This Traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe cooks everything low and slow (just like it should be) with the perfect spices in a Dutch oven or large stock pot. This delicious traditional recipe does not require any special equipment or expertise. The corned beef is slow-cooked with pickling spices. The carrots, potatoes, and cabbage are added at different intervals, so everything is done and tasty at the same time!! The corned beef is tender, and the cabbage is cooked just perfectly with just a tiny bit of crispiness left.
Boy, the years are just flying by. It seems like we just had St. Patrick’s Day. I grew up believing that we were Irish. Quite Irish, as my later Mother would tell me. She would tell me that her late late late ancestors were Irish and that we should celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with gusto. Well, I found out from a cousin of mine that we did not have Irish ancestors at all. They were Dutch or Scandinavian or something. To tell you the truth, I only half listened to my cousin as I was chuckling in my head at Mom’s insistence on our Irish heritage.
My Mom would make this Easy Traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage every St. Patrick’s Day. She loved it so much, and it is such an easy recipe that you too, can take part in the Irish custom. She loved it so much that she would even make a batch for one of the Irish priests at our church.
How do you make corned beef and cabbage?
First, in a large Dutch oven or stockpot, add the corned beef and cover it with cool water or beef broth. Now add the bay leaves and the spice packet. Cover the pot and simmer for 2-2 1/2 hours or until the brisket is almost fork tender.
Add the potatoes, onions, and carrots and simmer covered for about 30 minutes. Now add the cabbage wedges and simmer covered for an additional 10-15 minutes. Remove the vegetables, cover them, and keep them warm. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Finally, trim away any excess fat from the corned beef and slice against the grain. Serve promptly in a dish with the potatoes, carrots, and cabbage with horseradish sauce or Honey Mustard Sauce on the side.
Helpful tips for making Corned Beef and Cabbage
- Buy good quality corned beef; after all, it is going to be the star of the show.
- Leave the fat on the corned beef when simmering as it helps cook it really tender and gives it lots of flavor. For this method, cook it fat side up.
- Don’t skip the spice packet. It is full of peppercorns, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, anise seeds, and crushed bay leaves. It gives the corned beef its extra delicious flavor. Simply add it to the cooking liquid with the beef.
- The key is to simmer, not boil the beef and vegetables. Low and slow, as my late mother used to say.
- For aesthetic purposes, peel your carrots, as you will really appreciate the bright orange color.
- Red and gold potatoes are traditional, and they are waxy enough to stay together through the simmering. Russet potatoes will begin to break down during the cooking process.
- Don’t forget to remove and discard the bay leaves. They are sharp on the edges and could cut your mouth or pose a choking hazard.
- Once cooked, trim the fat from the beef. I like to leave just a very small portion of fat on for more flavor, but my husband likes it completely trimmed. As my mom always said, “Different strokes for different folks.”
- Slice the corned beef against the grain, as this produces the most tender pieces that do not fall apart.
- Corned beef is cured with salt, so it is naturally high in sodium. So go easy on any added salt.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power.
What is the difference between flat-cut and point-cut corned beef?
Don’t let these two different cuts confuse you. Corned beef, after all, is simply beef brisket that has been cured in salt brine. Corned beef brisket is then split into two cuts, the flat cut, and the point cut. The flat cut is a much leaner cut, but it still has a thick layer of fat on it, so it cooks up moist and tender. It is best used for slicing and is my first pick for traditional corned beef.
The point cut gets its name from coming to a point at one end. It is marbled with more fat and connective tissue. This cut cooks up tender and juicy but is best used for shredding.
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Traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage
This family-loved traditional corned beef recipe has all the customary trimmings and it is cooked in one easy pot on the stovetop or slow cooker.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 180 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: main meal beef
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Irish
Ingredients
- 3–4 pounds corned beef brisket with spice packet
- water (or beef broth)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 lb. baby yellow potatoes
- 5 large carrots peeled and chunked
- 1 head green cabbage cut in wedges
Instructions
- In Dutch Oven or large stockpot, add corned beef and cover with water or beef broth. Add spice packet and bay leaves. Cover and simmer for 2-2 1/2 hours. The brisket should be fairly fork-tender.
- Add potatoes and carrots; cover and simmer for additional 30 minutes. Add cabbage; cover and simmer for 15 additional minutes.
- Remove the bay leaves and discard them. Remove corned beef and vegetables from the pot and cover to keep warm. Remove any fat from the corned beef and slice against the grain.
Notes
- Buy good quality corned beef; after all, it is going to be the star of the show.
- Leave the fat on the corned beef when simmering as it helps cook it really tender and gives it lots of flavor. For this method, cook it fat side up.
- Don’t skip the spice packet. It is full of peppercorns, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, anise seeds, and crushed bay leaves. It gives the corned beef its extra delicious flavor. Simply add it to the cooking liquid with the beef.
- The key is to simmer, not boil the beef and vegetables. Low and slow, as my late mother used to say.
- For aesthetic purposes, peel your carrots, as you will really appreciate the bright orange color.
- Red and gold potatoes are traditional, and they are waxy enough to stay together through the simmering. Russet potatoes will begin to break down during the cooking process.
- Don’t forget to remove and discard the bay leaves. They are sharp on the edges and could cut your mouth or pose a choking hazard.
- Once cooked, trim the fat from the beef. I like to leave just a very small portion of fat on for more flavor, but my husband likes it completely trimmed. As my mom always said, “Different strokes for different folks.”
- Slice the corned beef against the grain, as this produces the most tender pieces that do not fall apart.
- Corned beef is cured with salt, so it is naturally high in sodium. So go easy on any added salt.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power.
Keywords: corned beef cabbage, how to make corned beef and cabbage. easy corned beef and cabbage, best corned beef and cabbage
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This post was originally published March 12, 2018 and was republished January 5, 2020 with new content.
https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
Patty
Made this today – all I can say is WOW and thank you. Used 1 liter of beef broth and topped it off with water to cover the meat. Best I’ve ever made or most importantly eaten.
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much, Patty! I am so glad that you enjoyed the corned beef.
Ken Gordon
I’ve made this recipe a few times and it’s always great! The only thing I do is start checking the internal temperature of the brisket after an hour. It’s usually at 190F by then. Just remove it and continue with the veg. It will shorten your cooking time significantly and won’t dry out the meat from overcooking.
Beth Pierce
Thanks for the tip, Ken!
Gina Abernathy
Corned beef and cabbage is a wonderful combination. This is one of my favorite meals. Fantastic flavors.
★★★★★
Nikki
A classic family recipe right here. It looks incredible. Looking forward to making this for my family.
★★★★★
Traci
Yummm! I am loving this classic delicious recipe. It really is so easy and appreciating your helpful tips. Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Holley
Corned beef and cabbage is part of our yearly St. Patrick’s Day tradition. This recipe is super easy and quite delicious!
★★★★★
Dannii
This was delicious. Total comfort food, and my husband has asked for it again next week.
★★★★★
Jesse Iford
Love this recipe, literally the only thing I changed was to toss in a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme.
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
Thanks Jesse! So glad that you like it! I just love fresh thyme!
Krystle
How much water do you put in like how full? When just doing the brisket at 1st and will it be enough to add vegetables?
Beth Pierce
Full enough to cover the brisket and yes it should be enough to add the vegetables as the brisket will shrink slightly.
Joan
I made this yesterday for St. Patrick’s Day! I was looking for a recipe that wasn’t done in a crockpot, as the meat always comes out stringy! So I tried this one on the stovetop and it was amazing! Definitely going to make it this way always! It was easy and the meat was great!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Joan! So glad that you liked it. Happy belated St. Patrick’s Day!
A. Mason
It says not to forget the spice packet, but it doesn’t tell us what’s IN the spice packet.🤔🤨
Beth Pierce
Pickling spice usually comes with the packaged corned beef. If not you can add a couple tablespoons.
chappy
the spice packet comes with the corned beef .
Chelsea
I’m excited to try this recipe this week!
However, the recipe itself calls for onions- but none mentioned on the ingredient list 😅. How much of what type would be recommended?
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
I do not see any onions mentioned in the post. Did you see this on an old pin? I have since revamped this recipe.
