Corned Beef & Cabbage (Crockpot)
309 CommentsFeb 13, 2025
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This Slow Cooker Corned Beef & Cabbage is a classic recipe that is perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or any day of the year. The crockpot makes corned beef melt-in-your-mouth tender, while the cabbage and veggies soak up all the delicious flavors.
You can make this classic recipe below or my Guinness Corned Beef and Cabbage or Maple Mustard Corned Beef for St. Patrick’s Day, there are plenty of choices of ways to cook this unique cut of beef.
What is corned beef and what cut should I buy?
Corned beef is salt-cured brisket. This is different than plain brisket which has not been cured. Corned beef usually comes with a seasoning packet that often includes: bay leaves, peppercorns, mustard seeds, and dill seeds. This flavor packet creates a wonderfully flavored roast.
- There are 2 cuts of corned beef; point cut or flat cut.
- Flat cut – easier to slice evenly (pictured below)
- Point cut – can have more marbling but usually not uniform in size.
Either cut is great for cooking in the crockpot! I usually grab whichever is cheaper.
Recipe Ingredients
- Corned Beef – Flat cut or point cut, be sure to save the spice packet that comes with it!
- Onions – Onions aren’t traditionally added to corned beef but add SO much flavor.
- Potatoes – I use a mixture of baby red and gold potatoes
- Carrots – Whole carrots, peeled and sliced thick
- Garlic cloves (not pictured)- Peeled
- Water – Helps keeps the entire dish moist, can use beef broth if desired.
- Cabbage – About a 1/2 head, cut into thin wedges, that’s all will fit in the slow cooker with all the other ingredients.
Step-by Step-Directions
Step One – Add the onions to the bottom of the slow cooker.
Step Two -Rinse the corned beef well, then add it to the slow cooker, and sprinkle over the seasoning packet.
Step Three – Add the carrots, potatoes, and garlic; you can peel the potatoes if you prefer. Add the water.
Step Four – You can add the cabbage now or add it during the last two hours of cooking. If you add now, the cabbage will be ultra-tender.
Step Five – Cook on HIGH For five hours or LOW for 8 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
What other kind of liquid can I add?
Water is the classic liquid used in crockpot corned beef and cabbage but feel free to try one of these other options for something different:
- Beer – such as Guinness
- Beef or chicken broth – This will add more sodium to the dish, so beware.
- Ginger ale – see this Ginger Ale Corned Beef Recipe
- I’ve even had one reader who used pickle juice!
When do I add the cabbage?
- Everyone has their own preference for how long to cook cabbage in the slow cooker. In the video in the recipe card, I add the cabbage during the last 2 hours. I think that is a perfect amount of time for anyone who is cooking corned beef and cabbage for the first time to try.
- You can add the cabbage at any point. If you want it ultra tender add it at the beginning. If you want it crisp, add during the last hour.
How do I serve crock pot corned beef and cabbage?
This meal is great straight out of the pot, but here are some ways to enhance this meal:
- Let the meat rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. Slice the meat against the grain.
- If desired, drizzle melted butter over the potatoes and sprinkle with parsley.
- Serve with horseradish sauce or stone-ground mustard.
- Can’t go wrong by serving with Irish soda bread or a piece of cornbread.
More FAQs
Use water for the liquid (don’t use beer or other high-carb liquid). Omit the potatoes and use celery or cauliflower instead. Corned beef is low carb. Just be conscious of what else you add to the pot.
Brown sugar is great in corned beef; it adds depth of flavor and cuts back on the salty taste. Sprinkle two tablespoons over your corned beef before cooking.
You can use one tablespoon of pickling spice. If you do not have that, don’t fret. Just add a few seasonings such as coarse black pepper, ground dry mustard, garlic powder and a bay leaf to add some flavor to your dish.
Wondering which way to place your corned beef in the crockpot? While it might not look the prettiest, fat side up is the way to go! As it cooks, the fat slowly renders, keeping the meat tender and flavorful.
Yes, you want to do more than just pat dry your corned beef. You’ll want to rinse it well, for it can have a slimy texture that you want to get rid off. Also, rinsing will help get rid of some of the overwhelming sodium content.
Reader Review:
“By far the best I’ve had, …and I’ve had it for many many years. I honestly would not change a thing! Thank you for sharing!!!” – Jill
Here are my other corned beef recipes and Irish inspir ed recipes:
- Slow Cooker Reuben Dip, uses store bought pastrami!
- Slow Cooker Colcannon Potatoes, features gold potatoes and cabbage, a unique must try.
- Slow Cooker Corned Beef Hash, from raw corned beef, a breakfast staple.
- Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Stew, don’t like corned beef? This stew hits the spot.
- Slow Cooker Irish Cream Hot Cocoa, a wonderful drink for parties.
- Beer Bread, we love to make this bread as a side for this meal.
Corned Beef & Cabbage Recipe
How to Video
Ingredients
- 2-4 lbs. Corned beef brisket (flat or point cut), (with seasoning packet that is included)
- 1 white onion, sliced, (this is optional but good!)
- 2 lbs. red or gold potatoes, (or a mixture of both!) Peel them if you'd like!
