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Ready to learn how to make corned beef and cabbage the easy way? This pressure cooker corned beef and cabbage recipe takes just 10 minutes to prep and is ready in 90 minutes. This is the ultimate guide to easy corned beef and cabbage – what it is, how to cook keto corned beef and cabbage, how to slice it, and what to serve alongside it.
Whether you’re making corned beef for St. Patrick’s day, for a Sunday dinner, or even for a holiday meal, it’s super satisfying any time of the year.
Corned beef can sometimes require a lengthy cooking process, but this easy corned beef recipe comes together super fast in the 10-QT Crock-Pot Express Easy Steam Release Pressure Cooker!
It is it’s LARGE and unlike my other pressure cooker, can fit big cuts of meat (or even a smaller whole turkey!).
Here are a few of my other favorite features of my new Crock-Pot pressure cooker:
- The size is great for the holidays and bigger gatherings! You’d never fit a whole corned beef brisket, head of cabbage, onion, and celery root into a regular-sized pressure cooker. But with this one, you can!
- It’s easy to use. Unlike my other pressure cooker, it has a “Start” button and is simpler to get the hang of.
- You’ll love the Easy Release Steam Dial. It’s away from the spot where the steam comes out, so no risk of burning your hand!
- Progress bar. It tells you when it gets up to pressure!
And once you see how easy it is to make corned beef and cabbage in this thing, you’ll want to get one ASAP. 😉
But first, let me answer some of your pressing questions about making homemade corned beef and cabbage…
What Is Corned Beef And Cabbage?
A traditional corned beef and cabbage recipe features a salt-cured slab of beef. Brisket is typically the cut that is used. It was originally created in order to help preserve meat, and became popular during World War I and World War II when fresh meat was rationed.
Corned beef is typically served with cooked cabbage, carrots, and potatoes as well. My keto corned beef and cabbage recipe has all the same amazing flavors, but with fewer carbs.
Most Irish corned beef and cabbage recipes often takes hours to cook in the oven or slow cooker. Fortunately, this one doesn’t! With the Crock-Pot pressure cooker, it’s ready in just about an hour-and-a-half… and almost all of that is hands off time.
Why Is It Called Corned Beef?
Corned beef got its name from the salt-curing process it goes through. Contrary to what the name might suggest, it does not involve any corn.
The salt used in curing corned beef is large and sometimes called “corns” of salt.
You can certainly cure your own corned beef, but the simplest method – and the one used in this quick and easy corned beef and cabbage recipe – is to buy cured corned beef.
Best Cut Of Corned Beef: What Part Of The Cow Is Corned Beef?
Corned beef cabbage recipes are made with beef brisket. There are actually two cuts of brisket, as it’s two different muscles.
You can choose which one of these cuts of meat to use for corned beef:
- The fatty section of the brisket is considered the point cut, and sometimes called the deckle.
- The leaner cut is called the first or flat cut. It has the deckle removed, which makes it leaner.
I used flat cut in my pressure cooker corned beef and cabbage.
Where To Buy Corned Beef
At certain times of year (especially around St. Patrick’s Day), you can find corned beef at any conventional grocery store. If you can’t find it, ask the meat department as they may have it stored in the freezer.
Otherwise, a butcher shop will carry corned beef year-round. If they don’t have it, they can order it for you if you call ahead.
TIP: Make sure that you buy the corned beef already brined but uncooked. Cooked corned beef is usually available (especially around St. Patrick’s Day) but it’s way less flavorful and not what we are looking for in this corned beef and cabbage recipe.
Veggies In Keto Corned Beef And Cabbage
In this keto corned beef and cabbage recipe, we’re including a few traditional vegetables and one new (and improved!) veggie to the mix.
This quick and easy corned beef and cabbage has 3 types of vegetables:
- Cabbage (obviously!) – The cabbage gets all soft and delicious.
- Onions – The onions are cooked and then discarded as they are used for flavor only (and they are pretty flavorless after the cooking process).
- Celery root – Instead of potatoes, we’re using celery root! It makes such an excellent (and low carb and keto!) replacement for potatoes. I fell in love with it when I made keto beef stew recently, and have been obsessed ever since.
