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Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage is, without a doubt, the easiest way to make this Irish-American classic. In a fraction of the time, you'll have fork-tender corned beef alongside perfectly cooked cabbage, potatoes, and carrots in a rich and savory broth. It's hearty, comforting, and practically cooks itself.
Looking for more holiday classics made in the Instant Pot? Don't miss my recipes for Instant Pot Pork and Sauerkraut, Instant Pot Ham, and Instant Pot Turkey Breast
My Family's Favorite Corned Beef & Cabbage Recipe - Sped Up!
While corned beef and cabbage is a St. Patrick's Day classic, it was also a regular meal in my household, one of my mom's favorites. With both of my grandparents being Irish immigrants, this Americanized Irish dish was a family staple, connecting my mom to the childhood and traditions she cherished growing up.
And while I loved the slow-simmered version she made, once I started preparing it in the Instant Pot, there was no going back -- for me OR my mom! It's faster, and honestly, the flavor is even better.
The sealed environment locks in the moisture and seasonings, giving you incredibly tender corned beef with impressive flavor. Add in perfectly tender cabbage and veggies, and after just one bite, you'll understand why this is my favorite way to make this Irish-American classic.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
5-star Reader Review
I can't believe I haven't left a review before now, been using this recipe for years now and have recommended it to many people. My husband and I love corned beef, we always buy extra in March and freeze for use year round. I used to use a crockpot recipe, which we liked, but after trying your instant pot recipe, I'm never going back, yours has excellent flavor, and is so easy to prepare. -PJR
Notes on Ingredients
- Corned Beef: This recipe works as written with both a flat cut or point cut corned beef. I personally prefer the flat cut, as it is leaner and slices beautifully, but a lot of people like the marbling found in the point cut. Use whichever you prefer.
- Pickling Spices: Most store-bought corned beef briskets come with a small spice packet made from mustard seeds, peppercorns, dill, allspice, cloves, and a few other spices. It is earthy and tangy and flavors the cured brisket perfectly. If yours does not, I recommend adding 1 tablespoon of prepared pickling spices.
- Garlic: And lots of it! The whole garlic cloves work alongside the pickling spices to deliver robust flavor.
- Stout Beer (Optional But Recommended): A stout beer, such as Guinness, adds depth, balance, and richness to the braising liquid. Prefer not to use beer? Replace it with additional beef broth.
- Brown Sugar: Just a tablespoon helps balance the tangy, salty notes of the brined beef. It doesn't make the dish sweet, it simply rounds out the flavor.
- Potatoes: Red potatoes, Yukon golds, or russets all work. Cut into 2-inch chunks for even cooking. Baby potatoes can be left whole.
- Carrots: Use baby carrots or large carrots cut into 2-inch pieces.
- Cabbage: Green cabbage works best. I recommend cutting into wedges, rather than chopping to prevent mushy cabbage.
What is Corned Beef?
Corned beef is simply brisket that has been brined and cured in a seasoned salt solution.
While it's easiest (and cheapest) to find around St. Patrick's Day, corned beef is available year-round in most grocery stores. But if you love this classic as much as I do, I recommend purchasing a couple while they are on sale to freeze for future use.
How To Make Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
Just like my Instant Pot Pot Roast, this Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage uses a simple two-step cooking process to keep the vegetables from overcooking. But even with that extra step, you can have this classic on the table in just about 2 hours, rather than the 9+ hours traditional methods require.
Step One: Pressure Cook the Corned Beef
Start by pressure cooking the corned beef. Once it has finished cooking, let the meat rest while you quickly cook the vegetables.
- Rinse the corned beef under cold water and pat dry. This removes excess brine and prevents an overly salty result.
- Place the sliced onions in the bottom of the inner pot. They act like a natural trivet, helping to prevent the meat from scorching while still allowing the beef to stay submerged and soak up all the flavor from the cooking liquid.
- Add brisket to the inner pot. Then top with pickling spices, garlic, and brown sugar. Pour the beer and beef broth (or all beef broth if you aren't using beer) around the brisket.
- Secure the lid on the Instant Pot, make sure the vent knob is sealed, and set to pressure cook on HIGH pressure for 85 minutes.