Debra K
The onions are still mentioned in no 1 of instructions, not in ingredients. GREAT recipe. Thank you.
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
Thanks Debra for the tip. I have corrected it. So glad that you liked the recipe.
Betsy
In the first step it says to add bay leaves, spice packet and onions. I thought the same thing as the previous comment. As onions are not in the ingredients list I assume you do not recommend adding them?
Beth Pierce
Sorry Betsy. I retested that recipe and omitted the onions. I should have caught it on the proofread. Thanks for the tip.
Megan
I also saw that it says to add the Onions to the pot with the beef, but no mention of how much? I usually just chop one decent size onion, so that’s what I’m going with, with this recipe.
Paula Turzy
Did anyone use beef broth instead of water? If so did you use a no salt beef broth?
Linda
Why would you use salted broth when corn beef has so much sodium already? I’m no chef, but think ya need no sodium beef broth or at least low sodium
Paula Turzy
Hi Linda,
I wasn’t asking about salted beef broth. I intentionally added the words ‘no salt’ to avoid certain responses about broth with added salt You may have read it incorrectly.
I had just wondered if someone used beef broth instead of water. She has this in her ingredients – water (or beef broth) – so I played around with the idea of using bone beef broth. I ended up using water like I normally do. It was super tasty as usual.
Sharon Chen
This looks so yummy! I haven’t put veggies with corned beef before, will try it soon!
Beth Pierce
Thanks! Enjoy!!
Joanne
Put about 1/3 cup sugar and a can of beer in the pot. I promise you comes out the best. Or chicken broth whole can of it !! Yummo
Chef Johnny
Nailed it with the beer and sugar!
I’ve been a chef shhh.
Don’t give away the secret
Natalie
I will save this recipe for St. Patrick’s dinner. Looks amazing. My boys will love this for sure. Thank you.
★★★★★
Heidy
This Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe was GOOD! I swear everyone went back for seconds and a few hit thirds! That’s when you know a recipe is perfect!!!
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
Thanks Heidy! So glad that everyone liked it!
Kris
I made this for family and it was a real winner! Will definitely make again. Thank you!
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
Thanks Kris! So glad that you liked it!
Cara
Definitely going to be making this for St. Patrick’s Day – sounds delish!
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
Thanks Cara! Enjoy!!
Catalina
This is an easy way to have a delicious and healthy dinner. I love all the ingredients!
★★★★★
Elizabeth Neas
Your recipe and presentation are absolutely stunning. (stunning is ok I think for food right?). I agree that corn beef is very salty so normally you don’t have to add any salt to your carrots or potatoes. This meal was appreciated by my family!
Marysa
I have never had this, but it would be fun to make this for St. Patrick’s Day. Sounds easy enough to make as well.
Richelle Milar
Oh my! This is such a really delicious recipe! My whole family loved it. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Terri Steffes
Beautiful timing for this wonderful dish. I love it so much.
Tara Pittman
My husband loves corn beef and cabbage. Thanks for the recipe.
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine!!
Melanie Edjourian
That sounds different. I’ve never tried corned beef before. I didn’t know it goes with cabbage.
★★★★★
Forever My Little Moon
This looks so good! What kind of spice packet did you use?
Beth Pierce
The one that comes with the corned beef. It is pickling spice and it is delicious!
Charlene A
I just got the recipe for Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
I noticed one item is FILE POWDER. I never heard of this and don’t have any idea where to find it. HELP!
Beth Pierce
There is a write up in the post on file powder and where to find it.
Marysa
I’ve never made this or had this dish. Sounds like it would be a nice, hearty meal.
Duffy TC
Thanks, hope will soon try this and post again with how you think it tastes.
★★★★
Everything Enchanting
Looks so yummy! I don’t eat beef but will surely share this traditional corned beef and cabbage recipe with my bestie 🙂
Tasheena
This looks like a recipe my family would love, looking forward to giving this a try.
★★★★★
Lynndee
It’s been a while since I prepared corned beef and cabbage. I will have to try your recipe soon.
Catalina
Yum! My family loves corned beef and I can’t wait to make your recipe this week!
★★★★★
Terri Steffes
This is a traditional meal in my family. We like it a lot and eat it when we can find good cabbage.
