Description
This slow cooker corned beef recipe is a hearty and comforting meal perfect for any occasion. Tender corned beef brisket is slow-cooked with a fragrant blend of mustard seeds, black peppercorns, and allspice berries, then simmered alongside classic vegetables like potatoes, carrots, onions, and cabbage. The result is a flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth dish that requires minimal preparation and delivers maximum taste.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 3 to 4 pounds corned beef brisket
Spices
- 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon allspice berries
Liquids & Broth
- 4 cups beef broth
Vegetables
- 4 medium potatoes, quartered
- 4 large carrots, chopped into large pieces
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 1 small head cabbage, cut into wedges
Seasoning & Garnish
- Salt, to taste
- Fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the brisket: Rinse the corned beef brisket under cold water to remove excess salt, then pat it dry thoroughly with paper towels to ensure the seasoning adheres well.
- Place in the slow cooker: Set the brisket fat side up in the slow cooker to keep the meat moist and flavorful during cooking.
- Create spice mixture: In a small bowl, combine mustard seeds, black peppercorns, and allspice berries, then spread this evenly over the top of the brisket for a fragrant, spicy crust.
- Add broth and onion: Pour beef broth over the brisket, add the quartered onion, and season lightly with salt to enhance the overall flavor.
- Arrange vegetables: Surround the brisket with quartered potatoes and chopped carrots, ensuring even cooking and absorption of flavors.
- Slow cook: Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours, allowing the meat to become fork-tender and the vegetables to absorb savory juices.
- Add cabbage: One hour before the end of cooking, place the cabbage wedges on top of the meat and vegetables, then cover and continue cooking to soften the cabbage perfectly.
- Rest the meat: Remove the brisket from the slow cooker and let it rest for about 10 minutes to retain juices before slicing.
- Slice and serve: Slice the corned beef against the grain for tenderness and serve with the cooked vegetables, garnished with fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
- Rinsing the corned beef removes excess salt for a better balanced dish.
- Cooking with fat side up helps keep the brisket juicy and flavorful.
- Add cabbage later in cooking to prevent it from getting mushy.
- Resting the meat before slicing allows the juices to redistribute, enhancing tenderness.
- Slice against the grain to ensure maximum tenderness.
- Leftovers make excellent sandwiches when thinly sliced and reheated.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Irish-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 200g corned beef with vegetables)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
Keywords: slow cooker corned beef, corned beef brisket, slow cooker recipes, Irish corned beef, easy corned beef, comfort food
