Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

Using the Instant Pot allows me to cook the corned beef, and then finish the vegetables in the same pot, with the corned beef cooking liquid so they are infused with some of the corned beef flavor.

The time that the corned beef needs to rest before cutting is just enough time to pressure cook the potatoes, carrots and cabbage. Then the complete meal is ready at the same time, not overcooked, and I only have to wash one pot.

How do I chose the right cut of corned beef?

There are generally two types of corned beef available – a flat cut or a point cut. It is also possible to have an entire corned beef brisket with both the flat and the point, but I rarely see it sold that way at the grocery stores I frequent.

The point cut is a less uniform shape and has fat running throughout. The flat cut is a uniform width and has a large slab of fat on the top. I prefer the flat cut because it is easy to trim off the fat before serving the corned beef. It is also easier to cut and serve the flat, especially if you are planning on making  sandwiches with the leftovers.

How to Make Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

1. Rinse the Corned Beef

The first step in making the corned beef and cabbage is to rinse off the corned beef. Corned beef is cured with salt – lots and lots of salt. So it is best to rinse off the brisket before cooking to remove any extra salt.

This doesn’t remove the flavor because there is still plenty of salt infused into the meat. If you skip this step your final Instant Pot corned beef and cabbage will be excessively salty. Just rinse the brisket with cool water and pat it dry.

2. Add to Instant Pot

Then place the corned beef brisket in the pressure cooker, pour the spice packet over it, and add liquid to cover the brisket. If your corned beef didn’t come with a packet of spices you can use a few tablespoons of pickling spice to flavor the beef.

For liquid I add 2 cups of beef broth and then as much water as needed to cover the brisket. You can also use beer as a cooking liquid.

My family aren’t huge fans of meat cooked with lots of beer, so I stick with beef broth. Using a bottle of Guinness would be authentically Irish though!

3. Pressure Cook

Then close the pressure cooker and bring it up to High pressure for between 75-85 minutes, depending on the size of your corned beef brisket. After the cook time is done let the pressure naturally release.

4. Prepare the Vegetables

While the corned beef rests the cabbage, carrots and potatoes are steamed in the Instant Pot. There are two ways to cook the vegetables.

You can put the vegetables directly in the cooking liquid or you can put them in a steamer basket  above the liquid. Either way works, it is just a question of how crispy you want the vegetables and how much corned beef flavor you want to impart into them.

I usually put them all in a steamer basket. But either way, put the lid on the Instant Pot and pressure cook the vegetables on high pressure for about 5 minutes.

I used two carrots, four potatoes and half a cabbage to accompany my corned beef brisket. This is because I know my kids will eat more potatoes than cabbage or carrots, so your proportions might vary depending on which vegetables your family favors.

Serving Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

Once the vegetables are cooked the corned beef should be rested enough to cut. I prefer to cut the fat slab off the corned beef brisket before serving. Slice the brisket against the grain into slices about 1/4 of an inch thick.

This makes a complete and well rounded meal with lots of meat and vegetables. You can also add a hearty bread, like Guinness Bread or Irish Soda Bread if you’d like to round out the meal. And if there are leftovers you can make Reuben Pizza Rolls or corned beef hash! 

Find more Instant Pot Dinner Recipes

• Instant Pot Lamb Stew with Guinness
• Instant Pot Pork Loin
• Instant Pot Turkey Corn Chowder
• Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo with sausage