Break out the pressure cooker, this Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage is crazy easy and super fast to make! Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day!
Do you love making corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick’s Day or any other special occasion? It is one of the hub’s favorite meals and for years we struggled with making it.
That is until the pressure cooker came about. Cooking corned beef in our Instant Pot really revolutionized how we make cuts of meat like this. Check out this super easy recipe for Corned Beef and Cabbage.
For years we tried so many different methods. Wrapping and baking, the slow cooker – each and every time we would spend what seemed like most of the day working on this dinner recipe only to end up with a tough piece of meat that no one wanted to eat.
It was always disappointing, it always took so much longer than it should have. So when we decided to give it a try in the Instant Pot – it was LIFE CHANGING.
corned beef and cabbage
This meat is so juicy, so tender! It slices easily, with no fuss. Just put it in the pot and walk away.
I love that it is practically effortless. I also really love recipes that let me prep & go. It lets me do the dishes, make a side dish – whatever it is – I don’t have to spend my time managing the meal. I love it and I know you will too.
corned beef and cabbage recipe
Here are some commonly asked questions
What is the best way to store leftover corned beef?
Place any leftovers with some of the remaining broth in a shallow airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Why use a shallow container to store the leftovers?
Well, when the container is shallow, the contents chill faster than if you were to use a large, deep container. Ideally, you don’t want it to take too long for the leftovers to get to their chilled/stored temperature.
As I mentioned, if the food remains above about 35 degrees for more than 1 hour after cooking, the bacteria starts to grow.
What is corned beef?
Corned beef is essentially brine-cured beef. The salt that was used to cure the meat was so large that it resembled corn – which is where the name came from.
instant pot corned beef
What is “natural pressure release”?
Often, an Instant Pot recipe would call for you to release all the pressure at the end of the timed pressure cycle. However, the cooking process stops when the pressure is released.
For recipes that call for a natural pressure release, you would refrain from releasing the pressure from the unit for a set amount of time. This allows for a little extra cooking time as the pressure inside naturally goes down.
At the end of the natural pressure release cycle, you would then use the valve to release the remaining pressure and stop the cooking process.
Can I use beer in place of the broth or water?
In theory, yes. However, there has been discussion about that says that it isn’t safe to add anything with carbonation to the pressure cooker. Typically, when adding a carbonated beverage to a meat recipes the carbonation helps to tenderize the meat – which is great.
In this case, you could use a flat beer so you still have the flavor without the risk of having something carbonated in the pressure cooker.
pressure cooker corned beef
How to make corned beef and cabbage
- Wash the potatoes and cut them in half.
- Place the potatoes in the bottom of the pot – they will serve as a trivet for the meat.
- Remove the meat from the package – letting all of the seasonings drip into the pot. Place the meat on top of the potatoes.
- Sprinkle the peppercorns and seasonings that are included with the meat on top.
- Add the granulated garlic and minced onions.
- Close the lid, set the valve to sealing. Set to manual high pressure for 1 hour and 10 minutes. (70 minutes) if you want to slice it. Do 90 minutes if you want it to be “fall-apart” tender.
- Once it is done, allow for a natural release for 10 minutes before doing a quick release of the remaining pressure.
- When the pin drops, remove the lid.
- Remove the meat, set it aside to rest.
- Check the potatoes. If they are as tender as you want them to be, remove them too. If not, they can stay in the bottom of the pot for now.
- Place the cabbage in the pot. Close the lid and valve, set for manual high pressure for 2 minutes.
- Once done, do a quick release of the pressure.
- Slice the meat and serve the veggies either on the side or spooned on top along with a little bit of the broth if desired.
What if my corned beef is thicker?
No problem. If your piece of corned beef is thicker than 1.5″ just increase the cooking time by 5-6 minutes per pound to make sure it is done when you remove it from the pot.
corned beef and cabbage instant pot
Is it necessary to use a specific type of pressure cooker?
No, not at all. I just happen to have an Instant Pot, but pressure cookers have become so popular over the last couple years that just about every big & small appliance company makes one. This will work with them all.
What is the proper temperature for corned beef?
