The Ultimate Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe for a Perfect St. Patrick’s Day Feast
St. Patrick’s Day is the perfect occasion to gather with friends and family and enjoy a hearty, Irish-American meal. Classic corned beef and cabbage is one of the most beloved dishes associated with this Irish holiday. It’s flavorful, simple to prepare, and serves a crowd—making it ideal for your St. Paddy’s Day celebration!
Serving corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day is a cherished tradition for many, especially in Irish-American households. The dish, featuring succulent corned beef alongside tender cabbage, carrots, and potatoes, is a delicious way to celebrate the festive spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, bringing friends and family together for a hearty and flavorful meal.
Whether you’re hosting a party or just craving a comforting meal, this easy corned beef and cabbage recipe will bring warmth and joy to your table.
This Classic Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe is easy to prepare. It simmers for 4 – 5 hours, giving you time to decorate and prepare for the party!
Any leftover corned beef can be used for sandwiches or another meal. Happy St Patrick’s Day!
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Corned Beef and Cabbage Ingredients
- Corned Beef
- Guinness
- Baby Carrots
- Small Potatoes
- Brown Sugar
- Bay Leaves
- Head of Cabbage
Serve with mustard or horseradish on the side for an added kick! This easy meal serves 4 – 6.
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How to Make Classic Corned Beef and Cabbage
Place the corned beef in a large pot (8-quart) or Dutch oven. I used a 6-quart pot, but I wish I had more room to work.
Add the seasoning packet and Guinness, then cover the corned beef brisket with 1 inch of water (approximately 8 cups).
Add the bay leaves and brown sugar and simmer for 4 – 5 hours until the meat reaches 160 degrees. I check the temperature at 4 hours, and it is usually 160 degrees.
Prepare the vegetables
While the corned beef is simmering, wash the carrots and potatoes and pull off the outer leaves of the cabbage. Then cut the cabbage into quarters and the potatoes in half.
Once the corned beef reaches 160 degrees (approximately 4 – 5 hours), remove it from the pot and set it aside, covering it loosely with foil to keep warm.
Add the potatoes and carrots to the same pot, cover and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes.
Then, add the cabbage wedges, cover and continue cooking for approximately 20 minutes until all the vegetables are tender but not mushy.
Place the corned beef back in the pot, cover and simmer for 5 minutes to warm.
When ready to serve, take the corned beef out of the pot and place it on a cutting board. Slice it against the grain into thin slices.
Arrange the meat and vegetables on a serving platter.
You can serve classic Corned Beef and Cabbage directly to plates or bring the meal to the table on a platter. My 13 x 9-inch platter (shown above) only holds half the recipe.
Decorate your table with the shamrock placemats found here.
Tips for the Best Corned Beef and Cabbage
- Low and slow is key! Simmering the corned beef gently ensures it stays tender and juicy.
- Don’t skip the seasoning packet! It contains flavorful spices that enhance the dish.
- Use Yukon Gold potatoes for a creamy texture that holds up well in the broth.
- Make it in a slow cooker! Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 8–10 hours or high for 4–6 hours for an effortless meal.
Perfect Pairings
Pair your corned beef and cabbage with traditional Irish soda bread and a pint of Guinness or an Irish whiskey cocktail like the Irish Gilt for a truly festive experience!
This easy corned beef and cabbage recipe will bring a delicious Irish American tradition to your St. Patrick’s Day celebration with minimal effort. Enjoy the feast, wear some green, and may the luck of the Irish be with you! Sláinte.
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The Ultimate Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe for a Perfect St. Patrick’s Day Feast
Equipment
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 8 Quart Pot
- 1 Meat Thermometer
Ingredients
- 4 – 5 Pounds Corned Beef
- 1 Can Guinness (14.9 Ounces)
- 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 3 Bay Leaves
- 15 Small Potatoes Washed Or 1 24 oz Bag of Baby Potatoes
- 1 Pound Baby Carrots
- 1 Head Cabbage, Outside Leaves Removed
- Spicy mustard or horseradish Optional
Instructions
- In an 8-quart pot place the corned beef fat side up.
- Add the Guinness and the corned beef seasoning packet and add water until it covers the meat by 1 inch, approximately 8 cups.
- Sprinkle on the brown sugar and add the bay leaves.
- Cover and simmer over low heat for 4 to 5 hours or until the meat is tender and has an internal temperature of 160 F.
- Wash the carrots and potatoes and pull off the outer leaves of the cabbage. Then cut the cabbage into quarters and the potatoes in half.
- Add the potatoes and carrots to the same pot when the meat reaches 160 degrees (approximately 4 – 5 hours) and cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until they soften.
- Then, add the cabbage wedges, cover and continue cooking for another 20 minutes until all the vegetables are tender but not mushy.
- Take the corned beef out of the pot and place it on a cutting board. Slice it against the grain into thin slices.
- Arrange the meat and vegetables on a serving platter or serve directly onto plates.
- Serve hot with spicy mustard or horseradish.
If you’ve tried this, please leave a comment and rating below.
This is awesome!! You need to try this delicious and easy recipe!
Nancylou
Made this delicious Cornbeef and Cabage. Must try,makes u feel like your in Ireland. It also warms up great.Make it soon.
Interesting factoid: Corned beef and cabbage as a dish, is actually an Irish-American construct! My grandparents were 1st-generation Irish/Scottish, respectively (Fitzgerald and McCreary), and neither had ever heard of this until they came to the US! lol “Corning” beef (salt-curing) was a way for poor Irish immigrants to preserve beef, which was readily-available in the States, but prohibitively-expensive in their native Ireland. The fact that it’s served fairly widely in Ireland NOW is actually more to cater to Americans who visit! Who knew??
Anyway, this recipe is quite, quite good! I actually don’t enjoy the fatty layer of corned beef, so after several hours of boiling, I remove the beef, place it on a rack over a raised-edge baking sheet, use a sharp knife to remove much of the “fat” layer, and oven-roast, the last 45 minutes or so; the residual fat rather melts and the exterior of the brisket gets a lovely crisp.
Adding the cabbage with only about 20 minutes is critical: the picture shows cabbage that is woefully overcooked; overcooked cabbage is “skunky” – not at all lovely and sweet. Cabbage is done when it’s bright green, crisp-tender, and has a mildly sweet flavour. Once it’s white? It’s a goner. So, watch the cook on the cabbage! The directions are splendid; the picture doesn’t do it justice! Enjoy! And Happy St. Patrick’s Day!! ~Chrissie
Thank you, Chrissie, for the ‘interesting factoid.’ I will update my post to reflect the Irish-American dish. I learn something new every day!
Oven-roasting the meat for the last 45 minutes sounds like a great idea. The post’s first version had all the vegetables going in together and cooking for 50 minutes. That version of the recipe was used for the photos, and you are correct: the cabbage in the pictures is way overcooked. So I adjusted the recipe, leaving the cabbage out until the end, and the cabbage was perfectly cooked. Unfortunately, my family got to the food before I could reshoot the photos.
Reshooting the recipe is on my list :o)
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you as well!
Susan