Best Corned Beef Brisket: Instant Pot Magic with Roasted Cabbage and Potatoes in Under 2 Hours!

This version of the Irish classic yields the tenderest and juiciest brisket you will ever taste, all in under two hours. Roasting the cabbage and potatoes in the oven makes them perfectly crispy and caramelized. Say goodbye to soggy boiled beef and cabbage!

Corned Beef Brisket with Cabbage and Potatoes

If you love hearty, comforting meals that are both delicious and easy to make, this recipe is for you! On St. Patrick's Day (and every other day of the year), we love Corned Beef Brisket. But most recipes call for baking or boiling the brisket for 8 hours or more. Imagine sinking your teeth into tender corned beef brisket, perfectly paired with roasted cabbage and potatoes—all in under two hours. Thanks to the Instant Pot, this incredible meal can be ready without taking up your entire day. Let’s explore how to create this culinary delight that will impress your family and friends, even on a weeknight!

Why Corned Beef Brisket?

Corned beef brisket is a classic dish, especially popular during holidays like St.

Patrick’s Day. However, its rich flavors and melt-in-your-mouth texture make it a great choice any time of the year. Most people buy a beef brisket that has been brined (or "corned"). Pairing brisket with roasted cabbage and potatoes creates a balanced meal that checks all the boxes: taste, nutrition, and satisfaction. The sweetness of roasted cabbage complements the salty brisket perfectly, and no meal is complete without roasted potatoes.

The Instant Pot Advantage

Using an Instant Pot dramatically reduces cooking time. Traditional corned beef brisket would take around 4-8 hours to simmer, but the Instant Pot can do it in about 90 minutes! By using high pressure, the Instant Pot locks in flavor and moisture, ensuring your brisket is tender and juicy.

While the Instant Pot produces a first-rate corned beef roast, it does not produce great roast potatoes or cabbage. Then again, neither does boiling the vegetables with the brisket for hours. To produce great roasted cabbage and potatoes, they should be roasted in the oven while the Instant Pot does its magic with the corned beef.

Ingredients You'll Need

I will admit here that I bought all the ingredients for this recipe from my local Aldi. The corned beef brisket was on sale for $2.99 per pound, and the cabbage for $0.69 per pound. The other ingredients were pantry and kitchen staples, like mustard, olive oil, onions, carrots, and potatoes. The stout is a Guinness knock-off sold by Aldi, and it is just wonderful. Feel free to buy the real thing, but the Aldi option is inexpensive, and I had a bottle while cooking. It was yummy.

This recipe feeds four to six people generously and costs around $15.

Before we get started, let's gather our ingredients for this delicious meal.

For Corned Beef Brisket:

• 2-4 lb. Corned Beef Brisket

• 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil for browning the brisket

• Spice packet (most corned beef is sold with a spice packet)

• 1 large onion (or two small or medium), cut into wedges

• 2-4 cloves of whole garlic

• 2 bay leaves

• Cracked black pepper

• 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard

• 3 tablespoons brown sugar

• 1 bottle or can of Stout Beer, such as Guinness (14.9 oz can—substitute any stout beer you prefer), plus ½ c. of water. 

For Oven-Roasted Cabbage and Potatoes:

• 1 medium cabbage, cut into eight wedges

• 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil for browning the cabbage.

• 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1.5 inch cubes

• 3 medium carrots, sliced crosswise into 1.5 inch rounds

• 2 T olive oil, to toss with the potatoes

• Fresh thyme

• 1 bottle or can of Stout Beef, such as Guinness.

  
  

Step-by-Step Instructions

Preparing the Corned Beef

1. Rinse and Thoroughly Dry the Brisket: Rinse the corned beef brisket under cold water to remove excess salt. This step helps prevent an overly salty dish. Dry the brisket thoroughly with paper towels.

2. Brown the Brisket: Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a cast-iron or heavy pan over high heat. Place the brisket, fatty side down, and cook until brown (around 5 minutes). Turn over and brown the other side.

   
   
   

   

   
   
   

3. Season: Place the cut onions and whole garlic in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Place the brisket directly on top of the onions and garlic, fat side up. Mix the mustard and brown sugar, spread them on the brisket, then sprinkle on the seasoning packet.

   
   
   

   

   
   
   

4. Add Beer and Water: Pour a bottle of stout beer into the Instant Pot on the side of the beef (don't pour it over the beef, or it will wash away the mustard glaze and seasoning). Add 1/2 cup of water the same way. The corned beef should just be above the liquid line. Add extra garlic and thyme sprigs on top and seal the lid.

   
   
   

   

   
   
   

5. Pressure Cook: Seal the lid and set the Instant Pot to pressure cook on high for 70-90 minutes(70 for a two-pound roast, 80 for a three-pound roast, and 90 for a four-pound roast).

6. Natural Release: Once cooking is complete, let the pressure release naturally for about 15 minutes before performing a quick release.

   
   

Preparing the Oven-Roasted Cabbage and Potatoes

1. Preheat Oven: While the brisket is cooking, preheat your oven to 375°F (220°C).

2. Cut and Brown the Cabbage: Cut the cabbage into wedges. Salt and pepper the wedges. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in the same pan that you used to brown the brisket. Brown the cabbage wedges, a few at a time, getting as much caramelization as you can. Set on a rack placed over a sheet pan. Season the wedges again.

   
   
   

   

   
   
   

3. Add Beer to Pan: Pour most of another bottle of stout beef in the bottom of the cabbage roasting pan. Shoot for about 1/4 inch of beef in the bottom of the pan. Move carefully to the oven and place on the top rack.

   
   

4. Prepare Potatoes and Carrots: In a large bowl, toss the potatoes and carrots with 2 tablespoons olive oil and fresh thyme (or dried). Add a teaspoon of kosher salt and pepper to taste. Spread on a baking sheet and put in the lower rack of the oven.

   
   
   

   

   
   
   
   
   

5. Roast in the Oven: Roast for about an hour, flipping the potatoes and carrots halfway until golden brown and the cabbage is tender.

   
   

6. Finish Up: Once the brisket is ready, slice it thinly against the grain and serve it alongside the delicious roasted cabbage and potatoes. Pass a bowl of the Instant Pot's drippings to pour over the brisket.

   
   

   

   
   

Delicious Serving Suggestions

This meal is delightful on its own, but you may want to add a few extras. Put the Instant Pot drippings in a gravy boat or bowl and pass them around. A side of mustard or horseradish can provide a zesty kick. Drizzling balsamic glaze over the roasted vegetables can elevate their flavor significantly. Consider a cold stout or a glass of red wine for a refreshing drink to round out your dinner experience.

Serve with Pot Drippings

Tips for the Perfect Corned Beef Brisket

• Quality Matters: Choosing high-quality corned beef will yield the best results. Look for brisket with good marbling for extra flavor.

• Slice Correctly: To keep the brisket tender, always cut against the grain.

  
  

• Leftovers: If you do have leftovers, corned beef sandwiches (or Rueben) are a tasty option for the next day!

  
  

Time-Saving Kitchen Magic

You can create a mouthwatering corned beef brisket meal in your Instant Pot alongside oven-roasted cabbage and potatoes in under two hou1.5-inch1.5-incRemove the Corned beef from the package, rinse it, and dry ithe few- . This recipe is truly a game-changer, allowing you to enjoy comforting, hearty meals without spending all day in the kitchen.

Why not try it for your next family dinner or St. Patrick's Day gathering? You'll be surprised at how quickly and easily you can serve this amazing dish, which is sure to bring smiles around the table.