Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage [VIDEO]

Instant Pot Corned Beef is tender and delicious, served with cabbage and potatoes, cooked in the pressure cooker in a fraction of time. This is the ultimate dish to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! It is a good old-fashioned Irish meal that is cooked faster and better in the pressure cooker.

St. Patrick’s Day is one of my favorite and I love cooking traditional Irish dishes. For this occasion, you can also try Bacon Fried Cabbage, Shepherd’s Pie, and Mint Chocolate Chip Truffles. 

Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

Instant Pot Corned Beef is so incredibly tender and delicious,  and it can be done in a fraction of time than baking or cooking it in the slow cooker. This recipe is very easy, basic and impossible to get wrong.

Also, to make it even better, after the beef is cooked, simply add the cabbage and potatoes to the pressure cooker and cook them for an additional 4-5 minutes. This way, you will have a rounded meal of delicious meat and vegetables.

In addition, I do recommend making this dish with a decent amount of liquid in it. Usually, I use at least 1 1/2 cups of broth with an equal amount of beer or water added. Corned beef can be very salty, and without adding enough liquid to reach the sides of the brisket, you won’t draw enough of that salt out of the meat during the cooking process. Therefore, it is essential to use enough liquid when cooking it. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, check my recipe for Slow Cooker Corned Beef.

What is Corned Beef?

The name comes from the treatment of the meat with large grained rock salt, also called “corns” of salt and with some pickling spices for added flavor. It gets its name “corn” from an old English word for grain.

How to Choose the Best Cut of Corned Beef?

• The “flat” cut – leaner and features a more consistent thickness.
• The “point” –  it is the thicker end of the brisket, fattier, with inter-muscular fat or marbling.
• A whole brisket, which includes both the flat and the point, is the best choice.

How long to cook Corned Beef in Instant Pot?

• I cook this dish in the pressure cooker for about 1.5 hours, but it also depends on the size of the meat. For a 4-pound corned beef (flat or pointcut), I recommend cooking it at high pressure for 90 minutes, with a 20-minute natural pressure release. As a result, you will end up with fork-tender meat, but still sliceable against the grain without falling apart. However, if you make a much smaller brisket, it will need a shorter cooking time. I would recommend reducing the cooking time to about 75 minutes for a 2-pound brisket, with an abbreviated natural release.
• If you want to make it in the crockpot, the cooking time will be about 8-10 hours on LOW or 4-5 hours on HIGH.
• In the oven it will take about 4-6 hours, it depends on how big is the brisket.

How to cook vegetables in pressure cooker?

Once the brisket is cooked remove it from the pot. Then, add the potatoes, carrots, and cabbage to it. I like to strain the cooking liquid after removing the corned beef from the pot and discard the solids.

Then, I use some of the strained liquid back into the pot with the vegetables, and cook on high pressure for 4-5 minutes, with a manual release.

What to Serve with Corned Beef?

When the brisket is cooked, I like to place it in a dish with a bit of the reserved cooking liquid and let it rest for a bit, covered with foil. Before serving, it is best to slice the brisket against the grain in 1/8 to 1/4-inch slices.

• Serve it with garlic roasted potatoes, carrots, and cabbage.
• Also, shred-it and make Reuben Sandwiches or go a step further and make a Reuben Grilled Cheese.
• Serve it over pasta or creamy mashed potatoes.
• Make corned beef hash!

Can I Make My Own Blend of Pickling Spices for Corned Beef?

Yes, you totally can, if the corned beef you bought didn’t come with pickling spices, you can make your own, just mix these ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon whole white peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon whole allspice
• 3-5 whole cloves
• 5 bay leaves

Corned Beef Instant Pot Recipe Tips:

• For a tender corned beef, use a whole brisket.
• I love using beer in this recipe, you can use a traditional Irish beer like Guinness or go for your favorite brew.
• If you prefer not to use alcohol a mix of water and some beef broth is a great choice.
• If your corned beef didn’t come with pickling spices, scroll down to see how you can make your own blend.
• To save time, you can use baby carrots and baby potatoes.
• I like to add 1/2 of a larger cabbage to the pot, a whole one seems excessive to me.
• Add more or less garlic, based on taste preference.
• Slice the beef across the grain, it will result in more tender slices.
• This is the Instant Pot I have.