TIP: If you don’t need this recipe to be low carb, feel free to use potatoes instead of celery root. The recipe will be the same otherwise!
Here is how to prepare vegetables for cooking corned beef and cabbage:
- How to prep cabbage – Remove the core from the cabbage. Slice into large wedges.
- How to prep onions – Peel and cut into 6 large pieces.
- How to prep celery root – Peel the celery root and cut into 2-inch chunks. Find a visual for how to cut celery root in my keto beef stew recipe post.
How To Make Corned Beef And Cabbage In A Pressure Cooker
Now it’s time to tackle the question: how to make corned beef and cabbage! Surprise, it takes just 10 minutes to prep – which is almost unbelievable considering the meal you’ll end up with.
Let’s make this pressure cooker corned beef and cabbage dinner:
- Rinse corned beef. Unwrap the corned beef brisket and set aside the seasoning packet. Rinse the brisket under water, then pat dry.
TIP: Rinsing is important, because the keto corned beef and cabbage will be too salty otherwise.
- Trim the corned beef. This step is optional if you prefer a leaner cut of meat.
TIP: Leave at least 1/4 inch of fat on the brisket. This will provide flavor during the cooking process.
- Season the brisket. Place the brisket, fat side up, into the Crock-Pot Pressure Cooker XXL. Sprinkle the seasonings from the packet over the brisket and pat the seasonings gently into the meat to help it stick.
- Pour bone broth into the pressure cooker, around the brisket, but not right over it so that you don’t disturb the seasonings.
- Cook brisket. Cover and turn the lid to seal. Press Manual Pressure and increase time to 1 hour and 15 minutes. When the time is up, use the Quick Release to release pressure. Once the steam is done coming out, open the lid.
TIP: The corned beef brisket is not fully cooked at this point! We’re just opening the lid so we can add the veggies.
- Meanwhile, mix up the horseradish sauce. Stir together the sour cream, mayonnaise, horseradish, lemon juice, and garlic powder.
TIP: Cover and chill the sauce in the refrigerator. This helps the flavors develop.
- Add the vegetables. Pressure cooker corned beef and cabbage needs veggies, too! To the pressure cooker, add the chopped onion, celery root, and cabbage into the broth around the beef, in that order. (Cabbage should be on top!) Lightly season the veggies with salt and pepper after adding the celery root, and again after adding the cabbage.
TIP: Try not to cover the beef with the vegetables.
- Cover and cook on high for 15 more minutes. Then, use Quick Release and open the lid. You’ll notice more liquid, soft veggies, and fully cooked corned beef.
- Brown the easy corned beef and cabbage recipe. This step is optional, but a quick broil is an easy way to brown the meat.
- Slice the corned beef. Cut the meat against the grain (more on this below) in 1/2-inch slices and place onto a platter.
- Serve up your perfect corned beef and cabbage recipe! Place the corned beef and cabbage, along with the celery root onto a platter and serve with the horseradish sauce.
How Long Does It Take To Cook Corned Beef?
Corned beef needs to be cooked low and slow – unless you’re making my pressure cooker corned beef and cabbage recipe!
Using the Crock-Pot Pressure Cooker XXL has a big advantage: you can still cook the corned beef in a gently way, but at a much faster pace.
This corned beef and cabbage pressure cooker recipe has about 90 minutes of cooking time, once it reaches full pressure. Cooking time will depend a bit on your brisket size, and of course, cooking method.
Can You Overcook Corned Beef?
Yes, it is possible to overcook corned beef, and you definitely don’t want to end up with mushy meat. But you also want to make sure to cook it until it’s tender, as brisket is a tough cut of meat.
You want to cook the corned beef until it slices easily, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 to 160 degrees F.
Fortunately, you don’t have to figure out how to long to cook corned beef because I took care of that when I tested this recipe. Unlike oven recipes for corned beef, you don’t have to do any temperature testing fort his one. Just follow the times listed in the instructions on the recipe card below!
