This Slow Cooker Corned Beef Dinner is perfect for St. Patrick's Day. Throw it into your Crock-Pot® In the morning for a delicious and EASY celebration! The cabbage cooks quickly in the liquid after the meat and veggies are removed from the slow cooker.
St. Patrick's Day is one of my favorite holidays. Mostly because my dear husband is Italian and most of the other days of the year we embrace all things Italian...especially the food!
But on this one day of each year, I channel my Irish grandmother, Rose Claire Ryan (there's an Irish name for you), and prepare this Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner and decorate my table.
If you have a busy day and can't spend a couple of hours at home while your corned beef dinner simmers on the stove, then this recipe is for you.
Put the ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning and by evening you have a delicious meal. Just add some Irish Soda Bread and your family will be happy!
Can I Use My Instant Pot to make Corned Beef?
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When I got my Instant Pot, I thought about making the corned beef and cabbage in it, so the answer is, yes, you can.
HOWEVER, the Instant Pot or pressure cooker method still takes close to 2 hours to complete. Which is a long time.
Doing it in the slow cooker, you can "set it and forget it," go about your day, and have a delicious dinner.
How to Make Corned Beef and Cabbage in the Slow Cooker
- First, prepare the vegetables. It's not a lot of prep, just a bit, but if your morning time is tight, do the veggie prep the night before and store them in the fridge in covered containers.
- In the morning lay all the veggies in the bottom of the slow cooker. You will need at least a 6 quart appliance.
- Rinse the corned beef and lay it on top of the vegetables. Be sure the side that's covered with a layer of fat is facing you. That way all that goodness cooks down into the beef making it even more tender and tasty!
- Add the beer, sugar, pepper, water and spices. If the water doesn't come at least 1-inch above the vegetables, add a bit more to achieve this.
- Turn your Crock-Pot® to low and cook for 8 to 9 hours. You can also do it on high for 5 hours.
- Once the cooking is complete, remove the meat and veggies to a platter and loosely tent with foil.
- Add the cabbage and turn the slow cooker to high. The cabbage should be tender in about 20 or 30 minutes.
Oh, and don't forget the ketchup and whole grain mustard. Definite must-haves for a corned beef dinner. We love Sir Kensington's here at Great Eight Friends.
And if you really love to celebrate, go all out with your table setting with gold foil wrapped chocolates and shamrocks for the centerpiece. After all...#makeitGr8!
Easy Slow Cooker Corned Beef Dinner
Special Equipment
- 6-quart slow cooker
Ingredients
- 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 stalks celery, cut half crosswise
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 5-6 red potatoes, quartered
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 4-pound corned beef brisket, I like the flat-cut
- 1 pint bottle of Guinness stout, or any stout
- 1 Tablespoon corned beef spices or pickling spices, often the corned beef comes with a packet
- 1 cup water + more as needed
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 medium head cabbage
For Serving:
- Whole grain mustard
- Ketchup
- Horseradish
Instructions
- In the bottom of your large slow-cooker put the carrots, celery, onion, potatoes and bay leaf.
- Rinse the corned beef and place it on top of the vegetables, fat side up.
- Pour the bottle of stout over the mixture.
- Mix the brown sugar and red pepper flakes into the 1 cup of water and add to the corned beef. Then add the corned beef spices.
- Put in enough water to cover the vegetables by at least one inch.
- Cover the slow-cooker and turn to LOW.
- Cook for 8 to 9 hours.
- When the meat is tender, remove the meat and vegetables and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Cut the cabbage into 6 wedges and add to the liquid in the pot.
- Turn the heat to HIGH and cook until cabbage is crisp/tender, about 25-30 minutes.
- Slice the meat across the grain and serve with the vegetables, whole grain mustard, ketchup and horseradish.
- You can also serve with the extra cooking liquid.
Anna
Hi Mary, Thanks for being a Gr8 friend and leaving a comment! The cloves sound like a Gr8 addition! Happy St. Paddy's Day!
Mary Haines
I can't wait to try this! I make every year in memory of my parents. I serve w Horsradish and use a brown sugar, mustard, clove glaze. Brush on when removed from crock pot, wrap in foil. Put in low oven for about 5 min while cooking cabbage.
Anna
Brenda, it is DEE-licious! AND easy!
Brenda Perlin
This plate looks so inviting! Luck of the Irish!!!