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
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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
- 4 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
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: ½ pound of corned beef
- Calories: 521
- Sugar: 3.4 g
- Sodium: 2841.7 mg
- Fat: 34.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 16.4 g
- Protein: 36.1 g
- Cholesterol: 122.7 mg
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Katie says
I've used this for a couple years for a ~4.25-4.5lb corned beef. I splurged this year on a 6.7lb corned beef. Am I crazy for trying to fit this into my 6qt instant pot? If so, should I do it in two batches? Not to come off too dorky, but you're my corned beef hero - it's totally changed the game for me!! 🙂
Mike Vrobel says
For that big of a corned beef, cut it into 6 pieces. that should give you the same size pieces as a 4 pound roast, and the recipe will work as written. (Also, I think it will fit in a 6-quart cooker)
Katie says
would I jigsaw them and have it in two layers, but not evenly on top of one another? THANK YOU for getting back to me so quickly. I'm making it this weekend and was starting to worry about logistics.
Mike Vrobel says
Yes, exactly- don’t pack them in, use two loose layers. Good luck!
Mike Lauerman II says
Mike, your story/hence, recipe...was enlightening and informative! I too am a Dad in the kitchen...when not busy with BMW repairs (I'm a retired senior/Master BMW tech)
I like technical specs. Most times I work them out myself, but your 'confession' about undercooked got my attention.
Your dogged attempts to find the 'time' on this were just what I did seek, solid numbers.
Now I see what we're dealing with.
Many thanks, 60 minutes (then 10) on a 4 lb. brisket. Great work!
Mike Vrobel says
Thank you!
Theresa Quinn says
Thank you so much for the help with cooking more than a couple pounds of corned beef! I had a five pounder, so I cut it in half and used your timing plus an additional 15 minutes. It. Was. Delicious.
Barbara H says
Mike, just found your recipe and going to try it today. For many years I partially precooked my corned beef briskets and left in liquid overnight and finished in oven. Usually tender, but often hit and miss. Last year I did that but also cooked briskets in two different slow cookers. The family loved them. We like our corned beef. This year, couldn't find that recipe. Found yours and going to try it in my stovetop pressure cooker. A week after, too many things going last weekend. I have several pressure cookers. Love them. Anyway, IS IT BEST to take the brisket out completely when doing the veggies, or put potatoes under the brisket and carrots and cabbage and top, then cook? I now have two I'm brining, one cooking in slow cooker and will try yours in PC. I'm going to add cup of Guinness with water (or beef broth). I'll let you know how it went.
Glad I saw a post from a few days ago. You are still reading them?????
Also, I have always made Killeybeg "sauce" recipe for meat. Was with original recipe I used. Sour cream mixed with brown mustard and horseradish. Delicious on the meat and veggies.
Mike Vrobel says
I take the brisket out - I needed the space in the cooker, and the liquid has plenty of flavor from the long-cooked brisket.
Marla says
Your timing for a 3 pound chunk of corned beef was perfect. I tossed the little spice packet and instead used a tub of Trader Joe's mirepoix (so diced onion, celery and carrot) and a heaping tablespoon of Penzey's pickling spice - it had a much spicer, warmer taste from the fresher, quality spices and was excellent. I've been burned before by veggies cooked too salty in CB water and was afraid to try that option (no reflection on you) so we served this with roasted brussels sprouts.
For refrigerating the remaining 2/3 of CB I pulled out as much mirepoix as I could and topped the beef with that in a storage container.
Luke says
Hi Mike,
I just did this recipe with my 23qt stovetop pressure canner for 11lbs of point cut corned beef and it worked great. I cut the meat into pieces no more than 3" thick and arranged it in the pot on the canner rack. I filled up the pot with about 8qts of water so the meat was completely covered. I cooked it at 15lbs of pressure for 90 minutes. The meat was nice and tender but I think it could have gone for 80-85 minutes and been a little less falling apart (which is my preference).
Also I did my usual MO when boiling corned beef to pot it in the water, bring it almost to a boil and then pour that salty water off. Then refill and start the actual cooking process. With such a large canner, you need to use a lot of water, and I actually thought there was too little salt in the meat. It seemed a bit bland. Next time I will not do that pre-process.
Mike Vrobel says
Wow, a 23-quart pressure canner. Thanks for following up to let me know how it went!
Donna says
I've been using this recipe, and it's improvements for the past two years. This March I decided to try another recipe that people were ing about and it was a big fail for me. Tonight, used this again with my 4lb corned beef and twas perfect. I wont even look at another again!!!!
