Making Corned Beef and Cabbage in the Oven

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day or cozy up on a cold winter evening with a flavorful meal of Corned Beef and Cabbage! Just dump the ingredients in one pot and let the beef, carrots, potatoes, and cabbage slowly roast for an easy and comforting dinner -- with just 10 minutes of prep. You can make it in the slow cooker, too!

Corned Beef and Cabbage in the Oven

I'm pulling out some of my favorite shortcuts and quick tricks to simplify a classic pot roast! The easy corned beef and cabbage cook together in a Dutch oven with potatoes, carrots, onions, and Guinness beer, providing an entire Irish feast with very little effort. The flavors mingle together, the vegetables absorb the drippings from the brisket, and the end result is tender, flavorful corned beef with all of the sides!

Why do we eat corned beef and cabbage on St Patrick's Day?

Believe it or not, corned beef and cabbage isn't the national dish of Ireland. It's not even particularly popular in that country, so why do we go crazy for it in the United States? This dish is an Irish-American tradition that dates back to the first Irish immigration to the U.S. in the mid 18th century.

The Irish immigrants were accustomed to eating boiled bacon on St. Patty's Day; however, the high price of pork and bacon products in the United States made this an impossibility. Instead, the Irish immigrants turned to the cheapest cut of meat available: beef brisket. They adopted the brining technique of the Eastern Europeans that were also in America at the time, salt-curing the beef and ultimately creating "corned beef." The "corned" refers to the corn-sized salt crystals used during the brining process.

Paired with cabbage (one of the cheapest vegetables available to Irish immigrants), this dish soon became a comforting meal that reminded them of their homeland, and ultimately became synonymous with St. Patrick's Day celebrations in the United States.

Ingredients

This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you'll need for a pot of classic corned beef and cabbage. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.

• Potatoes: use baby potatoes that are halved (or quartered if they're large). There's no need to peel these little gold potatoes.
• Carrots: baby carrots are a great shortcut (no peeling or chopping necessary), but you can certainly use regular carrots that are peeled and cut into chunks if you like.
• Cabbage: cut one small head into wedges. If your head of cabbage is particularly large, you'll only need about half of it. There won't be room in your Dutch oven for much more!
• White pearl onions: I use a bag of frozen pearl onions to avoid the tedious process of peeling or slicing fresh onions; however, you can substitute with fresh onions if you like. If starting with the frozen onions, you do not need to thaw them first.
• Beef broth or Guinness beer: I prefer the Guinness stout for a richer, deeper flavor; however, beef broth is a fine alcohol-free substitute.
• Corned beef brisket:purchase the flat cut corned beef brisket that comes pre-brined and ready to cook, with the seasoning packet included. This is the brand that I purchase at our local grocer, but any similar variety will work. The seasoning packet typically includes a pickling spice blend such as peppercorns, bay leaves, mustard seeds, dill seeds and at least a few other whole spices, all with warm and robust flavors.
• Brown sugar: for rubbing onto the brisket with the spices. This balances the salty flavor of the meat.

How to Make Corned Beef and Cabbage

There's very little prep work necessary for this easy St. Patrick's Day dinner, and then the oven (or the Crock Pot) does all of the work!

1. Layer the potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and onions (in that order) in the bottom of a large Dutch oven.
2. Pour Guinness or beef broth over top. This is the liquid that will help braise the meat.
3. Rub the beef with the brown sugar and sprinkle the seasonings from the spice packet on top.
4. Place the brisket (fat-side up) on top of the vegetables in the Dutch oven.
5. Cover with the lid and bake in a 350°F oven for about 3 hours.
6. Transfer the meat to a cutting board, let it rest for at least 5-10 minutes.
7. Thinly slice the beef against the grain. Serve the vegetables with a slotted spoon.

Crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage

If you prefer, you can prepare this recipe in a slow cooker instead of in the oven. To do so, layer the ingredients in the Crock Pot as instructed in the recipe. Cover and cook on LOW for 10-12 hours or on HIGH for 5-6 hours.

What to Serve with Corned Beef and Cabbage

Thanks to the beef, potatoes, and vegetables, you've got an entire meal in one pot! That said, you might also like to served the corned beef and cabbage with any of these additional sides:

• Irish Soda Bread
• Noodles
• Buttermilk Biscuits, French Baguette, a crusty loaf of Dutch Oven Bread, Flaky Biscuits or Skillet Cornbread
• Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette or a Classic Caesar Salad
• Fennel Salad with Apples and Creamy Cider Dressing
• Roasted Broccoli
• Cranberry Orange Sauce
• Cheddar Chive Beer Bread (no yeast, no knead!)
• Applesauce
• Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
• Roasted Green Beans
• 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins

Storage

Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. It's important to note, however, that the texture of the potatoes and vegetables will not be good after freezing and thawing.

