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Corned beef & cabbage is a favorite meal of ours (as it is for most Americans of Irish descent) and a tradition in our house on St. Patrick’s Day. I’ve found that it’s surprisingly easy to brine my own homemade brisket too (here’s how I do it).
Brining your own corned beef makes this a much healthier dish by avoiding all of the artificial additives found in store-bought, pre-made corned beef.
Really, with these modifications, I see no reason corned beef and cabbage can’t be enjoyed any time of year!
Corned Beef & Cabbage – The Prep
Brining your own homemade brisket may sound like an extra step, but it’s worth it to avoid the added nitrites and chemicals of store-bought corned beef. It does mean planning (well) ahead of time, but once you have the corned beef, the actual dish takes virtually no time to put together!
If it’s still 3-5 days before St. Patty’s Day, you have time to brine your own corned beef brisket! (See above for the recipe.)
Once the brisket is brined and ready, the remaining prep is a snap. I use a Crock-Pot to slow cook the meat but saute the veggies separately in a pan about half an hour before the meat is done for a great texture.
Hey… Where’re the Potatoes?
Of course traditional corned beef is not complete without cabbage (which I definitely include lots of) and potatoes. Our family typically avoids white potatoes (here’s why) because they’re starchy and high on the glycemic index, but on special occasions, we will indulge in them.
I definitely favor more nutrient-dense options like sweet potatoes or cauliflower “mashed potatoes” on the side instead, but feel free to add a few potatoes to the Crock-Pot in honor of the Irish if you wish!
For other recipe ideas that honor Irish heritage in a healthier way, check out my potato-free cottage shepherd’s pie or the always popular bangers and mash. (These are also great options if there’s no time to brine a brisket!)
Updated
Corned beef & cabbage is a favorite meal of ours (as it is for most Americans of Irish descent) and a tradition in our house on St. Patrick’s Day. I’ve found that it’s surprisingly easy to brine my own homemade brisket too (here’s how I do it).
Brining your own corned beef makes this a much healthier dish by avoiding all of the artificial additives found in store-bought, pre-made corned beef.
Really, with these modifications, I see no reason corned beef and cabbage can’t be enjoyed any time of year!
Update: Instant Pot and Oven Roasting Options
Cooking the meat in the slow cooker and sauteeing the veggies on the stove is still a nice convenient option. However, I’ve recently tried a couple of new cooking methods for this recipe and they both have appealing aspects.
The first is cooking in the Instant Pot. It takes about 2 hours, versus 8 hours in the Crock-Pot, with similar results. I remove the meat after it’s done and then either cook the veggies in the Instant Pot for a few minutes or do them on the stove. Either method is fast and easy.
The second method is roasting everything in the oven. This method takes about 3 hours for a good-sized brisket. I uncover it for the last half hour and the meat gets nicely caramelized. I put all the vegetables on a baking sheet and roast them for the last hour or so. Everything has a nice bit of crunch to it that you don’t get from the Instant Pot or Crock-Pot.
Corned Beef & Cabbage Recipe
Servings
Ingredients
For the brisket:
- 3-4 lb. corned beef brisket
- 3-4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp black pepper
For the sides:
- 1 head cabbage
- 2 onions
- 2 carrots
- 2 TBSP butter (or ghee)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp caraway seeds
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp basil
Instructions
For the Crock-Pot:
- First, drain brine, rinse brisket under cool water, and put it in Crock-Pot.
- Add garlic, pepper, and enough fresh water to just cover meat. (Do not use the brine ... it will be too salty!)
- Turn the Crock-Pot on low and cook for 8 hours.
- About half an hour before beef is done, chop cabbage, onion, garlic, and carrots.
- Saute onions, carrots, and garlic in butter or ghee in large skillet until somewhat soft.
- Add cabbage and spices and cook until soft. Add a little corned beef water from the crockpot if it starts to get dry.
- Serve the corned beef over the cabbage and veggies.
For the Instant Pot
- First, drain brine, rinse brisket under cool water, and put it in the Instant Pot.
- Add garlic, pepper, and enough fresh water to just cover meat. (Do not use the brine ... it will be too salty!)
- Put the lid on the pot and cook at high pressure for 80 minutes with a 20 minute natural pressure release.
- While the meat is cooking, chop the vegetables into large pieces.
- When the 20 minutes is up, release the remaining pressure and remove the meat, keeping it covered to keep warm.
- Add the vegetables and the remaining ingredients listed for the sides, omitting the butter, and cook at high pressure for 3-4 minutes, releasing the pressure manually when done. You can also cook the vegetables in a skillet with butter instead as detailed above in the Crock-Pot method.
- Serve the corned beef over the veggies and enjoy!
For Oven Roasted
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Drain the brine, rinse brisket under cool water, and put it on a rack in a roasting pan.
- Add about an inch of water to the roasting pan, cover the meat, and place in the preheated oven on the top shelf.
- Roast for 2 hours.
- While the meat is cooking, chop the vegetables into large pieces and place them on a baking sheet.
- Drizzle the vegetables with melted butter or olive oil, sprinkle them with the spices, and place them in the oven with the meat on the bottom shelf.
- After half an hour, uncover the meat.
- Cook the meat and vegetables an additional half hour or until everything is tender.
Nutrition
Notes
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Ever made your own corned beef and cabbage before? What are your tips and tricks?
