Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage is a great recipe to have handy when you want to make this traditional Irish-American meal on St. Patrick’s day but are short on time. Cooking corned beef in a pressure cooker is easy, quick and the results are delicious!
Celebrate all things Irish and make your own luck for dinner! This Irish Soda Bread is the best and no dinner would be complete without these filled Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes!
Instant Pot Corned Beef
Tender and juicy corned beef with tasty cabbage, potatoes and carrots is a great meal any time of the year and definitely the star dinner dish on St. Patrick’s day.
Cooking cured beef brisket the traditional way on the stove takes, time so I’ve been making Instant pot corned beef (corned beef in the pressure cooker) for many years.
Why This Recipe Works?
- Cured beef brisket or corned beef is a tough cut of meat. Cooking corned beef in the Instant pot takes a fraction of the time and results in juicy, melt in your mouth corned beef every time.
- Pressure cooking corned beef with cabbage and veggies in a sealed pot mean that the flavor concentration is really off the charts!
- The perfectly seasoned cooking liquid plus the meat drippings impregnate all the veggies giving them lots of flavor.
- This is a one-pot dinner meal. I almost want to give my pressure cooker a new slogan “Instant Pot, at the end of your rainbow you’ll find a pot of gold”.
What is Corned Beef?
Corned Beef is beef (usually beef brisket) that has been cured in a brine solution for about a week. The salt in the brine preserves the meat while intensifying the flavors.
Usually corned beef is sold wrapped with a small amount of brine and pickling spices, although sometimes the separate spice packet is also included. A typical corned beef seasoning packet includes pickling spices such a peppercorn, mustard seeds, dill seeds allspice berries and bay leaves.
Ingredients for Instant Pot Corned Beef
- Corned Beef Brisket: Brisket is mostly sold in two different cuts, flat cut brisket and point cut brisket although sometimes you can find corned beef roast which is an extra lean cut that usually dries up while it cooks.
- Onions: I use yellow or brown onions.
- Pickling Spices: For convenience, almost all corned beef sold at the market come with a small packet of spices however, if yours is missing, you can use 1-2 tablespoons of pickling spices instead.
- Garlic: I use fresh garlic.
- Broth: Beef of chicken broth can be used.
- Beer: Use any beer you like to drink. Pale Ale or Lager are good options as well as dark beer like Stout or Guinness. The stronger taste of dark beer deepens the flavor of the cooking liquid.
- Cabbage: Green cabbage is a nutrient packed vegetable usually overlooked at the market. Simply cut the cabbage into quarters.
- Potatoes: Use small waxy potatoes that don’t break up and get mushy easily. Red potatoes, yellow potatoes or Yukon golds are good options.
- Carrots: For convenience, you can use baby carrots. Regular carrots can be peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces also.
How To Make Instant Pot Corned Beef
There are two simple steps for cooking corned beef and cabbage in the pressure cooker. First cook the beef, then the veggies. Here are the highlights, for detailed instructions, check the recipe card below.
- Rinse the beef under cold running water to remove some of the salty brine.
- Place the onions, garlic, pickling spices, beef broth and beer into the instant pot.
- You can place the corned beef at the bottom of the pot (submerged in the cooking liquid) or you can use the trivet to lift the meat if preferred. I usually skip the trivet.
- Close the lid and set the valve to “seal”. Cook on high pressure and set the timer.
- When the cooking is done, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes then do a quick release to get rid of any remaining pressure.
- Remove the meat and allow it to rest on a cutting board or plate.
- Strain the cooking liquid and pour some back into the pressure cooker.
- Place the potatoes, carrots and cabbage in the instant pot, close the lid and seal the pot. Cook on high pressure followed by a quick release.
Do You Rinse Corned Beef Before Cooking?
Yes. Before pressure cooking corned beef, t’s best to rinse it under cold running water to get rid of the salty brine the meat is cured in. Whether you buy your corned beef at the market or brine it yourself at home, rinsing it may prevent an overly salty meal.
How Long Do You Cook Corned Beef in the Instant Pot?
Pressure cook a 2 to 3 pound corned beef brisket (thawed out) for 90 minutes followed by a 15 minute natural release.
Do You Cook Corned Beef Fat Side Up or Down?
Cook your corned beef brisket fat side up
Storing and Freezing
Leftover corned beef makes the absolute best classic Reuben Sandwich with thin slices of corned beef piled high on Rye bread. Yum! You can store leftover corned beef in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in the fridge for 3-4 days.
You can freeze corned beef for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Tips For the Best Instant Pot Corned Beef
- Rinse the corned beef under cold running water before cooking, to prevent overly salty beef.
- If you prefer, substitute the beer with all beef broth or water.
- Slice the beef against the grain for melt in your mouth tender beef.
- Serve Instant pot corned beef and cabbage with a side of whole grain mustard.
Take a look at these other amazing and fun Corned Beef Recipes:
This recipe uses half of a cabbage. What to do with the rest? Here are a couple of ideas:
Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds corned beef brisket
- 1 onion, sliced
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tablespoons pickling spices
- 2 cups beef broth
- 12 ounces beer (lager, pale ale or dark beers like Guinness)
- 1 1/2 pounds small baby potatoes (red, yellow, Yukon)
- 1/2 head green cabbage, cut into wedges
- 1 pound baby carrots or carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
OPTIONAL
- Melted butter
- Whole Grain Mustard
Instructions
- Rinse the corned beef brisket under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Add the sliced onions, garlic, pickling spices, beef broth and beer into the pressure cooker.
- Place the corned beef brisket, fat side up, inside the pot (submerge in the cooking liquid), or on a trivet inside the pot.
- Close the lid and set the valve to “seal”. Pressure Cook on HIGH pressure for 90 minutes.
- When done, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes then do a quick release to get rid of any remaining pressure.
- Remove the meat from the pot and let it rest for about 10 minutes, loosely tented with aluminum foil.
- While the meat is resting, strain the cooking liquid and discard the solids. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid.
- Pour the strained cooking liquid into the pot, add the potatoes, carrots and cabbage.
- Close the lid and set the valve to “seal”. Pressure Cook on HIGH pressure for 3 to 4 minutes (depending on the size of your potatoes).
- Do a quick release of pressure by setting the valve to “venting”. Remove the vegetables from the pressure cooker.
- Slice the brisket against the grain and serve with the vegetables.
- OPTIONAL: Drizzle the vegetables with melted butter and serve with a side of whole grain mustard.
Nutrition
This post was first published in 2018. Content has been updated to give our readers better information. The recipe remains the same.
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