Meat & Pork

Serving

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Name: Corned Beef and Cabbage
Total time: 210 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Meat & Pork
Ingredients: 3 lb corned beef brisket with spice packet; 1 onion, quartered; 3 bay leaves; 1 tbsp black peppercorns; 8 cups water, or enough to cover; 6 small potatoes, halved; 4 carrots, cut into large chunks; 1 head green cabbage, cut into wedges; Whole grain mustard, for serving

A classic Irish-American simmer of brined corned beef brisket with cabbage, carrots, and potatoes, served with mustard.

210 minutes

Serves 6

Dinner

74 min prep

116 min cook

Contains common allergens

mustard

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Good to know

One-pot

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinners

Instructions

6 steps

1
Place the corned beef brisket in a large pot with the enclosed spice packet, onion, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Add water to cover by about an inch.
2
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2.5 to 3 hours, until the meat is fork-tender.
3
Add the potatoes and carrots to the pot and simmer 15 minutes.
4
Add the cabbage wedges and continue simmering 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
5
Remove the brisket and let rest 10 minutes before slicing against the grain.
6
Serve the sliced corned beef with the cabbage, potatoes, and carrots, with whole grain mustard on the side.

Corned Beef and Cabbage — plated and served — Serving moment. How Corned Beef and Cabbage looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

70/100

Good fit for most families

Allergen-friendly 90

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 54

Budget-friendly 86

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 37

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

725

Calories

63 g

Protein

36 g

Carbs

34 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Corned beef and cabbage is often assumed to be a traditional Irish dish, but it is actually an Irish-American invention. Irish immigrants in 19th-century New York substituted the cheaper corned beef sold by Jewish delis for the bacon eaten back home, and the pairing with cabbage and root vegetables stuck as a St. Patrick's Day tradition.

Listahan note

This version keeps the brine-and-simmer method simple and lets the included spice packet do most of the seasoning work, staggering the vegetables so nothing turns to mush.

Technique cues

Simmer the brisket gently rather than boiling hard; a rolling boil toughens the meat instead of tenderizing it.
Add the potatoes and carrots before the cabbage so every vegetable finishes tender at the same time instead of the cabbage turning to mush.
Slice the finished brisket against the grain in thin slices; cutting with the grain makes it noticeably chewier.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Peel and cut the potatoes and carrots while the brisket simmers during its first two hours.
Make-ahead: Cook the brisket a day ahead and refrigerate in its cooking liquid; the flavor deepens and slicing is easier once fully chilled.
Leftover move: Chop leftover brisket into a hearty hash with the potatoes for breakfast the next day.
Cleanup rhythm: One large pot handles the whole meal; let it soak while you eat, since the corned beef fond releases easily.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

Corned beef brisket with spice packet

Main protein

Purpose: The salt brine gives the meat its signature pink color and tang, and the included spice packet seasons the whole pot.

Handling: Rinse briefly if you prefer a milder saltiness, then submerge fully in water before simmering.

Adaptation: A flat cut brisket slices more evenly than a point cut, though the point cut stays juicier.

Bay leaves and black peppercorns

Background seasoning

Purpose: They round out the pot's spice packet with a gentle herbal and peppery background note.

Handling: Add them directly to the simmering water at the start so they have time to infuse.

Adaptation: A store-bought pickling spice blend can stand in if you are out of either.

Cabbage

Vegetable centerpiece

Purpose: Its mild sweetness balances the salty brisket and it soaks up the simmering liquid.

Handling: Cut into wedges through the core so the layers hold together instead of falling apart in the pot.

Adaptation: Savoy cabbage cooks a little faster and has a more tender leaf if you want a lighter texture.

Potatoes and carrots

Starch and sweetness

Purpose: They round out the plate and pick up flavor from the same simmering liquid as the meat.

Handling: Cut into similar-sized pieces so they finish cooking at the same time.

Adaptation: Parsnips or turnips can join the pot for more root-vegetable variety.

Whole grain mustard

Serving condiment

Purpose: Its sharp, tangy bite cuts through the richness of the brisket.

Handling: Serve on the side rather than mixed in so each diner can adjust the amount.

Adaptation: Dijon mustard or horseradish sauce both work as a sharper alternative.

Technique notes

The internal temperature target for tender sliced brisket is about 195 to 200 F, well past a typical medium doneness; this cut needs the extra time to break down.
Skim any gray foam off the top of the water in the first 20 minutes of simmering for a cleaner-tasting broth.
Let the meat rest for a full 10 minutes before slicing so the juices redistribute instead of spilling onto the cutting board.

Ingredient swaps

Gluten-free direction: This dish is naturally gluten-free as written; just double check the spice packet's label if store-bought.
Lower-sodium direction: Rinse the brisket before simmering and use only half of the seasoning packet to cut back on salt.
Slow-cooker path: Simmer the brisket in a slow cooker on low for 8 hours, then add the vegetables for the final hour.

Serve alongside

Irish soda bread
Buttered dinner rolls
Steamed green beans
Parsley potatoes
Irish stout
Sparkling apple cider
Iced black tea

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate sliced brisket and vegetables together in their cooking liquid for up to 4 days.
Reheat gently in a covered pan with a splash of the cooking liquid so the meat does not dry out.
Freeze sliced brisket, without the vegetables which get watery, for up to 2 months.

Equipment

Large stockpot with a lid
Sharp carving knife for slicing against the grain
Slotted spoon for lifting out the vegetables

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