- After cooking, allow at least 15 minutes of natural pressure release. This keeps the meat juicy and tender, while a quick release of pressure can cause the fibers to seize and tighten up.
- Once the pressure has released, open the Instant Pot, remove the corned beef to a platter, tent with foil, and let rest while the veggies cook.
Step Two: Pressure Cook Vegetables
While the corned beef is resting, use that time to cook the cabbage, potatoes, and carrots. Because the liquid is already hot, the Instant Pot will come back to pressure quickly.
- Ladle out about 1½ cups of the cooking liquid, leaving about 2 cups of the cooking liquid left inside the inner pot. You really don't have to be exact here. We just want to remove enough liquid so that the cabbage is not fully submerged in the broth.
- Add the potatoes and carrots to the cooking liquid in the inner pot. Add the cabbage wedges on top of the veggies. The cabbage will not be fully submerged in the liquid, which is exactly what you want.
- Cook on HIGH pressure for 3-5 minutes, depending on texture preference. 3 minutes for firm cabbage or 5 minutes for very soft cabbage. I personally find 5 minutes to give me the same texture I grew up enjoying.
- Once the cook time has elapsed, let pressure release for 5 minutes, then perform a quick release of pressure to stop the cooking process. To do this, carefully knock the vent knob from sealed to venting. Stand back to prevent your face and hands from being burned by the steam released.
Serving Suggestions
Slice the corned beef against the grain, and then serve with the cabbage, potatoes, and carrots. Spoon a bit of the cooking liquid over everything for extra flavor.
I personally love to add a side of whole-grain mustard or horseradish cream for dipping and a Guinness beer for drinking, but both are completely optional.
Storage and Leftover Tips
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in a freezer safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months, keeping in mind the potatoes may become a bit mushy when defrosted.
While delicious when simply reheated, you may want to be get creative and use leftover corned beef in the following ways:
- As an Appetizer: Use diced corn beef to make a creamy, cheesy Reuben dip or swap out the bacon for corned beef to make incredible Irish nachos.
- Make a Classic Reuben Sandwich: Add sliced corned beef to rye bread, top with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and thousand island dressing, and pan fry in a bit of butter to toast.
- Make a Corned Beef Hash: Pan-fry potatoes and corned beef with onions and peppers. Top with poached eggs and cheese.
Recipe FAQs
As written, this recipe is designed for a 2½-3½ pound corned beef brisket. If your brisket is 1½ pounds or smaller, cut the ingredients in half and cook for 60 minutes on high pressure. If your brisket is between 4 and 5 pounds, I would double the liquid and spices and cook for 100 minutes on high pressure.
Absolutely! A 6-quart Instant Pot will fit two 3-pound corned beef briskets, while an 8-quart can fit up to three 3-pound briskets. Stack the beef roasts on top of each other, double (or triple) the braising ingredients, and cook for 85 minutes on high pressure, keeping in mind that it will take longer for the Instant Pot to come to pressure.
Yes. Replace the beer with additional beef broth OR use a certified gluten-free beer and verify your spice packet is gluten-free.
Not at all. Feel free to skip them altogether or simply cook the cabbage, rather than adding potatoes and carrots to the mix.
More Favorite Instant Pot Recipes
Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
Video
Ingredients
- 3 pound corned beef brisket
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 1 seasoning packet from corned beef, or 1 tablespoon pickling spices
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 1 cup stout beer, such as Guinness
- 1 pound small red potatoes, cut in half
- 1 pound baby carrots
- ½ head green cabbage, cut into 2-inch wedges
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the corned beef brisket under cold water and thoroughly pat dry. This removes the brine from the brisket, preventing the dish from being too salty.
- Place the onion slices into the Instant Pot. Place the rinsed corned beef on top of the onion mixture. Sprinkle the seasoning packet evenly over the meat, then top with 5 cloves garlic and 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- Carefully pour 1 cup low-sodium beef broth and 1 cup stout beer (or additional beef stock) around the corned beef, so that the seasonings stay on top of the beef.
- Place the lid on the pressure cooker and be sure the vent knob is sealed. Using the manual or pressure cook setting, set the cook time to 85 minutes on high pressure.
- Once the cooking time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes. Once 15 minutes has passed, you can do a quick release of any remaining pressure, by carefully knocking the vent knob to the venting position. Stand back to prevent being burned by any residual steam.
