Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
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Try Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage for a tender and flavorful St. Patrick’s Day meal. This pressure cooker recipe is a favorite, with juicy meat and perfectly cooked veggies.
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Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage may be my new favorite way to make this iconic St. Patrick’s Day meal. The corned beef is incredibly tender and flavorful, and its reserved juices make the meat and veggies… perfect. Softly cooked in the pressure cooker and infused with the corned beef spices that make it a stand-out favorite.
I wasn’t sure I would love it in the Instant Pot. Our Easy One Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage has been my go-to recipe forever. In fact, so much that I simply adapted it for the Instant Pot. And now — I’ve fallen in love with them both. Seriously.
There are some differences between cooking the corned beef and cabbage in the pressure cooker instead of the stovetop method. Much has to do with the amount of liquid used and, as one would expect, the cooking time.
But the ingredients remain the same. A beautiful cut of meat, fresh from the farm (if you can find it), cabbage, organic carrots, and baby red potatoes.
How to Make Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
As with most classic recipes adapted for pressure cooking, this Instant Pot Corned Beef will require less liquid than traditional methods, like stove top or slow cooker.
Most recipes call for 5 to 6 cups of liquid. Because of its sealed nature, the liquid in the Instant Pot doesn’t evaporate as quickly. Thus, this recipe will use only 3 and 1/2 cups of water. The spices remain the same: 2 tablespoons of pickling spice. And this is enough to infuse the brisket perfectly.
Most Instant Pot meat recipes only require the minimum pressure cooker liquid, usually 1 to 1 and 1/2 cups. I’ve increased the liquid here to balance the saltiness of the brisket.
How much time does Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage Take?
For a 4-pound corned beef brisket, it will take 85 minutes of cooking time, and 20 minutes for natural release. While that is a fair amount of time, to contrast, stovetop braising will require a couple of hours minimum and slow cooker methods can be as long as 8 hours.
This 85-minute cooking time will deliver a fork-tender meat that is still sliceable, juicy… and simply incredibly delicious.
Slicing Pressure Cooker Corned Beef
When the corned beef has cooked for 85 minutes and the pressure has released for 20 minutes, I like to transfer the brisket to a baking pan to rest. This will allow additional juices to collect in the bottom of the pan. Be sure to cover it with foil to keep it warm while you cook the potatoes, cabbage, and potatoes.
When ready to serve, slice the brisket against the grain in 1/8 to 1/4-inch slices. Then spoon a bit of the reserved cooking liquid over the slices on the platter. Serve a whole grain mustard on the side for dipping.
You might like: Here’s How (and Why) to Slice Meat Against the Grain from Kitchn.
Is Corned Beef and Cabbage a Traditional St Patrick’s Day Meal?
There are two answers to that question. Yes… and no. It’s complicated. Kind of.
In our Easy One Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe post, we answer that question more completely. You can read about that here. But the short answer has to do with…
“a new land and new opportunities, a melding of cultures, a celebration of heritage, economical constraints… and a president who firmly established corned beef and cabbage in American culture.”
More Irish Recipes to Try:
Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large onion sliced
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons pickling spice
- 3 ½ cups water
- 4 pound corned beef brisket rinsed
- 1 pound small red potatoes halved
- 1 small head of cabbage cut into 8 wedges
- 2 bunches carrots peeled
- whole grain mustard for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Combine onion, garlic, pickling spices, and water in the bottom of an Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker. Place the rack on top of the onions and water and then transfer the rinsed brisket, fat side up, to the rack.
- Seal the lid and manually set the cooker to high pressure for 85 minutes. Once cooked, naturally release the pressure for 15 minutes before quickly releasing any remaining pressure. Using the rack, remove the corned beef to a dish or cutting board to rest while cooking the veggies. Spoon some cooking juices over the brisket and cover with foil to keep it warm.
- Strain the cooking juices, discard the solids and reserve.
For the Cabbage, Potatoes, and Carrots:
- To the Instant Pot, add 1 cup of the reserved cooking liquid. Then add the red potatoes, cabbage wedges and carrots. Seal lid, make sure the valve is set to “sealing” and set manually set the cooker to high pressure for 2 to 3 minutes, depending on how soft you want the veggies to be. I prefer 2 minutes of cooking time. Quick release the pressure once the veggies are cooked.
- Slice the corned beef against the grain and spoon a bit of the reserved cooking juices over the brisket. Transfer to a serving platter along with the cooked potatoes, cabbage wedges and carrots. Serve with a whole grain mustard on the side if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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Thank you for this recipe! We tried it this year and it was a huge hit with everyone! I don’t do that much in the instant pot, but this wa so easy and turned out tender and perfectly done. Will be on our list from now on!
Very disappointed corn beef is corned beef same with potatoes and carrots cabbage I decided to cook 3 mins to make sure done. IT WAS NOT it was already late wasn’t going to make everyone wait any longer As far as I’m concerned meal was a flop. Corned beef and cabbage is good because you eat together. I should have known better to leave cabbage that big of slices but I thought well I’ll follow they should know what they’re doing. Learned a lesson
Everything about this meal was delicious!!! Thank you so much!
Yay! I’m making it now too. Another few minutes of natural release. I’m so glad you liked it!