Description
Fork-tender corned beef brisket with cabbage, carrots, and potatoes, all cooked together in the Instant Pot. This pressure cooker method delivers fall-apart tender results in just 90 minutes instead of the traditional 3-4 hours. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or any time you crave hearty comfort food. The two-step cooking process ensures the meat is perfectly tender while vegetables remain intact.
Ingredients
3–4 lb corned beef brisket (point cut preferred), with spice packet
4 cups water or beef broth
2 bay leaves
6 garlic cloves, smashed
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 large head green cabbage, cut into 6–8 wedges
1½ lbs baby potatoes (or regular potatoes, quartered)
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces
1 large onion, quartered
For serving:
Whole grain mustard
Horseradish cream
Fresh parsley for garnish
Melted butter for vegetables
Instructions
1. Remove corned beef from package and rinse thoroughly under cold running water for 1-2 minutes to remove excess salt.
2. Pat dry with paper towels. Trim the thick fat cap on top, leaving about ¼ inch. Remove excessive fat chunks.
3. Place rinsed corned beef in the Instant Pot, fat side up.
4. Add 4 cups water or beef broth, spice packet contents, bay leaves, smashed garlic, brown sugar, and peppercorns.
5. Close the lid and ensure the valve is set to “Sealing.”
6. Set Instant Pot to HIGH pressure for 90 minutes. Press Start.
7. When cooking completes, allow a 15-minute natural pressure release (don’t touch it for 15 minutes).
8. After 15 minutes, carefully turn valve to “Venting” to release remaining pressure.
9. Carefully open the lid (steam will be very hot). Remove corned beef and place on cutting board. Tent with foil to keep warm.
10. Cut cabbage into 6-8 wedges through the core. Quarter onion. Peel and cut carrots into 3-inch pieces.
11. Add potatoes and carrots to the cooking liquid in the Instant Pot. Place cabbage wedges on top.
12. Close lid, set valve to “Sealing.” Cook on HIGH pressure for 4 minutes.
13. When complete, do a quick pressure release by carefully turning valve to “Venting.”
14. While vegetables cook, identify the grain direction on the rested corned beef (visible lines in the meat).
15. Slice corned beef across the grain (perpendicular to the lines) into ¼-inch thick slices.
16. Remove vegetables from Instant Pot using tongs or slotted spoon.
17. Arrange sliced corned beef on a platter. Surround with cabbage wedges, potatoes, and carrots.
18. Drizzle vegetables with a little cooking liquid. Garnish with fresh parsley.
19. Serve hot with whole grain mustard and horseradish cream on the side.
Notes
Point cut has more marbling and is juicier than flat cut, making it ideal for pressure cooking.
Rinsing the corned beef is essential to prevent overly salty results.
The 15-minute natural pressure release is crucial for tender meat – don’t skip it!
Always slice across the grain, not with it. This makes an enormous difference in tenderness.
Pink color after cooking is normal – it’s from the curing process, not undercooking.
Internal temperature should reach 190-203°F for fall-apart tender texture.
Store corned beef and vegetables separately for up to 5 days refrigerated.
Freeze sliced corned beef with cooking liquid for up to 3 months.
For frozen corned beef, add 15-20 minutes to cooking time (total 105-110 minutes).
Save cooking liquid for making soup, gravy, or reheating leftovers.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 90
- Category: Main Course, Dinner
- Method: Pressure Cooking, Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Irish-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4-5 oz corned beef with vegetables
- Calories: 485
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 1850mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 125mg
Keywords: instant pot corned beef, pressure cooker corned beef, corned beef and cabbage, st patricks day recipe, easy corned beef, tender corned beef