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Slow Cooker Corned Beef is the easiest way to make corned beef. It turns out tender and delicious every time.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Making your slow cooker corned beef is not only easy but you end up with a nice tender, tear apart piece of meat and it is so simple to do.
It is also a perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day without having to eat green food! I like green food but I don’t like food that is green that is not suppose to be green (i.e., eggs, potatoes, pancakes etc.)
What is Corned Beef?
Corned Beef is a salt cured beef product and probably became popular in the 17th century when they began curing meat with salt. For me, corned beef is more like ham than it is like beef. It has the salty flavor and similar texture. It is also known as corned beef brisket.
Flat Cut Vs. Point Cut
Corned Beef is usually available in two different cuts, flat cut and point cut. Which should you use?
After a little research I discovered that a flat cut corned beef was the way to go. It is easier to find and it is lean and when cooked properly, it is tender and flavorful. Sliced across the grain, the slices of corned beef are fantastic for sandwiches the next day, or they can be diced for a wonderful meal of corned beef hash. A Point Cut, looks like it’s name, it comes to a point at the end.
Ingredients Needed
- Corned Beef. I used a flat cut. You will also use the pickling spice packet that comes with it.
- Veggies. Carrots, Red Potatoes, Onion and cabbage is optional
- Beef Broth.
How to Make Slow Cooker Corned Beef
- Place the corned beef in the slow cooker and sprinkle with the seasoning packet it comes with. Add in 4 cups of beef broth.
- Turn your slow cooker onto low for 8-9 hours.
- Add the potatoes and carrots halfway through the cooking time. This prevents them from over cooking and getting too mushy. To make it more authentic, you could also add in some cabbage. I don’t care for cabbage and care even less for the way it smells while it is cooking. The smell takes me back to those days when the school cafeteria fixed it! Don’t add the cabbage until the last hour though if you are going to use it.
- Remove the corned beef from the slow cooker and slice it like you would a brisket. It will be nice and tender and basically pull apart.
Pair this with
Frequently Asked Questions
Our favorite thing to do is make a delicious Corned Beef Reuben Sandwich. You can also add it in with eggs and make a has out of it.
You can also make your Corned Beef in the Instant Pot with these directions. It works great!
Some other fun St. Patrick’s Day treats include:
Be sure and follow me over on You Tube for weekly cooking demos.
Slow Cooker Corned Beef
Ingredients
- 1 3-4 lb. corned beef with spice packet flat cut
- 4 carrots cut into pieces
- 8 small red potatoes halved or quartered depending on size
- 1 onion peeled cut into chunks
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1/2 head cabbage coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Place brisket into slow cooker
- Add beef broth
- Sprinkle meat with seasoning packet
- Cook on low for 8-9 hours
- Half way through cooking process add vegetables
- If using cabbage add that one hour before ready to eat.
Tips & Notes:
Recommended Products
Nutrition Facts:
Originally posted March 11, 2014
Rhonda Ward says
Also do not see this in your article but you mention slicing this the same as brisket – against the grain. You likely know that a corned beef and brisket are the same cut of meat…. corned beef is a cured or pickled brisket.
Susan Pull says
We have booked bacon and cabbage ,basically gammon, but dad back home in Ireland had corned beef, love to know the English name for it ,as it looks very much like brisket .
Erin says
I’m pretty sure the English call it salt beef.
Jan says
I love this, it sounds a great recipe for the slow cooker. I do love my slow cooker 🙂
My grandparents and my husbands parents are Irish and have Ham, cabbage and potato’s as their traditional St Patricks Day meal.
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Missy says
You’re right about it not being a traditional Irish meal. The Irish side of my family never made it, my German/American side did.
Kaitlin says
Leigh Anne- I have an answer for you! My great-grandmother was an Irish immigrant and I asked her the same question when I was younger. Corned beef and cabbage is an Irish-American dish, not a traditional Irish meal. Pork is a staple in Irish cooking, and when we started to come to the United states, pork was not as readily available like beef was. ( due to cost and supply) Irish were also discriminated against like the Jews and Italians were, and would find themselves in Jewish delis for lunch eating cured or corned beef. That is how corned beef came about! When the beef is cooked with cabbage and potatoes, which were both inexpensive, it was hearty and able to feed your whole family. I hope that helps (-:
Leigh Anne says
Thanks so much for the great info!