This Dutch oven corned beef and cabbage is a simple one-pot meal that cooks low and slow in the oven. Once everything is in the pot, it takes very little hands-on time and comes out tender and flavorful.
Why You'll Love This Dutch Oven Corned Beef Recipe
Packed with flavor, and simple to prepare - all you need is a Dutch oven and some time to let the flavors mingle! This Dutch oven corned beef recipe is super simple one pot meal that turns out perfectly every time.
What is Corned Beef?
Corned beef is beef brisket that is brined in a mixture of salt, sugar, and pickling spices for about one week. This curing process helps to transform an otherwise extremely tough cut of meat into a melt in your mouth sliced roast.
You might be surprised to learn that Corned Beef and cabbage is not really an Irish tradition! Irish immigrants substituted brining tough brisket as a substitute for cured bacon, which was more expensive. Corned beef is an American Irish custom that's popular on St. Patrick's Day in the USA though.
Best Cut Of Corned Beef
There are three cuts of corned beef, the corned beef round, corned beef point, and the flat cut corned beef, which is usually preferred because it is leaner. The next best cut of corned beef would be the corned beef round, and with the corned beef point being the fattiest.
Ingredients Overview
Look for a 3 to 4 pound brined corned beef flat. It's the best cut of corned beef. You can use red skinned potatoes, Yukon Golds, or Russet potatoes. The cooking spice packet will be included inside the corned beef bag.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Cook Corned Beef and Cabbage
Slow cooked Dutch oven corned beef will transform any of the three cuts into tender and moist sliced of meat. Dutch oven corned beef involves a long, slow and moist braising that breaks down the tough meat fibers.
Pro Tip: For the best Dutch oven corned beef and cabbage, cook the meat and vegetables in steps. This will ensure that the corned beef is fork tender and the vegetables don't not get overcooked.
Prepare the Corned Beef Brisket
- Open the corned beef bag and take out the spice packet.
- Place the corned beef in a large 7 or 8 quart Dutch oven.
- Sprinkle the spice packet on top. Add the Bay leaves, garlic, and peppercorns.
Simmer the Corned Beef Brisket
- Cover the corned beef with the beef broth and any additional water needed to just barely cover the corned beef.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 50 minutes per lb.
Perfect Carrots and Potatoes
PRO TIP: Don't add both the carrots and potatoes in the Dutch oven at the same time! Stagger the vegetables so the carrots, potatoes, and cabbage are all perfectly cooked.
- Add the chunked potatoes to the Dutch oven and continue to simmer for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, add the quartered potatoes and simmer an additional 15 minutes.
PRO TIP: One secret about cooking cabbage is to add it during final 15 minutes of cooking time. This will prevent your house from smelling like cabbage. The cabbage will still be a bright green, with a little firmness to it. Don't worry, it will continue to cook from retained heat.
- Quarter the cabbage, leaving the core so that the cabbage does not scatter in the pot and when transferring to a platter.
- Add the cabbage and onion next, and simmer for 15 minutes. Cabbage will be bright green and slightly firm still.
Cutting Corned Beef
- Transfer the corned beef to a serving platter. Let the corned beef rest for 10 - 15 minutes, then before slicing, then slice. Heap up the carrots, potatoes, and cabbage around the sliced corned beef and serve at once.
PRO TIP: Using your knife, slice against the grain, not parallel to it. That way, you shorten the muscle fibers, making the corned beef much more tender.
Serving Suggestions
While very popular during March St. Patrick's Day celebrations, this Dutch oven corned beef and cabbage meal is welcome and satisfying any time, especially in the winter. Serve it like you would our Irish lamb stew: with a crusty soda bread, Wheaten bread or Irish style mashed potatoes.
More Delish Recipes
- Air Fryer Cabbage
- Irish Seafood Chowder
- Traditional Irish Champ
- Waterford Blaas
- Stamped Shortbread Cookies
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few easy ways to adjust the recipe or work with what you have on hand.
- Guinness Corned Beef - Add one Guinness Ale as part of the beef stock liquid when making this Dutch oven corned beef.
- Slow Cooker Corned Beef - Follow the steps for this Dutch oven corned beef recipe, but cook at 4 hours on high with the carrots and potatoes. Then, add the quartered cabbage and onion for a final cooking, until bright green and still slightly firm, about 30 to 40 minutes on high.
Tips for Success
Keep these in mind as you make the corned beef:
- Make sure your corned beef is mostly submerged into your liquid in the Dutch oven.
- Cut the vegetables in very large chunks.
- Add cabbage at during the final 15 minutes. You should not smell the cabbage, that means you over cooked it. It should still be a bright green.
- Allow the corned beef to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing it.
- Always slice against the grain.
Storage Options
If you have leftovers, here's what to do with them:
- Cover leftovers and store in the refrigerator for up to four days.
- Wrapped and stored in an air tight container, you can also freeze leftover corned beef up to 3 months.
- To reheat, microwave until warmed, or heat up in the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can, and Guinness is a very popular choice of beer to cook corned beef in. For a lighter flavor, use a can of Bud or Miller.
You can! You will get much thinner slicing if you refrigerate the cooked corned beef. Let it get very cold, then slice thin for making Reuben sandwiches.
Cabbage does not freeze well. Freeze the corned beef, carrots, and potatoes. For best results steam fresh cabbage next time you serve the corned beef.
More Irish Recipes
Get The Recipe!
Dutch Oven Corned Beef
Equipment
- Oval Dutch Oven 7 qt
- Crock Pot 6 qt Slow cooker
- Instant Pot Duo Plus 6 Quart 9-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker,
Ingredients
- 4 lb corned beef flat (spice packet is inside bag)
- 2 Bay leaves
- 3 cloves garlic crushed or slivered
- 6 peppercorns whole
- 8 cups beef broth
- water as needed to cover corned beef
- 4 large carrots cut in 2" chunks
- 1½ lbs potatoes quartered
- 1 head cabbage quartered
- 1 large onions quartered
Instructions
- Open the corned beef bag and take out the spice packet.
- Place the corned beef in a large 7 or 8 quart Dutch oven and sprinkle the spice packet on top. Add the Bay leaves, garlic, and peppercorns.4 lb corned beef flat, 2 Bay leaves, 3 cloves garlic, 6 peppercorns
- Cover the corned beef with the beef broth and any additional water needed to just barely cover the corned beef.8 cups beef broth, water
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 50 minutes per lb.
- Add the chunked carrots to the Dutch oven and continue to simmer for 15 minutes.4 large carrots
- After 15 minutes, add the quartered potatoes and simmer an additional 15 minutes.1½ lbs potatoes
- Quarter the cabbage, leaving the core so that the cabbage doesn't scatter in the pot and when transferring to a platter.
- Add the cabbage and onion next, and simmer for 15 minutes. Cabbage will be bright green and slightly firm still.1 head cabbage, 1 large onions
- Transfer the corned beef to a serving platter. Let the corned beef rest for 10 - 15 minutes, then before slicing, then slice. Heap up the carrots, potatoes, and cabbage around the sliced corned beef and serve at once.
Notes
- Make sure your corned beef is mostly submerged into your liquid in the Dutch oven.
- Cut the vegetables in very large chunks.
- Add cabbage at during the final 15 minutes. You should not smell the cabbage, that means you over cooked it. It should still be a bright green.
- Allow the corned beef to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing it.
- Always slice against the grain.
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