Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

5 from 6 votes

Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

Crockpot corned beef, potatoes, cabbage, and carrots cooked with Guinness or beef stock. Prep takes 10 minutes and the slow cooker does the rest. Enjoy this recipe for Saint Patrick's Day or any time of year.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American, Irish-American

Keyword corned beef and cabbage, Saint Patrick's Day, slow cooker corned beef recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 8

Rest meat after cooking 15

Total Time 8 25

Servings servings

Calories 478kcal

Author Eileen Kelly

Equipment

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8 quart Crock Pot
Knives
Cutting Board

Ingredients

4 pounds brined flat cut corned beef
12 ounces Guinness beer Note 1
4-6 cups water Note 2
1 large onion, peeled
5 cloves garlic, peeled
10 whole black peppercorns Note 3
pickling spice or seasoning packet that comes with the corned beef Note 4
1 bay leaf
2 pounds red potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks Note 5
6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch chunks Note 5
1 medium cabbage, cut into thick wedges
Irish Soda Bread optional side
Irish Brown Bread optional side

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Add to the vessel of a slow cooker the corned beef (fat side up). On top of the corned beef add the onion, garlic, black peppercorns, pickling spices or spice packet that came in the beef packaging, and bay leaf.
Pour the beer into the slow cooker and enough water to cover all the ingredients.
Set the timer for 4 hours on low heat.
At the 4-hour mark, add the potatoes, carrots, and cabbage to the slow cooker. Continue to cook on low heat for an additional 3 - 4 hours. Once the timer is up, beef should be fork tender.
Remove corned beef, place it on a cutting board, cover it with foil. Let it rest for about 10-15 minutes. Cut corned beef against the grain.
Remove and discard the onion, bay leaf, and thyme. Strain the veggies using a slotted spoon or drain the water using a colander.
Serve the corned beef and veggies with brown mustard and enjoy.

Notes

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Note 1: Use your ale of choice, Guinness, Smithwicks, or Harp are great choices. If you do not want to use ale, use beef broth or apple cider.

Note 2: Be sure your meat and veggies are covered with the liquid. Add a bit of water, if needed.

Note 3: Use whole black peppercorns in addition to the pickling spice. They add great flavor.

Note 4: If your brisket does not come with pickling spice, you can purchase pickling spice.

Note 5: Cut veggies into larger chunks so vegetables aren't too soft.

Trim excess fat from the brisket before cooking.
Cut veggies into larger chunks so they aren't too soft.
Once the beef is cooked, remove, cover with foil and let rest for about 10-15 minutes. This sets the juices in the beef.
Cut the beef against the grain.
Feel free to remove and discard the film off the top of the water after the beef has slow-cooked for about 45 minutes.

This recipe was first published on March 12, 2017, and last updated January 28, 2023, for user experience.

Recipes written by Everyday Eileen are for information purposes. Eileen Kelly is not a registered dietician or nutritionist. Any nutritional data we provide is an approximation. Actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and portion sizes.

Nutrition