This Dutch oven corned beef and cabbage is the perfect dinner if you're celebrating St. Patrick's Day, but it works just as well for Sunday dinners, birthday celebrations, or other special occasions. In this recipe, you get tender corned beef, flavorful cabbage, potatoes, and carrots all cooked together, soaking up the delicious broth. Plus, it's easy to make and packed with flavor!
What's great about this recipe
- One-Pot Dinner: This dish is a complete meal all cooked in one pot, making clean-up a breeze.
- Perfect for Any Occasion: While corned beef and cabbage is a classic St. Patrick's Day meal, it's also perfect for Sunday dinner. There’s no need to wait for a special occasion to enjoy this hearty dish.
- Easy and Family-Friendly: This recipe is easy, filling, and sure to be a hit with the whole family. The leftover corned beef (if you’re lucky to have any) makes for fantastic Reuben sandwiches the next day!
Ingredients
- Corned beef – Look for a package of flat cut corned beef that includes the spice packet and is about 3½ to 4 pounds. It’s fine if it is smaller; adjust the cooking time accordingly. If you can only find the point cut corned beef cook it the same way. It is a fattier cut and does not slice neatly but it is still delicious.
- Liquid – Use a combination of beef broth and water to cook the beef. If you are sensitive to salt use a reduced sodium broth.
- Vegetables – Green cabbage, carrots, and small potatoes (use red or gold)
- See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.
How to make Dutch Oven Corned Beef and Cabbage
- Place the corned beef (fat cap up) in a large, Dutch oven that has enough room so that it fits comfortably (we used a 6 quart enameled Dutch oven).
- Add the seasoning pack to the top of the meat. Press it down gently letting some of it fall around the meat into the pot.
- Add enough beef broth and water in equal parts to the pot to almost cover the meat (about 4 cups liquid should do it).
- Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Then, lower the heat to medium to medium-low and cover.
- Cook, simmering, for approximately 3½ to 4 hours until it is tender and the internal temperature is at least 190°F.
- Preheat the oven to 200°F.
Carefully remove the beef from the pot and place it on an oven-safe rimmed baking sheet or dish. Tent it loosely with aluminum foil and place it in the oven to keep warm.
Cook the vegetables
Add 2 cups of liquid (1 cup broth and 1 cup water) to the remaining broth in the pot. Raise the heat to high and bring it to a boil. Add the vegetables, let the broth come back to a boil.
Lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and cook the vegetables for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Keep the liquid simmering. Lower or raise the heat as needed.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the cabbage, potatoes, and carrots from the pot to a plate or platter.
If you would like to brown the top of the corned beef before serving, then uncover it and switch the oven to low broil. Broil it for 3-6 minutes until the top is the desired color. Remove it promptly.
Slice the corned beef and serve it with the cabbage, potatoes, and carrots. Make sure to add a little bit of the cooking broth to the plate for extra flavor.
Storing instructions
- Allow the corned beef and vegetables to cool. Do not leave the food out for more than 2 hours. For best results, store the corned beef and vegetables (cabbage, potatoes, and carrots) separately to maintain their textures and flavors.
- Place the meat and vegetables in separate airtight containers. Label with the contents and date.
- Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- To freeze, package the food as instructed above and freeze for 2-3 months.
- Save some of the cooking broth to reheat the leftovers; it keeps everything moist and tasty.
- For more information on food storage and safety guidelines, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture and foodsafety.gov.
Recipe tips and notes
- Corned beef is a salty dish, so if you're sensitive to salt, use reduced or lower sodium corned beef and broth to control some of the saltiness.
- At first, it will look like there is way too much cabbage, but it will reduce significantly as it cooks. Don't worry about overcrowding the pot.
- Cut the potatoes and carrots into roughly the same size so they cook at the same rate. This prevents some pieces from being overcooked while others are undercooked.
- If your corned beef is smaller than 3½ to 4 pounds, adjust the cooking time accordingly to avoid overcooking the meat. Use these cooking times as a guideline (as per USDA.gov):
- 2 - 3 pounds: Cook for approximately 2½ to 3 hours
- 3 - 4 pounds: Cook for approximately 3½ to 4 hours
- Typically it works out to about 1 hour per pound.
- Make sure to check the internal temperature of the corned beef with an instant-read thermometer; it should reach at least 190°F.
