Slow Cooker Corned Beef
This Slow Cooker Corned Beef with carrots, potatoes, and cabbage is an easy and absolutely delicious choice for St. Patrick’s Day! This mostly hands off recipe is by far the best choice if you aren’t home to watch a pot during the day.
For more great ways to cook corned beef, check out my stovetop Guinness Corned Beef and Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage recipes.
When I was a busy mama running to and fro from my office, to the kids’ schools, to their sporting events, to orthodontic appointments (I have a feeling you know what I’m talking about here), my slow cooker was my best friend. Truth. And, that friendship is still going strong.
Walking in the door to the aroma of a delicious meal simmering away in the Crock-Pot is instantly soothing. And, it was the only way I could do a traditional boiled dinner, aka, corned beef and cabbage, on St. Patrick’s Day. Corned beef cooked on the stove requires 3 or more hours for a nice, tender result. With this method, you can throw it all in your slow cooker, get out the door, and come home to a super tasty meal.
Cooking corned beef is very easy. With just a couple of tips and tricks, you’ll have a perfectly prepared boiled dinner on your table with very little effort.
Ingredient Notes
- Corned Beef: Any cut, from a flat cut, point cut, or corned beef round will work for this recipe. For details on the different cuts of corned beef, check out my Guinness Corned Beef recipe where I break it all down. I’ve had great luck with Shenson Boneless Corned Beef Briskets that I’ve found at both at my local grocery store and Costco. Whatever the brand, just be sure you pick up a brisket that includes a spice packet.
- Vegetables: I use baby potatoes, sometimes sold as creamer potatoes. Go with yellow, red, or a combination. I peeled about 8 carrots and chopped them on the diagonal into 2-inch chunks. You’ll also need a head of green cabbage, cored and cut into wedges, along with a bit of minced garlic.
- Broth: The corned beef and veggies cook in low-sodium beef broth.
- For serving: Once the veggies are cooked, I finish them with a pats of butter and a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. Completely optional of course, but corned beef is delicious dipped in a little stone-ground mustard.
How to Make Slow Cooker Corned Beef
- Corned beef: Place your corned beef brisket, fat side up, in the slow cooker and sprinkle it with the pickling spices. Pour in enough low-sodium beef broth to come up around the edges of the brisket. The brisket doesn’t need to be completely immersed, but the broth should be visible and level with the top edges of the corned beef.
- Veggies: Add the potatoes and carrots around the edges of the brisket, over the top of the broth, and top them with a couple of teaspoons of minced garlic.
- Cook: Cover and cook it on Low for approximately 8 to 9 hours or on High for 5 to 6 hours. You will know it’s ready when both the veggies and the brisket are fork tender.
- Cabbage: Transfer the cooking liquid from the slow cooker to a large pot and add the cabbage wedges. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer the cabbage for about 5 to 10 minutes, just until tender.
Tips for the Best Slow Cooker Corned Beef
Even-Sized Vegetables: It’s important that all the veggies are all approximately the same size so they will cook at an even rate. If you’re using potatoes that are larger than the creamer potatoes I used here, be sure to cut them down.
Add Flavor: I prefer using beef broth instead of the water called for in many recipes. Along with the pickling spices and garlic, it adds a nice depth of flavor to the veggies. But, corned beef is highly seasoned so be sure to use low-sodium broth.
Layering: Lay the vegetables on top of the brisket instead of underneath to ensure they will not be overcooked and mushy. As it cooks, the corned beef will shrink a bit and as the cooking liquid rises, the veggies will become slightly or even totally immersed and cook perfectly by the end of the cooking time.
Cook the Cabbage Separately: Not only will the cabbage not fit in the slow cooker with all of the other ingredients, it cooks very quickly on the stove. Make use of the flavorful cooking liquid from the slow cooker to infuse the cabbage with flavor.
Serving Suggestions
- Plating: Slice the brisket against the grain, place it on a serving platter, and drizzle it with a little of the cooking liquid. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the carrots, potatoes, and cabbage to the platter. Top the warm vegetables with small pats of butter and season them both with a little salt and pepper.
- On the Side: Serve this flavorful, delicious dish with a loaf of crusty bread, Cheddar Dinner Rolls, or Cheese Beer Bread and some cold beer (basically required on St. Patrick’s Day). If you want to try something special for the holiday, try a Snakebite Beer Cocktail!
- Leftovers: It’s worth cooking corned beef just for the leftovers! In addition to sandwiches, try my delicious Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup or totally crave-worthy Corned Beef Hash and Eggs.
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Slow Cooker Corned Beef
This Slow Cooker Corned Beef with carrots, potatoes, and cabbage is an easy and absolutely delicious choice for St. Patrick’s Day! This mostly hands off recipe is by far the best choice if you aren’t home to watch a pot during the day.
Servings: 6 servings
Instructions
Remove the corned beef from the packaging and set aside the spice packet. Give the brisket a good rinse under cool water, place it into a 6-quart slow cooker insert fat side up, and sprinkle the pickling spices over the top. Pour in enough low sodium beef broth to come to the top of the brisket. Scatter the potatoes and carrots around the edges of the brisket. Sprinkle the minced garlic over the potatoes and carrots.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours or HIGH for 5 to 6 hours, until both the corned beef and vegetables are fork tender.
Lift the brisket from the slow cooker, allowing the veggies to drop down into the broth. Transfer the brisket to a cutting board and cover with a sheet of foil to keep it warm. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the veggies to serving bowl or platter.
Pour the cooking liquid from the slow cooker insert into a large pot or Dutch oven and place over HIGH heat. Add the cabbage wedges and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to MEDIUM, cover, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, just until the cabbage is softened and slightly tender. Remove the cabbage with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a serving platter with the carrots and potatoes. Dot the veggies and cabbage with butter, if desired, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Slice the corned beef across the grain and serve with veggies and cabbage (and beer!).
Nutrition
Calories: 618 kcal · Carbohydrates: 30 g · Protein: 39 g · Fat: 38 g · Saturated Fat: 13 g · Cholesterol: 133 mg · Sodium: 3028 mg · Potassium: 1669 mg · Fiber: 8 g · Sugar: 9 g · Vitamin A: 13852 IU · Vitamin C: 137 mg · Calcium: 114 mg · Iron: 5 mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
This post was originally published on March 1, 2016. It has been updated with new text and images.