently in a skillet with a splash of cooking broth, or microwave covered. Vegetables reheat well in the microwave or a covered skillet.
- Extra flavor options: Add a bay leaf or a couple of whole garlic cloves to the slow cooker with the vegetables for even more depth.
⭐️ Love cooking with Guinness?
Try our Irish Stew for another cozy option.