How To Slice Corned Beef
Now that you know how to make corned beef and cabbage, it’s time to learn how to slice it! While it may seem intimidating, it’s really quite simple:
- Transfer corned beef onto a sturdy cutting board.
- Check which way the grain fibers run in your corned beef.
- Grab a chef’s knife. Don’t use a serrated knife, which would tear the meat.
- Slice the meat at a right angle from the direction of the grain, about 1/2-inch thick.
TIP: Cutting the meat against the grain helps make it more tender.
What’s In Corned Beef Seasoning?
The corned beef seasoning packet will vary a bit depending on the brand, but it is essentially a pickling mixture that often times includes whole spices like:
- Yellow or brown mustard seed
- Bay leaf
- Black Peppercorns
- Whole Allspice
- Dried Chiles
- Whole Cloves
- Anise Seeds
- Bay Leaves
I was delighted to find that the pre-made packets typically don’t contain sugar, which means you can make keto corned beef and cabbage without making your own seasoning mix!
Slow Cooker vs. Pressure Cooker Corned Beef
If you want to learn how to make corned beef and cabbage from scratch, but prefer to use your Crock-Pot slow cooker, you certainly can.
The main difference between slow cooker and pressure cooker corned beef is the cooking time.
Note: You may need to add more broth or water so that the brisket is almost fully submerged, and just as with the pressure cooker, add in the vegetables at the end of the cooking time so that they don’t turn into mush.
Cooking time will vary slightly depending on size of corned beef, but will be about 5-6 hours on High or 8-10 hours on Low.
How Many Calories In Corned Beef And Cabbage?
There are 437 calories per serving of corned beef and cabbage, which includes 1/3 pound corned beef meat, a piece each of cabbage and celery root, and 2 tablespoons horseradish sauce.
Plus, you get 3 grams of fiber and 25 grams of protein.
It’s the perfect amount for a meal!
How Many Carbs In Corned Beef And Cabbage?
Is corned beef and cabbage keto? Definitely!
Each serving of this gluten free corned beef and cabbage recipe has just 6 grams net carbs. Pretty great for a whole meal!
This corned beef and cabbage pressure cooker recipe is keto, low carb, gluten-free, and easily paleo and whole30 approved.
Can You Freeze Corned Beef?
Yes, you can freeze this easy corned beef recipe. After you let the easy corned beef and cabbage cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.
When you want to serve it, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then, reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F, until hot.
What To Serve With Easy Corned Beef And Cabbage
You’ve learned how to make corned beef and cabbage. But what do you serve with it? This recipe already includes cabbage and celery root sides, so you don’t really need more!
But if you want to add some other vegetable side dishes, here are some great options:
- Best Mashed Cauliflower – When I say the best, I mean the BEST! This mashed cauliflower is incredibly smooth and creamy. It’s delicious.
- Sauteed Broccoli – This easy side adds major green color to your keto corned beef and cabbage.
- Asparagus In The Oven – Another easy side dish option that will add some more vegetables to your plate.
- Green Beans Almondine – This green beans recipe works with any main dish – corned beef and cabbage included!
Tools To Make Pressure Cooker Corned Beef And Cabbage
Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- 10 QT Crock-Pot Express Easy Steam Release Pressure Cooker – My favorite pressure cooker for making keto corned beef and cabbage!
- Cooking Alarm Thermometer – This thermometer lets you know when your corned beef is done cooking.
- Professional Chef’s Knife – You definitely will need a sharp to slice this keto corned beef and cabbage. This one is my favorite.
Easy Keto Corned Beef And Cabbage Recipe
Pressure Cooker Keto Corned Beef And Cabbage Recipe
The ultimate guide to how to make corned beef and cabbage! This easy pressure cooker keto corned beef and cabbage recipe takes 10 minutes to prep, and cooks in 90 minutes.
Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Corned beef & cabbage:
Horseradish sauce:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Unwrap the corned beef brisket and set aside the seasoning packet. Rinse corned beef under cold water, then pat dry. (It will be too salty if you don't rinse it.) If you prefer, trim any excess fat from the brisket - this is up to you as fat is not an issue for keto, but I prefer a leaner corned beef. (Trimming is more necessary for a point cut brisket, less so for a flat cut.) At minimum, leave about 1/4 inch of fat for flavor.
