Crock Pot Corned Beef Brisket
, Updated Sep 06, 2026
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Crock Pot Corned Beef Brisket – your slow cooker is a great way to make tender corned beef and cabbage. Cook with potatoes and carrots for a complete meal that feeds a crowd.
You can also cook Corned Beef in your Air Fryer!
I love corned beef so much I have a recipe for making homemade corned beef (salt beef) from scratch. It is a labor of love that takes over a week to make it to the table. If you are able to skip the long curing process by buying corned beef brisket then it couldn’t be simpler!
This crock pot corned beef and cabbage isn’t just for St. Patrick’s Day — it’s genuinely one of the easiest ways to feed a crowd from a handful of pantry staples. It’s not a traditional Irish recipe either, actually: it was popularized by Irish immigrants in the US, who found beef brisket more affordable than the bacon traditionally used back home, and cabbage one of the cheapest vegetables to pair it with.
“Corn” by the way refers to the large salt crystals used in the curing process, which is why corned beef is also called salt beef.
Here’s What You’ll Need
You will need a large slow cooker for this recipe and the following ingredients:
- Corned beef brisket – usually sold vacuum packed with a packet pickling spices. If spices are not included, you can buy them separately or make your own (see my Pastrami recipe for details)
- Beer – I like using a light lager in this recipe. Avoid using Guinness as it can make the vegetables taste bitter.
- Additional water or beef broth if needed
- Red potatoes, carrots and celery
- Bay leaves
- Green cabbage
How to Make Crockpot Corned Beef
- This is a very simple recipe that basically cooks itself with very little prep. Add the potatoes, celery and bay leaves to the slow cooker and pour in the beer and broth.
- Place the corned beef brisket on top of the potatoes and sprinkle with the pickling spices. The liquid in the crock pot should come about halfway up the brisket. Add the carrots around it.
- Cook on the LOW setting for 8 hours. Uncover and add the cabbage pieces on top and cook for another 45 minutes on HIGH. Discard the celery and bay leaves. The corned beef is ready when you can easily pierce it with a knife.
- Discard the celery and bay leaves and reserve some of the cooking liquid to serve with. Rest the brisket, loosely covered, for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain and enjoying with the potatoes, carrots and cabbage.
Recipe Tips
- Use a large serrated knife to cut your corned beef against the grain. Place the brisket on a butcher’s block and slice using a slaw see-sawing motion.
- Only slice as much corned beef as you are serving. Wrap leftovers in aluminium foil and keep refrigerated for up to three days.
- Freezing: let the brisket cool completely, then slice and store in a freezer-safe container with a little of the cooking liquid to keep it moist. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave, adding a splash of broth if it looks dry.
- If you want to cook on the HIGH setting then add the vegetables halfway through and use red potatoes as they hold its shape without becoming mush.
Cook your corned beef brisket on Low for 8–10 hours, adding cabbage toward the last 45 minutes. Low, slow heat breaks down the tough brisket fibers so it becomes tender and juicy.
Rinsing removes some of the excess brine and salt, but it’s optional.
You can, but it’s best on Low — slow cooking gives the most tender results. On High, the beef can cook faster but may be slightly chewier.
Yes — adding potatoes, carrots and cabbage turns this into a complete meal and infuses the broth with extra flavor. Add cabbage toward the end to avoid overcooking.
Beer (lager), beef broth or even water all work well. Beer and broth add extra depth, but water is fine if you want a lighter broth.
Yes, see the freezing instructions above.
Yes — it reheats well, and the flavor actually improves after a day in the fridge.
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Crock Pot Corned Beef Brisket
Ingredients
- 10 medium red potatoes , halved
- 2 ribs celery
- 2 bay leaves
- 10 small carrots
- 3 ½ pounds (1.6kg) corned beef brisket
- 1 tbsp pickling spice (spice packet)
- 2 cups (480ml) beer (lager)
- 1 cup beef broth or water if needed
- ½ green cabbage , cored and sliced
Instructions
- This is a very simple recipe that basically cooks itself with very little prep. Add the potatoes, carrots, celery and bay leaves to the slow cooker and pour in the beer and broth.2 ribs celery, 2 bay leaves, 10 medium red potatoes, 10 small carrots
- Place the corned beef brisket on top of the potatoes and sprinkle with the pickling spices. The liquid in the crock pot should come about halfway up the brisket. Add the carrots around it.3 ½ pounds (1.6kg) corned beef brisket, 1 tbsp pickling spice, 2 cups (480ml) beer , 1 cup beef broth
- Cook on the LOW setting for 8-10 hours. Uncover and add the cabbage pieces on top and cook for another 45 minutes on HIGH.½ green cabbage
- Discard the celery and bay leaves. The corned beef is ready when you can easily pierce it with a knife.
- Discard the celery and bay leaves and reserve some of the cooking liquid to serve with. Rest the brisket, loosely covered, for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain and enjoying with the potatoes, carrots and cabbage.
Notes
- Use a large serrated knife to cut your corned beef against the grain. Place the brisket on a butcher’s block and slice using a slaw see-sawing motion.
- Only slice as much corned beef as you are serving. Wrap leftovers in aluminium foil and keep refrigerated for up to three days.
- If you want to cook on the HIGH setting then add the vegetables halfway through and use red potatoes as they hold its shape without becoming mush.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
