Slow Cooker Corned Beef (2024)

Say good-bye to tough, dry corned beef and say hello to this incredibly simple to prepare, deliciously fork-tender Slow Cooker Corned Beef. A hearty and filling one pot meal that includes potatoes and cabbage; and that will also make the sandwich leftovers of your dreams!

About this Crockpot Corned Beef Recipe

Okay, let’s be honest, I think over the years corned beef has gotten a bad rap.

I mean, who wants overly salted meat that’s been boiled for hours?

And who wants to deal with pickling, brining, and boiling meat, just to end up tough, hard to chew results?

Um, not me, that’s for sure.

My solution: make it a simple and effortless slow cooker recipe.

I absolutely love using the crockpot to make juicy, tender and low-effort meals — I’m looking at you Slow Cooker Turkey Breast!

The slow cooker is really the best method for cooking corned beef because it yields absolutely perfect, tender results every time.

Plus, since this recipe uses potatoes, carrots, and cabbage, it serves as a complete one-pot meal that is a dump-and-go slow cooker meal (meaning to pre-browning required), resulting in a truly no-brainer way to feed a crowd.

Of course, you can also skip the veggies if you want to go meat only, but I will say the veggies add so much flavor to the broth and makes this a complete Irish themed one post meal, so I personally love to add them.

Process & Tips for Tender Corned Beef

This recipe couldn’t be simpler to make, as you’re really just throwing all your ingredients into a crockpot and letting it do the work for you.

First, the potatoes and brined beef brisket go into the pot and cook for several hours.

And then the carrots and cabbage go on top of that towards the end of the cooking time so everything finishes together in one pot, without ending up with overly mushy veggies.

You can cook the corned beef on low or high, directions for both have been included below to keep your options open on busy weeks – so it’s entirely up to you.

But as a heads-up, if you’re cooking this recipe on low you’ll need to allow 8-10 hours total for the meat and veggies to be cooked and tender.

It’s nearly all hands-off time, but be sure to get it started early enough in the day so it’s done by the time you’re ready to eat, especially if you’re making this corned beef for St. Patrick’s day, you’ll want it to be ready in time for dinner.

During the cook time you might notice a white foam float to the top.

Do not remove the lid to skim the foam during cook time, as each time you open the lid extends the cook time.

Instead, wait until the cook time is over, skip the foam, and then remove the meat and veggies per the recipe instructions.

See Also

The One Meat You Should Rinse Before CookingThe Best Ways to Cook Corned Beef | A Taste of Excellence CateringHow To Cook Corned Beef | Corned Beef Cooking GuideHow to Make Ultra-Tender Corned Beef

Ways to Serve this 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Corned Beef Recipe

If you’re cooking this with all the recommended veggies, you can enjoy this as a complete meal – serving the meat sliced with the delicious cooked potatoes, carrots and cabbage on the side.

If you’re cooking it by itself without the vegetables, then the corned beef would also great with sides like Slow Cooker Red Cabbage,Slow Cooker Cabbage, Slow Cooker Potatoes, Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes or Slow Cooker Carrots.

You can also use leftovers to make the most delicious sandwich with any greens, traditional (or gluten-free) bread, and choice of condiments.

Of course, this corned beef would make a fantastic Reuben sandwich – you can use classic ingredients like dark rye bread, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, Russian dressing, and thinly sliced corned beef!

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions for Corned Beef

Corned beef brisket: You’ll notice this recipe does not call for any additional salt. That’s because a store-bought corned beef brisket comes already brined for you in a mixture of nitrites, salt, sugar, and/or spices, so there’s no need to add more salt at home.

Pickling spice: Most corned beef briskets come with a pickling spice packet that can include spices such as cinnamon, allspice, mustard seed, coriander, cloves, black pepper, ginger, bay leaves, and juniper berries; but you can make this recipe with a brined corned beef brisket without pickling spices if you prefer, as it should still have plenty of flavor from the pre-brining process.

Potatoes: I like to use red or yellow potatoes cut in half for this recipe, they make a classic, hearty option to pair with the corned beef. If you want additional potatoes as a side dish, try this easy slow cooker potato recipe.

Carrots: Fresh medium-sized carrots work best for this recipe. Baby carrots will work, but will not be as flavorful

Green cabbage: I love how silky and tender cabbage gets when cooked like this but you can certainly make this corned beef by itself without any vegetables. Just add enough water to barely cover the beef. You may also need to reduce the cook time slightly. If you prefer to cook the cabbage separately, try this slow cooker red cabbage or slow cooker cabbage recipe.

Water: I tested this recipe with water as well as beer, and found that water yielded tasty results while keeping the ingredient list simple and streamlined. However, if you want to add even more flavor, swap in mild beer such as a lager, hard apple cider, or apple juice for the water in this recipe.

Butter: The butter at the end is a rich & delicious addition but totally optional. You can use traditional butter or dairy-free butter.

How to Store & Freeze Leftovers

This is one of those recipes that still tastes totally delicious the next day, and leftovers make a great lunch (who wouldn’t love eating Reuben sandwiches all week long!).

It keeps well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, in a sealed container.

This meat also freezes beautifully, either in a gallon ziplock bag, or individually in mason jars.

You can store it in a sealed freezer friendly container for up to 2-3 months.

This Recipe Is…

Dairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreePaleo