Instant Pot Corned Beef is tender and delicious, cooked in the pressure cooker in a short amount of time, and served with cabbage and potatoes. This is the ultimate dish to celebrate St. St. Patrick’s Day! Prepare a traditional Irish meal using a pressure cooker for a quicker and better-tasting result.
Why Make Corned Beef and Cabbage in the Instant Pot?
One of the first uses I had in mind for the Instant Pot when I purchased it was to adapt my beer-braised corned beef. The lager-infused, aromatic pressure cooker corned beef, which was tender, succulent, and full-flavored, did not let us down.
Compared to braising in a Dutch oven, Instant Pot Corned Beef is a one-pot meal that saves you about an hour from beginning to end. It takes much less time than crockpot corned beef recipes, which can take up to 8 hours.
What You’ll Need to Make Instant Pot Corned Beef
- 4-pound Corned Beef Brisket. At the market, you can purchase corned beef (salt-cured brisket) in flat and point cuts. For this recipe, you can use either, but I typically purchase flat cut (For more information on the variations in cuts, see Brisket: Flat Cut vs. Point Cut from Cuisine at Home. ).
- Lager-style Beer. I prefer to use a lager that isn’t too strong or hops forward, just like with my beer-braised corned beef. I most frequently use a bottle of Sam Adams Boston Lager or Samuel Smith Pure Brewed Organic Lager.
- Water. To assist in creating pressure in the pot and removing salt from the corned beef as it cooks
- Pickling Spice. a traditional blend of whole spices, including bay leaves, ginger, coriander, mustard seeds, cinnamon, peppercorns, and mustard seeds You can use the spice packet that came with your corned beef in place of the pickling spice if it is provided.
- Yellow Onion and Garlic. Adds additional flavor the braising liquid. The onion should be peeled and cut, and whole garlic cloves should be peeled.
- Carrots, Potatoes, and Cabbage. I like to use baby carrots and creamer potatoes (red and/or yellow, about the size of golf balls), in addition to a wedged head of green cabbage, to make this a one-pot corned beef and cabbage dinner.
I developed this recipe using a 6-quart Instant Pot; specifically, the 6-quart Duo Plus. I find that using the included handled trivet makes it easier to remove the tender brisket from the insert after cooking.
How to Make A Pressure Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner
Rinse the corned beef thoroughly (2–3) with cool water before cooking to get rid of any excess salt. I don’t recommend trimming the fat cap before cooking. The fat gives the meat flavor and moisture, and it can be removed before serving if necessary.
Your Instant Pot insert should contain the sliced onions, garlic cloves, pickling spices, and water. Put the corned beef, which has been rinsed, fat side up, on the trivet that was provided with your Instant Pot.
Pour the beer over the brisket after nestling the trivet into the pot. Before you seal the pot, make sure the liquid level in the insert reaches up the sides of the brisket.
Note: Depending on the size of your brisket, you may need more or less water. Although the Instant Pot may only require one to one and a half cups of liquid to pressurize, this is insufficient to remove the salt from the meat. If necessary, adjust the water amount, but don’t fill the insert past the fill line.
Pressure Cooking the Corned Beef
We find that a 4-pound corned beef tastes best when cooked at high pressure for 85 minutes and then naturally released for 20 minutes. The meat is fork-tender but still holds together when cut against the grain.
The cooking time for the corned beef itself is about two hours, plus the 15 minutes it takes the Instant Pot to reach pressure.
To ensure leftovers for sandwiches and corned beef hash, we always make a corned beef around 4 pounds, but if you make a much smaller brisket, it will probably need to cook for less time. For 2-pound briskets, we’ve found that 70 minutes at high pressure and a 15-minute natural release are sufficient.
Discard the pickling spices and solids after removing the cooked corned beef from the Instant Pot and straining the cooking liquid. To keep the corned beef warm and juicy, place it in a dish with some of the cooking liquid that was strained.