Reheat leftover corned beef and cabbage in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over low heat, just until warmed through. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, or just until warm.

Recipe Variations

• To save time, I prefer the packaged corned beef brisket that comes in a brine with a spice packet. No need to mess with the brining and curing process! You can find them in just about any grocery store -- even my little rural Food Lion has them in stock. If you prefer to buy a plain brisket instead, that's fine too -- you'll just need to season and brine it yourself.
• Guinness gives the meat and vegetables a bolder, richer flavor. If you would rather not use alcohol in your dish, beef broth or even chicken broth would be a fine substitute.
• Use any vegetables and potatoes that you prefer. Baby red potatoes or peeled, diced russet potatoes will also work. Try adding peeled, chopped turnips or parsnips to the pot, too. Just make sure that they're uniform in size so that they cook evenly.
• Feeling fancy? Serve the corned beef with a horseradish sauce on the side.

Cook's Tips for the Best Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe

• Cut smaller potatoes in half, or chop larger baby potatoes into quarters. You want all of the pieces to be about the same size so that they cook evenly and are tender by the time the meat is done.
• Place the brisket in the pot with the fat-side up. The fat will drip down over the meat as it bakes, keeping the beef moist and flavorful.
• The meat is done when it's very tender. It has a pink color because nitrite is used in the curing process -- not because the meat is rare. If you're using a larger brisket, you may need to increase the total cooking time.
• Slice the beef very thinly against the grain , which means that you want to cut perpendicular to the natural parallel lines of muscle fiber that you see running down the meat.
• If you're cooking for just one or two, don't shy away from this dish. You'll want those leftovers! Use the extra corned beef in this Dump-and-Bake Reuben Casserole, or tuck the meat inside a Reuben sandwich (my favorite!).

More St. Patrick's Day Recipes to Try

• Irish Stew
• Irish Soda Bread
• Roasted Cabbage
• Sausage and Cabbage
• Cottage Pie
• Guinness Soup
• Old-Fashioned Boston Brown Bread
• Dump and Bake Reuben Casserole
• Guinness Flank Steak
• Healthy Shamrock Shake

Dump-and-Bake Corned Beef and Cabbage

This corned beef and cabbage could not be easier! It's made in one pot with simple ingredients -- a cozy meal that's perfect for St. Patrick's Day!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Irish

Keyword Corned Beef and Cabbage, corned beef and cabbage in the oven, Irish Corned Beef, St Patrick's Day Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

Resting Time 10 minutes

Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 486 kcal

• 24 ounces baby gold potatoes, halved (or quartered for larger potatoes)
• 1 lb. baby carrots
• 1 small head cabbage, cored and cut into about 8 wedges
• 1 (14 ounce) bag frozen pearl white onions
• ½ cup Guinness beer (or sub with beef broth)
• 1 (3 ½ - 4 lb.) pre-brined corned beef brisket with spice packet
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

• Preheat oven to 350°F.

• Place potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and onions (in that order) in the bottom of a large Dutch oven. Pour beer or beef broth over top.

• Rub meat with brown sugar and the seasonings from the spice packet. Place the beef (fat-side up) on top of the vegetables in the Dutch oven.

• Cover and bake for about 3 hours (or longer, if using a larger piece of meat).

• Transfer meat to a cutting board and allow to rest for about 5-10 minutes. Thinly slice the brisket against the grain. Serve the vegetables with a slotted spoon.

• Y ou can also prepare this meal in a slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 10-12 hours, or on HIGH for 5-6 hours.
• Cut smaller potatoes in half, or chop larger baby potatoes into quarters. You want all of the pieces to be about the same size so that they cook evenly and are tender by the time the meat is done.
• Place the brisket in the pot with the fat-side up. The fat will drip down over the meat as it bakes, keeping the beef moist and flavorful.
• The meat is done when it's very tender. It has a pink color because nitrite is used in the curing process -- not because the meat is rare. If you're using a larger brisket, you may need to increase the total cooking time.
• Slice the beef very thinly against the grain , which means that you want to cut perpendicular to the natural parallel lines of muscle fiber that you see running down the meat.
• If you're cooking for just one or two, don't shy away from this dish. You'll want those leftovers! Use the extra corned beef in this Dump-and-Bake Reuben Casserole, or tuck the meat inside a Reuben sandwich (my favorite!).

Serving: 1 /6 of the meal | Calories: 486 kcal | Carbohydrates: 45.1 g | Protein: 55 g | Fat: 9 g | Saturated Fat: 3.3 g | Cholesterol: 93 mg | Sodium: 293 mg | Fiber: 7.7 g | Sugar: 17.4 g

This recipe was originally published in February, 2018. The photos were updated in February, 2022.

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Source: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/corned-beef-and-cabbage/

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