This instant pot corned beef and cabbage is the perfect addition to your St. Patrick’s Day! The corned beef turns out super tender and is made with Guinness, cabbage, potatoes, and carrots!
Are you looking for the perfect St. Patrick’s Day meal?
Well, this Instant Pot corned beef and cabbage is the perfect way to celebrate this festive occasion. Plus, it turns out perfect every single time!
Growing up we didn’t eat a lot of Irish food but corned beef and cabbage were always something we enjoyed on St. Patrick’s Day.
And right alongside corned beef and cabbage was the weird tradition of pinching anyone who wasn’t wearing green. I’m not sure how that got started but I’m happy to see it retire anytime soon.
Now, back to this amazing corned beef recipe!
After the beef is done cooking throw in some green cabbage, potatoes, and carrots to turn this dish into a complete meal.
Table of Contents
Ingredients for corned beef
- Onion – This adds a slow-cooked flavor to the meat plus the onions get super soft and sweet as they pressure cook.
- Corned beef – Pick a meaty-looking corned beef without too much of a fat cap. The fat does add flavor but you want to make sure you’re getting a good amount of meat too.
- Pickling spice – If your corned beef brisket does not come with a seasoning pack (most do!) just use 2 tablespoons of your favorite pickling spice.
- Guinness beer – This adds a nice deep flavor but make sure to use the original. I find the extra stout to be too strong.
- Cabbage – I like a medium-sized green cabbage as the size pairs perfectly with the amount of meat in the recipe.
- Baby yellow potatoes – A good waxy potato is always great because it will hold its shape better than something like a Russet.
- Carrots – If you don’t have full carrots feel free to use baby carrots in their place.
What is the difference between an Instant Pot and an electric pressure cooker?
Instant Pot is a brand name electric pressure cooker. Since most people recognize the name “Instant Pot” and think of an electric pressure cooker it’s often easier to just title a recipe with IP in the name.
I have also used the crockpot version electric pressure cooker with equally delicious results.
This is the same as most people calling a plastic bandage a Band-aid or a tissue a Kleenex. Over time the brand names become synonymous with a type of product.
What is an Instant Pot
An Instant Pot is an electric multi-cooker that can sauté, slow cooker, and of course, pressure cook.
There are a lot of horror stories about using old-fashioned stovetop pressure cookers but these are much safer and WAY easier to use.
They use high-pressurized steam to help cook meat and vegetables at a much quicker rate than traditional stovetop or slow cooker options.
Instant Pots are VERY easy to use and very safe. Don’t worry if you’re new to the electric pressure cooker world. You will absolutely LOVE it!
What is corned beef?
Corned beef brisket is a salt-cured cut of beef.
Typically, when it’s made it’s cooked with pickling spice to add strong flavors that stand up to salty brisket.
This cut of beef is very tough and best served when cooked slow or at high pressure in an Instant Pot like this recipe.
Want even more corned beef but only own an
Pick the perfect corned beef
Corned beef is typically found in 2 cuts – point cut or flat cut.
Point cut is visually going to look more round and come to a tip.
The cut is filled with marbling and will usually cook up with extra tenderness and moisture. However, this cut is often times a bit smaller than the flat-cut brisket cut.
A flat cut is a flatter more rectangular cut that has a fat cap on one side. This cut cooks up evenly (as it’s mostly the same size throughout) and is super easy to slice and serve.
For this recipe, I used a flat-cut corned beef brisket.
Tips for making Instant Pot corned beef
Here are a few tips and tricks to make THE BEST instant pot corned beef and cabbage:
- The right size meat – Make sure to buy a brisket that will be able to feed your whole family. They do shrink while cooking and often have fat on them. I think a 4-pound size corned beef brisket with veggies is a good amount of 4-6 servings.
- Rinse the meat – I like to give the corned beef a quick rinse to wash off the brine so the corned beef will be sure to turn out delicious but not overly salty.
- Stout beer is best – You don’t have to use Guinness but I think a nice light stout beer works best here to impart good beer flavor without being too overpowering.
- Cut those veggies – Keep your potatoes and carrots cut around the same size. That way they will cook up in the Instant Pot equally.
- Slice it just right – Make sure to slice the corned beef against the grain as this will assure it turns out perfectly tender.
How to store corned beef and cabbage
If you happen to have any leftover corned beef it can best be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
You can store both the meat and the vegetables together and can reheat them either in the microwave or covered in the oven.
Recipes to use up leftover corned beef
- Want a sandwich with a tangy slaw twist? Try my Tangy Apple Slaw Corned Beef Reuben.
- Craving a big stuffed potato? Try my Twice Baked Stuffed Reuben Potatoes.
- Love breakfast? Try my Corned Beef Cabbage Potato Hash.
- Need the best way to eat egg rolls? Try my Reuben Egg Rolls.
Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 pound corned beef brisket rinsed and patted dry
- 2 tablespoons pickling spice or 1 spice packed that came with corned beef
- 2 cups water
- 1 12 ounce bottle Guinness
- 1 medium head green cabbage quartered
- 1-1/2 pound baby yellow potatoes
- 1 pound carrots cut into large coins
- 3 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Lay sliced onion on the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- Scatter minced garlic and bay leaves on top of the onion.
- Open the corned beef brisket package and place the beef into the Instant Pot, fatty side down.
- Rub the pickling spice (or spice packed received with corned beef) onto the top of the brisket.
- Add the water and Guinness to the bottom of the pot.
- Secure the lid of the Instant Pot, turn the sealing knob to SEALING.
- Select PRESSURE COOK on HIGH for 1 hour and 30 minutes (90 minutes). It will take about 15 minutes for the pressure to build.
- When finished, press CANCEL. Carefully move the sealing knob to VENTING. Allow the pressure to release, this may take about 15 minutes.
- Use tongs and a spatula to remove the meat and onions from the Instant Pot and place it onto a plate. Tent with foil.
- Discard about 1/2 the remaining liquid from the Instant Pot and add the cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and butter.
- Place the lid back onto the pressure cooker, turn the sealing knob to SEALING, select PRESSURE COOK on HIGH for 3 minutes. Press CANCEL, manually release the pressure, and carefully unscrew the lid.
- On a serving plate, cut the corned beef against the grain. Add the vegetables to the plate and serve immediately!
Nutrition
