Comfort food. It’s warm, it’s filling, and it’s a taste of childhood on a plate. That is what slow cooker corned beef and cabbage is. Easy to make, easy to prepare, and easy to devour in one sitting. This recipe is not using canned corned beef but cuts of pure meat to ensure the best flavour and texture for your meal.
And the best part? It’s fully made in your slow cooker, so you are not standing over a stove or oven for hours on end but rather, you are getting home from a long day at work to supper almost completely prepared.
Ingredients you’ll need for corned beef and cabbage:
- 4 lb corned beef brisket w/ spice packet
- 4 large carrots, peeled & chopped
- 10 baby red potatoes
- 1 onion, chopped
- ½ head of cabbage, chopped rough
- 4 cups water
- Salt & Pepper to taste
How to make the corned beef and cabbage slow cooker:
Step 1: cut veggies
Prepare your vegetables for roasting in the slow cooker by peeling the carrots, peeling the onion, washing the baby red potatoes, and chopping your cabbage into shreds (you want to roughly chop this one for texture to your dish).
Chop up your carrots and the baby red potatoes into bite-sized chunks.
Chop up the onion into the size you prefer – diced, minced, slivers, etc.
Step 2: toss in slow cooker
Toss all the cutup vegetables into the bottom of the slow cooker, except for the cabbage. Put that to one side. Pour water over the vegetables in the slow cooker to help them cook and soften, rather than burn.
Step 3: add meat
Place the corned beef brisket directly onto of the vegetables in the slow cooker and then using the provided spice packet, sprinkle it directly onto the meat. You can add additional spices if you prefer but generally, the spice packet is enough.
Step 4: cook and serve
Cook the brisket and vegetables on the highest temperature setting for approximately 8 hours to ensure that the meat is cooked fully through. After the 8-hour cooking time, add the roughly chopped cabbage into the slow cooker. Do not drain off any water or juices, just add the cabbage on top of the brisket to soften and cook. Remove the brisket from the slow cooker to slice. Cut the corned beef brisket into slices or chunks, whatever you prefer but use a sharp knife to not shred the meat. Serve your dish on top of the cooked vegetables and cabbage bed.
FAQ
Why Use a Slow Cooker?
What is the benefit of using a slow cooker over an oven? Does it cook the food more thoroughly? Does it add a stronger flavour to your dish?
The biggest benefit of using a slow cooker is the convenience. You are able to prepare the dish you want to serve for supper that morning, place it in the slow cooker on a low heat setting, and go about your day without having to worry about the oven being on 400°F.
A slow cooker does not use as high of temperatures as an oven which means that the food tends to tenderize instead of burn. It cooks consistently over the course of 6 to 8 hours instead of being cooked on a high temperature for 60 minutes.
You are also able to add ingredients to meat dishes that would otherwise burn in the oven. Vegetables are cooked to the perfect consistency and texture instead of turning to mush with a slight crunch still.
And one of the best benefits of a slow cooker? Well, you have a smaller number of dishes to wash – by far!
Can You Leave a Slow Cooker on When You are Not at Home?
Because a slow cooker uses a smaller wattage when it comes to power, you are safely allowed to leave it on when you leave the house. It is running at a low temperature for a longer period of time, unlike the oven which runs for a short period of time at burning temperatures.
Slow cookers are also equipped with multiple safety features such as an automatic shutoff when a certain temperature or time is reached. The timers on a slow cooker set how long you want the consistent heat to last for when it comes to cooking and then it switches over into a “heat” or “warm” mode. This mode is the lowest temperature and is meant to keep food at a warm, edible temperature without cooking it further.
If you notice any visible defects when it comes to your slow cooker, such as a fraying cord, sparks, broken glass top, etc., don’t use it even when you are in the house. Replace it or if you have warranty, repair it.
What is Corned Beef?
We are all aware of what beef is, how cuts of meat determine what type of dish you are going to prepare, and how it is necessary for a healthy and balanced diet – but what exactly is corned beef?
Corned beef is brisket that has been cured in a salt-mixture to add flavor and texture to the meat cut. Some salt mixtures are created using sugar and other spices or rock salt for a more explosive burst of flavor.
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