Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

Name: Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 115 min
Ingredients: 3 Pounds Corned Beef (Pre-packaged corned beef with spice packet- any size will do. I used a 3 pound corned beef); 6-8 Carrots (Large-cut into 3rds); 1 Head of Cabbage (Small-Quartered); 6 Red Potatoes (Quartered- You can use baby red potatoes instead); 1 Tablespoon Garlic (Minced); 4 cups Beef Broth (or water)

Check out my recipe for making Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage using the pressure cook function.

I LOVE corned beef and cabbage and am so excited to share my Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe with you all!! This is a very basic recipe so there are no bells and whistles! Just good, tender, juicy corned beef! If you are feeling fancy, you can jazz it up a little by adding a brown sugar glaze or whole grain mustard sauce and serving it alongside Irish soda bread!

This recipe was made using the Instant Pot Duo Crisp Pressure Cooker 11 in 1, 8 Qt with Air Fryer, Roast, Bake, Dehydrate and More

Corned beef can be made using a beef brisket that you brine and season yourself at home. Or, you can buy pre-brined and seasoned corned beef from the meat department at just about any grocery store. The store-bought version usually comes with a little seasoning packet with different pickling spices in it that makes it super easy to get just the right amount of flavor! If you don’t have a seasoning packet, you can make your own corned beef seasoning using this recipe!

I LOVE corned beef and cabbage so much that I literally hunt down restaurants that serve corned beef and call ahead to make sure that they have it before going to the restaurant. Why is corned beef soooo good? There is no reason that you should only eat this delicious cut of meat around St. Patrick’s day or at a restaurant. You can make corned beef and cabbage on a more regular basis at home!

I used to make corned beef and cabbage on the stovetop or in the slow cooker. But, I am so impatient that I usually ended up taking it off the heat and eating it before it was actually finished cooking…and it was a little chewy! Corned beef needs to cook for a long period of time so that it can get fork tender. It usually takes about 8 hours in a slow cooker. I just can’t wait that long to eat it!!

I have great news for anybody else that is impatient when it comes to corned beef…..you can cook it in the Instant Pot……to all of its tender goodness….in only 90 minutes! What??? For real? Yes!!!!

The best way to cook a corned beef so that it is nice and tender, while still being juicy, is by pressure cooking it. You can use an Instant Pot or a Ninja Foodi to pressure cook your corned beef. The corned beef turns out more flavorful and tender than even a slow cooker makes it! I hope you enjoy making corned beef in your Instant Pot as much as I do!

Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage on fork

Tips for making Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage:

How do you cook corned beef and cabbage in an Instant Pot?

Cooking corned beef in an Instant Pot is so easy to do! The most important thing to do is make sure that you cook it long enough. Undercooking, corned beef will result in chewy corned beef brisket. 90 minutes is the perfect amount of time to pressure-cook corned beef. Make sure that you cook the corned beef first and then add the vegetables at the end. If you cook everything at the same time, the veggies will be way overcooked.

How long does it take to cook frozen corned beef in an Instant Pot?

When cooking frozen corned beef in the Instant Pot, you don’t need to increase the pressure cooking time at all. 90 minutes is still the amount of time that it will need to pressure cook. The Instant Pot will take longer to get up to temperature and to pressurize if you are cooking frozen corned beef. During this extra time, the corned beef will start to thaw out.

Why is my Instant Pot corned beef tough?

If your Instant Pot corned beef is tough, it’s probably because it was not pressure-cooked long enough. Usually, 90 minutes of pressure cooking time does the trick. But, if it’s tough, it needs to cook longer. You can just put it back in the Instant Pot and cook for another 20 or 30 minutes. Make sure to naturally release the pressure before opening the Instant Pot.

What can you add to corned beef water?

To add more flavor to corned beef, use beef broth or beer instead of just water as the cooking liquid. Broth and beer add more flavor than just water alone. So folks like to use a stout beer like Guinness since it’s from Ireland.

Do you rinse corned beef before you cook it?

Yes, you should always rinse corned beef before you cook it. The liquid that is in the corned beef package is very salty. If you do not rinse the liquid that has extra salt in it off of corned beef, the final product could end up being overly salty.

What is corned beef seasoning made from?

Corned beef seasoning is a blend of pickling spices that help to flavor the corned beef. Traditionally, corned beef seasoning I made from bay leaves, mustard seed, thyme, peppercorns, coriander seeds, cloves, ginger, red pepper flakes, and anise seeds.

When picking out the perfect corned beef to cook, there are usually two options; flat cut and point cut. The flat cut is rectangular in shape, has less fat on it, and is easy to cut into perfect slices for sandwiches. The point cut is triangular in shape, has more fat on it, and is harder to slice for sandwiches. But, because of the extra fat in the point cut, it usually turned out more tender and moist.

I buy both. Usually, the point cut is less expensive per pound than the flat cut. So, if it’s on sale, I buy the point cut. I’ve never cooked a point cut that has ended up dry. But, on occasion, I have ended up with a flat cut that has not been quite as juicy as I would have liked.

There is a pretty thick fat cap on the point cut. But, it doesn’t scare me away! All I do is put the corned beef with the fat side up on a cutting board next to the sink. Then, I take a knife and gently scrape the fat cap off of the top. It literally slides right off! It’s super easy to do and you’re left with the best, juiciest, corned beef ever!

Here’s a great tip! Make extra corned beef so that you have enough leftovers to make Corned Beef Hash! and Reuben sandwiches! Corned beef hash is my favorite way to use leftover corned beef! It combines corned beef, opinions, green peppers, and shredded potatoes all together in one glorious place!

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Ingredient substitutions and tips for making Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage:

The full ingredient list is found at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.

Pre-packaged corned beef with spice packet– Any size will do. I used a 3-pound corned beef. If you can’t find a corned beef with the spice packet included, you can add your own spices. Here’s a link to a spice packet recipe.

Carrots– You can use full-sized large carrots that have been cut into 3rds or baby carrots.

Cabbage– Green cabbage

Potatoes- Baby red potatoes. You can use yellow potatoes or russet potatoes. But, if you are using russet potatoes, I would recommend pealing time first.

Garlic-Fresh or jarred. Be sure to mince the garlic and don’t just add in whole garlic cloves.

Water or beef broth– For the liquid, water works just fine but if you would like to add additional flavor, use beef broth. You can also use beer if you would prefer.

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Directions for Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage:

1. Place a silicone trivet or metal rack into the Instant Pot.

2. Rinse corned beef- rinsing the corned beef helps to remove some of the extra brine from the outside. If the corned beef is not rinsed, it might end up being very salty. Place the corned beef, fat side up, onto the trivet or metal rack.

3. Pour in 4 cups of beef broth or water.

4. Sprinkle spice packet on top of corned beef.

5. Top corned beef with garlic and spread around on the top. You don’t need to stir the garlic or spices into the broth as they will mix in during the pressure cooking time.

6. Close the pressure cooking lid and set the valve to the “seal” position and cook on high pressure for 90 minutes.

7. When the timer beeps and the pressure cooking cycle has ended, naturally release the pressure for 20 minutes and then quick release any remaining pressure.

8. Open the lid and remove the corned beef and set aside in a dish. Cover with foil.

9. Remove the trivet using tongs.

10. Add the potatoes, carrots, and green cabbage to the remaining water/broth in the Instant Pot. ***If preferred, you can boil the carrots, potatoes, and green cabbage on the stovetop over medium-high heat instead of pressure-cooking them.

11. Close the pressure cooking lid and set the valve to the “seal” position and cook on manual high pressure for 2-4 minutes based on your preference. The longer the cooking time, the more cooked the vegetables will be.

12. When the timer beeps, quick-release the pressure and open the lid. It’s time to eat! Enjoy!

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