It’s comforting, hearty and with an Instant Pot, you can make this Irish favorite in less time with less fuss. Sometimes less is more. We love it on rainy nights, when we have family over and most importantly…when our beloved Celtics have a big game. Instant Pot Corned Beef—it’s not just for St. Patrick’s Day anymore.
Get festive with this instant pot Kalua pork, instant pot italian beef, or instant pot carnitas. OR, see the full menu of easy keto instant pot recipes.
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Corned Beef & Instant Pot Forever
My husband loves corned beef. That’s the number one reason we eat this as much as we do. It’s also the number one reason that I needed a go-to recipe. The Instant Pot is key. The first time I made corned beef, I did a stovetop version that had me up all night long checking temps every hour until 6 am. I did not have fun.
Was I glad my husband loved it? Sure. But it was not something I wanted to EVER make again.
That’s why the Instant Pot is crucial for me. It eliminates so much time and stress. I can happily make it on game days and still be able to actually watch the game. I will never look back. Because I’m watching the game!! So whether you’re celebrating St. Patrick, your favorite corned beef lover or your #1 team…serve up some corned beef.
But make it in the Instant Pot. And enjoy! 🍀🤍 – Linds x
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Beef brisket contains a lot of connective tissue and needs to cook for long periods of time to tenderize. This is why it typically takes 8 hours over the stove! But also why it’s the perfect cut of meat to cook in the Instant Pot.
- Seasoning mix – you can purchase corned beef brined in pickling spices, or even brisket that comes with a spice packet (I’ve grabbed this from Costco a few times and it was great!). If so, feel free to skip the following, but this is our family’s go-to: bay leaves torn, black peppercorns, coriander seeds, and yellow mustard seeds.
- Veggies – Instant pot corned beef and cabbage is the classic version, everything else is optional. We love onion and carrots as well. Sometimes we’ll chop up and add a few russet potatoes. You can also skip the veggies altogether for instant pot corned beef no cabbage.
- Parsley to finish.
Plus Some Tools…
- Instant Pot – This is not the old-school pressure cooker that was scary to cook with. It’s digital and has a lot of fantastic safety features. I have the 6 quart, which fits a 2.5-pound piece of brisket perfectly.
- Trivet – This stainless steel rack (that comes with the instant pot) helps keep your brisket off the bottom, and prevents the “burn” notification from appearing.
Leftover Tips + Ideas
Store leftover corned beef, vegetables, parsley, and cooking liquid separately. Then reheat in the microwave, making sure to drizzle cooking liquid over the meat before you do. Or, get creative:
- Pan-frying the beef hash (veggies and meat combined) in butter until gold and crispy on each side. Bonus points if you serve it with a poached egg on top. Psst – this is our fave.
- Leftover beef sandwiches on toasted rye bread. Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and dijon mustard are delicious additions.
- Scrambled with eggs.
Common Questions:
- Is this instant pot corned beef keto? Yes, it is! By skipping the potatoes, you’ve got keto corned beef (see nutrition info below). Don’t want to make instant pot corned beef and cabbage keto? Add quartered russet potatoes in with the rest of the veggies.
- How do you know when corned beef is ready? Your corned beef instant pot is done once it’s very fork-tender, meaning it can easily be pierced with a fork.
- Do you rinse corned beef before cooking? If your meat came in a brined vacuum-sealed package, then yes, rinse the meat before cooking it. Otherwise, it may come out salty. Don’t worry, you won’t lose the flavor from the brine by rinsing the meat — at this point, your corned beef is full of flavor from the pickling spice blend.
- Can I cook instant pot corned beef frozen? Technically, yes you can cook frozen instant pot corned beef. That said, I prefer not to cook big slabs of meat (such as beef brisket) from frozen in the IP, as they don’t cook evenly. I find much better texture when I defrost the meat the night before I plan to cook it.
- Can I freeze leftovers? Yep, you can freeze this instant pot corned beef after cooking it. Make sure you store it in the cooking juices and remove as much air as possible before freezing.
More Beef Recipes
Instant Pot Corned Beef
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 2.5 Pounds Beef Brisket
- 4 Cups Water
- 3 Bay Leaves torn
- 1 Tablespoon Black Peppercorns
- 1 Tablespoon Coriander Seeds
- 1 Tablespoon Yellow Mustard Seeds
- 4 Garlic Cloves quartered
Optional Veggies:
- 1 Medium Onion quarted
- 1 Head Cabbage cut into 6 wedges
- 2 Carrots peeled + cut into 4 pieces
To Serve:
- 1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley chopped, flat leaf
Instructions
- Place trivet at the bottom of the instant pot, and place brisket (2.5 pounds) on top. If using a brined brisket, make sure to rinse before adding it. Pour water over the brisket, followed by the bay leaves (3 torn), peppercorns (1 tablespoon), coriander seeds (1 tablespoon), mustard seeds (1 tablespoon,) and garlic cloves (4).
- Place lid on top and make sure the pressure release valve is set to "sealing". Set IP to high pressure for 90 minutes. Once done, turn the pressure release valve to "venting". Once the pin drops, remove the lid.
- Check the corned beef, it should be fall apart fork tender - if it's not, don't be afraid to cook it for another 10 minutes at a time until it is.
- Use tongs to remove the corned beef to a large cutting board. Use a slotted spoon to remove and discard the aromatics. Spoon some of the cooking liquid over the corned beef, then loosely tent it with foil.
- Add the carrots (2), cabbage (1), and onion (1) to the IP. Seal and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. This may take longer if you have a very large head of cabbage, so check and continue to cook until you've reached your desired doneness. When done, turn the pressure release valve to "venting", and remove the lid only after the pin has dropped.
- Slice the corned beef against the grain before serving. Sprinkle with chopped parsley (1/4 cup), and serve with a side of the cooking liquid. Enjoy!
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Lindsey's Tips
- If using a brined corned beef, feel free to skip the spices listed above, and be sure to rinse it thoroughly before adding it.
- Veggies? You can skip these or add to them.
- Potatoes? Feel free to add diced russet potatoes in with the veggies as well.
Nutrition
