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Dutch Oven Corned Beef and Cabbage is a delicious recipe often associated with St. Patrick’s Day. The tender meat, cabbage wedges, baby red potatoes, and carrots, cooked together in a large dutch oven, may leave you feeling like you have an Irish heritage yourself!

If you’re making corned beef for St. Patrick’s Day, this recipe is inexpensive, feeds 5 people and is a great way to get into the holiday spirit.

Dutch Oven Corned Beef and Cabbage is absolutely amazing. It’s a filling meal for the whole family with perfectly tender meat, veggies, baby potatoes and a delicious spice packet that makes the best corned beef.

Why You’ll Love Dutch Oven Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe

• This is a one-pot meal! I love things made in a slow cooker or crock pot or an instant pot or pressure cooker because they can often be made with just one appliance!
• Because the vegetables are cooked with the corned beef, it makes a complete meal. No need to make a separate serving of vegetables and potatoes.
• While the cook time is long, the prep time is relatively short. And as a bonus, you’ll get to smell the delicious aroma for hours as it cooks.
• The spice packet is included, which means you don’t need to buy extra spices.
• It is a fun and healthy way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a hearty meal that leaves you feeling happy.

Love your Dutch oven? Then don’t miss out on this tender and tasty Dutch Oven Beef Stew.

If you want a few more St. Patrick’s themed food, make this Traditional Irish Soda Bread with Raisins, these Rainbow Sugar Cookies for dessert or enjoy a snack of Rainbow Rice Krispies.

Thinking about a comforting casserole to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Then you’ll want to make this Shepherd’s Pie with Guinness that’s topped with the traditional mashed potatoes.

Want a twist on the green beer tradition? Try my Green Mimosas (yum!).

The History

Interestingly, this easy corned beef recipe isn’t a traditional Irish dish at all! It wasn’t until Irish immigrants came to the United States that they started eating this corned beef and cabbage recipe.

It was typically made with pork, but pork was too expensive in the U.S. so they substituted it with beef.

Now, it’s a very popular recipe for St Patrick’s Day!

What is the Best Method for Cooking Corned Beef?

I always recommend the dutch oven for corned beef and cabbage.

It gives you delicious, fork tender brisket. This cooking method allows for a long, slow cook over low heat, leaving you with an amazing meal.

How Long to Cook Corned Beef?

Simmer the corned beef for 45 min – 1 hour per pound. Ensure it’s mostly submerged in the water to get the meat tender.

Add vegetables such as potatoes and carrots during the last hour.

Add cabbage for the final 30 minutes.

Why Use a Dutch Oven?

Cooking with a Dutch oven unlocks a world of cooking possibilities, where the combination of even heat distribution and superior moisture retention elevates every meal.

• Heat distribution: A Dutch oven is made of thick, cast iron, which allows for even heat distribution throughout the pot. This means that your dutch oven corned beef and cabbage will cook evenly, preventing hot spots or unevenly cooked meat.
• Retains Moisture: Dutch ovens have a tight-fitting lid that helps to trap moisture inside the pot. This is important for corned beef and cabbage, which can dry out if not cooked in a moist environment. The sealed in moisture will keep the meat tender and prevent it from becoming tough or dry.
• Size: Dutch ovens are large, meaning you can cook the meat and vegetables in the same pot, reducing the number of dishes you need to clean up after cooking. That’s always a win-win in my book!

Should I Use a Point Cut or a Flat Cut Corned Beef?

The difference between the two is is the amount of fat content and the shape of the cut. Flat cut brisket is leaner and has less fat, making it great for slicing (think sandwiches).

While point cut brisket is fattier and better for slow cooking methods such as this dutch oven corned beef and cabbage recipe.

Look for a triangular shape with a thicker layer of fat on one side. The extra fat helps keep the meat moist and tender during cooking.

 

Kitchen Equipment

• Paper Towels
• Dutch Oven (7 qt)
• Cutting Board
• Knife
• Tongs

Ingredients

Here are all the ingredients you need to make dutch oven corned beef and cabbage:

OLIVE OIL: This is used for browning the meat before cooking it.

CORNED BEEF BRISKET: To pick a good brisket, make sure it is a deep red color. Also note that there are different cuts of meat. You’ll likely find a cut brisket and flat-cut brisket at the grocery store. I suggest using the Point Cut.

ONION: Aside from being delicious, onion also serves the purpose of making meat more tender.

BABY CARROTS: Carrots add a fabulous taste to this meal and cooked carrots are wonderfully tender and flavorful.

CORNED BEEF SEASONING PACKET: The seasoning packet should come with your corned beef, but if it didn’t, you can make your own. This has a collection of spices in it including bay leaves, peppercorns, anise seeds, coriander, and mustard seeds.

DARK BEER: Helps to tenderize the meat along with giving it more flavor.

WATER or BEEF BROTH: You’ll need enough water to fully cover the corn beef. If you prefer, you can use Beef Broth. I simply use water.

RED POTATOES: I recommend using smaller potatoes for this recipe and cut them in half.

CABBAGE: You’ll need one small head of cabbage since cabbage is the traditional vegetable that goes along with this meal.

How to Make Dutch Oven Corned Beef and Cabbage

Prep

STEP 1: Rinse corned beef and pat it dry with paper towels. The reason you want to rinse off the corned beef is to get rid of the excess salt / curing liquid it is packaged with.

STEP 2: Wash all your veggies.

STEP 3: Cut cabbage into 4 quarters.

 

STEP 4: Slice your onions and cut potatoes in half.

 

 

Directions

STEP 1: Put the olive oil into the bottom of the dutch oven and bring to a medium heat.

STEP 2: Add the corned beef brisket into your dutch oven and brown all sides of the brisket. This should take about 3-4 minutes.

TIP: It’s easiest to use tongs to flip the meat over.

 

STEP 4: Take the brisket out and set aside. Add the carrots and onions to the bottom of the dutch oven and then return the meat to the pot.

 

STEP 5: Sprinkle in the included seasoning packet.

STEP 6: Pour beer into the dutch oven. Then pour water until it reaches to the top of the meat.

STEP 7: Cover and bring to a boil over high heat (approximately 8 minutes)

STEP 8: Lower the temperature – between low and medium –  and cook for 3 1/2 hours.

 

STEP 9:  Add potatoes in with the meat and vegetables. If the cooking liquid is below the top of the meat (most likely), add more water or beef broth just enough to cover most of the meat. Cook for another hour. 

STEP 10: Next, add cabbage and place the lid back on top. Then cook for an additional 30 minutes.

 

STEP 11: Remove corned beef brisket from the Dutch oven and place on a cutting board. Slice against the grain and add it back to the pot.

STEP 11: Move the dutch oven to the table and serve with horseradish sauce. I also like to serve it with garlic bread!

 

Variations and Substitutions

• For a sweeter taste, try adding a bit of brown sugar.
• You can replace the dark beer (like Guinness beer) with a two bottles of ginger beer to add a little spicy flavor.
• While I recommend red potatoes, you can also use Yukon gold potatoes or any type of baby potatoes.
• If you don’t like onions, simply omit them and add more of the other veggies.

Can You Overcook Corned Beef?

It can be done! If you cook corned beef too long it will become dry and tougher. If the water level falls too low, the corn beef brisket can get scorched.

Simply follow the directions step by step and there is no need to worry about overcooking.

How to Store Leftovers

You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for a couple of months.

Simply reheat it on the stove top and enjoy the same meal or mix it up and make a delicious corn beef hash.

 

This is seriously the best Dutch Oven Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe! Hopefully it will make your St. Patrick’s Day dinner a great one.

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