This is my absolute favorite way to make corned beef and cabbage, and it never disappoints. Among my go-to easy dinner recipes, this one comes together in the slow cooker or the oven, so you can truly set it and forget it. The result is unbelievably tender, juicy corned beef every single time.
Serve it alongside Irish Soda Bread, roasted red potatoes, and a dollop of horseradish sauce, and you’ve got a meal that feels just right for St. Patrick’s Day. Everything on the plate works together so well, making it one of those dinners you look forward to all year.
Isn’t St. Patrick’s Day just the best? The shamrocks, the rainbows, all the playful traditions—it’s hard not to smile thinking about it. It always brings back those fun childhood memories, from getting pinched for not wearing green to seeing festive touches everywhere.
For me, corned beef and cabbage is a must on that day. There’s just something about keeping that tradition alive. When it’s cooked low and slow, the beef turns incredibly tender, practically falling apart with each bite, and the flavor is rich, salty, and so distinctive.
If you’ve ever wondered what corned beef actually is, it’s typically brisket that’s been cured in a salt brine. The name comes from the coarse, corn-sized salt crystals once used in the process. After a long, gentle cook, that tough cut transforms into something melt-in-your-mouth tender with deep, savory flavor.
Best Corned Beef Recipe
This is my absolute favorite way to make corned beef and cabbage, and it never disappoints. Among my go-to easy dinner recipes, this one comes together in the slow cooker or the oven, so you can truly set it and forget it. The result is unbelievably tender, juicy corned beef every single time.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds corned beef brisket, flat or point cut, with spice packet*
- 2 tablespoons oil, for searing
- 1 & 1/2 cups beef broth**
- 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed and left whole
- 1 large onion, sliced into wedges
- 15-20 whole peppercorns, or fresh cracked pepper to taste
- 8-10 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 pounds carrots, peeled and quartered (8-10 carrots)
- 1/2 cup butter, (1 stick)
- 1 large head green cabbage, sliced into wedges
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 batch Roasted Red Potatoes, (2 pounds red potatoes needed)
- 1 batch Horseradish Sauce, for serving
- parsley and or chives, to garnish
Instructions
Step-By-Step Instructions
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Notes
- *Corned beef spice blends can vary by brand, so the flavor may differ slightly. If you’d like to enhance it, you can add a mix of spices such as crushed bay leaves, coriander, peppercorns, mustard seeds, anise, crushed red pepper, dill seeds, and fennel seeds.
- Some blends may also include a small amount of cloves, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, or cinnamon. Use these sparingly, as they can be quite strong. If choosing just one, cloves are a good option.
- **For the cooking liquid, a mixture of 1 1/2 cups water and 1 1/2 teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon beef base works well.
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