by Holly
This Corned Beef and Cabbage Slow Cooker recipe packs all of the deliciousness of corned beef into a meal that cooks itself. Tender Corned Beef and cabbage, carrots, & potatoes all cooked to perfection in the Crock Pot makes for an effortless meal.
Talk about a stroke of good fortune on St. Patrick’s Day or any day of the year!
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The Best Recipe for Corned Beef and Cabbage!
I’m often asked “What is the best recipe for corned beef and cabbage?” and I have to admit that I’m partial to this slow cooker recipe!
This Crock Pot Corned Beef & Cabbage recipe is best cooked in a 6QT slow cooker (or larger) as it really fills the crock. Add your potatoes a few hours into the cooking process, so that they cook for about 5-6 hours, this will keep them from getting mushy. Add the cabbage 2 hours before you plan to serve the meal.
If you’ve never made corned beef before, it’s actually easy to make but it is important to keep in mind, corned beef (and beef brisket in general) is a tough cut of meat until it is properly cooked. If it is tough, it simply hasn’t cooked for long enough, leave it in the slow cooker and give it a little more time.
Before cutting you’ll always want to allow your corned beef to rest as this is the secret to a great cut of meat. Once rested, cut against the grain to result in corned beef that is juicier, fork tender and more flavorful..
There are a few really important tips you need to be aware of when making any brisket recipe (including this crock pot corned beef recipe).
How to Cook Corned Beef to Make it Tender
- Low & Slow: Brisket is a tough cut of meat and to get the very best results, it should be cooked low and slow. In this recipe, I use the slow cooker and I make sure to use the low setting.
- Give it time: This goes back to “slow”… this recipe calls for 8-10 hours and mine usually takes closer to 10. If your corned beef is tough, there’s a good chance it didn’t cook long enough.
- Rest your meat: As with most meats, allow it to rest for a few minutes before slicing.
- Cut across the grain: Brisket has long fibrous strands so it is very important to cut across the grain. In fact, this is one of the most important parts of this recipe!!
What Spices go on Corned Beef?
Corned Beef is beef brisket which has been cured and brined. When sold it often comes already seasoned or with a seasoning packet. The seasonings include beautifully fragrant spices such as whole allspice, peppercorns, mustard seeds, coriander to name a few. If your corned beef doesn’t have the spices you can add a couple of tablespoons pickling spices, a few peppercorns and a bay leaf. Bundle them up in cheesecloth and toss them into the slow cooker.
St. Patrick’s Day is the perfect time to enjoy an easy slow cooker recipe like Corned Beef and Cabbage. Using a crock pot makes this meal almost effortless!
This Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage 
recipe creates a one of a kind, delicious dinner that your family will love! Since it’s already a complete meal, we most often serve it with 30 Minute Dinner Rolls or Easy Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits and a simple side salad.
I have a feeling you want to make this year round! This easy corned beef and cabbage recipe contains a complete meal all in one, tender corned beef, potatoes, sweet carrots and cabbage.
More Irish Favorites
- Lamb Stew (Irish Stew) – So rich and flavorful!
- How to Cook Corned Beef (Stove Top) – Stove top version!
- Irish Soda Bread – Perfect side, great for soups and stews!
- Colcannon Recipe (Cabbage and Potatoes) – The ultimate comfort food!
- My Favorite Reuben Sandwich – Homemade is best!
Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
Prep Time 10 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 corned beef brisket 3-4 pounds
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 ½ - 3 cups water
- 2 pounds potatoes peeled & quartered
- 2 large carrots chopped
- 1 small head of cabbage cut into wedges
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Instructions
- Chop onion into large chunks and place in the bottom of a 6 qt slow cooker. Top with corned beef and seasoning packet.
- Pour water into slow cooker until it just about covers the corned beef. Add garlic and bay leaves.
- Cook on low 8-10 hours.
- After the initial 3 hours, add potatoes and carrots to the slow cooker.
- Two hours before serving, add cabbage wedges to the slow cooker.
