Slow-Cooker Guinness Corned Beef and Cabbage
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This simple Irish meal is made even easier with the help of the slow cooker, and it’s the perfect excuse to buy a 6-pack of Guinness! Great for St. Patrick’s Day dinner.
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It’s that time of year again! Time to fire up the slow cooker to make the annual batch of corned beef and cabbage.
But why use the pre-made spice mix that comes with the corned beef brisket from the grocery store when you can make a simple, flavorful blend yourself?
For me, St. Patrick’s Day will always be synonymous with the day my slow cooker died. I had been making corned beef and cabbage without fail for several years at that point.
I remember opening the lid of my slow cooker and thinking it was odd that the cabbage was still so green after a full day of cooking.
It’s because it wasn’t cooking – my slow cooker shorted out and died, so I had to throw out a batch of meat and veggies that had been sitting at room temperature all darn day.
We ended up going to the local diner for our corned beef and cabbage fix, and interestingly enough, I wasn’t feelin’ my pint of Guinness. I handed it off to my father-in-law and chalked it up to a bad day. I found out a few days later that I was pregnant with my (now five-year-old) son!
So it was a memorable day for many reasons, but I was happy to get a new, functional slow cooker after all that mess. My husband ended up picking out a nice replacement for me, and all was right in the world again.
This meal is super simple to put together. I haven’t made it since getting my Instant Pot last year, but you could definitely use the slow cooker function on it and follow the same instructions.
I’ll have to do some experimenting to see how it would be different to pressure cook this instead. It would certainly make quick work of this meal!
We always serve this meal with potatoes of some sort – often plain ol’ boiled, roasted garlic mashed, or Colcannon if we’re feeling fancy.
We like dipping the meat and veggies in coarse ground mustard, but it’s definitely optional. Dijon would be a good choice, too.
Definitely make a loaf of our favorite Irish Soda Bread if you have time – it’s the perfect way to wrap up this Irish meal!
Looking for more comfort food favorites? Check out these 5-star recipes:
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Slow-Cooker Guinness Corned Beef and Cabbage
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 hours
- Total Time: 10 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 Servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Irish
Description
This simple Irish meal is made even easier with the help of the slow cooker, and it’s the perfect excuse to buy a 6-pack of Guinness! Great for St. Patrick’s Day dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 (3-5 pound) corned beef brisket
- 2 (11.2-ounce) bottles Guinness Draught
- 3 whole black peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon whole yellow mustard seeds
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 2 small yellow onions, peeled and quartered
- 1 small green cabbage, quartered, cored, and cut into large chunks
To Serve:
- Coarse ground mustard (optional)
Instructions
- Place corned beef in slow cooker, cutting it into 2 pieces if it’s too big to fit whole. Add remaining items on top, in the order listed, ending with cabbage. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours or high for 6-7 hours.
- Slice meat and serve with coarse ground mustard for dipping, if desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 543
- Sugar: 4.8 g
- Sodium: 3175.1 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 10.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 14.5 g
- Fiber: 3.7 g
- Protein: 35.8 g
- Cholesterol: 122.5 mg
Keywords: guinness, corned beef, slow cooker, beef brisket, St. Patrick's Day recipe
Ashley
Ashley Covelli is a food photographer, recipe developer, and culinary instructor based in Ossining, New York. She loves helping people become enthusiastic and adventurous in the kitchen so that they can build skills and confidence to cook for themselves and their loved ones. She can almost always be found with at least 3 different beverages within arm's reach.
32 Comments
Laura @MotherWouldKnow
You inspired me! Just went out and got the fixings for slow cooker Guinness corned beef and cabbage – can’t wait to put it together.
BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen
I didn’t make it this year, but just saw your IG post and want to try Closet Cooking’s version now, too! YUM!
Monica
Ha! Love your story about the slow cooker failure and then not feeling the Guinness. Sounds like a very memorable day!
Ben Myhre
I am not gonna lie! This looks terribLY GOOD! One thing I love about st pattys day is seeing all these corned beef recipes. So yummy.
