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A corned beef brisket inside a crockpot with brine being poured over it.

Corned Beef Recipe (Crockpot, Instant Pot, or Dutch Oven)

Corn your own beef at home, then cook up this delicious and easy corned beef recipe using a crock pot, Instant Pot, or a dutch oven.
4.06 from 54 votes
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Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Irish, Jewish
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Brining Time: 5 days
Total Time: 5 days 8 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 373kcal
Author: Carolyn Thomas

Equipment

  • Crockpot, Instant Pot or Dutch Oven

Ingredients

  • 2 quarts water
  • 4-5 pound beef brisket or other roast, grass-fed if possible
  • 1 cup sea salt
  • 2 tbsp peppercorns
  • 1 tbsp mustard seed
  • 2 sticks cinnamon
  • 1 tsp whole allspice
  • 1 tsp coriander seed
  • 1/2 tsp whole cloves
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 4-5 cloves garlic or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp thyme or savory
  • 3 whole bay leaves

Instructions

Brining Instructions

  • Mix 1 quart water with all spices and salt.
  • Heat and stir until salt is dissolved.
  • Add remaining 1 quart cold water and stir. Cool until brine is at room temperature or colder.
  • Pour brine over meat in a non-leaching container, or put meat in a gallon ziplock bag and cover with brine.
  • Seal bag, or place a weight over the meat so it doesn't float above the surface of the brine and cover with saran wrap.
  • Place in refrigerator for 7-10 days, turning meat every day or two. Or, store in a cool area of your home for 3-5 days, turning every day.

Crockpot Cooking Instructions

  • Remove roast from the brine, rinse if desired, then cook on low heat for 8-10 hours in the crockpot in a mixture of 2 cups brine and 4 cups water.
  • Add whole red potatoes and carrots for the last hour of cooking, and cabbage wedges for the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Instant Pot Cooking Instructions

  • Remove roast from the brine, rinse if desired, then place corned beef onto the trivet inside your Instant Pot.
  • Cover with a mixture of two cups brining liquid and four cups fresh water.
  • Add the lid, seal the venting knob, and set to high pressure for 55 minutes.
  • Do a quick release, carefully open the lid once all pressure has released, then add in whole red potatoes and carrots.
  • Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 5-7 minutes (depending on the size of your potatoes).
  • Do a quick release again, carefully open the lid once all pressure has released, then add in the cabbage wedges.
  • Seal the lid one more time and cook on high pressure for 2 minutes.
  • Quick-release the pressure, allow to cool slightly, then serve slices of the meat in a bowl with potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and more brine as desired.

Dutch Oven Cooking Instructions

  • Once your meat has been fully brined, remove it from the brining liquid and rinse if desired.
  • Place meat in a Dutch oven and cover with a mixture of two cups brining liquid and four cups fresh water.
  • Cook on low, covered for 8-10 hours, adding in whole red potatoes and carrots for the last hour of cooking, and cabbage wedges for the last 30 minutes of cooking.
  • Remove roast from Dutch oven and slice, then return to the Dutch oven. Serve slices of meat in a bowl with potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and more brine as desired.

Notes

  • Be sure the brine has cooled completely before submerging meat.
  • Be sure meat stays submerged below the brine the whole time it's brining.
  • Feel free to use another roast or cut of beef. Even try lamb, goat, or venison.
  • The salt used in this recipe has been removed from the nutrition facts since it's just used to brine the meat. If you rinse your meat after brining and don't consume any of the cooking liquid with your meal, the sodium calculations will be accurate. If you don't rinse your meat and consume some of the cooking liquid with your meal, the sodium will be higher.

Nutrition

Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 193mg | Potassium: 816mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 49IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 5mg
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