What’s St. Patrick’s Day without Corned Beef and Cabbage? This stovetop Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe is a simple way to prepare this classic Irish dish.
Corned Beef and Cabbage
Corned Beef and Cabbage with Horseradish Cream is the perfect festive meal for St Patrick’s Day. It’s very easy to make and uses minimal ingredients. Top it with horseradish cream or mustard and serve it with creamy cauliflower puree as a low-carb alternative to potatoes. I also have a Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage and even a Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup. This lightened-up Shepherd’s Pie is another dinner idea for the holiday.
Why This Works
We love corned beef and cabbage and make it every year. This couldn’t be easier to make on the stove, if you don’t have an Instant Pot or slow cooker. Here’s why it works:
- Short Ingredient List: Since the corned beef is already seasoned, you don’t need much to make this meal.
- Hands-Off Cooking Time: While it takes a few hours to cook this dish, most of the time is hands-off.
What exactly is corned beef?
Corned beef is salt-cured brisket, and “corn” is “a coarse grain of rock salt” used to cure the beef. Tough brisket becomes tender and moist after being cured in a salt brine. Corned beef is typically served with cabbage for a traditional Irish meal or in Reubens, sliced corned beef sandwiches.
What You’ll Need to Make Corned Beef and Cabbage:
Here’s the ingredients to make this delicious St. Patrick’s Day dinner. See measurements in the recipe card below.
- Corned Beef: Trim the fat off a 2.5-pound corned beef brisket.
- Carrots: Use one cup of baby carrots or cut heirloom carrots.
- Cabbage: Cut a small head of green or red cabbage into four wedges.
- Bay Leaves add herbal flavor and depth.
Horseradish Cream
This horseradish cream honestly makes the dish! My easy recipe has only three ingredients plus salt and pepper.
- Grated Horseradish: This is sold in a jar.
- Sour Cream: Greek yogurt can also be used
- Dijon Mustard: for flavor
- Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
How to Make Corned Beef and Cabbage
Here’s the step-by-step recipe. See printable directions in the recipe card below.
- Corned Beef: Place the brisket and bay leaves in a large pot and fill it with water until the meat’s covered.
- Simmer: Bring it to a simmer on low heat, cover the pot, and simmer for an hour per pound. So, for a 2.5-pound corned beef, simmer it for 2.5 hours.
- Carrots: When the meat is tender, add the carrots. Increase the heat to high and boil for 10 minutes.
- Cabbage: Add the cabbage and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Serve: Let the meat rest for at least 5 minutes, then slice it across the grain. Serve it with the vegetables and ladle some broth on top.
Variations
- Vegetables: Add baby potatoes or parsnips with the carrots.
- Liquid: Substitute water with low-sodium beef broth or Guinness beer.
- Herbs: Sprinkle fresh parsley over the final dish.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve the corned beef and cabbage over mashed potatoes or cauliflower mash with kale (Colcannon).
- Make a salad and these Irish Soda Bread Muffins.
- Turn this St. Patrick’s Day meal into a feast, and eat these Chocolate Stout Cupcakes or St. Patrick’s Day Cake Pops for dessert.
Storage
Corned beef and cream will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Warm the leftovers in the microwave. Leftovers are fantastic in this corned beef hash.
More St. Patrick’s Day Recipes You’ll Love
- Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
- Corned Beef Veggie Hash
- Irish Soda Bread
- Turkey Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
- Corned Turkey and Cabbage Dinner
Corned Beef and Cabbage
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs corned beef brisket in brine, fat trimmed off
- 1 cup baby carrots, peeled
- 1 small head cabbage, cut into 4 wedges
- 2 bay leaves
For the Horseradish Cream (Optional)
- 1 tbsp prepared grated horseradish
- 1/4 cup fat free sour cream, full fat for Keto
- 1/4 tsp dijon mustard
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot, place brisket, bay leaves and enough water to cover.
- Simmer, covered for about an hour per pound.
- When meat is tender add carrots.
- Boil for about 10 minutes, then add cabbage.
- Cook another 15- 20 minutes, until tender.
- Remove the meat and place on a cutting board.
- Slice the meat across the grain into thin slices after letting it rest for 5minutes.
- Serve with vegetables and ladle some broth on top.
