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Corned Beef is easy to cook for a flavorful entree, perfect served alongside potatoes and cabbage (or for making a delicious Reuben sandwich)!
What is Corned Beef?
Corned beef is a brine and spice cured beef brisket which becomes tender when cooked low and slow. This recipe shares how to cook corned beef on the stove, but you can also make slow cooker corned beef.
The curing process gives corned beef its characteristic pink color and the word “corned” refers to the large chunks of rock salt used in brining.
Corned beef typically has a thin layer of fat on one side which adds flavor. An oblong corned beef is a little nicer for making even slices. But whatever shape you choose, corned beef is easy comfort-cooking.
Spices for Corned Beef
Typical spices for corned beef include bay leaves, peppercorns, and allspice. Some mixes may also include ginger, cinnamon, or other warming spices. Nowadays, corned beef most often comes with a spice packet for you to use while cooking (and if yours doesn’t have the spice packet, pickling spices is a great substitution).
How to Cook Corned Beef
- Place corned beef in a stock pot. Add the spice packet, a bottle of dark beer, and water (full recipe below).
- Simmer for 2 1/2 – 3 1/2 hours. This cooking time will vary depending on the size and shape of the corned beef.
- Once fork tender, remove the corned beef from the liquid and rest for at least 20 minutes.
- While the meat is resting, add the vegetables to the corned beef water and simmer for about 25 minutes.
- Toss them in butter, salt and pepper, and fresh parsley.
IMPORTANT TIP: Corned beef must always be cut across the grain. Look at the beef and you can see the direction of the fibers of the meat, you’ll want to cut the opposite way the fibers run for the most tender meat!
Instant Pot Corned Beef: You can also make Instant Pot Corned Beef using the same ingredients. Simply place the corned beef, 1 bottle of beer, and 2 cups of water in the Instant Pot. A 3.5-4lb corned beef will need about 90 minutes (with 15 minutes natural release).
What To Serve with Corned Beef
Corned beef only needs the simplest side dishes to make your meal complete. To keep the traditional Irish theme going, serve it with cabbage, colcannon, or German potato salad.
Serving Suggestions
Did your family love this Stovetop Corned Beef recipe? Leave us a rating and a comment below!
Corned Beef (Stove Top)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 pounds corned beef brisket uncooked, with spice packet
- 2 bay leaves
- 12 ounces dark beer 1 bottle, optional
- 1 ½ pounds baby potatoes halved
- 3 large carrots cut into 2-inch pieces
- ½ head green cabbage cut into wedges
- 3 tablespoons salted butter or to taste
- salt and black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Place the corned beef in a large stock pot. Add spice packet if your corned beef came with one (see note if you don’t have one).
- Add one bottle of beer (optional) over corned beef and enough water to cover completely.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer 45-50 minutes per pound (until meat is fork tender). Approximately 2 ½ -3 ½ hours.
- Once tender, remove meat from the pot and cover (reserve the cooking liquid, this will flavor your vegetables). Place corned beef in a 250°F oven to keep warm.
- Bring the corned beef water back up to a boil. Add in vegetables and cook an additional 20-30 minutes or until tender.
- Place vegetables in a large bowl and toss with butter. Add parsley.
- Slice the corned beef against the grain.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine Irish© 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.
Very similar to my recipe, if I might add, I add pickling spice to the water /beer (@1/4 c) and bring to a boil then reduce and simmer about 15 min, (this replaces the flavor lost when adding the CB to the water). After 15 min I add my corned beef and cook until it reaches a temp of 180 degrees. I then remove the spices from the water and add my vegetables
That sounds great, Paul! Thank you for sharing.
I wanted to try your crockpot corned beef and cabbage this year, but I’m having
trouble downloading the recipe. Is it still available on your site?
Thanks.
You’ll find the slow cooker corned beef here. Enjoy Karen!
Amazing flavor! Family favorite for sure!
Delicious! I made this today (3/17/2023) using a porter for the beer and adding 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Best corned beef ever. Thank you for sharing.
We’re going to try to go big or go home this year. I have family coming and I tried to get a 8 to 10 pound corned beef … didn’t happen but I did get two briskets… one is 3.5 pounds and the other was 4.5 pounds. I am going to braise it at 355 degrees. How long do you think this will take since it’s 2 pieces?
They’d likely take about 4-4 1/2 hours, and one would be done before the other. The 3 1/2 pound one could be removed once it’s ready, otherwise it will fall apart. Enjoy Mugsy!
love corned beef and cabbage prefer lamb stew.
very yummy I love making this every year on or just before St Patrick’s Day. thank you for the wonderful recipe and cheers!
If I am cooking multiple briskets do I add up all the weight of just cook to the biggest piece of meat?