I haven’t had or made corned beef in about 6 years. My husband and I follow the Paleo diet and it difficult to get a grass-fed/finish brisket. I was able to locate one which they brine for 10 days. All I had to do was following your Instant Pot directions and ingredient list. This recipe is so good, it’s a keeper.
Thank you
We Irish don’t eat corned beef we have bacon and cabbage so I disapprove of the violation of my culture
Yup. It’s an American Irish thing it seems. Irish immigrants substituted bacon for corned beef. I guess that is a offshoot if Irish culture but defo part of Irish-American culture. Comparing apples to oranges there I think. Though I just suggested some more traditional Irish food stuffs. Can you think of s few more you would enjoy reading about here?
Instead of in the crockpot, could this be roasted?? If so, what’s the recipe?
Hello…I m Cristina, from Venezuela… I like your blog, just started to check it today, But how do I cook corned beef (brined) if I don t have a crock pot… does a pressure cooker works ???. Thanks so much…
I love the recipe but to make it even healthier instead of potatoes why not mashed cauliflower as a side just a tough I really don’t like that much starch with the food. But love the recipe anyway. thanks
I liked this article it talks about corned beef. Corned beef is one of my favorite meal. I pair it with a bread and a rice. This recipe will take me to a new style of cooking a corned beef and pair it with a potato or cabbage which I never did before. Thanks for this great article!
I’ll never buy a store bought brined brisket(even from the healthier markets) ever again! It came out awesome & delicious. My deepest gratitude for sharing the recipe & making it healthier!!! My family enjoys root veggies, so I also added gold turnips & parsnips to the cabbage, potatoes & carrots medley. Your site is awesome & I look forward to changing classic recipes into your healthier version…THANK YOU WELLNESS MAMA!!!
If I wanted to freeze half the beef, as prepared as feasible, which stage would you recommend?
I grew up on a farm – Irish grandfather. We alsways made out own brined beef.
Boil water and add salt until you can float an egg (in its shell)
get the meat and put it in a large bowl or crock and cover it well with the brine. I have a stone I use to keep the meat from floating.
Cover and put in the refrigerator for 3 days – take it out and rinse it off and put it in the pot to cook.
That’s it!!
it contains nothing but the meat salt and water so it will not be red but grey and a very tasty grey at that,
I do not have a crock pot… Can this be done in a heavy cast iron pot and lid on the oven? I found a general guide that says the low setting is about 200 degrees… Think I could set it at 200 for same time?
I’m a big fan of plantain. It’s a yummy way to get healthy carbohydrates into my diet. Typically, I’ll slice up some plantain (green or ripe) and sauté it in coconut oil for a few minutes. Quick and easy plantain chips! You won’t miss potatoes. Easy to digest too!
Thank you for ALL your blogs and recipes. I’m delighted to find this one which I try to make this weekend (I think I will keep Friday meatless and celebrate St Joseph and St Patrick on Sunday (so I will also look for any spaghetti / Italian recipes you have posted ! HOWEVER, I cannot find a way to “join the conversation” for your Healthy Mayonnaise which is how I found your website and I really want to add to that discussion and comment on your wonderful recipe and what I’ve done with it … but I cannot find a way to do so. I am new so perhaps I’m not up to speed. Is that discussion closed? Could it be reopened? I noticed there were also some comments with stars on the Healthy Mayo page but I’ve not found a way to “rate” or “Join” / reply on that Mayo subject (thank you for ALL the OTHER Mayo recipes which I will look into but meanwhile — where do I comment on this fundamental Healthy Mayo subject as Corned Beef is probably NOT the right section !!!
Hi Star, thanks for your comment. On posts older than 6 months, comments are closed (it helps free up my time so I don’t spend all my time answering comments, and instead can research and write new articles instead). Here’s a couple of Italian recipes for you to check out 🙂
https://wellnessmama.com/8907/pasta-sauce/
https://wellnessmama.com/2661/one-pan-spaghetti/
You forgot the taties! I know the carbs aren’t healthy but you can’t celebrate an Irish holiday without taties.
Looking forward to cooking this this weekend – only, do tell, a comment mentioned “brining solution.” I see no brining solution – or soaking – indicated in your directions. What am I missing?
Those instructions are in this recipe: How to Make Corned Beef . If you don’t have the time, you can brine it for fewer days
Hi, I see that you cook it in fresh water, but do you keep the spices? My mom and I love the peppercorns and mustard seeds.
You can keep the spices or add more to the cooking water.
I never join conversations, but this is my first because your recipe gave me the most outstanding, gorgeous meat! its very juicy, its not salty and everyone has complimented me, so i thought i would pass on the compliments. The only thing I did change was that i reserved all the spices from the brine and kept re-using them (i.e. added them when I soaked the meat in fresh water, and then I added them in the pot when I boiled the meat together with a tomato and onion). Its very yummy, thanks so much for sharing such a wonderful recipe.
Must. Try. Love corned beef but not all those yucky nitrates.
spices to taste? like salt and pepper?? 🙂
Salt and pepper and caraway, thyme and basil are good but not needed…
Should I use fresh water or the brining solution in the crock pot? Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Fresh water… the brining solution will be super salty! Just rinse the brisket well in cool water and then use water in the crock pot.
Thank you for the mention! I just discovered your blog. It’s a wealth of great information!