Dutch Oven Corned Beef and Cabbage - Feasting not Fasting (2024)

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Dutch oven corned beef and cabbage is the perfect one pot St. Patrick’s Day meal simmered in stout and beef broth with potatoes and carrots.

Ingredients

• 3-4lb.brined corned beef brisket – preferably choose one sold with a seasoning packet. This is how most grocery stores sell them, but it’s perfectly fine if yours has the spices already added to the brine. You can just rub pickling spice on the outside of the corned beef if yours doesn’t have a packet included.
• avocado oil– or other neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point
• beef broth
• stout– I recommend Guinness but you can substitute more broth instead if you want to skip the alcohol or make the dish paleo. Typically there is brown sugar in the brine though so if you’re strict about this be sure to check the ingredients on your corned beef.
• bay leaves – these add subtle flavor.
• Worcestershire sauce – you can leave this out if you want but it adds a nice peppery flavor to the dish. Choose a gluten free version (linked) if you need that.
• yellow or red potatoes – either work well here so use what you have on hand or sub in baby potatoes for less slicing
• carrots – I used whole sliced into pieces but you can substitute baby carrots here
• yellow onion – or a white onion works
• green cabbage – a medium sized green head of cabbage is perfect here
• Salt and pepper
• parsley – this is optional as a garnishto brighten up the dish at the end

How to make corned beef and cabbage in a dutch oven

This dutch oven corned beef recipe has several steps to it but isn’t as complicated as it may seem. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Drain the extra liquid from the corned beef, rinse off any congealed pink film.
2. Pat it dry with paper towels to get rid of excess salt and congealed slime that’s clinging to the meat.
   
3. Rub corned beef with spices from the included spice packet on both sides. If your corned beef didn’t come with a spice packet or had spices included in the brine you can season the meat with about 2 tablespoons of pickling spice or make your own corned beef seasoning with mustard seeds, peppercorns and other whole spices.
   
4. Heat your Dutch oven to medium-high heat and add oil. Don’t have a dutch oven? Cast iron dutch ovens hold heat well in a recipe like this but any pot that is big enough (5.5 – 6 quarts) is fine.
5. Sear the brisket on all sides.
   
6. Flip it over so it’s fatty side up and pour in the broth, beer, Worchestershire sauce and add the bay leaf and enough water to cover the meat (if you need any).
   
7. Bring to a low, gently simmer over low heat (very important – do NOT boil), cover with a tight-fitting lid. Let it cook for 40-45 minutes per pound until you have a tender corned beef.
8. While the corned beef simmers away, cut the vegetables. Cut potatoes into 2 inches pieces (either quartered or cut in half depending on the size of the potato). Peel the carrots and cut each into 3-4 pieces, about half the size of the potatoes. Slice cabbage into wedges and onion into thin wedges.
   
9. Submerge the potatoes, carrots and onion in the pot alongside the corned beef and place the cabbage wedges on top, spooning the broth on top.
   
10. Cover the pot again and let the vegetables cook with the meat at a gentle simmer for 25-35 minutes until potatoes and carrots are cooked through.
11. Remove the meat and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing. While the meat rests, use salt and pepper to season the vegetables and cooking liquid. Remove the vegetables from the pot and add it to the serving plate. Save some of the cooking liquid to serve with the meal if you’d like.
12. Slice the corned beef against the grain, at a 90° angle to how the lines in the meat run naturally.
13. Plate corned beef in the center of the cooked vegetables. Serve with Dijon mustard, stone ground mustard, or cream style horseradish sauce and the cooking broth.

Tips for making perfect dutch oven corned beef

• Slice against the grain or it will not slice well and have the right texture. This means cutting the meat perpendicular to how the lines naturally run in the meat.
• Make sure to cook at a very gentle simmer or it will become tough and you won’t get tender beef. After covering, check the pot a few times and adjust the temperature if needed to keep it low and slow.
• Make sure your carrots are smaller than your potatoes! Carrots cook slower than potatoes so cut them to about half the size of the potatoes.
• If you’re using a cast iron dutch oven, heat the pot slowly, warming first and then increasing the temperature. On most stoves, a medium setting will be sufficient.
• Remove your corned beef if it is already done and almost falling apart tender before cooking the vegetables. You can wrap in foil to keep it warm and let it rest while the vegetables cook. Corned beef should be at 190-200° F when a meat thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the meat. If it gets past 200° the meat will get tough quickly so its best to pull it out right around 190° F.
• Wait to slice the beef! Seriously, I know it’s tempting but wait about 15 minutes. This lets the juices settle into the meat so they don’t leak out when you slice it. Otherwise the corned beef won’t be as moist and juicy!

Leftovers and freezing

Leftover corned beef is one of the best parts of making this dish! It’s delicious in so many things so get a big one so you’ll have lots of leftovers. Plus, it freezes well so you can pull it out months later and extend that corned beef goodness even longer!

What to do with leftover corned beef

Leftovers will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Re-heat in the microwave with a sprinkle of water on top to keep the meat moist. Or use it to make corned beef fritters, corned beef hash, or a reuben sandwich.

Or, if you have lots of leftover corned beef and cabbage and want to use the potatoes and leftover vegetables together, I have just the thing. Sauté the leftover beef, chopped cabbage and potatoes in a skillet with butter (dairy free is fine!) or oil over medium-high heat. Crack eggs on top and bake at 350° F (180° C) for 8-10 minutes until whites set but yolks are still runny. Great for breakfast or dinner!

Freezing

You can freeze the corned beef meat in a tightly sealing freezer safe bag or airtight container for up to 4-5 months. To use, defrost overnight in the refrigerator. You can microwave it, adding a little sprinkle of water to the container (just a few drops) but it will dry out easily so defrosting in the fridge is recommended. The vegetables are best fresh.