Jade says
Thanks for sharing this recipe! Easy to follow, and you gave some great tips! Everything turned out so good!
Jackson Hawk says
Mike,
Don't know if I'm reading this correctly; if I'm not cooking potatoes, I cook the meat, then put the veggies on top of the meat (still in the PC), but if I AM cooking potatoes, I cook the meat, then take it out of the PC, put the potatoes and other veggies in and cook. Do I have that right? Why the different methods?
Kim Couture says
Have made several times and it's perfect each time. I use an instant pot and cut my meat into 4 and use 60 min. LOVE IT!
Janice says
Hi Mike!! I want you to know that this is my go to recipe for CB. I tried it the first time in 2013. Perfect every time I cook it. I don't use our stovetop pressure cooker very much but my husband does all the time. He didn't believe me when I said I cooked it for 80 minutes. He still likes to second guess me on the time even though I've cooked it many times and it turns out great! Even our teenage girls love it! Thanks so much for taking the time to test and post this delicious recipe.
If anyone is reading this and hesitant to make it...I highly recommend you give it a try!
Mike Vrobel says
Thank you!
Aaron Friedman says
I cooked a 4.25 lbs. center cut brisket (uncut) in the instant pot for 96 minutes (about 24 minutes per pound) with a 15 minute natural release and it came out pretty well. I could see cutting the time slightly to 90 minutes. I still think that I like the texture of 9 hours on low in a slow cooker a little better but I’d really have to try them side by side. The potatoes and veggies were perfectly cooked and seasoned though. My wife, who hates cooked carrots, even liked them. Thanks again.
Weft1 says
Interested in adding beets and maybe a turnip o your excellent recipe. How long to cook them" is 5 minutes too short a time to get the beets cooked? Thank you for your great website.
Mike Vrobel says
Whole beets take about 24 minutes to cook - https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/pressure-cooker-beets-with-blue-cheese/ - but I’ve never tried them cut up. (And, my wife does not like turnips, so I’ve never tried them either.) If you do try them, let me know how it goes!
Chris says
Mike, going to cook my "traditional Irish dinner" tomorrow. Yeah- I know, it's a week earlier than St. Pat's, but we're busy that weekend and I my daughter would disown me if we didn't have it. Anyhoo, I got the more fatty point cut instead of a flat cut this year. We really like to cook a lot and have lots of leftovers (got a 4.7 pounder this year), and the flats are twice as much.
I've seen several recipes that are traditionally cooked methods (non-pressure cooker) that after the meat is boiled, it is then roasted. Do you think it would be advisable to roast a corned beef after being pressure cooked? My thought was that the secondary cooking might render more of the fat and make it more tender, perhaps less crumbly.
My second question is that with such a large cut and only having a 6 QT PC, do you think it'll be done in only an hour if I cut it into pieces or perhaps more time needed?
Thanks again; as another dad who loves to cook, your site is a blessing.
Mike Vrobel says
From the notes: “...Each piece should be 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.”
I’ve never roasted a corned beef after cooking, no matter what method I’ve used. I don’t think it’s a good idea, because I’m a traditionalist when it comes to corned beef, and it’s a boiled dinner. No roasting for me.
Josh says
Thank you so much for this recipe and this website. I can't tell how much of a help it has been to understand how to use my new instant pot over the last few months.
Regarding this recipe, you mentioned adding additional pressure cook time for cuts over 3" thick OR point cut. I have a 3.25 lb point cut that ranges from 1.75-2.5" thick. Would you recommend adding time to this size/cut as well? Also, if I cut it into 3 pieces, would 60 mins work or would additional time be recommended as well?
Thanks again
Mike Vrobel says
Don't add time - you're not over 3 inches thick.
Each piece I cut was about 3 inches wide - aim for that width. If you can do that in three pieces, great, otherwise cut it into 4 pices.
Josh says
Thanks Mike. I tried this last night (with 12oz of ale along with the water) and a 15 min NPR and it worked, perfectly. The flavor and tenderness of the meat and veggies (took meat out 1st: carrots, cabbage and mini potatoes at 3mins with a quick release) were incredible! Thank you again.
I was curious, in a 6qt pot, can you stack/criss-cross the appr 1lb strips of beef in 2 layers if you add a bit more liquid to accommodate appr 6lbs, total of corned beef? If so would cook time be the same?