Frequently asked questions
Corned beef is brisket. There are two cuts: the flat cut and the point cut. The flat cut is rectangular and leaner. It slices well and is commonly found at the supermarket. The point cut is triangular, fattier, and tends to fall apart when sliced.
No, the fat on top of the meat adds flavor and helps keep it moist while cooking. You can remove it when you serve the corned beef if you prefer.
I typically do not rinse the meat; however, I do drain it well before placing it in the pot. If you prefer to rinse it, run it under cold water a few times.
If you're hesitant to make this dish because it makes a lot of food, don't be! Store the vegetables separately and serve them with a simple roasted chicken for a completely different meal. With the leftover corned beef, make fun corned beef sliders or try a family favorite Reuben casserole. And if you need another Sunday dinner-worthy meal, check out our stovetop pot roast recipe.
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📖 Recipe
Dutch Oven Corned Beef and Cabbage
Ingredients
- 3½-4 pound Corned Beef with spice packet
- 3 cups Beef Broth divided (2 cups to cook the beef and 1 cup to add for the vegetables), plus more if needed
- 3 cups Water divided (2 cups to cook the beef and 1 cup to add for the vegetables), plus more if needed
- 1 small Cabbage cored and cut into roughly 2 inch pieces (about 2½ pound cabbage, 8 cups when cut)
- 3 large Carrots peeled and sliced into roughly ¾ to 1 inch pieces (about 8 ounces, 2 cups when cut)
- 1-1½ pound small Red Potatoes you can also use gold potatoes if the potatoes are large cut them into halves or quarters
- Salt and pepper for serving
Instructions
- Place the corned beef (fat cap up) in a large Dutch oven that has enough room so that it fits comfortably (we used a 6 quart enameled Dutch oven).
- Add the seasoning pack to the top of the meat. Press the seasoning down gently letting some of it fall around the meat into the pot.
- Add enough beef broth and water (in equal parts) to the pot to almost cover the meat. We used 4 cups total liquid for ours. How much liquid to add is going to depend on the size of the pot, size, and shape of the brisket.
- Place the pot over medium-high heat and let the liquid come to a boil. Then, lower the heat to medium to medium-low and cover. Keep the liquid at a simmer. If it is boiling too vigorously, lower the heat. If it’s not simmering raise it.
- Cook the corned beef for approximately 3½ to 4 hours until it is tender. Check on it occasionally to make sure it is simmering (not boiling) and that there is enough liquid. The liquid will reduce but at least half the roast should be submerged.
- To check if it is done insert a large fork into the thickest part of the meat. Then give the fork a twist. You should feel the meat give. You can also pry a piece from one of the corners. If it comes off easily then it is done. The internal temperature will be at least 190°F.
- Preheat the oven to 200°F.
- Carefully remove the beef from the pot and place it on an oven-safe rimmed baking sheet or dish. Tent it loosely with aluminum foil and place it in the oven to keep warm.
- Add about 2 cups of liquid (1 cup broth and 1 cup water) to the remaining broth in the pot. Raise the heat to high and bring it to a boil. Add the vegetables, let the broth come back to a boil.
- Then, lower the heat, cover the pot, and cook the vegetables for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender. Keep the liquid at a simmer. Lower or raise the heat as needed. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cabbage, potatoes and carrots from the pot to a plate or platter.
- If you would like to brown the top of the corned beef before serving, then uncover it and switch the oven to low broil. Broil if for 3 to 6 minutes until the top reaches the desired color. Remove it promptly.
- Slice the corned beef and serve it with the cabbage, potatoes, and carrots. Make sure to add a little broth to the plate for extra flavor.
Notes
- If you are cooking a smaller or larger cut of meat, then adjust the cooking time accordingly. As a guide use 60 minutes per pound.
- If you are sensitive to salt use lower sodium corned beef and reduced sodium beef broth.
- Do not add salt to boil the vegetables because the cooking liquid will contain salt already. Instead, serve the dish with salt and pepper on the side so everyone can adjust to taste.
- Remove the scum from the broth if desired. Broth scum is the protein of the meat that releases when boiled. It does not need to be removed except for visual effect. To remove it use a fine mesh strainer and hover it on the surface of the broth. I find a wooden spoon works well too.
Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
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