Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

Tender, juicy corned beef slow cooked with potatoes, carrots, onions, and cabbage for a hearty one-pot dinner. A touch of brown sugar and Guinness add extra depth of flavor. Just 15 minutes of prep, then let the crock pot do the rest.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Irish

Keyword corned beef in crock pot, crock pot corned beef and cabbage, slow cooker corned beef

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 8

Resting Time 10

Total Time 8 25

Servings people

Calories 622kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

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.

Video

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.

Nutrition