This recipe makes enough corned beef dinner for a small crowd (or for 3 or 4 with some nice leftovers), so be sure to use a 6-quart slow cooker. If you own a smaller slow cooker, just boil the potatoes on the stove-top instead of slow cooking them.
In this recipe, the cabbage is cooked alongside the corned beef the entire time, resulting in very soft, flavorful cabbage. If you don’t like your cabbage cooked this way (or want it to be more firm), then add it halfway through cooking instead of at the beginning.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds small, red potatoes
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch lengths
- 1/4 pound pearl onions, peeled (or frozen pearl onions, thawed)
- 1/2 head cabbage (about 1 1/2 pounds), cored and cut into 1-inch slices
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 bay leaf
- pinch ground allspice
- 4 pounds corned beef brisket, visible fat trimmed
- finely chopped parsley (optional), for garnish
Instructions
- Layer the first 10 ingredients in the slow cooker crock, starting with the potatoes on the bottom and ending with the allspice. Place the corned beef on top of the vegetables, cutting it in half, if necessary, to fit in the crock.
- Add enough water to the crock to come halfway up the corned beef. (The amount of liquid will actually increase as the vegetables and corned beef cook). Cover and cook 8 hours on LOW (or 4 hours on HIGH).
- Transfer the corned beef to a platter and cover with foil. Allow the meat to rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting it into thin slices, against the grain. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables to a serving platter. Spoon some cooking juices over the corned beef slices and sprinkle parsley over all, if desired.
NOTE: If you're using regular pearl onions (not frozen ones), here's how you handle the peeling job: boil them for 3 minutes, drain and run some cold water over them to cool. Cut off the ends and then slip the skins off. They should come off easily.
Will this recipe work without tge onions, allspice, olive oil instead of butter, rice wine vinegar instead of cider, no pepper or bay Leaf? I have other herbs I can add.
Hi there! Certainly it will work–it’s very flexible. Use the veggies and seasonings you wish–make it yours!
Can this recipe be adapted for the instant pot?
Hi Kim, yes this certainly can be made in an instant pot, but I haven’t tested it as such. I would look online for a similar instant pot recipe and go with their timing. You’ll likely need much less liquid as well.
Can I use Spanish onion instead of pearl
Absolutely Paul! This recipe is very forgiving, switching onions is no big deal!
Can you use the seasoning packet that comes with the corned beef?
Yes, JD, you certainly can! In that case, I’d skip the allspice called for in the recipe, and notch down the pepper as well.
Is the liquid supposed to evaporate? It’s been in the slow cooker for 4 hours on low so far and none of the liquid has evaporated.