Name: Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 h
Total time: 5 h 15 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Irish
Ingredients: 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces; 2 celery stalks, cut into 3-inch pieces; 1 small yellow onion, cut into 1-inch wedges; 8 ounces new potatoes, scrubbed and halved; 6 sprigs fresh thyme; 3 pounds corned beef brisket + the pickling spice packet (if it doesn’t come with one, then you’ll need 1 tablespoon pickling spice); 6 cups water; ½ head cabbage, cut into 1 ½ inch wedges; Grainy mustard, for serving

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Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage is a super easy way to make the (American) favorite meal for St. Patrick’s Day.

corned beef and cabbage displayed on a platter

March 17th is St. Patrick’s Day. It’s a day in the United States that we use as an excuse gather together for a party, eat Irish-themed foods and drink green beer. Corned Beef and Cabbage in some form is usually on the list of best St. Patrick’s Day recipes. This slow cooker corned beef and cabbage recipe from Martha Stewart can’t get much easier, so I think you need to give it a shot!

“May the wind at your back not be the result of the corned beef and cabbage you had for lunch.”
-Unknown

History of Corned Beef and Cabbage:

Corned beef and cabbage was made popular in America as a meal to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Poor Irish immigrants in America made corned beef from beef brisket as it was the cheapest cut of meat. It was paired with cabbage since that was cheap too. It’s amazing that the tradition of eating corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick’s Day has stuck for all of these years!

If you’re in Ireland, you’re more likely to eat roasted lamb or savory fish, beef or shepherd’s pies on St. Patrick’s Day. Beef or lamb stew and colcannon are popular in Ireland too. The Irish don’t drink green beer, but they do enjoy plenty of Guinness.

ingredients displayed for slow cooker corned beef and cabbage

Ingredients needed:

carrots
celery
onion
potatoes
fresh thyme
corned beef
cabbage

slow cooker corned beef and cabbage before cooking

How to make Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage:

This recipe is so easy to make! Carrots, celery, onion, potatoes and fresh thyme are laid in the bottom of a slow cooker. Then the corned beef is set on top of the vegetables along with the pickling spices. At this point, the lid is placed on top and the corned beef is cooked for 4 hours and 15 minutes.

Then, wedges of cabbage are placed into the slow cooker, the lid is placed on top again, and the cabbage is cooked with the corned beef for an additional 45 minutes.

The result will be a tender slow cooker corned beef and cabbage surrounded by more cooked veggies!

The corned beef should be removed from the slow cooker to a cutting board. Slice against the grain, and transfer to a serving platter along with the vegetables.

serving of corned beef and cabbage on a white plate

There are no excuses this St. Patrick’s Day! This slow cooker corned beef and cabbage is so simple to make!

Fun Facts About St. Patrick’s Day:

St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in Ireland. Banks, schools, etc. are closed for the day.
St. Patrick’s Day was first celebrated in America in 1737 in Boston.
The original color for St. Patrick’s day was blue!
St. Patrick wasn’t actually Irish (he was born in Britain).
Legend has it that leprechauns are thought to be the unwanted male children of the fairy community. There are no female leprechauns.
Each of the leaves on a four-leaf clover have meaning: hope, faith, love and luck. The odds of finding an actual four-leaf clover are 1 in 1,000.
The shamrock is a three-leaf clover.
New York City has one of the world’s largest St. Patrick’s Day parades (since 1762).
Chicago has dumped green dye into the Chicago River on St. Patrick’s Day since 1962.

Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours

Total Time: 5 hours 15 minutes

An easy way to whip up a corned beef and cabbage meal!

Ingredients

3 carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces
2 celery stalks, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 small yellow onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
8 ounces new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
6 sprigs fresh thyme
3 pounds corned beef brisket + the pickling spice packet (if it doesn’t come with one, then you’ll need 1 tablespoon pickling spice)
6 cups water
½ head cabbage, cut into 1 ½ inch wedges
Grainy mustard, for serving

Instructions

In a 5 to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the carrots, celery, onion, potatoes and thyme. Place the corned beef, fat-side-up, on top of the vegetables; sprinkle with pickling spice. Pour in the water (or more—enough to almost cover the meat). Cover and cook on high until the corned beef is tender (4 hours + 15 minutes). Arrange the cabbage over the corned beef, cover and continue cooking on high until the cabbage is tender, 45 minutes.

Thinly slice the corned beef against the grain. Drizzle the beef and veggies with the cooking liquid, and serve with mustard.

Alternately, you can cook the corned beef for 8 hours + 30 minutes on low and then add cabbage and cook 1 hour + 30 minutes on low).

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 709Total Fat: 42gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 240mgSodium: 148mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 67g

Nutritional information is estimated using a nutrition calculator.