I would begin by checking if the meat if fork tender at the cook time of the biggest piece of meat, but it may need a little more time.
my recipe is exactly like this one except that I put it in the crockpot. so good either way.
Extremely DELICIOUS
Thanks, Rosa! Glad you enjoyed it.
Can I use regular beer
Hi Irene, you can but we find dark beer has more flavor so does better in this recipe. You can also omit it entirely as it is an optional ingredient. Hope that helps!
Just WOW… I’ve made brisket before, but always, just stuck it in a slow cooker, and there ya go. Transferred the liquid to a pot and boiled the veggies after the slow cooking was finished. But this? this was great. I’ve never added a beer before, and the flavor this gave the entire dish was delicious! plus, it was one pot and no slow cooker to clean up afterwards. I bought a smallish brisket, used the recommended veg and instead of taking the brisket out, I just added the veg to the pot and simmered til they were done. The BF, who I’ve known for 3 years and has never had a homemade corned beef was blown away. In fact, the only thing left over was one container of beef and some of the veg and he snagged that on his way to the door this morning for his lunch today. Trust me when I say, that says it all (he’s picky). Know I’ve got to head to the store and pick up another (larger ) brisket and make another I guess! Fantastic, simple, easy and delicious recipe! thanks!
I’m just so very happy to hear Angelita! You’re very welcome!
4 pound corned beef how long do.I cooking time
Suggested cook time is 45-50 minutes per pound. Ensure it is a low simmer. Check a small piece and ensure it’s tender.
An easy meal for St Patrick”s day.
Just had it and subbed in an instant pot to shorten the cooking time. That worked well, just 30 minutes needed for lovely tender cubes. But the water didn’t evaporate like it would in the oven, so I’d use much less next time. I needed more flour and even corn starch to thicken it.
I do not boil my corned beef, never have. I rinse it off thoroughly, removing all the packaged jell. I cover the corned beef completely with a seasoning rub. Place in a oven pot with lid. For the liquid, I use pineapple juice, apple juice a little whiskey and some water is needed throughout the cooking. Place the corned beef on a rack above the liquid. Place the lid on tightly. Cook in oven for about 1-1/5 per pound at 270-290 degrees. If it is cooking too fast turn it down. About the last hour, I place all my veggies in the pot. Checking often and pouring the hot liquid over the veggies as they cook. The last 15 minutes, I uncover and let it brown a little bit. Serve with horseradish sauce. It is very delicious and tender.
Sounds super but I am tempted to serve the whiskey on the side… while the brisket is cooking. But it works fine with the right size bottle. I have a 3-1/2 and a 4-1/2 brisket. How long should I plan for cooking them?
They’d likely take about 4-4 1/2 hours, and one would be done before the other. The 3 1/2 pound one could be removed once it’s ready, otherwise it will fall apart. Enjoy Mugsy!
The spices added are crucial to the recipe but how do you handle the resulting corned beef and vegetables that are then covered in loose spices? Do you scrape them off as best you can? There must be an easier way to handle this.
Thanks for any help here.
If you prefer you can remove the spices. You could pour a bit of the liquid and scrape them as the liquid runs off. Or you can just leave them and serve it as is.
Roxana—you could put all those spices in cheesecloth bags and tie them up so nothing gets out. That is my solution. Good luck!
Great idea Fran!
Thank you, Fran! That’s the solution I came up with, too. I appreciate your help. Roxana
A metal tea ball works great!
We use a cheese cloth. Make a little bag with it for the spices and place them in there. Easy-peasy.
Awesome
Thanks Paul!
When cooking corn beef in the crock pot, do you cook the beef with the juices and seasoning that is sealed up with the meat from the market?
Hi Willard, we add the corned beef to the stockpot along with the spice packet and cover it with beer. Hope that helps!
I understand what Willard is asking. When you open the package, the meat is in a slurpy mixture. Do you rinse that off?
Oh, I understand what you mean. No Margaret, we do not rinse the meat when adding it for cooking. Those seasonings are cooked along with the meat.
Hi Holly – I am 51 and corned beef/ potatoes/cabbage has been my favorite meal since I was about 6 and my Grandfather came to visit and cooked my first corned beef experience! Some years ago, I don’t remember where or how, I heard about doing a corned beef in the oven…crispy and most delicious. You just cook it until fully done and the outside is crispy brown …usually cooked at 375* for about 20-30 minutes per pound…now, my favoirte way of having corned beef!!!
That sounds wonderful Robbin, thank you for sharing. I will definitely have to give it a try!
HOW MUCH WATER IN POT
This can vary based on the size of your pot. You want just enough water to cover the beef.
Doesn’t boiling meat make it tougher or reduce the amount of flavor at least?
Hi Charleigh, boiling the corned beef infuses it with the spices from the water and beer that it is cooked in and results in a fork-tender brisket.
Yes, it is very flavorful!!!