Name: Stovetop Corned Beef and Cabbage
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 2 h 50 min
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Irish
Ingredients: corned beef brisket (about 4 pounds) with spice packet; 2 tablespoons brown sugar; 2 bay leaves; 3.5 pounds small potatoes, peeled (about 10-15 potatoes); 8 medium carrots, peeled and halved crosswise; 1 medium head cabbage, cut into wedges

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Corned Beef and Cabbage is easy to make on the stovetop! With just six ingredients and a little patience, you can have this traditional Irish boiled corned beef with potatoes, cabbage, and carrots ready for St. Patrick's Day or any day of the year!

corned beef and cabbage on white platter with carrots and potatoes

With St Patrick's Day coming up I was talking about Irish recipes with a friend recently when she asked me what the best recipe for corned beef and cabbage was. This, my friends, is it. It is a simple, six ingredient traditional Irish corned beef made with cabbage, potatoes, and carrots, all cooked on the stovetop.

This recipe is perfect for St. Patrick's Day or New Year's Day but easy enough to make on busy weeknights as well. I like to serve it with 15 minute Homemade Biscuits or Guinness Beer Bread. (If you want more Irish recipes, be sure to try my Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Stew as well!)

corned beef and cabbage ingredients potatoes carrots spices cabbage

How to Cook Corned Beef to Make it Tender

Briskets are tough pieces of meat that have to be cooked properly. With a few tricks, however, you have cook perfectly tender corned beef.

Cook Over Low Heat The most important principle to cooking briskets is to cook for a long time over low heat. This allows the tough meat to break down into that fork-tender brisket we all know and love!
Cook Slowly Like I mentioned above, if you don't cook this meat long enough, it will be tough. If it isn't tender, cook it longer!
Slice Across the Grain Brisket has fibrous strands that are tough to chew unless you cut it across the grain. Don't miss that step!!

corned beef and cabbage with potatoes and carrots in stock pot

How to Season Corned Beef

Corned Beef is a beef brisket that has been seasoned and brined. When you purchase it, it will come with a spice packet along with it containing peppercorns, mustard seeds, coriander and usually whole allspice. If your brisket doesn't include a seasoning packet, bundle some pickling spices, bay leaves, and peppercorns in a cheesecloth and add it in its place.

corned beef with cabbage and carrots and potatoes on white platter

Can I Make Corned Beef in the Instant Pot or Slow Cooker?

It is easy to convert this recipe for the Instant Pot or Crock Pot.

To adjust recipe for slow cooker, cook on low 3 hours, then add potatoes and carrots. Cook an additional 5-7 hours, adding cabbage two hours before serving.
To make this recipe in the Instant Pot cook the corned beef as directed below in step 1, on high pressure for 85 minutes, then allow for natural release. Remove the beef (keep warm) and any solids from the cooking liquid and add potatoes, carrots, and cabbage wedges. Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes then quick release the pressure. Slice against the grain and serve meat with vegetables.