- Remove the corned beef from the Instant Pot and place it on a serving platter. Tent with foil and let rest while preparing the vegetables. Ladle out about 1½ cups of the cooking liquid, leaving about 2 cups inside the inner pot. You do not need to be exact here.
- Add the potatoes and carrots into the cooking liquid inside the inner pot. Place the wedges of cabbage on top of the vegetables and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Place the lid back on the pressure cooker and ensure the vent knob is in the sealed position. Using the manual or pressure cook setting, set the cook time to 3 or 5 minutes on high pressure. 3 minutes for crisp-tender cabbage, 5 minutes for really soft cabbage. (I prefer 5 minutes). Once the cooking time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes then do a quick release of any remaining pressure by carefully knocking the vent knob from sealed to venting. Stand back to prevent your face and hands from being burned by the steam released.
- Thinly slice corned beef against the grain and serve with potatoes, carrots, and cabbage.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published in 2019 and updated in 2026.
I love your recipes! I usually have all the ingredients and they are always yummy! Made this for for St. Patrick's and everyone loved it - including the picky ones! My instant pot is tied up with yogurt right now, how long would you recommend if using a slow cooker?
I love hearing you enjoy and trust my recipes! For slow cooking, I would recommend 12 hours on low.
Totally awesome (yes, I was a high-schooler in the 80s 😁)!!! The entire family loved it and wants it again. My only complaint is that it took longer than I had expected for the pot to come to pressure again for the vegetables (about 15 minutes or so). There was no lag time between the vegetables going in and the meat coming out; I did unplug it for a few seconds when I did that exchange b/c sometimes the pot thinks I'm continuing what I was doing and an unexpected time/temperature will pop up while I'm trying to reconfigure for the next thing I'm putting in the pot. But it was only unplugged for the amount of time it took to pop the meat out, scoop out some of the liquid, and put in the vegetables. Everything was still super-hot inside. Maybe it's because it's the big 8-quart pot 🤔? Anyway, I can't thank you enough for this super-easy, FANTABULOUS dinner 😘!!
Hi Milia! I love hearing you enjoyed so much! As for the timing coming back to pressure, that does seem a bit long to me as well. I have not had it take that long for me using the 8-quart, but every model can be a bit different (like ovens). Sorry you had to wait for the veggies so long, but happy to hear you enjoyed the overall meal.
Cooking this week end. If adding one cup of beer and one cup of beef broth - how do you drain off 2 cups liquid before adding veggies? Will there be liquid left to cook the remaining ingredients, does the meat give off liquid during cooking? Thx for clarifying.
Hi Claudia! The meat will give off liquid as it cooks, but you drain off up to 2 cups, meaning you cook the veggies using 2 cups of the cooking liquid. Feel free to not drain anything off if that is easier for you. Enjoy!
Easy and yummy! Thank you!
You are very welcome Christie!
Love this recipe! Didn’t use onion because family member has allergy to onions. used a madero brown stout beer and water which really enhanced the flavor. Will use this recipe again hopefully not wait until next year. ☘️☘️❤️
Won't be waiting for St. Patrick's day to make this again. Wonderful dish.
It really deserves to be enjoyed year-round.
This was soooo good! What is the best way to reheat the leftovers so as not to dry them out?
Hi Kathy! I am so happy to hear you enjoyed. I would place the meat in a shallow dish and cover it with the cooking liquid. Cover the dish with a paper towel and heat for 1-minutes intervals until heated through. The liquid will help keep the meat moist.
I made this last night & it was amazing! Even using all beef broth & no beer!
I have tried every way to Sunday making corned beef and cabbage and hands down this is the absolute best. I used Irish Death stout because that's what I had on hand and it turned out so good my husband asked me to make this ALL the time. Since it is just the two of us and my instant pot is a small 3 quart I halved the ingredients and again perfection. Thank you.
This makes me so happy! Thanks for sharing Dee Gee!
Thanks for sharing Janay! I love hearing you enjoyed (even without the beer.)
If you go to print command, you can adjust the recipe by # of servings which will then change the recipe by the pounds. Avoids lots of questions and it really great. Making tonight so I'll come back and post again.