Famously enjoyed on St Patrick’s Day, this instant pot corned beef and cabbage is a cozy and wholesome meal that's low on effort, but big on flavor, to be enjoyed all winter long.
Combine the water, salt, and spices in a pan, then bring the mix to a boil. Allow to cool completely. Place the brisket in a container and pour over the brine.
Seal and keep in the fridge for 5-7 days, flipping the meat each day. Once ready, rinse the beef to remove excess salt and pat dry.
Cook the corned beef
Optional: Toast your spices (except the bay leaves) in a dry pan for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
Quarter the onions and peel the garlic cloves.
Place the cured brisket, water, onion, garlic, and spices (including the bay leaves) into the Instant Pot. Make sure to completely cover the meat with water.Seal the lid and turn the venting knob to the sealing position. Select manual HIGH pressure for 70 minutes or use the meat/stew setting.
Once ready, allow around 15 minutes for the pressure to release naturally.
Cook the vegetables with the beef
Toward the end of cooking the beef, prepare the vegetables.Chop the carrots into pieces – around 2– 2 ½ inches long. Depending on the size of your potatoes, you can either keep the whole, halve, or quarter them – about 1 ½ to 2-inch pieces. Cut the cabbage into 8 wedge pieces.
Once the beef is ready, add the chopped vegetables to the Instant Pot. Reseal the lid and cook on manual HIGH pressure for 2-3 minutes. Go up to 4 minutes if you like very tender veggies or have a large cabbage.
QUICK RELEASE the pressure once done. For the best results, allow the brisket to rest untouched for about 10 minutes before you start cutting.
Cutting the beef
With a sharp knife, slice the beef against the grain. Look for the lines of muscle fibers – this will help guide you and make the cuts more precise. I recommend cutting it into 1/8-inch slices.
Notes
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.
To make ahead: You can make it earlier in the day and then leave it on the "warm" setting until you're ready to serve later that day.
To store: To keep any leftovers tender and moist, it's best to store them in the leftover liquid. However, you could alternatively wrap them tightly or place them in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To reheat: Reheat the beef 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: Wrap the meat tightly and freeze it for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight before using or reheating.
Optional Add-ins and Variations
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.