Corned Beef and Cabbage instant pot
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Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
Hooray, it’s March! And you know what that means. It’s almost St. Patrick’s day! Time to go hunting for leprechauns and see if you can snag yourself a pot of gold! Me, I’ve never caught one, but I don’t mind. I’ve already got a pot full of something magical in my kitchen: corned beef and cabbage. This hearty Irish dish is so good, with the salty, garlicky beef lending its flavor to all the veggies in the pot.
The only catch is, it takes a long time to make. Beef brisket is a pretty tough cut of meat, so you have to let it simmer pretty much all day to get it nice and tender.
Unless, of course, you cook it in the Instant Pot.
With my new Instant Pot, I can now make my traditional Crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage in just a couple of hours. The beef cooks up tender in only 90 minutes, and then the veggies are done in just a few minutes more. Then you put it all together on a platter, and your Irish meal is served. If your corned beef brisket does not come with a spice packet, I have a recipe for one over in this post.
WHY THE INSTANT POT IS BEST
This Irish girl was raised on Corned Beef and Cabbage, as it was one of my mom’s favorite meals. It reminded her of her childhood and of her family that came to America straight from Ireland.
I share my mom’s love of Corned Beef and Cabbage, but I have found a better way to prepare this Irish meal–the Instant Pot.
Not only is the process faster in the Instant Pot, but the corned beef also becomes more tender and flavorful than when cooked on the stove or in the slow cooker, which is the traditional method.
What is Corned Beef?
Traditional Irish made this meal originally with boiled bacon, but when they immigrated to America, they could not afford it pork or bacon. Corned Beef Brisket is what they used instead. They paired it with the cheapest vegetables around, cabbage and potatoes. It has been tradition here in America ever since.
Corned beef is beef brisket that has been soaked in brine and then cured with salt and seasonings. The pink color comes from the sodium nitrate that is used in the curing process. Corned beef comes in multiple cuts, and is best cooked for a long period of time so that it comes out tender. It can be boiled, slow cooked, or roasted.
How to Buy Corned Beef
March is the perfect time to buy corned beef, although you can usually find it year round. It is mostly found in two different cuts. The flat cut brisket and the point cut. You can also sometimes find a corned beef roast, but they are not as popular since they have the least amount of fat and dry out easily.
Flat cut brisket and point cut brisket are the cuts you want to look for and buy. Flat is a favorite because it comes in a uniform shape and size. This makes the corned beef easy to cut and you can trim the fat off easy from the top. Point cuts usually have the most fat, but can be the most tender. Either one will work beautifully for this Instant pot recipe.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT CUT OF MEAT?
For this Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe, look for flat cut corned beef brisket. This is usually a fairly uniform, flat piece of meat that will cook more evenly than point cut brisket.
Flat cut brisket also makes a nicer presentation than point cut brisket. Plus, the layer of fat on the bottom of the cut melts in the pressure cooker to create silky and flavorful juices for this dish.
If you end up with a portion of meat that’s too large for your pressure cooker, simply slice the brisket in half or smaller pieces and arrange it as best you can inside the bowl. Don’t squish the meat inside.
DO I USE THE CORNED BEEF SEASONING PACKET?
The key is to use the seasoning packet that may come with your cut of brisket.
If your brisket didn’t come with a spice packet, choose a flavorful blend of pickling spices. McCormick makes a great all-around pickling spice blend that you can find at most grocery stores.
Or you can make your own seasoning with this recipe. You may already have all of the spices on hand!
IS FLAT CUT OR POINT CUT CORNED BEEF BRISKET BETTER?
I much prefer the Flat Cut corned beef brisket.
• Flat cut is more uniform in shape for better presentation and more even cooking.
• Flat cut corned beef has less fat. Even though there is a layer of fat on one side, it is overall less fat than a point cut.
• Point cut is usually less expensive than a flat cut corned beef brisket, so if that is important to you, get the point cut.
WHAT IF MY CORNED BEEF BRISKET IS FROZEN?
Ideally you will want to thaw it first for the best results, however you can cook it at the time directed and it should come out fine. It will take longer to come to pressure because of the frozen piece of meat acting as a large ice cube!
DO I NEED TO USE THE SPICE PACKET?
- Yes, the spice packet makes this corned beef even more delicious!
- If your brisket didn’t come with a spice packet, just look for a pickling spice blend at the grocery store. Most big name spice brands make one.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (996g) corned beef (1.5 inches in thickness)
- 4 cups (1L) cold water
- 1 (200g) medium onion , quartered
- 4 (13g) garlic cloves , crushed
Pickling Spices Seasoning:
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon whole allspice
- 3 whole cloves
- 3 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
Vegetables:
- 6 (370g) carrots , peeled & cut to 2.5 inches in length
- 4 (570g) red potatoes , quartered
- 1 (1300g) cabbage , cut into 8 wedges
Equipment
-
Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
How to Make Corned Beef and Cabbage in the Instant Pot
The instant pot takes the work and fret out of making fork tender corned beef. The vegetables need to be cooked separately so they don’t turn to mush.
- Place: Add the onion to the bottom of your instant pot. Place the corned beef on top and sprinkle with pickling spice.
- Cook: Add the water the instant pot and make sure the valve is turned to seal. Set the instant pot to high and cook for 80 minutes.
- Rest: Once the time is up, carefully turn the valve to release and let the remaining pressure out. Remove the beef and onions from the instant pot and set it aside to rest.
- Cook Vegetables: Take out two cups of the water and add the carrots, potatoes, and cabbage. Make sure the valve is turned to seal. Turn the pressure cooker to high for 5 minutes. Once the time is up then release the pressure. Once the pressure is released slice up the meat going against the grain and serve with vegetables.
Nutrition Information
Notes
Brisket Choice: This recipe works with both a flat cut or point cut, and no changes to time need to be made. The flat cut is leaner, while the pointcut is more marbled.
Beer: Feel free to use any dark stout beer you like, or beef stock if you do not drink beer. The beer adds a great amount of flavor but is not necessary.
Pickling Spices: Most packaged corned beef brisket comes with a pickling spice blend. If yours does not, you can use 1 tablespoon of generic pickling spices.
Gluten-Free Corned Beef and Cabbage: If you want this to be a gluten-free meal, check your corned beef label carefully to be sure the brisket and seasoning packet does not contain gluten. And use an additional 1 cup beef stock in place of the stout beer.
Potatoes: You can use red potatoes, russet potatoes, or new potatoes. Cut your potatoes into 2-inch chunks or leave them whole if using baby potatoes.
Leftovers will store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can freeze the leftover corned beef brisket for up to 3 months.
HOW TO SERVE INSTANT POT CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE
Now for the best part! Let the meat rest, then serve your stunning Pressure Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage.
To cut the meat, slice across the grain by positioning your knife perpendicular to the natural grain you can see in the muscle of the brisket.
Gingerly slice thin cuts of corned beef. Serve them alongside the tender and flavorful potatoes, carrots, and cabbage for a hearty, yet so easy, Irish meal.
HOW TO STORE & USE LEFTOVER CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE
If this recipe makes a little too much corned beef and cabbage for your needs, you’re in luck. Corned beef makes delicious leftovers!
Store the corned beef and cabbage in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
For an awesome breakfast, you can also use leftover corned beef to replace some of the sausage.
GLUTEN-FREE MODIFICATIONS
In order to make Gluten-Free Corned Beef, check your corned beef label carefully to be sure the brisket and seasoning packet both do not contain gluten. You will also need to use 2 cups of beef stock instead of 1 cup beef stock and 1 cup of beer.
