Pressure Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage Is my family's comfort food tradition on St. Patrick's Day.
Corned beef and cabbage in the pressure cooker seemed like a simple idea, a slow-cooker alternative that sped up my cooking time dramatically. And it did...eventually, when I got my technique figured out. Now I have a rock-solid pressure cooker corned beef recipe. (Before that it was a comedy of errors - see my troubleshooting section below if you want the gory details.)
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Ingredients
- Corned beef
- Onion
- Celery
- Carrots
- Cabbage
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Pressure Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
Pressure Cook the Corned Beef for 60 Minutes With a Quick Release: Rinse the corned beef, then cut it crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Put the corned beef pieces, onion, and celery in an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker, sprinkle with the spice packet, then pour in enough water to cover the corned beef. Bring the pressure cooker up to high pressure and cook at high pressure for 60 minutes in an Instant Pot or other electric PC, or for 50 minutes in a stovetop PC. Quick release the pressure, then carefully remove the lid. Test the corned beef for doneness with a fork – it should be easy to poke a fork through the thickest section. If it's not done, lock the lid and cook for another ten minutes at high pressure.
Pressure Cook the Vegetables for 5 Minutes With a Quick Release: Add carrots to the pot, then lay the cabbage on top. It's OK if the cabbage comes a bit above your cooker's "no fill" line; there will still be a lot of airspace. Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes. Quick release the pressure again. Using a slotted spoon and/or tongs, transfer the vegetables to a platter and the corned beef to a carving board.
Serve: Pour the broth left in the pot into a fat separator. While the broth settles, slice the corned beef. Pour a little of the de-fatted broth over the corned beef and vegetables platter. Serve, passing the rest of the broth at the table.
Corned Beef & Cabbage Troubleshooting
Problem 1: Too salty
Last year, I tried my usual "cut back the water in the pressure cooker" approach. I used 1 cup of water instead of covering the corned beef. The result was unbelievably salty. I could barely eat it. The rest of the family took one bite, then ignored the corned beef and filled up with soda bread, cabbage, and carrots. Discouraged, I put one serving of the salty corned beef and cabbage in a container and tossed the rest. The next day, the leftovers tasted fine - sitting in the cabbage and juices for a day pulled enough salt out to make it edible.
Problem 2: Undercooked
Problem 2: Undercooked
This year, instead of winging it, I researched recipes. They all said to cover the corned beef with water. (Whoops.) Then I ran into my next hurdle. Most sources cook the whole corned beef at high pressure for 45 minutes to an hour. Then they quick release the pressure, remove the corned beef, add the vegetables, and cook the vegetables at high pressure for five minutes.
"Great!" I thought to myself, "Corned beef in an hour!"
I should have known what was coming. Last year I followed Lorna Sass's instructions and cooked a two-and-a-half pound corned beef for 70 minutes at high pressure. This year I had a monster - four and a half pounds. I checked the recipe book that came with my electric Cuisinart pressure cooker; it said I should cook for 24 minutes per pound. 108 minutes? Seriously? The Cuisinart's timer only goes up to 99 minutes. No, it couldn't possibly take that long.
I put the corned beef in the electric pressure cooker, and set it to cook at high pressure for fifty minutes. Then I quick released the pressure and filled the pot with potatoes, carrots, and cabbage. The result looked great, and the vegetables were perfectly cooked. But the corned beef was undercooked. My jaw got tired trying to chew through it. Once again, everyone else took one bite of the corned beef, then filled up on the sides.
I had to crack this. I couldn't let corned beef beat me. I went back to the store and bought two smaller corned beef roasts, each three and a half pounds.
In case it was the lower pressure of the electric pressure cooker, I cooked one corned beef in my electric PC and the other in my stove top PC. (Most electric pressure cookers have a high pressure of 12 PSI, while stovetop pressure cookers have a high pressure of 15 PSI.)
I cooked both roasts for fifty minutes, quick released the pressure, and checked the corned beef. It wasn't done. I kept trying, pressure cooking for ten minutes with a quick release, and checking again. The stovetop pressure cooker took a total of 80 minutes to tenderize the corned beef, and the electric PC took 90 minutes. Finally, success!
But, wow, eighty minutes? So much for corned beef in an hour. Still, an hour and a half (including the extra vegetable cooking time) was much better than the ten hours my usual slow cooker recipe takes. Need a corned beef in a hurry? Get a small one, add plenty of water, and do NOT undercook it.
Problem 3: Too Long
So, 90 minutes worked for a smaller corned beef, and I used that recipe for years. But with another St. Patrick's Day coming up, I started thinking.
What if I tried the trick I learned with [Pressure Cooker Pot Roast] and cut the corned beef into pieces? I always slice the corned beef for serving, so no one will know I cut it into 4 pieces before I started cooking.
Sure enough, cutting the corned beef into 4 pieces worked wonders. 60 minutes under pressure worked perfectly in my Instant Pot, and it finished in 50 minutes in my stovetop PC. Now, I can get a bigger corned beef - I'm able to fit a 4 pounder in, once I cut it up and fit it in like a jigsaw puzzle. In fact, I can get any size I want, as long as I cut it into 2-inch to 3-inch wide pieces before cooking. Problem solved!
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Leftover corned beef and cabbage freezes well, as long as it is covered in broth.
- If you have the time, use a natural pressure release for the corned beef instead of the quick release. It's almost impossible to overcook a corned beef, and the slower release of pressure results in a little bit more tenderness in the corned beef.
- Watch out for extra-thick corned beef - you want a flat, even piece, three inches thick or so. If you get a thicker one, or a cut from the point end, give it an extra ten to fifteen minutes under pressure.
- Want to add a little more Irish cuisine to the recipe? (Or at least some Irish beer?) Replace some of the water with a bottle of Guinness beer
- Don't have a pressure cooker? Use a slow cooker. Recipe here: Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
Adapted From: Lorna Sass Pressure Perfect
Pressure Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
Description
Pressure Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage. My tradition on St. Patrick's Day.
Ingredients
- 4Â pound corned beef with its spice packet
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 1 stalk celery, quartered crosswise
- Water to cover (about 4 cups)
Vegetables
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch lengths (or a 1 pound bag of baby carrots)
- 1 small (3 pound) cabbage, cut into 8 wedges
Instructions
- Pressure Cook the Corned Beef for 60 Minutes With a Quick Release: Rinse the corned beef, then cut it crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Put the corned beef pieces, onion, and celery in an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker, sprinkle with the spice packet, then pour in enough water to cover the corned beef. Bring the pressure cooker up to high pressure and cook at high pressure for 60 minutes in an Instant Pot or other electric PC, or for 50 minutes in a stovetop PC. Quick release the pressure, then carefully remove the lid. Test the corned beef for doneness with a fork – it should be easy to poke a fork through the thickest section. If it's not done, lock the lid and cook for another ten minutes at high pressure.
- Pressure Cook the Vegetables for 5 Minutes With a Quick Release: Add carrots to the pot, then lay the cabbage on top. It's OK if the cabbage comes a bit above your cooker's "no fill" line; there will still be a lot of airspace. Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes. Quick release the pressure again. Using a slotted spoon and/or tongs, transfer the vegetables to a platter and the corned beef to a carving board.
- Serve: Pour the broth left in the pot into a fat separator. While the broth settles, slice the corned beef. Pour a little of the de-fatted broth over the corned beef and vegetables platter. Serve, passing the rest of the broth at the table.
Notes
This recipe will fit in a 6 quart or larger pressure cooker. I love my 6 quart Instant Pot pressure cooker.
For my original recipe: Use a smaller corned beef - only 3 pounds, max, and leave it in one piece. Everything in the recipe works the same, except in the "cook the corned beef" step, cook for 90 minutes in an electric PC, or 80 minutes in a stovetop PC.
I also removed the potatoes from the recipe - I think they come out better if you cook mashed potatoes on the side. If you want to use them in the recipe: Scoop the corned beef out of the broth after the 60 minute pressure "cook the corned beef" step and set it aside. Add 1 ½ pounds of redskin new potatoes to the pot, then add the carrots and cabbage on top and continue with the "cook the vegetables" step.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Sunday Dinner
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Irish
Related Posts
Pressure Cooker Lamb Stew
Pressure Cooker Lamb Stew with Guinness and Barley
Pressure Cooker Champ (Irish Mashed Potatoes with Green Onions)
My other Pressure Cooker Recipes
My other Pressure Cooker Time Lapse Videos
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BevM
Thanks so much for great instructions! I cut my 4lb corned beef in 4 parts and rinsed it, as you recommended, and they fit great in my 8qt IP. I used low sodium chicken broth for the liquid, tossed out the seasoning packet and dumped in some Pickling Spice and and Celery Seeds, garlic, and a quartered onion, as I used to do when using a slow cooker. 60 minutes and it was done perfectly. I had a lot of carrots, potatoes, and a couple of parsnips, so I took the meat out and did the veg in the juice for 6 minutes (due to altitude and husband liking them soft.) I was sharing with friends, one of whom loves but can't eat cabbage or even the juice any more, so I removed the veg and part of the juice, filled the pot with cabbage, did it for 5 minutes. We all thought it was maybe the best corned beef we've ever had! And I'm learning I have to allow more time for the 8qt IP than my 6qt for coming up to pressure and going down both.
