Corned beef and cabbage is one of those dishes that was practically made for the crock pot. Usually, it’s cooked low and slow in the oven, but the slow cooker gives you even more flexibility and results in the best tender and juicy corned beef and perfectly cooked and extremely flavorful vegetables.

This is really an all-in-one meal, but you can definitely add a salad or some simply cooked broccoli to the plate! The Horseradish Cream Sauce (recipe below) is optional, but boy, it is great. It really makes the meal.

Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage: This traditional Irish meal is perfectly suited to be cooked in the crock pot – the vegetables come out perfectly as well!

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What Is Corned Beef?

Corned beef is a salt-cured flat-cut brisket cut of beef. The cured beef is then traditionally boiled or braised with cabbage and other vegetables, as well as a pickling spice blend. If you buy a package labeled corned beef, there will probably be a little packet of the pickling spice mix in the package to use. Otherwise, you can use any commercial pickling blend.

The word “corned” refers to the meat being cured with salt, which is the way meat (and other foods) was preserved before refrigeration was prevalent. The story goes that the salt granules used to preserve the meat were sizable, roughly the size of corn kernels, and so the term “corned” was born. Often, other spices and sugar are used in the preparation of corned beef.

Corned Beef and Cabbage is a classic St. Patrick’s Day Irish tradition, and here it is cooked in a crock pot, resulting in a satisfying meat and potatoes meal. But you can make corned beef anytime you need a comfort food dinner!

Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage Ingredients

For the Corned Beef and Cabbage:

• Baby potatoes – The potatoes cook right alongside the beef and end up super tender and flavorful.
• Carrots – Add sweetness to the juices and help flavor the beef.
• Celery 
• Onions – I like cooking the onions in pretty big pieces for this so that they can get soft and jammy in the crock pot without dissolving.
• Garlic – There’s no need to mince the garlic; just smash it to release its flavor into the cooking juices.
• Thyme – Adds a subtle herby freshness.
• Corned beef brisket – If you buy a corned beef brisket, it will come already brined and ready to cook. A lot of the time, they also come with a packet of spices to use for cooking.
• Pickling spice – If your corned beef doesn’t come with a packet of pickling spices, you can buy it online or in the spice section of the market.
• Dark beer – Adds a nice hoppiness that brings depth to the beef.
• Green cabbage – You add the cabbage in towards the end of cooking so that it gets tender but doesn’t overcook.

For the Horseradish Cream Sauce:

• Sour cream – Softens the bite of the horseradish with its smooth creaminess.
• Prepared horseradish – Prepared horseradish is creamier and less strong than the fresh stuff, so I prefer it for sauces.
• Dijon mustard – Adds another little bite to the sauce.
• Minced parsley – Provides a little green freshness to this sauce.
• Lemon juice – Acidic lemon juice goes a long way against the rich, fatty beef.

Corned Beef Cooking Time and Temperature in the Slow Cooker

I have made this in a crock pot on the higher setting in 5 hours (including the extra hour for the cabbage) and the lower setting in 9 hours (ditto on the extra hour for the cabbage), both with success. So you can choose the timing that works for you.

The shorter time at the higher temperature will result in a firmer corned beef, while the longer cooking time at the lower temperature will give you a softer corned beef. Both ended up tender and easy to slice, and both were pronounced delicious by my crew. No more dry corned beef!

How to Make Corned Beef

1. Prepare to cook: Combine the potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and thyme in your crock pot. Then add the beef and the pickling spices. Pour the beer in and add water until the meat is barely covered.
2. Cook: Set the slow cooker to high and cook for 4 hours, or set to low and cook for 8 hours.
3. Add the cabbage: Add in the cabbage and cook on low for another hour until everything is perfectly tender.
4. Make the sauce: Combine the horseradish cream sauce ingredients.
5. Rest & serve: Once you take the meat out of the slow cooker, make sure to rest it for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain and serving.

FAQs

Tips for Making Corned Beef in the Slow Cooker

• Unless the package directs, you do not need to rinse the corned beef before cooking it. Just add the seasoning mix in the little packet to the meat as directed in the recipe.
• The liquid should just cover the meat, which will result in a consistently tender piece of corned beef.
• Whatever temperature you choose to cook your corned beef in the slow cooker, you will add the cabbage to the slow cooker for only the last hour of cooking. This allows the cabbage to soften and become tender, but it also allows the cabbage to retain some texture and its pretty pale green color. Carrots, onion, and celery are the other vegetables in the mix, but I prefer to let those get nice and soft with the meat.
• If the meat isn’t tender at the end of the cooking time, give it a bit more time in the slow cooker. Tough corned beef usually means it wasn’t cooked for long enough.

Leftover Corned Beef

Interestingly, while most of us think of corned beef and cabbage as this traditional Irish dish and the mainstay of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, corned beef is also usually the starring meat in a Reuben, one of the most beloved Jewish deli sandwiches ever. I would have made one…but I didn’t have any leftovers. Next time.

What To Serve with Corned Beef and Cabbage

Kale Crunch Salad

Winter Salad

Irish Soda Bread

More Great Slow Cooker Recipes

• Slow Cooker Teriyaki Beef Tip Steaks
• Slow Cooker Chicken Chili
• Barbecue Pulled Pork Loin in the Slow Cooker
• Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef