Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage can be made any time of the year. It doesn’t have to be St. Patrick’s Day to enjoy this pressure cooker corned beef brisket recipe. In fact, if you buy a few corned beef briskets when they are on sale and freeze them, you can have pressure cooker corned beef and cabbage any time of the year!
Originally published on 2/27/18
Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
There are a few ways to prepare corned beef and cabbage. The ingredients vary from adding garlic and onions (more of a New England Boiled Dinner), to cooking with beef broth or beer (as opposed to just water).
My recipe is a bit of all of that, and it is rich and full of flavor. The brisket is buttery tender and falls apart in your mouth! Combined with cabbage, potatoes, onion, and carrots, this is a one-pot meal that will feed the whole family.
I’ve been making corned beef and cabbage since I was about 21 years old. Um, let’s just say that that was a long time ago! Ruth Anderson, the wonderful cook and friend I used to work with, gave me her recipe. I never changed it until I decided to make an Instant Pot version.
I wanted Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage to be extra flavorful, and easy to make, so I made a few changes.
The first step of the recipe is the dump and start step. Just put the corned beef in the pot with garlic, onion, the spice packet that came with it, a few aromatics, a bottle of Guinness®, and some water. Then pressure cook it.
If you don’t want to use beer, use low sodium beef or chicken broth, or just water.
The second step is cooking the veggies. If you were to cook the veggies with the brisket, they would be complete mush by the time the meat was done.
So after pressure cooking the corned beef brisket, remove it to rest and then add the veggies to the cooking liquid and pressure cook them for just a few minutes. That’s all there is to it. No browning or anything!
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Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage is absolutely delicious. Make this classic St. Patrick's Day Irish meal. Pressure cooker corned beef brisket and cabbage is a dump and start recipe!
- 6 cloves Garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 Yellow Onion, quartered
- 2-4 lb Corned Beef Brisket, rinsed (with the spice packet). If larger than 3lbs, cut in half
- 1 12 oz bottle Guinness Beer, or other Stout (or 2-3 cups Beef Broth, or Water)
- 2-3 cups Water (2 for a small brisket, and 3 for a larger one)
- 3 med Carrots, cut in 3" pieces
- 2 med Potatoes, cut into fourths or sixths
- 1 small head Cabbage, cut in fourths or sixths
Add the garlic and onion to the pot.
Place the brisket in the pot with the fat side down.
Sprinkle spice packet over and around the brisket.
Pour the beer (or other liquid), and water in the pot, trying not to wash off all of the spices from the meat.
Place the lid on the pot and lock in place. Set the steam release knob to sealing.
Press the Pressure Cook/Manual button, or dial, and then the + or - button or dial to 90 minutes, and make sure it is set to High pressure.
When cooking cycle is finished, turn off the pot and let it sit undisturbed for 15 minutes (15 minute natural release). Then manually release the remaining steam (slowly at first, in short bursts so you know only steam will spew from the knob) until the pin in the lid drops down. Then open the lid and use tongs to carefully remove the meat to a dish, spoon some of the hot cooking liquid over it and cover to let it rest.
Add the carrots, potatoes, and cabbage to the pot and close the lid, set it to sealing, and set the cook time for 3 minutes. Do a controlled (slowly at first, in short bursts so you know only steam will spew from the knob) Quick Release when the cook cycle is finished.
Slice the brisket against the grain for the most tender and easy to eat meat. Then place the meat and vegetables in a dish with enough cooking liquid poured over to make it nice and juicy.
Serve with some crusty bread to sop up that wonderful broth!
Resources to make Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe and more
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I made this as a test run for St. Patrick’s Day and it turned out delicious and so tender! Thank you for this recipe! Making it tomorrow for sure!
Awesome! Have fun!
Making this right now wish me luck.
You’ve got this!
I am making this tonight
It was good!
Made this the other day. 5 lb roast, cut in half, on high pressure for 105 minutes. Used one Guinness and 3 cups beef broth. It was all delicious, but beer foam did spurt out all over the place when pressure was released.
Hi Mike, that’s no fun. Two ways to counteract that issue is to 1) Let the pot do the natural release, and 2) when you release the remaining pressure, do it in short bursts, until you can be sure that only steam will be coming out. I call it a controlled release. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe, and hope that tip helps.
Can anyone tell me if cooking the veggies after the corned beef should be at low or high pressure?
They are cooked at high pressure.
Hi – Just wondering if you place the brisket on the rack in the pot or if you don’t use the rack at all.
Thank You!
Hi Neil, I do not use a trivet/rack with this recipe.
It’s in the pot now. 56 more minutes to go on initial cooking time, and I can’t wait! It’s been years since I had corned beef and cabbage, and just think about the Reuben sandwiches tomorrow!
Woo hoo! Enjoy!
Hello! Just curious what to do with the onions after the meat has been removed from pot after cooking? Do they stay in the pot and continue to cook more with the vegetables? Or do I remove them and put them with the meat, or simply toss them? Thanks!
Hi Julie, the onions stay in the broth. After the cabbage and carrots are done cooking, you will spoon out some of the veggies/broth to have over the corned beef. The onions will be part of that yumminess!
Hi! Is this a beef brisket or is a corned beef brisket a specific thing? If it’s just a brisket, what’s in the spice mix please!
Hi Jessica, this is a corned beef brisket, a specific thing. It has been “corned.” “Corned beef is a salt-cured beef product. The term comes from the treatment of the meat with large-grained rock salt, also called “corns” of salt. It is featured as an ingredient in many cuisines. ” ~Wikipedia The spice mix has all kinds of stuff:
Mustard seeds
Coriander
Black peppercorns
Cracked bay leaf
Crushed chilies
Dehydrated garlic
Cinnamon sticks
Dill seeds
Cloves or allspice berries
Fennel seeds
I’d love to make this but can’t use the beer. Do you have a suggestion for a good alternative?
Beef broth is a good sub for the beer.
I’m going to use beef broth, do I also add water?
Yes, use both. 2 cups of beef broth and 1 cup of water.
Any suggestions if using the 3 qt instant pot?
Half the recipe and cook the meat about 10 minutes less.
I’m going to try this. I’ve always boiled my corned beef and there’s a frothy fat-like substance that had to be removed before adding cabbage and potatoes. Is that still true with this method?
I think it depends on the brand you buy. I’ve had some foam, and some not.
Just waiting for the veggies to cook. Smells greats! I will let you know how it goes!
Do I add 15 min to cook time, for the ip to build pressure?
Yes, 10 min prep time, approx. 10-15 minutes to come to pressure, then a 10-15 natural release, then about 5 min to build pressure with the veggies, 3 min cook time for them, and a careful Quick Release when veggies are done.
This was the best corned beef and cabbage I have ever had! Absolutely perfect! Thank you for this recipe.
Awesome! Thank you for your review. I’m happy you like this recipe!
Great simple recipe that is deliscious! Thank you!
Thank you, Theresa! I’m happy you liked it!
Wondering why fat side down. Isn’t it usually up?
It doesn’t matter with this recipe.