This Slow Cooker Guinness Corned Beef is a simple one dish meal that is full of flavor and oh so easy! Tender corned beef, carrots, potatoes, and cabbage — all cooked in one crockpot!
Guinness Corned Beef And Cabbage
How often do you eat Guinness corned beef? For us, it’s only once a year, unfortunately. This year I am going to buy a few extras and stash them in the freezer so we can have it a few more times. Or I may just cook it to make Reuben sandwiches (one of my husband’s favorite sandwiches!).
This crock pot corned beef with beer is incredibly flavorful and warrants a round of applause because it’s super simple too! Seriously, I don’t think you can find an easier slow cooker corned beef recipe.
I love a good slow cooker meal, especially how you can toss some simple ingredients into the crock with some spices and come out with an amazing dinner! Some of our favorite crockpot meals are Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches, Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken, and Slow Cooker Chili Mac.
Why You’ll Love Slow Cooker Corned Beef With Beer
- Only 7 ingredients
- Slow cooked so the beef is tender and juicy
- Complete meal with minimal effort required
- Can be served any time of year
- Simple to customize
- Crock pot corned beef with beer is really flavorful and makes great leftovers
What is corned beef made of?
Corned beef is a beef brisket that soaks in brine and then cures with salt and seasonings. The term comes from using large grains or “corns” of salt.
Corned beef comes in multiple cuts, and it’s always best to cook corned beef for a long period of time so that it becomes tender. Typical cooking methods include boiling, slow cooking, or oven roasting the meat.
Guinness Corned Beef Ingredients
CORNED BEEF BRISKET: I recommend getting about 3 1/2 pound brisket. If you have a larger slow cooker, you could go a little bigger.
POTATOES: We usually use Yukon gold, but you can swap them for any potatoes you have around.
CARROTS: To save time, I use baby carrots because I can dump and go! However, you could also cut whole carrots into segments.
GUINNESS STOUT: What sets this recipe apart from others is the Guinness!
BROWN SUGAR: I like adding a touch of sugar because it’s the perfect balance with the savory flavors. It won’t make it incredibly sweet — it’s subtle.
SEASONING: You can simply use the seasoning package that comes with the corned beef. It’s going to be filled with the perfect complimentary flavors.
CABBAGE: Can you have corned beef without cabbage? I don’t think so!
How To Make Crock Pot Corned Beef With Beer
PREP CORNED BEEF: Trim off any fat and place in the slow cooker. Add the brown sugar and seasonings.
ADD INGREDIENTS: Pour in the Guinness and add the carrots and potatoes.
SLOW COOK: Add the lid and cook for 8-10 hours on low. Don’t open the lid until it’s done!
ADD CABBAGE: Cut the cabbage and place it into the slow cooker. Put the lid back on and cook for 20 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Slow Cooker Corned Beef With Beer Tips
I know a lot of people don’t cook corned beef because it’s too tough. Well, the solution to that problem is it needs to cook longer. So, here are a few tips on how to cook corned beef:
Low and slow: This is the ONLY way to cook Guinness corned beef. Brisket is a very tough cut of meat, and the only way to get tender beef is the low and slow method. That’s why I prefer my handy dandy slow cooker for corned beef.
Time: It takes a long time to get tender brisket. I always end up leaving mine in the crockpot for 10 hours. If you are making corned beef and it’s still tough, it needs to cook longer.
Rest: All cuts of meat need to rest after they are done cooking. This allows the juices to redistribute through the meat. This is crucial for juicy meat. Allow the Guinness corned beef and cabbage time to rest for at least 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Carving: Another tip for tender corned beef is to cut across the grain. Brisket has long fibrous strands, and by cutting across the grain, it makes them much shorter and more tender.
Frequently Asked Questions
• Traditional Irish Soda Bread
• Dessert – Lime Cheesecake Fluff
• If you have leftovers you can use them in this Cheesy Corned Beef Hash or these Reuben Sliders.
You can save cooled leftover Guinness corned beef and cabbage for up to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat in the oven at 350 for 15 – 20 minutes for best results.
Nope, you can swap the beer for beef broth if you’d rather. I like the deep flavor adding beer provides, but it’s not for everyone!
Slow Cooker Guinness Corned Beef
Ingredients
- 1 (3½ pound) (1.5kg) corned beef brisket
- 2 pounds (1kg) Yukon gold potatoes (or whatever you have on hand) scrubbed well and cut into large chunks
- 20 baby carrots
- 1 (12 oz) (355ml) Guinness stout (or can use about 2 cups beef broth)
- ¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar
- Seasoning packet that came with corned beef
- 1 small head of cabbage
Instructions
- Trim the corned beef of all visible fat if desired. Place in the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle with brown sugar and seasoning packet. Pour Guinness around the corned beef then place the potatoes and carrots around the corned beef. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours. NO PEEKING! I don't recommend cooking on high.
- Remove outer leaves from cabbage and cut into 4 wedges. Place in crock pot around the beef. Return lid and cook for 20 minutes. This will give you tender crisp cabbage. If you like softer cabbage put in earlier.
Notes
- This corned beef and veggies cooks for a long time and so the potatoes and carrots will be quite soft. If you prefer your potatoes and carrots not so soft add them half way through cooking even though the recipe says no peeking.
- The reason not to peek is because everytime the lid is removed from the slow cooker it adds an extra 30 minutes to the cooking time. It’s so tempting to lift the lid and check the meat while cooking but try no to.
- Nutrition Facts: Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the information shown is just an estimate. Nutrition calculated with the vegetables too. Makes 6 gernerous portions.
Excellent recipe. Used low setting cooked 9 hours. Put the vegetables in after four hours.
So glad you liked the corned beef!!
Excellent recipe. I did add 2 whole garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves and about a cup of water, large pinch of sea salt and fresh ground pepper. I put cabbage wedges in from the start. It was delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you so much for sharing and so glad you liked the recipe!
Do you need to add water to the crockpot just adding 12oz. Of beer doesn’t seem to be enough liquid
Hi! Yes, 12 ounces of beer will be enough liquid. However, if you feel you need more liquid feel free to do so! Hope you enjoy!
Turned out great. Very easy and exceptionally delicious.
So glad yo liked it!! Thanks for sharing!