This Instant Pot corned beef is pressure cooked until tender and served with potatoes, cabbage and carrots finished in a garlic butter sauce. It’s an easy one pot meal that works perfectly for St. Patrick’s Day or any weeknight when you want a fuss-free comfort dinner.
Corned beef is flavorful and satisfying, but traditional methods can take many hours. Using a pressure cooker cuts the time dramatically without sacrificing tenderness or flavor. This Instant Pot method reduces overall active time while delivering juicy brisket and perfectly cooked vegetables. The recipe below includes step-by-step instructions, tips for choosing ingredients, and simple flavor variations to customize the dish.
Table of Contents
- Instant Pot Corned Beef Ingredients
- How Do You Make Instant Pot Corned Beef?
- Tips For The Perfect Dish
- Quick Tip
- Recipe FAQs
- Instant Pot Corned Beef Flavor Variations
- Instant Pot Corned Beef Recipe
Instant Pot Corned Beef Ingredients
To prepare this Instant Pot corned beef you will need corned beef brisket, an onion, garlic, carrots, small yellow potatoes, green cabbage, butter, minced garlic for the butter, chopped parsley, and salt and black pepper. Quantities and full details are in the recipe card further down.
- Corned Beef: Choose a brisket that will fit flat inside your Instant Pot, typically 3–5 pounds. A packaged corned beef often includes a seasoning packet—use it if provided.
- Green Cabbage: Select a medium head of cabbage with firm, vibrant leaves and no soft or brown spots. Cut into wedges with the core attached so the wedges hold together while cooking.
- Yellow Potatoes: Baby Yukon Gold potatoes are ideal. You can leave them whole or halve larger small potatoes so they cook evenly.
- Carrots: Use thick carrots cut into large chunks so they don’t overcook during the short vegetable cook time.
How Do You Make Instant Pot Corned Beef?
Start by rinsing the corned beef under cold water to remove any excess brine, then pat it dry. Place wedges of onion and whole garlic cloves in the bottom of the Instant Pot and set the brisket on top. Sprinkle the included seasoning packet over the meat if your package has one.
Add about 4 cups of water (or another cooking liquid if desired), seal the lid, and pressure cook on high for 90 minutes. When the cook time finishes, carefully perform a quick release following your Instant Pot manual. Remove the meat from the pot, cover with foil to keep warm, and discard the cooked onions and garlic.
Place the carrots, potatoes and cabbage wedges in the cooking liquid, seal the lid again and pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. Quick release the pressure, remove the vegetables, and arrange them around the brisket. Whisk melted butter with minced garlic, chopped parsley and a pinch of salt and pepper, then drizzle this garlic butter over the vegetables before slicing the meat against the grain and serving.
Tips For The Perfect Dish
- Most packaged corned beef includes a spice packet. If yours does not, substitute 1–2 teaspoons of pickling spice or omit additional spices entirely.
- To reduce the boldness of cooked cabbage, choose a larger head and cut it into fewer, larger wedges.
- Keep the core attached to each cabbage wedge so the pieces maintain their shape while cooking.
- Grainy mustard makes a classic accompaniment to corned beef and brightens the flavor.
- Slice the brisket against the grain for the most tender results.
- Leftovers keep in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Cooked corned beef can be frozen for up to two months; however, vegetables lose texture once frozen and thawed.
Quick Tip
Cut the carrots and potatoes to similar sizes so they cook evenly in the Instant Pot.
Recipe FAQs
What is corned beef made of?
Corned beef is typically a beef brisket cured in a brine of salt and seasonings. The curing process often includes sodium nitrite, which helps preserve color and flavor. Because brisket is a tough cut, it benefits from long, slow cooking or pressure cooking until tender.
How do you choose corned beef?
Stores sell several styles, including round roast, flat cut brisket, and point cut brisket. Flat cut slices uniformly and is a common choice for corned beef; point cut is fattier and can be very tender. Choose a size that fits your pressure cooker and that matches your preference for fat content.
Should you rinse corned beef before cooking?
Rinsing under cold water removes excess surface salt and can improve the final seasoning balance.
Which cooking method is best?
There are many good methods: stovetop simmering, oven roasting, slow cooker, and pressure cooker. The Instant Pot saves time while producing tender, flavorful meat and is ideal when you want a relatively quick outcome compared with traditional braising.
Instant Pot Corned Beef Flavor Variations
This recipe is a flexible base. Swap or add ingredients to suit your taste:
- Liquid: Use a light lager or low-sodium beef or chicken broth instead of water for more depth. Avoid very dark, intensely flavored beers if you prefer a milder profile.
- Potatoes: Baby red potatoes work well, or use larger potatoes cut into 1½” pieces; keep piece sizes consistent.
- Vegetables: Try Savoy cabbage or add root vegetables such as parsnips, turnips or rutabaga.
- Seasonings: Experiment with bay leaves or a few coriander seeds for subtle complexity.
- Leftovers: Leftover corned beef makes excellent sandwiches or corned beef hash the next day.
You’ll be surprised how quickly a pressure cooker turns a long-cooked classic into an accessible, flavorful meal. With tender brisket and well-seasoned vegetables, this Instant Pot corned beef makes an effortless centerpiece for a hearty dinner.
More St. Patrick’s Day Recipe Ideas
Irish Nachos
10 mins
Cabbage Roll Soup
45 mins
St. Patrick’s Day Recipe Collection
Instant Pot Corned Beef Recipe
Instant Pot Corned Beef
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 40 minutes (90 minutes for meat + 5 minutes for vegetables)
Total Time: about 2 hours
Ingredients
- 1 corned beef brisket (3–5 lbs, choose a size that fits your pot)
- 1 onion, peeled and cut into wedges
- 4 whole garlic cloves, lightly smashed
- 4 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1 pound small yellow potatoes, whole or halved
- 1/2 head green cabbage, cut into 6 wedges
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic (for garlic butter)
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Grainy mustard, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Remove the corned beef from the package, rinse with cold water and pat dry.
- Place onion wedges and garlic cloves in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Set the corned beef on top and add the seasoning packet if included.
- Pour 4 cups of water into the pot.
- Seal the lid and set the Instant Pot to high pressure for 90 minutes.
- Carefully quick release the pressure following your Instant Pot manual.
- Remove the corned beef, discard the cooked onion and garlic, and keep the meat warm covered in foil.
- Add carrots, potatoes and cabbage to the cooking liquid. Seal and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, then quick release.
- Whisk together butter, minced garlic, parsley, and a pinch of salt and pepper; melt if needed.
- Arrange vegetables around the brisket, drizzle with garlic butter, and slice the meat against the grain. Serve with mustard if desired.
Notes
- If your corned beef did not include a spice packet, use 1–2 teaspoons of pickling spice or omit extra spices.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze cooked corned beef up to two months.
- Leave the core attached to cabbage wedges to help them hold together while cooking.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 564 kcal | Carbohydrates: 14 g | Protein: 36 g | Fat: 29 g | Saturated Fat: 14 g | Cholesterol: 137 mg | Sodium: 987 mg | Potassium: 1133 mg | Fiber: 4 g | Sugar: 3 g | Vitamin A: 5345 IU | Vitamin C: 97.4 mg | Calcium: 75 mg | Iron: 6.1 mg
