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corned beef and cabbage recipe
Anna Piazza

Corned Beef and Cabbage (Slow Cooker Method)

Easy corned beef and cabbage recipe with tender beef, soft veggies, and rich broth. Simple steps for stovetop or slow cooker meals.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Total Time 3 hours
Servings: 6
Course: Drink
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 3 –4 pounds corned beef brisket with spice packet
  • 4 cups beer like Guinness or beef broth
  • ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1½ pounds baby red potatoes
  • 2 cups baby carrots
  • 1 large green cabbage cut into 6–8 wedges
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • Salt only as needed, near the end

Method
 

  1. Place the brisket fat-side up in a 6-quart pot, pour in the 4 cups of beef broth, add the soy sauce, and sprinkle the full spice packet over the top. The fat cap should sit facing up so it bastes the meat as the liquid heats.
  2. Turn the burner to high until the liquid reaches a full, rolling boil, then drop it down to low right away. A gray foam rises to the surface within the first 5 minutes; skim it off with a large spoon so the broth stays clear instead of cloudy.
  3. Cover the pot and let the brisket cook at a bare simmer, watching for just two or three small bubbles breaking the surface at a time. Plan for 45 to 50 minutes per pound, which puts a 3.5-pound brisket around 2 hours and 45 minutes.
  4. When the broth climbs to a hard boil instead of a gentle simmer, the meat tightens up and turns rubbery no matter how much longer it sits on the burner, so check the heat every 20 minutes and pull it back whenever bubbles get too aggressive.
  5. Poke the thickest part of the brisket with a fork around the 2-hour mark. The fork should slide in with almost no resistance and the meat should start to pull apart slightly at the edges; when it still feels firm or springs back, give it another 20 to 30 minutes and test again.
  6. Once the meat passes the fork test, add the baby red potatoes to the pot around the brisket. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, until a knife slides through the largest potato without much push-back.
  7. Tuck the carrot chunks and cabbage wedges into the pot around the meat and potatoes, then bring everything back to a gentle boil.
  8. Season with salt and pepper, cover, and cook for 15 to 20 more minutes, until the cabbage turns a soft, translucent green and a fork slides through the thickest part of the wedge.
  9. Lift the brisket out with tongs and let it rest on a cutting board for a full 10 minutes before slicing; cutting too soon lets the juices run onto the board instead of staying in the meat.
  10. Find the direction of the grain and slice across it in thin pieces, then serve with the vegetables and a ladle of broth spooned over the top.