This homemade corned beef uses basic ingredients and calls for a short, 2-day brine! It’s simple, delicious, and perfect for anyone who loves traditional corned beef but would prefer to control ingredients by making your own from home.

a plate of sliced corned beef, halved potatoes, carrots, and cabbage wedges sitting on a marble surface

I’ve wanted to create a homemade corned beef recipe for YEARS. There’s nothing wrong with store-bought, pre-brined corned beef, but I really wanted to be able to control the ingredients in the brine myself. Brining the beef in a way that doesn’t sacrifice flavor, texture, and food safety has been TRICKY, but I’m *so* proud to say that this recipe is EVERYTHING I had hoped it would be, and I really think you’re going to love it!

Corned beef is really just salt-cured beef. It’s typically prepared by way of a 10-12 day brine (though I have seen some recipes that call for a 5-7 day brine) that is composed of salt and water (at a very specific ratio), sugar, pink curing salt (the source of sodium nitrite and what gives corned beef its deep red color), plus a whole mess of spices.

The main reason that I decided to tackle this homemade corned beef is that I love the idea of taking a really yummy, classic recipe and manipulating the ingredients (without manipulating the flavor) to make a better-for-you version.

I also really love that this version has a much shorter brine time than traditional corned beef. I settled on a 2-day “short brine” for my corned beef so that I could get away with using a basic salt brine. If you want to brine your corned beef any longer (4+ days), I recommend you use a curing salt with sodium nitrite to help prevent the growth of bacteria.

Which cut of meat is best for corned beef?

While you can buy store-bought, pre-brined corned beef, we are going to use brisket for this recipe and give it a quick 2-day brine instead! Let’s talk types of brisket real quick:

  • Point – a fattier cut with more marbling that cooks to a more shreddable consistency
  • Flat – a leaner cut that is still tender, but sliceable once cooked
  • Whole – includes both the point and the flat, usually has more fat, and weighs about 10-15 pounds.

Because we want to be able to slice it, and because you’ll only need 4-5 pounds of beef, the flat is the best cut of brisket for corned beef. If you can’t find it at your grocery store, as your butcher to prepare it for you!

8 clear glass bowls sitting on a marble surface - 6 bowls filled with spices for corned beef, 1 bowl filled with water, and 1 large bowl filled with a raw beef brisket

How to Brine Corned Beef

Brining your brisket is really simple. Here’s what you’ll need to do:

  1. Rinse the brisket – prepare the brisket simply by rinsing it with water. Place it in a large glass bowl or, if you prefer, a large, 2-gallon Ziploc bag.
  2. Prepare the brine – bring the water to a simmer in a large pot on the stovetop, then pour in the salt and whisk until the salt is dissolved. Once the salt is dissolved, let the water cool until it’s safe to touch, then add the rest of the brine seasonings, whisk to combine, and pour over the brisket. If you’re brining the brisket in a bowl, note that the brisket will likely float. You want to try to keep the meat submerged at all times – placing a small plate or weighted bowl on top can help you accomplish this! If you’re using a bag to brine, make sure that you remove all air before sealing.
  3. Brine the brisket – let the brisket sit, refrigerated, in the brine for 24 to 48 hours.

How to Cook Corned Beef in a Crockpot

It’s so easy y’all! Here’s what you’ll need to do:

  1. Rinse the brisket – pull the brisket from the brine and rinse it off. 
  2. Place in the slow cooker – once rinsed, place the brisket in your slow cooker, add the whole mustard seeds, whole black peppercorns, and bay leaves, and cover it with the beef broth. Then, add the carrots, potatoes, and cabbage around the brisket.
  3. Cook – set the slow cooker to cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.
  4. Slice (or shred) + enjoy!

How to Slice Corned Beef

I prefer to slice my corned beef! The biggest thing to remember when slicing your corned beef is to make sure that you’re slicing it against the grain (cutting through the shreds, or fibers, of the meat instead of alongside them).

a slow cooker filled with cooked corned beef, cabbage wedges, carrots, and red potatoes.

How to Store Corned Beef

Store your leftover corned beef in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Stored this way, it’ll be good for up to 5 days!

Best Ways to Use Corned Beef Leftovers

I LOVE repurposing leftover proteins! My favorite way to repurpose corned beef? Corned beef breakfast hash! It checks *all* of the breakfast boxes – it’s yummy, nutritious, and will keep you full for hours.

a plate of sliced corned beef, halved potatoes, carrots, and cabbage wedges sitting on a marble surface

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Corned Beef Frequently Asked Questions

Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

4.80 — Votes 5 votes
By Cassy
Prep: 2 days
Cook: 4 hours
Total: 2 days 4 hours
Servings: 8 -10 servings
This homemade corned beef is fall-apart tender and accompanied by carrots, cabbage, and potatoes for a delicious one-pot meal.