Kathy
This looks so good. I have never actually had corned beef and cabbage before. I’ve always wanted to try it though.
Richelle Milar
Wow! That looks absolutely delicious! I would really love to try this really great recipe!
★★★★★
Claudia
I love your recipe. Do we have to rinse the beef before cooking?
★★★★★
Monica Simpson
My family and I love this. My mom makes it every year. I used to hate the cabbage as a kid but now as an adult I love it!
Tara Pittman
My husband loves corn beef and cabbage. Now I can make it for him.
MELANIE EDJOURIAN
I don’t think I’ve ever had corned beef before. This sounds like it would be a tasty and hearty recipe and ideal for the family to eat at this time of year.
★★★★★
Amber Myers
This looks like a tasty dish. I don’t think I’ve ever made it before. I had it years ago!
Sarah Bailey
Now this sounds like a meal my other half would be into! I haven’t had traditional corned beef before, definitely something to try.
Katie K
I have to save this recipe for March! It’s the perfect st patty’s day dinner.
Beth Pierce
Yes indeed!!
Erin
Those are some great tips on making corn beef. It looks so yummy and delcious!
Wanda Lopez
Corn beef and cabbage is one of my sister’s favorite recipes to make during Springtime.
Toni
This quickly became a favorite at my house!
★★★★★
Toni
Everyone at my house loved this satisfying meal! It quickly became a favorite at my house!
★★★★★
Monica Simpson
This is a family favorite! My mom loves to make it every March 17th.
Milton Coyne
Oh.. My mom used to cook this for us, especially during cold and rainy season.. She used to cut the cabbage in strips and when meat chunks are not available, she use corned beef in can as replacement.. This is very nostalgic for me
Thank you for sharing
★★★★★
Ntensibe Edgar
Hhhhmmmm…I haven’t tried this recipe before! I love it already. Cabbage and beef are some of my favourite people! Thanks for sharing about it.
Emman Damian
Corned Beef and Cabbage is a classic dish for us. My lola used to make this a lot! So yummy and healthy at the same time!
★★★★★
Fransic verso
This looks yummy, I think we are going to try it. Thank you for sharing!
Emily Fata
This looks like it would be a great recipe! I’m going to try giving it a whirl with a vegan meat alternative. 🙂
Neely
I love corned beef! One of my favorites!
Alita Pacio
I love that you add extra tips on making this corn beef and cabbage. I’ll definitely try it
★★★★★
Leanne Wong
I have never had corned beef and cabbage before! It looks so good, though. I’ll have to try it. We don’t have dishes like this where I live.
★★★★★
Stephanie
My husband’s family is Irish so we are always looking for great Irish recipes to try. He’s asked about something like this before but I’ve never made it. Maybe this year I’ll surprise him with it.
Talya Stone
Oh my this looks so good! I didn’t know that corned beef could look and taste this good.
★★★★★
Heather
I haven’t had corned beef and cabbage since I was a kid. I can’t wait to make this recipe!
Alisa Infanti
Love this sandwich but never attempted to make at home. I am super excited to give it a try. Your recipe seems so straight forward. Thanks!
maryanne
I have to make corned beef and cabbage every year, and your recipe is one of the best I’ve ever tried! So delicious and easy!
★★★★★
Angela
This is comfort food for me. We used to have it all the time when I was a kid. I love that your whole meal is cooked together. So easy and so tasty!
★★★★★
Michelle
Had a mad craving for corned beef and cabbage and tried this out last night — so tasty! And surprisingly easy to make!
★★★★★
Priya Lakshminarayan
That looks scrumptious! Perfect food for gatherings! Saving it,
★★★★★
April
We make this all year long, it’s one of my favorite meals! This is simply the best way to make it, too. 🙂
★★★★★
Trang
This turned out soo tender. Such an easy comfort dinner dish. It was a hit with the family!
★★★★★
Jean Morrison
I have always cooked my corned beef in an oven baggy. I cook the fat side up sometimes and sometimes fat side down. It is so tender. 3 hours to cook at least. I would like to use your recipe also,
Beth Pierce
Thanks for the heads up Jean. I hope you enjoy the corned beef!
Jennifer
Best dinner ever! So flavorful! The whole family loved it!
★★★★★
Katie
Looks so amazing! Can’t wait to try this one.
★★★★★
Kristyn
Hearty, healthy, & delicious!! Your recipe is easy to follow, too! My kids love the corned beef, but I am working on the cabbage part 🙂
★★★★★
Kim
Pulling this recipe out again for St. Patrick’s Day coming up! Thank you!
★★★★★
Kristyn
Love this time of year, when I usually make this recipe. I love it & it’s very tasty!
★★★★★
Katie
Perfect St Patty’s meal. Can’t wait to try this one.
★★★★★
Lisalia
This is such a terrific recipe. So flavorful and filling. Thanks!
★★★★★
Katie
Made this recipe for my family and it was a hit!
★★★★★
Kimberly
I haven’t had a traditional corned beef dinner in ages! This sounds so delicious!
★★★★★
Katie
This looks so good! I know my family will go crazy for this.
★★★★★
wilhelmina
Superb! This is a recipe that I keep going back to. When I make it, I always get rave reviews!
★★★★★
Natalie
Holy cow, this is so easy to make! Love that it’s a one pot meal! Everything is so tender & flavorful!
★★★★★
Trang
I’ve actually never had corned beef and cabbage but I have heard all about it. It just seemed difficult to make until I checked out your recipe! So easy and hearty and I always love a dish that includes the sides.
★★★★★
Toni Dash
This has been our favorite for dinner!! It is so good!
★★★★★
Julia
This recipe is the definition of simple food done right! Loved it. Thanks!
★★★★★
Lily
I love how easy this recipe is, perfect for family events because you can make huge portions.
★★★★★
Ashley F.
This is such a classic dish that cooks up to perfection every single time!
★★★★★
Anna
Nothing beats a classic! This dish was easy and flavors perfect!
★★★★★
Betsy
LOADS of fond memories of having corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and carrots on St. Patrick’s Day growing up, Even now I look forward to having it every year. I may not be Irish, but I sure do love their food! Your recipe is so easy to follow and the corned beef turns out perfect every single time! Yum!
★★★★★
Toni Dash
I love how easy this is!! It is so good and amazing!
★★★★★
Taylor Kiser
Thanks for sharing your tips to make this meal! It looks so delicious!
★★★★★
Alyssa
I need to make this more often – not just for St. Patrick’s Day. So flavorful, yet simple. The perfect meal for chilly fall nights.
★★★★★
katerina @ diethood.com
My family would love this! It looks incredibly delicious!
★★★★★
Toni
This is really awesome! Thank you for the tips! My family will surely love this.
★★★★★
Jessica
I cannot wait for this years Corned Beef and Cabbage! I love this recipe!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert
These Corned beef and cabbage recipe are mouth watering!
Jen
This is a yearly tradition for our family. Low and slow is definitely the key to an amazing meal!
★★★★★
Dorothy Reinhold
It’s a family tradition for a reason! All the trimmings make it even better.
Sara Welch
My favorite recipe for St. Patrick’s Day! Delicious and always a hit with my picky eaters too!
★★★★★
Amanda
So perfect for St. Patrick’s Day! My family loves comfort food like this!
Sadia Malik
Such a simple recipe love it
★★★★★
Irina
This beef recipes sounds amazingly delicious! It is a great example of comfort food. Why? Because I made and tried it.Lovely and delicious!
★★★★★
Erica Schwarz
Adding this to our plan for St Patrick’s day! This sounds delicious, can’t wait to make it.
★★★★★
Kelly Anthony
This is a great traditional corned beef and cabbage recipe. This is sure to be a crowd-pleasing meal.
★★★★★
Elena
Corned beef and cabbage is my favorite!
★★★★★
Aimee Shugarman
Had to give this one a try. OMG so much flavor. THANK YOU!
★★★★★
Allyson Zea
This made the best dinner! Thank you so much for this easy recipe!
★★★★★
Billy
Nothing like a tasty corned beef recipe and this one is so easy to make and so tasty. Thank you for showing how simple it is to make.
★★★★★