- Remove corned beef from slow cooker and let rest 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with potatoes, carrots and cabbage.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
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Colcannon
The recipe says “seasoning packet.” What is this?
When you purchase corned beef from the store it usually comes with a package full of spices for seasoning it.
Perfect – needed the extra hours! Have made it a few other times and the timing just wasn’t right for the tender fall apart effect.
I made this for the first time and it was over the top so good. I cooked it the full 10 hours, I did wait until it had cooked four and a half hours before I put the potatoes and carrots in and they were cooked perfectly. This recipe is a keeper.
Followed this corned beef and cabbage exactly and the results were GREAT!
This recipe sounds amazing!! Question….could I replace the water with beef broth to make it more flavorful? Or do you think it’ll make it too salty? I can’t wait to try this recipe in the next day or two!!
:)
You could try a low sodium broth. Enjoy it Cassie, we love this corned beef dish!
I have an organic beef broth. I’m making it tomorrow. Maybe I’ll do like half water, half beef broth. Wish me luck!!!
❤️❤️
What kind of seasoning packet should I use and what kind of onion?
Lina, you use the seasoning packet that comes with the corned beef. If it doesn’t come with one, then you can instead add a couple of tablespoons of pickling spices. Any type of onion will work. I use a regular yellow onion.
Good evening,
I give this recipe 5 Stars hands down! I started at 7 am, put potatoes and carrots in at 10 and we were eating and four with a side of her roasted Brussels sprouts and biscuits!
Holly, Thank you. My Husband comes home and expects a meal. Your recipes deliver !
Last week was your chicken and creamed spinach!
You know what your doing. I am so Thankful as you make everything easy to follow and it’s very much appreciated!
Thank you Hollie.
High Regards, Brandy
You’re very welcome Brandy! I’m so glad you love this recipe, and the others too!!
I followed this recipe to a T and mine came out a tad tough and not a lot of flavor. Luckily the side of cabbage I I made saved this dish from being a failure.
Sorry that you didn’t enjoy the dish. As mentioned in the post, if the corned beef is tough, it simply needs to cook longer.
Made this and it was great. My husband isn’t usually a fan of corned beef so I bought a smaller one. He was disappointed there wasn’t more. Used the left over potatoes, some of the other veggies (mixed in), egg, and flour to make potatoes pancakes the next morning. They were also amazing. Thanks for the simple but delicious recipe.
Sounds perfect Brenda! Great idea for the leftovers.
I appreciate the low hands on time of this recipe, but like most crock pot recipes for beef there wasntoo much liquid creating yet another crock pot build piece of beef. That being said the meat was very tender which I agree was because of the low and slow method, not because of the excessive liquid. The flavors were fine. The vegetables were a perfect texture. Perhaps bc of the liquid?
Made this for dinner and it was delicious! My husband doesn’t care for corned beef, so he was disappointed that’s what we were having for dinner. I must say, he thought it was the best meal ever, never tasted corn beef that tender before.
Have cooked corn beef many times and many ways. This is by far the easiest and best. No mushy potatoes, carrots, or cabbage. I also made some mustard sauce to put on top. 1/4 cup of yellow mustard. 3 table spoons of brown sugar and mix. This was for 3 people.
Hi Donna. I am making this meal now and I dislike mushy vegs from a slow cooker. At what point in the cooking process did you add the veggies? Thank you!
Delicious slow cooker corned beef
Amazing! Followed exactly and my husband loved it. Can it be frozen? Would love to pull this out on a whim sometime!
Yes Brittany, cool and slice corned beef and freeze. Heat up in the oven on a low temperature or in the microwave (defrost overnight in the refrigerator if possible).
Followed recipe exactly and everything was perfect!
Only make corned beef and cabbage once a year. This recipe was great. The corned beef was perfect. Didn’t realize that my meat was not seasoned and made a seasoning packet per instructions. Saving this recipe and will cook more often. The meat was cooked perfectly. We like our cabbage a little softer, so I would start earlier. Husband claimed best he ever had.