Main Dishes
Easy Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe
Made with corned beef brisket and hearty veggies, this easy corned beef and cabbage recipe is simple, flavorful, and full of St. Patrick’s Day tradition.
This easy corned beef and cabbage recipe features root vegetables and creamy Yukon Gold potatoes.
Photo Credit: Amy Traverso
Photo Credit: Amy Traverso

Photo Credit: Amy Traverso
EASY CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE RECIPE
Total Time: About 5 hours Hands-on Time: 45 minutes Yield: 8 to 10 servingsIngredients
- 5- to 7-pound corned-beef brisket (discard spice packet)
- 1 medium onion, halved
- 1 medium celery stalk, halved
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and halved
- 8 whole peppercorns
- 8 whole cloves, lightly smashed with the side of a knife
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 garlic cloves (optional)
- 1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds
- Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 medium cabbage head (preferably Savoy), cut into 8 wedges, core intact (so that leaves don’t fall off)
- 1 pound baby carrots
- 8 medium Yukon gold potatoes, quartered lengthwise
- 2 large turnips, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
- Dijon mustard for serving
Put beef in a very large (7- t0 9-quart) Dutch oven or stockpot and cover with water by 2 inches. Add onion, celery, carrot, peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves, garlic (if using), and mustard seeds. Turn heat to high and bring water to a boil; then reduce heat to low and simmer until meat is fork-tender, 4 to 4 1/2 hours, depending on thickness. Check meat occasionally and add additional water as needed to keep it level with the meat.
Remove the corned beef to a large platter, cover loosely with foil, and let rest. Strain the liquid from the pot through a fine-mesh sieve, collecting it in a large bowl. Return the liquid to the pot and taste to check seasoning. If needed, add kosher salt and ground pepper, then bring to a boil. Add the cabbage, baby carrots, potatoes, and turnips. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain vegetables, reserving 2 cups of broth to serve on the side.
Slice the corned beef against the grain into 1/4-inch-thick pieces; then serve on a platter with the vegetables arranged around it. Serve with Dijon mustard and reserved broth on the side.
Do you have a favorite easy corned beef and cabbage recipe for St. Patrick’s Day?
This post was first published in 2017 and has been updated.




The brisket should be raised to a boil separately, then the water poured off and the brisket rinsed, and then start again. It makes all the difference in the world in flavor according to my Irish great-grandmother.
With the New England style (grey), that changing of the water is really required, too salty otherwise.
There are two types , flat cut and point cut. Which is the more tender?
Flat cut has less fat. Both are tender. I prefer flat cut, less waste.
Horseradish!
The way we cooked it could not be easier. Cut the meat into 2″ cubes and bring to a boil with 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar. No spice pack needed. Once the meat was done we added carrots, Yukon gold potatoes and cabbage cut in slabs. Nothing better than that. The taste was so pure and delicious without all the other spices. Just added pepper and a little broth on top.
Food????