When making corned beef, make sure the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees on a meat thermometer for food safety.
easy corned beef and cabbage
Ingredients for Corned Beef and Cabbage
- red or yellow potatoes
- corned beef – the kind with all the seasonings inside the package
- water – you can also use beef broth
- granulated garlic
- minced onions
- cabbage
Can I add other vegetables?
You bet! If you want larger pieces of onion or baby carrots added in – that will work just fine. The carrots can be added with the potatoes at the beginning and onions because they are softer, would be added with the cabbage at the end.
recipe for corned beef and cabbage
Can I use frozen beef?
Yes, absolutely, that will work just fine. The rule is when cooking frozen corned beef that you cook it for about 34 minutes per pound.
So if you are making this 5-pound piece – you would increase the cooking time to 170 minutes or 2 hours & 50 minutes.
Then do the slow release followed by the quick release and then the veggies.
Can this recipe be doubled?
Unfortunately, due to the space constraints of the pressure cooker, this can’t be doubled – unless you have 2 cookers. Even with our 8-quart cooker, this fits just perfect.
Can I make my own pickling spices?
You bet! If you can’t seem to find the meat that comes with the pickling spices it is super easy to just make your own. Just combine the following ingredients and then add them to the pot with the meat.
- 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
- 4 bay leaves
- 1-3 whole cloves
- 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp whole white peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp whole allspice
What to serve with corned beef?
Because corned beef goes back to my Irish heritage, I like to pair it with traditional things you’d like to enjoy with a “meat & potatoes” kind of dinner. Here is a list of our favorites we serve with corned beef and cabbage.
- Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls
- 20-Minute Cheddar Biscuits
- Cheesy Spinach Crescents
- Irish Soda Bread
- Irish Apple Cake for dessert
instant pot corned beef recipe
Products I love when making Corned Beef and Cabbage in my Instant Pot…
This corned beef recipe is SUPER EASY and delicious – and if you’re like me this time of year, then you maybe already have some of these items on hand OR maybe you have never made corned beef before, & you might be a bit nervous – but you’re going to love it. I have made a list below of the things I absolutely can’t live without when it comes to making this dinner recipe.
- Instant Pot
- cutting board
- knives
- red or yellow potatoes
- corned beef – the kind with all the seasonings inside the package
- beef broth
- granulated garlic
- minced onions
- cabbage
corned beef and cabbage in instant pot
If you love this Easy Corned Beef recipe, you’re going to love these other St. Patrick’s Day recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
Don’t miss our St. Patrick’s Day Hot Chocolate Bombs!
pressure cooker recipes corned beef
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Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
Ingredients
- 5 lbs red or yellow potatoes
- 2-3 lb corned beef – the kind with all the seasonings inside the package
- 2 cups water – you can also use beef broth
- 1 tbsp granulated garlic
- 1 tbsp minced onions
- ½ head of cabbage – rough chopped
Instructions
- Wash the potatoes and cut them in half.
- Place the potatoes in the bottom of the pot – they will serve as a trivet for the meat.
- Remove the meat from the package – letting all of the seasonings drip into the pot. Place the meat on top of the potatoes. If you want to reduce the salt, rinse the meat first and do not let the extra juices drip into the pot.
- Sprinkle the peppercorns and seasonings that are included with the meat on top.
- Add the granulated garlic and minced onions.
- ADD THE WATER
- Close the lid, set the valve to sealing. Set to manual high pressure for 1 hour and 10 minutes. (70 minutes) if you want to slice it. Do 90 minutes if you want it to be "fall-apart" tender.
- Once it is done, allow for a natural release for 10 minutes before doing a quick release of the remaining pressure.
- When the pin drops, remove the lid.
- Remove the meat, set it aside to rest.
- Check the potatoes. If they are as tender as you want them to be, remove them too. If not, they can stay in the bottom of the pot for now.
- Place the cabbage in the pot. Close the lid and valve, set for manual high pressure for 2 minutes.
- Once done, do a quick release of the pressure.
- Slice the meat and serve the veggies either on the side or spooned on top along with a little bit of the broth if desired.
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Yummi Haus cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