Cooking the Potatoes, Carrots, and Cabbage Wedges
It’s simple to include vegetables in an Instant Pot corned beef dinner. I adore the flavor that the vegetables get from the pressure cooker’s beer-based cooking liquid. When it comes to boiled or steamed cabbage wedges, I don’t usually get too excited, but I really like the flavor of these.
Layer the carrots, potatoes, and cabbage wedges in the Instant Pot insert with 1-12 cups of the strained cooking liquid. With a manual (quick) release, cook the vegetables under high pressure for three to four minutes.
Serving Your Corned Beef Dinner
When ready to serve, slice the corned beef against the grain into ⅛ to ¼-inch slices. Check Out: Here’s How (and Why) to Slice Meat Against the Grain from Kitchn.
Before slicing the corned beef, you might want to reduce or eliminate the fat cap if it is particularly thick. This is entirely a matter of personal preference. We enjoy serving the brisket with some fat still attached.
Serve the sliced corned beef on a platter with a little of the strained cooking liquid spooned over it, and serve guests whole grain mustard on the side. To add a splash of color and freshness, I drizzle the vegetables with melted butter and top them with chopped fresh parsley.
More of our Favorite St. Patrick’s Day Recipes
Instant Pot Corned Beef
- 1 thinly sliced small yellow onion (use 1/2 if large).
- Peeled and lightly mashed with the back of a knife, four garlic cloves
- ▢ 2 tablespoons pickling spice
- ▢ 2-½ cups water
- ▢ 4 pound corned beef brisket , rinsed
- ▢ 12 ounces lager-style beer (nothing too bitter)
- One pound of small potatoes, or red-skinned potatoes cut into wedges measuring 1-12 inches wide.
- ▢ 1 head cabbage , cut into 8 wedges
- ▢ 1 pound baby carrots
- ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley , for garnish
- ▢ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted (optional)
- ▢ grainy mustard , for serving (optional)
- In the insert of a 6-quart Instant Pot, combine onion, garlic, pickling spices, and water. Place the onions on a rack and then the corned beef brisket, fat side up. Pour beer over the brisket.
- Put the unit under HIGH pressure for 85 minutes with the lid closed. After 20 minutes, allow the pressure to release naturally. After that, manually release the remaining pressure. * Take out the corned beef and arrange it on a plate or cutting board. Spoon some of the cooking liquid on top. Cover with foil to keep warm.
- Strain cooking liquid and discard solids. Add wedges of potatoes, carrots, and cabbage to the Instant Pot with the refilled 1 1/2 cups of liquid. (Reserve remaining cooking liquid. ) Depending on how soft you like your vegetables, seal the lid and set the appliance to HIGH pressure for 3–4 minutes. Quick release pressure.
- Slice corned beef against the grain. On your serving platter, drizzle a small amount of the reserved cooking liquid over the slices of corned beef. Vegetables should be topped with parsley and, if desired, melted butter. Serve corned beef with mustard.
To Glaze The Corned Beef (Optional)
The BEST Corned Beef and Cabbage – Quick and Easy Instant Pot Recipe
FAQ
How long does it take to cook a 4 pound corned beef?
Cook for three to three and a half hours for a three to five-pound corned beef brisket. STOVE: Put the brisket fat-side up in a big pot and add water to the top of the pot. The water should be heated until it boils, then it should be simmered for about a pound at a time.
How long to cook 4 lbs of meat in Instant Pot?
Large chunks of meat should be cooked at high pressure for 20 minutes and small chunks of meat should be cooked for 15 minutes. Use a quick pressure release method.
How many minutes per pound in Instant Pot?
Cook with 1-1. Each pound of meat (450 grams) requires 5 cups of liquid for 20 minutes. Finish up with a quick release of pressure.
How long do you cook 3 pounds of meat in an Instant Pot?
In general, each pound of meat needs twenty minutes to cook under pressure. Therefore, a 3-pound roast needs 60 minutes under high pressure to become tender. From our photos, you can see that we also included baby potatoes in the pot.