- 3 carrots, sliced thick
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/2 head cabbage, cut into thin wedges
- 1 1/2 cup water, (or see notes below for other liquid ideas)
For serving:
- parsley for garnish
- melted butter for potatoes if desired
- horseradish or stone-ground mustard
Instructions
- Add the sliced onion to the slow cooker.
- Rinse your corned beef and pat dry. Add to your slow cooker. Sprinkle over the included seasoning packet.
- Add your baby potatoes on top of the roast. If your potatoes are larger you can halve them to ensure they get tender. Add the carrots and garlic.
- Pour over the water. Add cabbage now if you want ultra-tender cabbage. Otherwise wait to add it until the last 2 hours.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker.
- Cook on HIGH for 5 hours or LOW for 8 hours total. (Add the cabbage during the last 2 hours). You may have to rearrange things into the pot to get the cabbage to fit (or cut your cabbage thinner).
- Remove the meat onto a cutting board (let rest for 10 minutes) then slice into strips (against the grain).
- Serve the meat with potatoes, carrots, and cabbage.
- Drizzle melted butter over the potatoes if desired. Serve with horseradish mustard or stone ground mustard.
Sarah’s Notes
- Flat cut – easier to slice evenly (pictured below)
- Point cut – can have more marbling but usually not uniform in size.
- Both are great in this recipe. I usually choose whichever is cheaper.
- Beer – such as Guinness
- Beef or chicken broth
- Ginger ale
- Use water for the liquid (don’t use beer or other high carb liquid)
- Omit the potatoes and use celery or cauliflower instead.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Best corned beef recipe evah!
I’ve never even bought a corned beef before and have never cooked a New England boiled dinner before, so I searched for a good tecipe online and found this!
This slow cooker recipe allows enough cook time for the corned beef to tenderize and absorb all the flavors from the Guinness. I put all the ingredients in at the start and the meat and veggies all came out perfectly..even the cabbage!
Thank you — I will use this recipe on the future!
Can I make corned beef without vegetables?
Yes! You may want to cook it in beer or beef broth instead of water for more flavor.
I use pickle juice and beer as the liquid, so much flavor you can skip the veggies. Put the seasoning packet in a metal tea steeper or cheesecloth, otherwise packet spices will be popping up at unappreciated random times. 100% use granulated onion and granulated garlic, about 1-2 teaspoons based on a small or medium roast. If you want the flavor and not the waste, consider giving the cooked veggies to a neighbor or friend, I would personally be delighted!
Ever done Brussel sprouts instead of cabbage?
I have not tried that! It may be good.
I cooked this recipe but I added some seasonings oregano, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and crushed red peppers. I thought that I got these seasonings from this recipe but I don’t see them on here I also used 1 1/2cup beef broth. Anyway it was a big hit we had 3 different crock pots full of corned beef and cabbage mine was all gone! Thank you for sharing this recipe it also was the 1st time I ever made corned beef and cabbage, I’m from Texas, we love our brisket so we don’t make this dish that much.
I’ve cooked my corned beef in the crock pot for years, but always like seeing how other people do theirs; I always seem to pick up great tips, and gentle reminders of tried and true methods! Love your recipe here….I’ve pretty much done it like yours for a long time now; the corned beef is tender, and I also don’t add my cabbage till the last hour and half. My add on here is to add pickling spice to the corned beef. Seems there’s never enough in that little packet that comes with it, and the extra spice gives it more flavor through the whole cooking.
Great tips, thank you!
Thanks for the recipe, looking forward to trying it.
All my previous attempts a cooking corned beef were to boil it for several hours with the spice packet as directed on the package. The results were ho-hum at best. So this year I decided to try another method and came across your recipe. I followed it to the letter and cooked everything in my slow cooker on low for a full 8 hours and WOW! It came out so moist and tender we couldn’t believe it! Am SO glad I came across your recipe and will ever use another again! Only problem was that I bought a smaller piece, expecting bad results. And as it turned out everyone loved the beef so much they ate it all and now all I have is leftover carrots and potatoes! Do you think it would turn out just as good if I cooked the next one without the veggies? LOL Thaniks for a GREAT recipe!
Yes, that will work fine!
This recipe did not work for me. 8 hours on low and meat is tough and vegetables are hard. I used a little more water too. Probably needed a lot more. Worst corned beef Ive ever made. Never using crockpot again. Better off boiling then everything cooks and flavors blend.
Did you keep the lid on the entire eight hours? If so, your slow cooker doesn’t get hot enough.
In going over the instruction booklet of my crock pot, I noticed the instruction to not open the lid for the first two hours. This allows the heat to build up efficiently. I, myself, may have made this mistake in the past. It’s very helpful to really read the instructions and I now highlight any information that I might easily overlook next time.
Great recipe! This is how my mom has always done it! For the commenter that said everything was still hard and tough in her crackpot after 8 hours of cooking, there has to be something wrong with the crackpot! If your crackpot is working properly that just isn’t possible!
Why white onion? Can I use yellow?
Any onion is fine.
I love this recipe I do have a question can I prepare everything in the crockpot the night before and put in the fridge to start in the morning cooking it?
That should be fine, I’ve never had an issue. There is a chance the slow cooker will crack when the heat turns on.
Definitely do not chill crock!!! I have popped the bottom out of one… And that was just because the added food and liquid were too cold