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Place the brisket, fat side up, into the 10 QT Crock-Pot Express Easy Steam Release Pressure Cooker. Sprinkle the seasonings from the packet over the brisket and pat gently to help them stick.
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Pour the beef bone broth into the pressure cooker, around the brisket but not over it, to avoid disturbing the seasonings.
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Cover and turn the lid to seal. Press Manual Pressure (defaults to High) and increase time to 1 hour 15 minutes. Press Start. When time is up, use the Quick Release to release pressure. Once no steam is coming out, open the lid.
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Meanwhile, stir together the horseradish sauce ingredients. Cover and chill in the fridge until the corned beef is ready.
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After opening the lid of the pressure cooker, add the chopped onion, celery root, and cabbage into the broth around the beef, in that order (cabbage should be on top). Lightly season the cabbage with salt and pepper on top.
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Cover and cook on High pressure again for 15 more minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally (preferred for more tender corned beef), which will take about 10 minutes, and after that use Quick Release.
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Slice the corned beef into 1/2-inch slices, or if desired, first transfer it to a roasting pan and place under the broiler in the oven for a few minutes to brown (optional).
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To serve, place the sliced corned beef and cabbage (along with onions and celery root) onto a platter. Drizzle with cooking liquid, if desired. Serve with horseradish sauce.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/3 lb corned beef brisket + 1 piece each of cabbage and celery root + 2 tbsp horseradish sauce
Nutrition info does not include onion, as this is for flavor only and gets discarded.
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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41 Comments
Linda
1Followed this recipe and my corned beef was amazing! The Instant Pot worked great. I’ve been making it on the stove in water for years, and this is much better. I would cut down on time for vegetables a little, mine were a little soft.
Lyn
0I don’t have a pressure cooker. Will this work in a slow cooker?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Lyn, You can find those instructions in the post.
Christine M
0This was very tasty! I used potatoes instead of celery root as I couldn’t find it. The potatoes were very soft but ok. The cabbage was too mushy. I think I will cook half the time for the veggies next time. The meat was perfect!
Josephinej
0Love this
Sandra
0Hello,Maya: Instead of the celery root, could that be substituted with turnips instead? And how much of the turnips should be used? Sandra W.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Sandra, I have never tried that but I think it should work. I would use 1-1.5lb of turnips cut into chunks to replace the celery root.
Judith
0Delicious…but I would cut down the time to cook the veggies as mine were mushy. Still tasty though!!!
Lyn
0OMGness! Made this on St Patty’s Day and making it again tonight! Leftovers makes the best corned beef sandwiches! Cabbage came out WAY mushy, so I’ll fry it this time around. Another WAY successful recipe!
Karey
0I’m cooking my corned beef tomorrow.. I love Reuben sandwiches with the leftover. Wondering what I can do to get similar taste sensation. Maybe I just need to make your bread.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Karey, I have a keto reuben recipe here!
Christine
0Can you substitute radishes for the celery root?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Christine, Yes radishes will work great!
Julie Marrero
0I made this for dinner last night, per my husbands request, and we loved it! I make corned beef and cabbage every year but on the stovetop. I’ve never owned a pressure cooker, afraid of the stories I’ve heard, but after seeing so many crockpot and instant pot recipes, I decided I wanted to give it a try. I got my Crockpot for Christmas and I’m loving it! I love that your recipe was simple and how you provide step by step, detailed instructions. Thank you so much for that, it really helped this newbie!
Stephanie Watson
0I love corned beef and can’t wait to try this. If you are using a slow cooker how long would you need to cook the vegetables on low? I have an IP but I just can’t seem to get it to work for me properly 🙁
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Stephanie, The veggies will need at least a couple of hours to cook through depending on how large you chop the celery root. 2-3 hours should work just fine.
Dawn Becker
0I did this in the instant pot and I promise I followed every direction. It came out brick hard. I’m not exaggerating, it was hard as a brick. What little bit was not hard as a brick was very dry. I wish I could post a picture.
