Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

Corned Beef and Cabbage is a dish that should be enjoyed year-round rather than just for St. Patrick’s Day. It’s cozy and doesn’t take much work to throw together in the Instant Pot which makes it a winner any day.

One thing that’s great about buying corned beef is that it’s generally sold in brine with a spice packet to ensure the perfect pickled flavor of corned beef every time. Each spice packet might be a little different, but some common flavors you’ll see are peppercorns, mustard seeds and dill seeds. This handy little spice packet takes the guesswork out of buying the right spices or wasting money on spices you may barely use otherwise.

What cut of beef should you use?

Corned beef is made using a cut called the brisket. Yes, the same one that is always used for the best BBQ. You can read more about brisket in our article that includes the quickest way to make a tender beef brisket (yes, it uses the Instant Pot). The reason it’s called corned beef is because of the way it’s cured using salt. If you want to cure it yourself, you can use large rock salt which is also known as corns of salt.

What’s the perfect way to cook corned beef?

You can boil or slow cook corned beef, but by far the best way we’ve found to make it is in the Instant Pot. It’s the perfect way to cook corned beef because of the higher amount of collagen and fibers that are found in a cut of brisket. The combination of collagen and fibers make it a tougher cut of meat if cooked for a short amount of time. The high pressure of the Instant Pot helps break those down to create a really lean and tender bite and speeds up the slower cooking methods we mentioned above.

It’s important to cut corned beef the right way.

Another important part of serving Corned Beef that is tender and delicious (rather than tough) is to slice against the grain and in thin slices. This means cutting against the muscle fibers. Once the meat is cooked, it’s easier to tell which direction the fibers are going. Cutting against the grain keeps the meat tender and easy to bite into.

Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

Contributor: Sam Ellis

Corned Beef and Cabbage is a dish that should be enjoyed year-round rather than just for St. Patrick’s Day. It’s cozy and doesn’t take much work to throw together in the Instant Pot which makes it a winner any day.

• Author: Sam Ellis
• Prep Time: 10 Minutes
• Cook Time: 1 Hour 50 Minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours
• Yield: 6 Servings 1x
• Category: Entrée
• Method: Instant Pot
• Cuisine: Irish

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Ingredients

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• 3 cups beef broth or Instant Pot Beef Bone Broth
• 1 onion, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 lbs. trimmed, lean corned beef brisket with spice packet
• 1 lb. baby carrots
• 1 medium head cabbage, cut into 6 wedges
• 1 lb. baby potatoes
• ⅛ cup chopped parsley, to top

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Instructions

1. Put beef broth in bottom of Instant Pot, then add sliced onions, peeled garlic cloves and contents of spice pack from the corned beef. Top with corned beef brisket.
2. Close lid and turn knob to sealed. Pressure cook on high pressure for 90 minutes. Once done, natural release pressure for about 15 minutes then quick release the remaining pressure.
3. Remove brisket from the Instant Pot to rest.
4. Add in carrots, cabbage wedges and whole small potatoes to Instant Pot and reseal the lid and venting knob. Pressure cook on high pressure for 4-6 minutes. Quick release the pressure once the timer is done.
5. While vegetables are cooking, slice the corned beef thinly against the grain.
6. Remove vegetables from the Instant Pot and serve with the sliced corned beef. Top with chopped parsley, if desired.