Slow Cooker Corned Beef

Enjoy rich, succulent slices of slow cooker corned beef complete with a side of tender potatoes and savory onions. This recipe takes only 5 minutes of prep before your slow cooker does the rest!

 

This juicy slow cooker corned beef is the best hands-free method for cooking brisket that’s fall-apart tender and full of flavor. With just three ingredients and a few minutes to prepare, you can leave the rest to your slow cooker or crock pot! There’s even the option to toss in some chopped cabbage toward the end, for easy corned beef and cabbage, complete with a side of tender potatoes and flavorful onions. If you’re looking for an effortless dinner recipe to make for St. Patrick’s Day, it’s time to get out your slow cooker.

Why You’ll Love This Slow Cooker Corned Beef Recipe

• Hands-free. This one-pot recipe for slow cooker corned beef comes out succulent and tender, with hardly any effort.
• 3 ingredients. It’s as easy as adding your beef, potatoes, and onions to the pot with a bit of water.
• Low and slow. Slow cooking is one of the best ways to cook brisket. Set your crock pot to cook in the morning and return hours later to the softest, most flavorful beef.

What Exactly Is Corned Beef?

Corned beef is the flat part of a brisket that’s been salt-cured. Traditional salt beef recipes hail from a time before refrigeration when curing in brine was the best way to preserve meat. The term “corned” actually refers to the large grains of rock salt used in the curing process. 

You don’t need to be Irish, and it doesn’t have to be St. Patrick’s Day to enjoy juicy corned beef! If you’re looking for more delicious cooking methods, try my Instant Pot corned beef and cabbage, and this easy sous vide corned beef.

Recipe Ingredients

You only need 3 easy ingredients to make this juicy slow cooker beef recipe. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below the post for the full measurements and recipe details.

• Corned Beef Brisket – You’ll find flat-cut beef brisket in most major supermarkets, or you can ask your local butcher. The corned beef you’ll find in stores often includes a packet of pickling spices that you’ll add to the slow cooker to flavor the meat.
• Onion – Any variety of white or yellow onion, chopped into cubes.
• Potatoes – Good choices for slow cooking are waxy potato varieties like red potatoes, yellow potatoes, or fingerling potatoes. 

How to Make Slow Cooker Corned Beef

You’ll find detailed instructions in the recipe card, but for now, here’s a quick overview of the easy steps to make corned beef in the slow cooker:

• Prepare the beef brisket. Take your beef brisket and seasoning out of the packaging and discard any liquid. Place the beef directly into the crock pot, and sprinkle over the seasoning mix.
• Combine and cook. Pour in some water, add the chopped onions, then cover and set the pot to cook on low for 8 hours. At the 4-hour mark, add your potatoes.
• Add cabbage. This part is optional, but if you’d like to add cabbage, chop up the cabbage and chuck it into the pot for the last half-hour.
• Serve! Once the cooking time is up, remove your beef, potatoes, and veggies from the pot. Slice up the beef, and serve.

Tips for Success

Keep the following tips in mind for tender and juicy slow-cooked beef:

• Don’t rinse the beef. Once you’ve removed your corned beef from the packaging and dumped the brine, you can place the brisket right into the slow cooker. There’s no need to rinse it first. 
• Slice against the grain. The “grain” is the direction that the muscle fibers (lines) run in the meat. You’ll want to use a sharp knife to cut across the grain, not along it, for tender cuts of beef.
• Use waxy potatoes. Baby potato varieties are better for slow cooking, unlike larger, starchy potatoes like Idaho or Russets, which tend to break down in the heat.

Frequently Asked Questions

What to Serve With Corned Beef

Corned beef is a delicious traditional Irish meal for any occasion. This slow cooker recipe comes ready to serve with potatoes and vegetables, but you can absolutely round out the meal with more tasty dishes. Enjoy this beef and potatoes with an additional side of potato bread or beer bread and a fresh tossed salad. Or, make it a holiday meal with cornbread stuffing and cranberry sauce. Don’t forget a slice of Irish cream chocolate poke cake for dessert!

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Store this beef and vegetables together or separately in airtight containers. They’ll keep in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, warm the meat and potatoes in the oven or microwave. Slice up leftover beef to use in sandwiches, or dice it to toss with oven-roasted potatoes for an easy corned beef hash.

Can I Freeze Corned Beef?

Yes! Freeze any leftovers airtight for up to 2-3 months. Defrost the beef in the fridge overnight before reheating.

More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes

• Mississippi Pork Roast
• Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks
• Crockpot Chicken And Gravy
• Slow Cooker Pork Roast
• Crockpot Potato Soup
• Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches

Continue to Content

Yield: 8 servings

Slow Cooker Corned Beef

Print

Enjoy rich and succulent slow cooker corned beef complete with tender potatoes and savory onions. This recipe takes only 3 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 8 hours

Total Time 8 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 3-4 pound corned beef brisket

• 1 ½ cup water

• 1 onion, cubed

• 1 pound potatoes, peeled and chopped

Instructions

1. Open the corned beef brisket and dump out the liquid. Save the seasoning packet, and do not rinse the meat. Place in the crockpot.
   
2. Sprinkle the seasoning packet over the meat. Pour the water around the edges, and add chopped onion to the pot. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
   
3. After 4 hours add the potatoes to the crockpot to cook with the meat.
   
4. If you want to add cabbage, coarsely chop and add during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
   
5. Remove everything from the crockpot and slice the corned beef to serve.

Notes

• For a richer flavor, use beef broth.
• You can use baby potatoes (slice in half) and leave the peel on, or russet potatoes and peel and chop.

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 713Total Fat 42gSaturated Fat 17gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 20gCholesterol 240mgSodium 117mgCarbohydrates 13gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 67g

Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should only be used as a general guideline.

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Erin S

Welcome to Dinners, Dishes, & Desserts where my love of food meets my busy life. My name is Erin and I’m a casual home cook who loves to feed people. On this blog, you’ll find hundreds of quick and easy recipes made mostly from scratch. My days are spent in the kitchen, creating new recipes to share with family and friends.

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