Instant Pot Corned Beef

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Instant Pot corned beef is the quickest way to cook tender and juicy corned beef brisket. This pressure cooker method also cooks cabbage and potatoes to perfection for a complete dinner!

Why you'll love this recipe

• It's so easy, Instant Pot beginners nail corned beef on the first try.
• Pressure cooker corned beef and cabbage is ready in about 2 hours.
• Make this recipe with beer or any cooking liquid.
• You only need 6 ingredients.
• I've included step-by-step photos of how to pressure cook corned beef and cabbage dinner in one pot.
• Instant Pot corned beef is so tender, it melts in your mouth.

Instant Pot corned beef and cabbage

If you love slow cooked corned beef and cabbage but can't commit to the time requirement, pressure cooker corned beef is a game-changer!

Corned beef is a tough cut of meat, so it requires ample cooking to break down and tenderize the connective tissue. The pressure cooker does this task in a fraction of time compared to other cooking methods. In fact, you can make pressure cooker corned beef brisket in under 2 hours.

As you might imagine, you can use Instant Pot corned beef for a corned beef Reuben sandwich that looks and tastes like you worked hard for it. You can also turn leftovers into a savory corned beef hash breakfast or dinner.

Ingredient notes

Ingredient amounts are available in the printable recipe below.

• corned beef brisket - You can use point cut, flat cut, or the whole brisket in the Instant Pot. I used a point cut corned beef for the photos on this post.
• beer (or other cooking liquid) - Use any cooking liquid such as beer, broth, or plain water for Instant Pot corned beef. I used Guinness Stout for this recipe.
• onions - Any variety of white, red, or yellow onions work great for this recipe.
• cabbage - Plain green cabbage is an essential component of Instant Pot corned beef and cabbage. You'll catch it on sale around St. Patrick's Day.
• potatoes - Any potato variety will work, but I prefer small, waxy potatoes such as gold or red potatoes because they hold up nicely with this recipe.
• carrots - Large carrots can be pressure cooked whole or coarsely chopped. Baby carrots should be left whole to prevent overcooking.

How to cook corned beef in the Instant Pot

These step-by-step photos offer a visual guide to accompany the printable Instant Pot Corned Beef recipe below. Enjoy!

Step 1. Add uncooked corned beef brisket, onion wedges, and contents of seasoning packet to the pressure cooker. Add beer or preferred cooking liquid.

Step 2. Close and lock lid. Set the Instant Pot to HIGH pressure for 90 minutes. When pressure cooking cycle completes, allow the cooker to rest undisturbed for a 20-minute natural pressure release (NPR). Carefully turn the sealing knob to release any remaining steam and wait for the float valve to drop before attempting to open the lid. Carefully open the lid.

Step 3. Use tongs to transfer the cooked corned beef brisket onto a baking sheet or plate. Cover the brisket with aluminum foil and rest for 5 minutes.

Step 4. To pressure cook the vegetables, add potatoes, carrots (steamer basket optional), and cabbage wedges to the Instant Pot with the leftover broth. Set the cooker on HIGH pressure for 3 minutes (for fork-tender vegetables) or 2 minutes (for firm vegetables). Carefully turn the pressure valve for a quick-pressure release. Transfer vegetables out of the cooker to prevent overcooking.

Step 5. Slice the corned beef against the grain to desired thickness. The brisket might fall apart, especially point cut, whereas flat cut brisket tends to maintain shape.

You are ready to serve this tender and juicy corned beef and cabbage dinner and watch it disappear!

Recipe tips

• When planning dinner, remember that corned beef shrinks when cooked. Since ½ pound per person is the recommended serving size of most proteins, aim for ¾ pound per person of packaged corned beef.
• It is not necessary to rinse corned beef for this pressure cooker recipe. In fact, doing so removes the brine and any seasonings it contains. Of course, you are welcome to rinse if desired.
• Trimming excess fat from corned beef can happen before or after pressure cooking. I find it easier to trim after cooking, which prevents handling uncooked beef. Also, the fat adds natural flavor to the brisket.
• You don't need to submerge corned beef in the Instant Pot because it pressure cooks so tender and juicy, even with the minimal liquid requirement.

How long to cook corned beef in the Instant Pot

In all of my corned beef testing, even with varied weight, shape, and thickness, I find that 90 minutes of HIGH pressure cook time is the sweet spot for the Instant Pot to break down and tenderize the connective tissue. This process is what makes corned beef so tender and delicious. So, whether you have a 2, 3, 4, or 5 pound corned beef brisket for your Instant Pot, I recommend using 90 minutes of pressure cook time as stated in the recipe below.

Recommend sides

• Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
• Quick Coleslaw
• French Bread
• Smashed Potatoes
• Macaroni Pasta Salad
• Shamrock Shake

More Instant Pot dinners to love

• Instant Pot Whole Chicken
• Instant Pot Pulled Pork
• Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
• Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice
• Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

📖 Recipe