Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage is an easy and absolutely delicious choice for St. Patrick’s Day! This mostly hands off recipe is by far the best choice if you aren’t home to watch a pot during the day.
More great methods for cooking corned beef include my stovetop Guinness Corned Beef and Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage recipes.
When I was a busy mama running to and fro from my office, to the kids’ schools, to their sporting events, to orthodontic appointments (I have a feeling you know what I’m talking about here), my slow cooker was my best friend. Truth. And, that friendship is still going strong.
Walking in the door to the aroma of a delicious meal simmering away in the Crock-Pot is instantly soothing. And, it was the only possible way I could do a traditional boiled dinner, aka, Corned Beef and Cabbage, on St. Patrick’s Day. Stovetop corned beef requires three or more hours for a nice, tender result, but with this method, you can throw it all in your slow cooker, get out the door, and come home to a super tasty meal.
Cooking corned beef is very easy. With just a couple of tips and tricks, you’ll have a perfectly prepared boiled dinner on your table with very little effort.
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
Corned Beef: Corned beef briskets begin showing up in the meat department a few weeks before St. Patrick’s Day every year. I’ve had great luck with these Shenson Boneless Corned Beef Briskets that I’ve found at both at my local grocery store and Costco. Whatever the brand, just be sure you pick up a brisket that includes a spice packet.
Veggies: This 1 1/2 pound package of red and yellow creamer potatoes is pre-washed and ready to go and worked perfectly for this recipe. I also peeled about 8 carrots and chopped them on the diagonal into 2-inch chunks. You’ll also need a head of green cabbage cored and cut into wedges and a little minced garlic.
Broth: The corned beef and veggies cook in low-sodium beef broth.
How to Make Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
- Corned beef and veggies: Place your corned beef brisket, fat side up, in the slow cooker and sprinkle it with the pickling spices. Pour in enough low-sodium beef broth to come up around the edges of the brisket. The brisket doesn’t need to be completely immersed, but the broth should be visible and level with the top edges of the corned beef. Add the potatoes and carrots around the edges of the brisket, over the top of the broth, and top them with a couple of teaspoons of minced garlic. Cover and cook it on Low for approximately 8 to 9 hours or on High for 5 to 6 hours. You will know it’s ready when both the veggies and the brisket are fork tender.
- Cabbage: Transfer the cooking liquid from the slow cooker to a large pot and cabbage wedges. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer the cabbage for about 5 to 10 minutes, just until tender.
Tips for the Best Slow Cooker Corned Beef
Even-Sized Vegetables: It’s important that all the veggies are all approximately the same size so they will cook at an even rate. If you’re using potatoes that are larger than the creamer potatoes I used here, be sure to cut them down.
Add Flavor: I prefer using beef broth instead of the water called for in many recipes. Along with the pickling spices and garlic, it adds a nice depth of flavor to the veggies. But, corned beef is highly seasoned so be sure to use low-sodium broth.
Layering: Lay the vegetables on top of the brisket instead of underneath to ensure they will not be overcooked and mushy. As it cooks, the corned beef will shrink a bit and as the cooking liquid rises, the veggies will become slightly or even totally immersed and cook perfectly by the end of the cooking time.
Cook the Cabbage Separately: Not only will the cabbage not fit in the slow cooker with all of the other ingredients, it cooks very quickly on the stove. Make use of the flavorful cooking liquid from the slow cooker to infuse the cabbage with flavor.
Serving Suggestions
- Plating: Slice the brisket against the grain and place it on a serving platter and drizzle it with a little of the cooking liquid. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the carrots, potatoes, and cabbage to the platter. Top the warm vegetables with small pats of butter and season them both with a little salt and pepper.
- On the side: Serve this flavorful, delicious dish with a loaf of crusty bread or Cheese Beer Bread and some cold beer (basically required on St. Patrick’s Day). If you want to try something special for the holiday, try a Snakebite Beer Cocktail!
- Leftovers: It’s worth cooking corned beef just for the leftovers! In addition to sandwiches, try my delicious Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup or totally crave-worthy Corned Beef Hash.
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Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
Ingredients
- 3 to 3 ½ pound boneless corned beef brisket, with pickling spice packet
- 1 to 1 ½ pounds creamer or Dutch baby potatoes
- 8 to 10 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 2 to 3 cups low sodium beef broth, (definitely use low-sodium broth)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 head green cabbage, cored and sliced into small wedges
- 2 to 3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Remove the corned beef from the packaging and set aside the spice packet. Give the brisket a good rinse under cool water, place it into a 6-quart slow cooker insert fat side up, and sprinkle the pickling spices over the top. Pour in enough low sodium beef broth to come to the top of the brisket. Scatter the potatoes and carrots around the edges of the brisket. Sprinkle the minced garlic over the potatoes and carrots.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours or HIGH for 5 to 6 hours, until both the corned beef and vegetables are fork tender.
- Lift the brisket from the slow cooker, allowing the veggies to drop down into the broth. Transfer the brisket to a cutting board and cover with a sheet of foil to keep it warm. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the veggies to serving bowl or platter.
- Pour the cooking liquid from the slow cooker insert into a large pot or Dutch oven and place over HIGH heat. Add the cabbage wedges and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to MEDIUM, cover, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, just until the cabbage is softened and slightly tender. Remove the cabbage with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a serving platter with the carrots and potatoes. Dot the veggies and cabbage with butter and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Slice the corned beef across the grain and serve with veggies and cabbage (and beer!).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
More St. Patrick’s Day Recipes
I have made it this way for years. I add a bag of frozen pearl onions.
Five stars for the ease and deliciousness of this recipe. Everything turned out great – the cabbage was perfect! I did forget to add the garlic, and we didn’t miss it. Smelled great while it was cooking. I was worried about flavor, but didn’t need a thing! I cooked on high for about 5 and a half hours.
This seems a good basic recipe, but not a ‘keeper’, as it lacks some information about what to do with the spices included in the recipe/packet, as to whether or not they are edible…Picking them out before eating, or…And what to do with the leftover cooking liquid instead of pouring the nutrient-rich broth down the drain…And why peel any veggies when the outer layer often contains flavorful nutrients…and where are the options like onions, rutabagas, celery, turnips, parsnips or the wonderful variety in the ‘cruciferous family’~? And how about some information on the different kinds of cuts of Corned Beef~?!
Hi Ivana. I didn’t consider stating that the pickling spices are edible because of course you would never cook with something inedible. As far as the cooking liquid, it is transferred to a pot to cook the cabbage, as stated in the post. You can spoon some of the broth over servings of the corned beef and vegetables but it can be quite salty so it’s a matter of preference. This is a recipe for a traditional meal of Corned Beef and Cabbage with carrots and potatoes. You can substitute or add any ingredients you prefer.
Why couldn’t you add the cabbage to the pot while cooking the rest of it. One pot meal. Sounds more convenient.Just saying.
A 6-quart slow cooker doesn’t have the capacity to hold a good sized brisket, the carrots and potatoes, and a big head of cabbage. Plus, the cabbage cooks very quickly and I like to control exactly how much it cooks, which is easier to do in a pot on the stove just before serving.
Thank you Valerie,
I’m using your recipe today in a crockpot and in my dutch oven. Looking forward to it and planning to try your beef stew recipe next week. Thank you for your fast reply.
Cheers!
Jeff
Do you ever use quartered onions in your corned beef recipes? If not, why?
Hi Jeff. You can toss in some onions if you’d like. I do add then in my Instant Pot Corned Beef recipe to give the meat something to rest on while it cooks and more flavor to the cooking liquid. There’s so much flavor in this recipe that I really don’t think it’s a necessary addition but it won’t hurt if you’ve got enough space left to add them.
Hi Val! Making this today so that is is ready after a day of adventuring in the wine country. Made your Guinness Corned Beef last year and it was amazing. I love following you and your recipes. Keep them coming!!
That sounds like the perfect day! I hope you enjoy it 🙂 Thanks, Selina.
Shenson corned beef is horrible. Just cooked one I bought at Costco and I had to throw it out. I will not buy Shenson again.
I have always wanted to make this. This does look easy and so good.
Thanks, Mary. I hope you give it a try!
Thank you for the nice recipe and easy instructions.
You are very welcome, Liz 🙂