Corned Beef and Cabbage | Easy Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe for the Stove Top

This Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe is cooked right on the stove, yielding tender corned beef and perfectly seasoned cabbage, carrots, and red potatoes.

Enjoy the corned beef on its own, with yellow mustard, or with my Creamy Horseradish Sauce—zingy like mustard, yet creamy and herbaceous, a perfect match for corned beef.

This is my tried-and-true St. Patrick’s Day feast. I’m only 5% Irish via Ancestry DNA, but I'm 100% here for this food! It’s so good you’ll want it any time of year. Case in point, I made this post in August after scoring a 4-lb brisket for under $8 in the off-season.

Is it better to boil or slow cook corned beef?

Both methods produce tender corned beef, but simmering on the stove for 3+ hours is the more traditional approach. Cooking slowly over low heat yields the most tender results and helps remove some of the curing salt. While the cooking water is discarded before serving, it perfectly flavors the vegetables.

Slow cookers can also work, but they sometimes make the meat too tender, causing it to shred rather than slice. I personally enjoy the hands-on process of letting it simmer on the stove throughout the afternoon.

Should I Use the Seasoning Packet that Comes with the Corned Beef?

Yes, you should use it! Some people worry about the seasoning packet, but it adds a little extra oomph to the corned beef and flavors the water for the cabbage, carrots, and potatoes.

Typical ingredients include mustard seeds, peppercorns, coriander seeds, bay leaves, dill seeds, and crushed red pepper—all common kitchen spices. The flavor is subtle, thanks to the large amount of water used during cooking.

What is the Difference Between the Point Cut and the Flat Cut of Corned Beef? Which is Better?

A corned beef brisket comes from the front of the cow and is divided into two sections: the point and the flat. The point cut has more fat marbling and some connective tissue, while the flat cut is leaner. Both cuts are tough and need slow, low-heat cooking to become tender.

The point cut’s higher fat content can make it more tender and flavorful, but it yields less meat and sometimes has un-rendered fat between layers. It also may cook unevenly due to a thicker and thinner end.

For these reasons, I prefer the flat cut: it offers more meat, cooks evenly, allows easy fat removal after cooking, and reliably turns out tender and full of beefy flavor.

What makes Corned Beef and Cabbage so delicious?

Protein, starch, and vegetables make this a complete and balanced meal. This is the ultimate comfort food, folks. Reasons why I love this recipe:

• Tender, perfectly seasoned corned beef that is fall apart tender but can still slice
• Tender carrots
• Tender, creamy red potatoes just asking for some melted butter
• Tender yet crisp wedges of cabbage
• Creamy and zingy Horseradish Sauce for dipping the corned beef in and/or yellow mustard

For a fish-and-chips–inspired twist, swap the red potatoes for roasted potato wedges. They’re perfect for dipping in the sauce!

Ingredients for Corned Beef and Cabbage:

• 3-4 lb corned beef brisket, point or flat cut. I prefer the flat cut. See above sections for why.
• Whole green cabbage
• Carrots
• Red potatoes
• Seasoning packet that comes with corned beef
• One recipe of Horseradish Sauce, optional

How to make Corned Beef and Cabbage:

• Place corned beef in a large soup pot and cover completely with water. Add in the spice packet. Set on the stove top over high heat, cover, and bring to a boil.
• Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 45-50 minutes per pound of corned beef until tender. A 3-lb brisket needs around 2 hours and 30 minutes while a 4-lb brisket needs around 3 hours and 20 minutes.

• About 30 minutes before the corned beef is expected to be done, peel and chop the carrots into large pieces and slice the cabbage into wedges. Set aside.

• Add the red potatoes and carrots into the pot with the corned beef. Cook for 10 minutes, until almost tender. Then, add in the cabbage. Cook an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until the cabbage is fork tender.

• Using a slotted spoon, remove the carrots, potatoes, and cabbage from the pot and set them inside a large insulated bowl to rest. Remove the corned beef from the pot and allow it to rest 15 minutes before slicing. Once ready, use a sharp knife to slice the corned beef across the grain.
• Serve all together with yellow mustard or Horseradish Sauce.
• Enjoy!

For the Creamy Horseradish Sauce:

I dedicated a separate post for Creamy Horseradish Sauce because it's also great for prime rib and steak. It would even make a great chip dip with a few easy variations.

Equipment

For this recipe, the only thing you will need is a large soup pot with a lid or a large Dutch oven.

How to Store Corned Beef and Cabbage:

Store this recipe in the fridge. I prefer to keep the sliced corned beef separate from the cabbage, potatoes, and carrots. Simply reheat the leftovers when ready to use. The Horseradish Sauce must be kept cold and refrigerated at all times when not in use.

When reheating corned beef (and any kind of beef) it's important to not dry it out by reheating for too long. For the microwave, try covering it with a damp paper towel and heating it for 20-30 seconds. You can also reheat corned beef in a frying pan over the stuff with a drizzle of oil. This will help it warm through and maybe even crisp it up some. You can even make a corned beef hash this way and use up some of the leftover potatoes.

Notes on Corned Beef:

• Using the flat cut of corned beef will yield more meat and more even cooking. The point cut is marbled with more fat and can be tougher to cook.

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