Ashley
I’m not sure why I don’t make it more often – there are lots of fun ways to prepare it!
Kiki Johnson
Draught, brisket and mustard are my husband’s three favourite things in the world. I don’t own a crockpot, BUT if I show my hubby this recipe, he might take me to the store straight away. 😉
Cheers, Kiki
Ashley
I think it’d work on the stovetop or in the oven, too, though if you need an excuse to get a slow cooker this is definitely it!
Veena Azmanov
I love slow cooker recipes and this looks so delicious. Corn beef and cabbage are always a great combination. Can’t wait to try this.
Ashley
Thanks so much! It’s a fun combo for sure!
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way
How awful to have throw away meat and veggies. Such a shame but you did get a reliable slow cooker out of the deal. I’ve never made corned beef and cabbage. Our slow cooker is still good — I’ll have to give it a go.
Ashley
Yeah, I was really disappointed, but I’ve been happy with my new one for the last few years now!
lauren
Isn’t it funny how the body knows something before the brain does? I didn’t know I was pregnant but one morning I woke up and just couldn’t stomach my beloved cup of coffee – reminds me of your Guinness! My husband loves corned beef and cabbage, though admittedly I’ve never made it before. This recipe looks easy peasy and tasty!
Ashley
Ha! Whenever I can’t drink coffee I know I’m getting sick. The body totally knows!
Claire | The Simple, Sweet Life
I’ve made corned beef and cabbage before but never with Guinness. I bet it’s divine! I’m definitely going to have to give this a try.
Ashley
I always used water and then I figured Guinness couldn’t be a bad idea and I was very happy with the results!
Anne Lawton
I usually make my corned beef in a slow cooker, but ever used Guinness – I’m going to give that a try the next time I make it.
Ashley
Let me know what you think of it if you give it a try, Anne! I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Jennifer
My mother LOVES corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day but always goes out to eat it. This year she’s planning on staying in, this would be the perfect way for her to still get her fix!!! I’ll have to make this and bring it over to her 🙂
Ashley
That’s so nice of you, Jennifer! I hope she loves it – she’s lucky to have such a sweet meal delivery service 😉
Karyl | Karyl's Kulinary Krusade
I’m a huge brisket fan (when it’s cooked right), but I’ve always had a hard time getting into corned beef. I love your idea of doing it in the crockpot, so it can get super nice and tender..I might just have to give that a try
Ashley
Oooh I’d pick regular beef brisket over corned beef brisket any day of the week though! I hear ya – it needs to be cooked just right. Hope you enjoy this one if you give it a shot!
Amanda Mason
I would feel lost if my slow cooker died, too! I can’t live without my slow cooker! I’ve never made corned beef and cabbage before but this looks yummy and sounds delish! I’ll have to give this one a go!
Ashley
For some reason I usually only make it once a year, but it’s always a hit! I hope you like it if you give it a try 🙂
Elena
This dish is just perfect for St. Patrick’s day. Sounds so simple and flavorful. Love the addition of Guinness!
Ashley
It definitely makes it extra special, and just what we want for St. Patrick’s Day!
Jessica Pinney
What a delicious looking corned beef. It seems so moist! I will definitely have to follow your recipe next time I make it. 😀
Ashley
Slow cooking it definitely helps keep it nice and juicy and tender!
Tammi
Love corned beef and cabbage. What is the best brisket to use for slow cooking? There’s pont and round. I want the shredded corned beef when done cooking.
Ashley
You know, I only recently realized that there were different types of corned beef brisket. I think I’ve gotten whole briskets in the past. If you can only choose one, I’d go with the point, which I believe has more marbling and fatty bits, which should help keep the meat more tender. Hope that helps!
Gail
Is there a reason why you didn’t add carrots to this recipe? Is it because they get to mushy when cooked for such a long time?
Ashley
I had never had carrots with corned beef & cabbage. I saw it in another recipe recently and thought it sounded great! It’s just not the way I’ve ever eaten it. I’m not sure how well they’d do in the slow cooker – it’s been a while since I’ve slow cooked with carrots, but it sounds like a delicious addition!