Again, thanks for great instructions and for saving me from the mistakes you made!
Liz Smith
This was fantastic! My family LOVED it! This will definitely be a keeper on our list of recipes.
Lynn Ross
I've made this a couple times now. It's become a family favorite. I was going to make my old recipe in the oven, but that idea didn't receive any votes, so I'll be sticking with this one from now on. Super tender, juicy, and tasty!
Jackson Hawk
Mike,
Your recipe is totally awesome!
I have a T-Fal 6-qt PC and the problem that I'm having is that when I quick release the pressure, I get frothy liquid coming out of the vent, not just steam, which makes quite a mess! The contents were way below the fill line, and I removed the PC from the heat before releasing the pressure. I even moved the pressure control to low first, and I just got steam out, but when I moved it to quick release, that is when the frothy liquid came out. The meal, however, came out GREAT!
Any ideas as to what I am doing wrong?
Mike Vrobel
Jackson, that seems to happen sometimes, when the pressure cooker is bubbling. If you get foamy liquid out of the vent, turn off the heat and let it sit for five minutes before trying to quick release again.
Tierney
I absolutely love this post and recipe. I love the trial and errors you talk about. It saves me from having to make those mistakes myself! Furthermore, I love that you keep updating and lastly (and most importantly) I love that this recipe is DELICIOUS and works every time! 🙂
MotherSquid
Tried this recipe with a 4.5# corned beef brisket cut in 3 pieces & it worked out great. The meat was perfect using high (meat) setting for 60 minutes. I did slow release after reading that quick sometimes tightens meat. Took meat out & tented it to rest while I cooked cabbage, quartered, red potatoes & carrots, halved. They were a tad overdone (lowest setting on vegetables was 10 minutes & I forgot to pull plug a 6 minutes). 5 minutes w slow release worked great. Found that the more water I used the less salty the end product & the more salty the broth. Overall 5 Stars for sure, easy & as tender & tasty as my Mom's 3 hour boiled corned beef. Great for sandwiches IF there's any left over...
Joanne
Ission acco.plished --Thanks for this recipe. other than being afraid of the pressure cooker everything came out perfect!!
Cindy
Thank you so much! It came out amazing my first try! I used a 3 lb Wellshire Farms CB cut into four slices, ended up needing 70 min for it to be melt in your mouth fork tender. It was a bit salty though. Should I add more water next time?
Also, how do you clean your instant pot? I made Greek Yogurt the next day after steam cleaning the pot for 5 min with water, and my yogurt has an aroma of corned beef!
Yvette
This was my 3rd time using a pressure cooker, and first attempt with this recipe. Best corned beef ever! I will be trying more of your recipes. Thank you!
Howard
I know I have nothing original to add here. I rarely leave comments either. But I gotta tell you, this was the best corned beef I've ever made. Thanks so much for your investigation and publication of your results.
Mike Vrobel
You're welcome!
Janet
I just made this tonight and followed the directions exactly. I had a 4.5lb corned beef. I'm reasonably new to pressure cookers. I have the Power Cooker XL 8qt. Only thing different is I used the canning rack that came with it so the corned beef wasn't sitting directly on the bottom..Turned out great, my family said it was delicious and tender. Thanks, this is the second recipe I've done from this site in a week..the Senate Ham and Beans was awesome too.
Margaret
Perfect! Like the idea of cutting it into smaller pieces! I bought my corned beef in the evening and by the time I got home to cook it, it was 8pm. I got this cooked in 60 minutes plus natural release, and finished by 10! It was all ready for the next night's dinner after work. 🙂 Love your recipes! Thanks for taking the time to do the trials and errors!!
Michele
THANK YOU! You saved my dinner party. I was about to make all the same mistakes as you listed. What a gift you have given us. Blessings on you in return.
Kevyn
This was a amazing recipe! Followed instructions and used insta pot and everything turned out great. Had a 3 1/2 pound brisket that was pre-sliced and I washed & cut it into 3 even pieces, cook on high for 60 mins. Couldn't find 3 pound cabbage so had to use 4.25 pound so when beef was done I add carrots & cabbage & cooked for additional 15 mins on high. Turned out fabulous! Best CB I've ever made.
Mary
Thank you so much for this recipe. We just finished eating the corned beef I made according to your recipe & it was delicious! I cut up a 4 pound corned beef into 4 pieces and cooked it in my Cuisinart pressure cooker for 60 minutes & used the quick release. Then I made the cabbage, carrots & potatoes separately as you suggested. It was the best corned beef I've ever made.