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 make for an effortless meal.
Talk about a stroke of good fortune on St. Patrick’s Day or any day of the year!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
©SpendWithPennies.com
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! Making this crock pot Corned Beef & Cabbage recipe, it so easy that it practically cooks itself.
- It is best cooked in a 6QT slow cooker (or larger) as it really fills the crockpot.
- Add the 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.
Important Note
After slow cooking corned beef, be sure to allow the corned beef to rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting.
Once rested, cut against the grain for corned beef that is juicier and fork tender.
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 that 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, and coriander, to name a few. If your corned beef doesn’t have a spice packet, you can add a couple of tablespoons of 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 crock pot Corned Beef and Cabbage. Using a slow cooker makes this meal almost effortless!
This 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.
Don’t eat this just on St. Patrick’s day, it’s wonderfully cozy all 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 St. Patrick's Day Favorites
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 pounds corned beef brisket uncooked, with spice packet
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves garlic sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 ½ to 3 cups water
- 2 pounds potatoes peeled* & quartered
- 2 large carrots chopped
- 1 small head green cabbage cut into wedges
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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Wonderful recipe. I heated up my crock pot on high for 1/2 hr and then added oil, butter and chopped onions and let them brown. Added the brisket and beef broth and left on high for one hr. Turned on low for 5 hrs, and added more onions and garlic. Made mashed potatoes and steamed the cabbage and carrots on the side. I know it means two more pots to clean but I don’t like everything cooked together in one pot. This was delicious. thank you
This recipe was awful. Every thing was greasy for some reason. Maybe I purchased a real fatty 20$ corned beef. Broke my heart.
Oh no, I am so sorry this recipe didn’t work out for you Lynn! We have not had that problem with this recipe but that may be the issue.
You may have bought ‘point’ cut corned beef. Look for a ‘flat’ cut for less fat
I’ve always wondered recipes call to preheat an oven but not a crock pot? I always preheat my cooker . I have a commercial refrigerator that averages about 36° so I always set out anything to reach room temperature before using.
I followed this recipe exactly and cooked the meat on low 4hours .I added my vegetables and cooked them 3 hours. I used golf ball size Yukon gold potatoes cut in half unpeeled. I added my 4 cabbage wedges then and did the full ten hours. I really messed up because it was so perfect, meat was tender, vegetables perfect so now my wife wants me to make it again next week! Thanks again for the recipe!
Oh dear, I am sorry to hear this recipe turned out too perfect, Maxwell We can’t wait to hear which recipe you attempt next!
Do you have to cut the garlic? Or do you put them in whole clove?
For best results we slice them before adding to the crockpot.
Did you add the onion in the beginning or at the 4hr mark with the potatoes and carrots?
We add the onions to the bottom of the slow cooker in step one, right at the beginning.
Excellent! I made one small variation: a bottle of stout in the water at the start. I don’t know if that was the secret, but my dad said it was the best he’s ever had. Thank you!
That sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing.
This recipe is amazing!! Didn’t even knew I liked Corned Beef I always thought it would be salty. This is the third time I’ve made it. Thanks Holly!!
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.