Ingredients  

  • 4-5 pound beef brisket trimmed

For the brine:

  • 2 quarts or 8 cups water
  • 1 cup fine sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon whole mustard seeds
  • 1 tablespoon ground mustard seed
  • 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon whole cloves

To cook:

  • 32 ounces or 4 cups beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon whole mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 pound carrots peeled and cut into 3-inch chunks
  • 2 pounds red potatoes rinsed and left whole
  • 1 head of green cabbage cut into sixths

Instructions 

  • Prepare the brisket simply by rinsing it with water. Place it in a large glass bowl or (if you prefer) a 2-gallon Ziploc bag.
  • To prepare the brine, bring the water to a simmer. Pour in the salt and whisk until the salt is dissolved. Let the water cool until it’s safe to touch. Add the rest of the brine seasons, whisk to combine, and pour over the brisket. If you’re brining the brisket in a bowl, note that the brisket will likely float. You want to try to keep the meat submerged at all time – placing a small plate or weighted bowl on top can help you accomplish this! If you’re using a bag to brine, make sure that you remove all air before sealing. Let the brisket sit in the brine for 36 to 48 hours (two days).
  • At the end of the brine, pull the brisket from the brine and rinse thoroughly with water.
  • Place the brisket in the slow cooker, adding the mustard seeds, peppercorn, bay leaves, and broth. Then, add the carrots, potatoes, and cabbage around the brisket. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.*
  • To carve, pull the brisket out of the slow cooker, blot dry and carve or shred as you like! Note that I usually separate and discard any extra fat at this point in time.
  • Leftovers will keep refrigerated for up to 5 days. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

  • If you’d like the cabbage to be a bit more crisp, add it in the final hour of cooking time if cooking on high or the final two hours of cooking time if cooking on low. 
  • You can make this in the Instant Pot by cooking on high pressure for 90 minutes. 

Nutrition

Calories: 516kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 14841mg | Potassium: 1763mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 9604IU | Vitamin C: 55mg | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 7mg

Additional Info

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Irish
Servings: 8 -10 servings
Calories: 516
Keyword: corned beef, corned beef and cabbage, corned beef brisket, slow cooker corned beef

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About the Author

Cassy Joy Garcia, NC

Cassy Joy Garcia, a New York Times best-selling author, of Cook Once Dinner Fix, Cook Once Eat All Week, and Fed and Fit as well as the creative force behind the popular food blog Fed & Fit.


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26 Comments

  1. This was outstanding. Corned my own beef for Saint Patrick’s Day using this recipe and cooked it in the slow cooker. It was easy and tasted amazing, and no pink curing salts! I added a little elderberry powder to the brine to make it pink. Thank you for sharing!

    1. Elderberry powder, how fun! Thank you for taking the time to share with us. Glad you enjoyed. -Melissa

  2. 5 stars
    Just stopped by to say that I made this for Father’s Day (for hash), and was SO intimidated, but it turned out amazing and I’m so happy I tried it because I will definitely be making it again! I don’t really like corned beef that much (that I’ve had in restaurants) but this was DELICIOUS!

    1. Way to go, Marika! Thank you for sharing this with us!

  3. Wow! I made this recipe last night for friends and they loved it. I brined my 3 lb brisket for 2 days using Redmond Real Salt which made the brine a dirty water color, but it was totally fine. I also adjusted the ratio of the brine and cooking ingredients for a 3 lb brisket; just multiplied everything by 60%, and it worked out great. I also cooked this in my instantpot for 90 min, and it was perfect. I did sautéed cabbage and roasted red potatoes on the side.

    1. So glad it was a hit, Lauren! Thank you so much for sharing this with us!

  4. If I only have about 2.5lbs of brisket would I adjust the brine levels or keep it as is?

    1. Thanks. I followed the recipe exactly as descried (IP version), but my corned beef came out WAY too salty.

    2. Oh no, we’re so sorry about that, Sara. Thanks for sharing this with us – it’s definitely helpful!

  5. I just bought my brisket yesterday. I was considering brining it today and putting it in the freezer for 7 days, letting it thaw in my fridge and then baking it in St. Patrick’s Day. Does that sound okay? (I have no idea what might go wrong, wanted to ask.) Thank you!

  6. love the recipe but difficult to read it due to all of the pop up ads. I wish they were on a different part of the page so we coudl actually see the entire recipe instead of reading it through a 1 inch window under the pop ups.

    1. Oh no, we’ll look into this. Thank you for the feedback!

  7. 5 stars
    Amazing! So delicious! I have been waiting to make this for St. Patrick’s Day. I now know that I will be making it often. It is good alone, and it will make amazing Rubens!

  8. Any thoughts on finishing this in the pressure cooker rather than the slow cooker? Thanks!

    1. She says in the post if you want to do longer than 4 days you have to do a more traditional pink salt brine to prevent bacterial growth.

  9. Looks great! I was just curious if the corned beef had to be refrigerated while it was in the brine, or whether you want it at room temperature? Thanks!

    1. I think that would work fine, Morgan! The slow cooker allows this recipe to work with almost any cut of meat.

  10. I must admit I was skeptical with only a 2 day brine, BUT this turned out so yummy. My husband finished the brisket on the grill, and everyone loved it on our paleo Rueben sandwiches. My new go to for corned beef. Thank-you!