So, no Easter Dinner during the lockdown. Everything’s closed. Can’t go get anything.
We had bacon and eggs. Which was actually very good.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Dawn, Sorry you had issues with the recipe. I have a video on the recipe card showing how it should look and how tender it gets. Was your beef the same weight as the recipe called for, in a single piece? A difference in size could change the cook time significantly. Did it seem over or under cooked? If it was under cooked, you can cook it for longer, or if over cooked, you can soften it by simmering it in water or broth with onions and cabbage on the stove top. Hope this helps for next time.
Ltuck97838
0I followed your directions on St. Paddy’s day and was truly delighted. One problem: I should have bought a bigger pkg. Hubster bought a second one and requested it for dinner again last night. Had a bigger roast so had some leftovers this time. Excellent. Thx for the directions. Spot on.
Christy
0I make corned beef and cabbage in my Le Creuset every New Years Day. It takes me hours and hours.
Never. Again.
Hubby and I were craving corned beef and cabbage for St. Patty’s Day and I always love your recipes, so when I saw you had one for corned beef (and for the Instant Pot!!) I knew I had to try. It did not disappoint. Simplest ingredients and that corned beef was more tender than it has ever been out of the Le Creuset!!! New favorite!!!
I made some cast iron skillet keto cornbread to go along with.
Marie
0Can I add potatoes and carrots to the veggies?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Marie, Potatoes and carrots are not low carb. If you are not concerned with a keto/low carb diet, you can add them to your corned beef meal.
Jessica Reese-McMillan
0In step 7, do I put the corned beef back in? You said, “for a more tender corned beef.” Does that mean it’s supposed to be in there? Step 6 didn’t say. Just checking??? Thanks.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jessica, Yes, leave the corned beef in the pressure cooker.
Beverly Turk
0I made this Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe tonight. It was great. My husband said it was probably the best thing I have ever made. We have been married for 40 years, so that is saying a lot.
Danna Baker
0This looks good and I want to try it. There is an issue- that meat looks very red and I am more of a “well done” girl. Would it hurt to cook the meat longer before adding the veggies? I don’t want to make it too tough.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Danna, Doneness will all depend on the size and shape of the cut. This particular corned beef recipe was 4 lbs and came out of the pressure cooker at a medium cook. If you are looking for more well done, I suggest adding an additional 10- 15 minutes to the first cook time.
Kathleen
0What is the nutritional breakdown of the horseradish sauce? Won’t be making it and would like to subtract it from my macros.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kathleen, Sorry, I don’t have nutrition info for parts of the recipe separately. You’d need to enter the ingredients you are using into an online calculator if you are omitting certain parts. Hope you like the recipe!
Arena
0Anxious to try this and wondering if I need to adjust the time and/or temperature by cutting the recipe in half?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Arena, No adjustment is need to temp or time.
Kimberley Medina
0I dont have a 10qt IP just 6. How much time to cook the corned beef by itself since i typically steam my cabbage?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kimberly, The time will not change if you don’t cook your cabbage in with your corned beef. The only difference is that you don’t have to bring the IP up to pressure twice. Set the IP to cook once for 90 minutes and you’ll be good to go!
Kay
0Love this recipe! So flavorful, tender and juicy. Will definitely keep using this one!!!
Sandi
0I love that this can be made in my Instant Pot. What a time saver!
Justine
0This recipe looks amazing – I can’t wait to try it!
Anita
0Such a wonderful dish. We treat this as a one pot dish basically, no need to cook other dishes, though we did serve with some bread to mop up the sauce. 🙂
Emily Liao
0Corned beef and cabbage sounds like an amazing combo! Will definitely have to try this recipe soon.
Toni
0This is absolutely amazing!! So easy to make and so good!
Justine Howell
0Love corned beef throughout the year, thanks for the healthier option!! So easy.
Chrissy
0Growing up we always had corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day. I love how easy this one is to make in the pressure cooker – that’s brilliant! I’ll definitely be making this again come March.