This simple and classic corned beef and cabbage is a hearty dinner that the whole family will love. It’s perfect for St. Patrick’s Day!

Round out your St. Patrick’s Day meal with some Irish Soda Bread, a Shamrock Float, and some Key Lime Pie.

a bowl of classic corned beef and cabbage

A Traditional Corned Beef & Cabbage

Corned beef and cabbage is a classic St. Patrick’s Day meal, and for good reason! The combination of flavorful and tender meat with perfectly cooked vegetables is both filling and delicious.

If you’ve never made it before, it’s surprisingly simple and easy to make at home. It’s a hearty comfort food meal that everyone will love! There’s just nothing better than a warm plate of corned beef and cabbage to celebrate St. Patty’s Day!

What is Corned Beef?

Corned beef is a beef brisket that soaks in brine and then cures with salt and seasonings. This cut of meat has a rare pink color from sodium nitrate, an ingredient used in the curing process.

This corned beef and cabbage is so delicious and super easy to make! I know I’m biased but I really think this is the best recipe, so let me show you how to make it.

Ingredients Needed

Corned beef brisket + Spice packet
Cabbage
Potatoes
Carrots
Peppercorns
Beef broth
Bay leaves
Parsley

How to Make Corned Beef and Cabbage

Prep the Corned Beef – This corned beef and cabbage recipe is so simple and uses just a handful of ingredients. The first step is to prepare the corned beef. You’ll add it to a large dutch oven or heavy stockpot. Next, sprinkle the seasoning packet/ spices on top, as well as some peppercorns and a few bay leaves.

Broth – Next, pour the beef broth or beef stock over the top of the corned beef. You’ll want the broth to mostly cover the meat so it can stay tender and juicy as it cooks.

Cook – Place the pot on the stove top and bring the broth to a simmer. Cover the pot and let the meat cook for about 3 hours. By the end of the cooking time, the meat will be very tender.

Veggies – Next, you’ll add carrots and potatoes to the pot and cook them until they are nice and fork tender. Finally, stir in some cabbage wedges and let them cook in the flavorful broth.

Slice & Serve – The broth adds so much flavor to the vegetables, and all of the different flavors meld together to make a delicious dish! When everything is cooked through, you’ll pull the meat out and slice it against the grain for serving.

Suggestion – This Corned Beef and Cabbage is delicious as-is, but some people prefer to serve it with horseradish sauce or mustard.

Recipe Tips

Other Veggies – I like to add in the potatoes and carrots for a little variety, but feel free to add other root vegetables if you prefer, such as onions, parsnips, or turnips. I like to use big carrots cut into slices, but you can use baby carrots to save time on chopping everything. If you cut all of your vegetables into uniform bite-sized pieces, they should all cook in about the same amount of time. Be sure not to cut them too small, otherwise, they will boil into mush.

Rest Meat – To get a juicy cut of meat, let the corned beef rest for a couple of minutes before cutting. Resting will let the juices redistribute throughout the meat.

Slow Cooker – If you prefer to use your slow cooker, here’s my recipe for Crock Pot Corned Beef & Cabbage.

Instant Pot – If you prefer to use your pressure cooker, you can make Instant Pot Corned Beef very easily!

Add the onion to the bottom of the pressure cooker, then place the corned beef on top and sprinkle with the spice packet.
Add the beef broth and make sure the valve is turned to seal. Set the instant pot to high pressure and cook for 80 minutes.
Carefully turn the valve to quick release and let the pressure out. Remove the beef and onions and set aside.
Take out half the water and add the carrots, potatoes, and cabbage. Cook on high for 5 minutes. Once the time is up then release the pressure.
Slice up the meat and serve with the veggies.

More Delicious Meat Recipes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe