Enjoy this St. Patrick’s Day special any day of the year and in a fraction of the time with this cozy, wholesome, Instant Pot corned beef and cabbage with pre-corned beef, or make it from scratch until beautifully tender and juicy!
What Is Corned Beef?
Corned beef describes salt-cured beef, most often made using brisket. While the process originally relied on just salt (large, coarse pellets of salt called “corns” – hence the name) for the curing process, adding extra spices for extra flavor is now popular.
Within this Instant Pot corned beef recipe, you can either buy pre-brined corned beef or cure it yourself within a salty brine for 5-7 days (up to 10 days maximum).
Corned beef is traditionally cooked using a low and slow method, which renders the fat and breaks down the collagen in the sinewy tough meat cut, so it becomes wonderfully tender, usually over an entire day. However, by cooking corned beef in Instant Pot, you can reduce this time significantly to just 70 minutes with the same results!
The process (once the brisket is brined) takes just a couple of hours from start to finish, primarily hands-off. When combined with carrots, potatoes, and cabbage, you have a traditional stick-to-your-ribs St. Patrick’s day one-pot meal (though its origins are more likely from Irish ex-pats in America rather than from Ireland) to serve a crowd.
This easy corned beef and cabbage in an Instant Pot is perfect for enjoying any time of the year when you want something cozy and wholesome. Best of all, the Instant Pot locks in the smell of the cooking cabbage – now that’s a win win win!
What’s in This Post
Corned Beef and Cabbage Ingredients
- Corned beef: You can buy pre-corned beef from your butcher to save time and effort. OR buy beef brisket and prepare it yourself. I recommend grass-fed beef for the best flavor (and healthier cut).
- Cabbage: Simple green cabbage works fine for this pressure cooker corned beef and cabbage.
- Other veggies: I use a combination of inexpensive carrots and small potatoes to make up the rest of this hearty cabbage and corned beef Instant Pot recipe.
- Aromatics: I use a combination of onion and garlic to add depth of flavor to the Instant Pot corned beef and cabbage.
Corned Beef Seasoning
- Corned Beef Spices: To provide the Instant Pot corned beef brisket with plenty of flavor, I use a combination of 8 “pickling spices” for corned beef:
- Allspice
- Yellow mustard seeds
- Coriander seeds
- Whole peppercorns
- Cloves
- Green cardamom pods
- Bay leaves
- Ginger
Sometimes you can buy corned beef brisket with a spice packet. Alternatively, use a pack of “pickling spice blend” from most grocery stores as a seasoning for corned beef.
What is The Best Cut for Corned Beef?
Short answer – use flat-cut brisket. Long answer – brisket (taken from the low breast area of a steer) was always the traditional choice cut for corned beef. It’s cheap but has a fairly tough texture due to strong muscle fibers. It needs more care to make the most of the meat, which works well with this cooking process.
However, if you cannot use brisket, you can make corned beef from beef round cut, but the taste will differ from traditional beef brisket.
The Difference Between Flat Cut and Point Cut Brisket
There are three options when buying beef brisket – whole brisket (which contains both), flat cut, or point cut.
Flat cut: This part of the brisket is nearest to the ribcage. It’s very lean and has more of a uniform, rectangular shape when cut (great for homemade corned beef slices).
Point cut: This part of the brisket is more triangular and closer to the collarbone. This part contains less muscle and more fat, so some argue it’s more flavorful. But the shape makes it best for shredding rather than slices. It is cheaper, too.
How to Cook Corned Beef and Cabbage in Instant Pot
If you’re using prepared corned beef, you can skip the first step below and continue with the method for how to cook corned beef in Instant Pot in under 2 hours of pressure cooking time. Otherwise, start below to make corned beef from scratch!
How to Brine a Brisket for Corned Beef
First, prepare the corned beef brine by combining the water, salt, and spices. Bring the mixture to a boil. Then allow it to cool down, transferring it to the fridge to chill until cold.
Next, place the brisket in a large container and cover it with the brine (make sure it’s fully submerged). Top with a lid or tightly wrap with plastic wrap, transfer to the fridge, and leave to brine for between 5-7 days. Flip the meat each day and re-cover.
Once ready, give the corned beef a rinse to remove the excess salt and pat it dry. Otherwise, it will be too salty.
Be careful when rinsing the meat so you don’t spread germs across your kitchen surfaces.
Prepare the Corned Beef Seasoning Blend
While this step is optional, it’s highly recommended for additional flavor depth. Simply toast all the corned beef spices (minus bay leaves) in a dry pan until fragrant (about 2-3 minutes, stirring often to avoid burn).
How Long to Cook Corned Beef in Instant Pot
First, peel and quarter the onion and peel the garlic cloves. Then, add them and the cured corned beef to your Instant Pot with the prepared spices (including the bay leaves) and the water.
Then, seal the lid of the Instant Pot, turn the venting knob to the sealing position, and select manual high pressure for 70 minutes (or use the meat/stew setting).
Once ready, allow the pressure to release naturally (about 15 minutes).
Prepare the Vegetables
While the pressure is releasing, prepare the vegetables. Start by rinsing and chopping the carrots into pieces around 2-2 ½-inches long.
Depending on the size of the potatoes, either keep them whole, halved, or quartered, to be in 1 ½-2-inch pieces.
How to Cut Cabbage for Corned Beef
Also, rinse the cabbage removing any browning/dry leaves on the outside, then cut the cabbage into 8 wedge pieces.
Cook the Corned Beef and Cabbage
Add the chopped vegetables to the Instant Pot containing the meat. Reseal the lid and cook on manual high pressure for 2-3 minutes.
Choose 2 minutes for a small cabbage and tender-crisp results and 3 minutes for more tender results. Go up to 4 minutes if you like very tender veggies or have a large cabbage.
Then quick release the pressure. For best results, I recommend allowing the corned beef to rest for 10 minutes before slicing it, so it retains moisture.
The internal temperature of the corned beef should be 190-195ºF/88-90ºC.
How to Cut Corned Beef
Like steak, it’s important to slice and serve the prepared pressure cooker corned beef correctly. To do so, look for the lines of muscle fibers (this is the “grain” of the meat). Then, slice it against the grain instead of with it. I recommend 1/8-inch slices, but adjust that to your liking.
Slicing the corned beef through the muscle fibers will make the meat easier to chew.
How to Serve Corned Beef and Cabbage
This Instant Pot corned beef and cabbage wedges is a whole meal in one, so simply enjoy the sliced corned beef with the cabbage, potatoes, and carrots, and enjoy! Optionally enjoy with a side of Irish soda bread/rye bread and some Guinness for a complete meal.
What to Do With Leftover Corned Beef?
- Reuben Sandwich
- Other sandwiches
- Corned beef hash
- Turn it into corned beef and cabbage soup
Can You Freeze Cooked Corn Beef?
Absolutely. I recommend wrapping the meat tightly and freezing it for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight before using or reheating.
FAQs
Corned beef gets its signature color from a chemical compound called sodium nitrite. It helps to prevent bacterial growth in the meat for longer shelf life.
Due to it being toxic when used in concentrated amounts, it’s dyed pink. That way, it won’t be mistaken for table salt.
For those wanting the color without the chemical, you could cook the brisket with beet juice or omit it entirely and have grey corned beef.
Yes, as the corned beef brine can make the meat very salty (especially on the surface) because of how is corned beef made.
If you look at the meat, there should be parallel lines of muscle fiber running down the meat. To cut against the grain, simply slice perpendicular to those lines.
The large salt pellets used initially for curing corned beef resembled corn and were called “corns.”
Dry and tough corned beef is usually a sign of a lack of water when simmering. Make sure the corned beef is covered with water.
More Meaty Recipes
If you try this corned beef and cabbage pressure cooker recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
Ingredients
- 5 lb corned beef flat point beef brisket
- 1.25 lb cabbage 1 small, green
- 5 cups water or more; it needs to cover the beef
- 10.6 oz onion 1 large
- 7 oz carrot 2 medium
- 7 oz potatoes regular or red
- 0.5 oz garlic 2 cloves
Pickling Spice Seasoning (it may come in a packet with the meat already)
- 0.1 oz allspice 1 teaspoon whole
- 0.1 oz ginger 1 small piece
- 0.14 oz yellow mustard seeds 1 tsp
- 0.14 oz whole peppercorns 1 tsp
- 8 cloves 1/2 tsp
- 7 green cardamom pods
- 3 bay leaves
- 0.035 oz coriander seeds 1/2 tsp
Suggested Equipment
- Instant pot or another pressure cooker
Instructions
- If you're using prepared corned beef, you can skip the first step below and prepare this Instant pot corned beef and cabbage in under 2 hours. Otherwise, start below to make corned beef from scratch!
How to Brine a Brisket for Corned Beef
- Prepare the brine by combining the water, salt, and spices, and bring the mixture to a boil. Then allow it to cool down, transferring it to the fridge to chill until cold.
- Place the brisket in a large container and cover it with the brine (make sure it's fully submerged), then top with a lid or tightly wrap with plastic wrap, transfer to the fridge, and leave to brine for between 5-7 days. Flip the meat each day and re-cover.
- Once ready, give the corned beef a rinse to remove the excess salt and pat it dry. Otherwise, it will be too salty. Be careful when rinsing the meat so you don't spread germs across your kitchen surfaces.
How to Make Corned Beef and Cabbage
Prepare the Corned Beef Seasoning blend
- While this step is optional, it's highly recommended for additional flavor depth. Simply toast all the whole spices (minus bay leaves) in a dry pan until fragrant (about 2-3 minutes, stirring often to avoid burn).
Cook the Corned Beef in Instant Pot
- Peel and quarter the onion and peel the garlic cloves. Then, add them and the cured corned beef to your Instant Pot with the prepared spices (including the bay leaves) and the water.
- Seal the lid of the Instant Pot, turn the venting knob to the sealing position, and select manual HIGH pressure for 70 minutes (or use the meat/stew setting).
- Once ready, allow the pressure to release naturally (about 15 minutes).
Prepare the Vegetables
- While the pressure is releasing, prepare the vegetables. Start by rinsing and chopping the carrots into pieces around 2-2 ½-inches long.
- Depending on the size of the potatoes, either keep them whole, halved, or quartered, to be in 1 ½-2-inch pieces. Also, rinse the cabbage removing any browning/dry leaves on the outside, then cut the cabbage into 8 wedge pieces.
Cook the Corned Beef and Cabbage
- Add the chopped vegetables to the Instant Pot containing the meat, reseal the lid, and cook on manual HIGH pressure for 2-3 minutes.
- Choose 2 minutes for a small cabbage and tender-crisp results and 3 minutes for more tender results. Go up to 4 minutes if you like very tender veggies or have a large cabbage.
- Quick release the pressure. For best results, I recommend allowing the corned beef to rest for 10 minutes before slicing it, so it retains moisture.The internal temperature of the corned beef should be 190-195ºF/88-90ºC.
How to Cut Corned Beef
- Like steak, it's important to slice and serve the prepared corned beef correctly. To do so, look for the lines of muscle fibers (this is the "grain" of the meat). Then, slice it against the grain instead of with it. I recommend 1/8-inch slices, but adjust that to your liking.Slicing the corned beef through the muscle fibers will make the meat easier to chew.
Storage Instructions
- Make ahead: Feel free to prepare this Corned beef in an Instant Pot earlier in the day and then leave it on the "warm" setting until you're ready to serve later that day.Store: To keep any leftovers tender and moist, it's best to store them in the leftover beef broth liquid. However, you could alternatively wrap them tightly with plastic wrap or store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.Reheat the corn either in hot water (with a lid) for 2-3 minutes or wrapped in a damp paper towel and microwaved in 15-20 second intervals.To freeze: I recommend wrapping the meat tightly and freezing it for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight before using or reheating.
Notes
- Use fresh brisket: If it’s close to its expiry date, the meat won’t taste as good, so use brisket that’s nice and fresh for top quality.
- Use enough liquid: If the meat isn’t covered with the liquid you may forego tender morsels for tough and chewy corned beef so adjust the amount of water if needed, based on the size of your brisket and Instant Pot.
- Adjust the cooking time: If your brisket is thicker than 1.5 inches, I recommend an additional 5 minutes for every ½-inch.
- Use waxy potatoes: Like Yukon Gold or red potatoes, as they’ll hold their shape better when pressure cooked. Starchy potatoes and even all-purpose options like Russet potatoes can become mushy.
- More veggies: You could add turnips and/or parsnips to the Insta Pot corned beef.
- Alcohol: Feel free to replace some of the water with a bottle of Guinness for tons of extra flavor. Any beer you like the flavor of will work, too, but the flavor will vary.
- Brown sugar: Just a small amount of brown sugar balances the flavors of this pressure-cooked corned beef wonderfully.
- Sauerkraut: For tangier flavor, use sauerkraut in place of cabbage.
- Fresh parsley: To garnish.
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