This Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Corned Beef is made in the crock pot and finished off under the broiler with a brown sugar-mustard glaze, giving it a nice crispy crust.
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Want to make this recipe even faster? Be sure to try my Instant Pot Corned Beef recipe.
I have long been a huge fan of corned beef. Maybe it’s the Irish in me? I’m a redhead named Erin, so it was only natural for me to always gravitate towards my Irish roots… Although, the other half of me is Italian, and I could easily eat pasta every day of my life too…
As a child, I would request corned beef & cabbage on my birthdays for my special meal. I liked that the meat was salty and flavorful, and almost like string cheese in that you could pull off piece by piece and nibble away. Technically, you’re supposed to cut across the grain, so that your meat isn’t stringy, but I always liked it cut with the grain – it gave me a reason to play with my food.
And although I grew up eating corned beef & cabbage, the recipe that I use to make it has definitely evolved over time.
This is a recipe that I’ve used since college and it actually was created by my friend and college roommate Jim (did I ever tell you that I lived with five guys in college?).
As college students, meals weren’t anything too fancy. I seem to recall lots of canned soup, chicken breasts, and ramen noodles. But, cooking yummy food on the cheap was one of Jim’s specialties. We’d trade recipes and food quite often. After moving out, Jim sent me this recipe for Slow Cooker Corned Beef & Cabbage, and I’ve been making it for Saint Patrick’s Day ever since.
PS – I’ve discovered that the Instant Pot is also amazing for making tender and delicious corned beef – Be sure to check out that recipe here if you’ve got an IP!
Ingredients needed
Meat and Vegetables
- Red Potatoes – You can also use small russet potatoes, or baby potatoes.
- Carrots & Celery
- Corned Beef Brisket – You can use a point cut or flat cut for this recipe. Be sure to save the pickling spice packet that comes with it too, as we’ll use some of it for seasoning.
- Cabbage Wedges
- Garlic
- Dark Beer – This is optional. You can also use chicken stock or beef broth.
Corned Beef Glaze
- Brown Sugar
- Brown Mustard
- Water
- Butter
Honey Mustard Sauce
- Honey – You can also use agave.
- Brown Mustard – Or dijon mustard or whole grain mustard.
- Greek Yogurt – Makes the sauce nice and creamy. But it’s optional. You can also use sour cream.
How to make crock pot corned beef
- Add some potatoes, carrots, celery, garlic, corned beef and that little spice packet that comes with the corned beef to the slow cooker. A bottle of beer adds great flavor and you’ll want to add water to cover the meat.
- Let it cook away on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours. Meanwhile, prepare the brown sugar-mustard glaze.
- Remove the corned beef from the slow cooker and coat with a bit of the glaze. Pop it under the broiler set to LOW and let it get nice and golden for 30 minutes, adding more glaze every 10 minutes or so.
- While the corned beef is finishing, we’ll strain the cooking liquids from the crock pot and boil our cabbage in there.
This recipe also serves a honey-mustard sauce on the side that’s perfect for drizzling over the cooked cabbage, potatoes and carrots. So, so good.
Although this Glazed Corned Beef & Cabbage is amazing for St. Patrick’s Day, I could honestly eat it every day of the year. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
How to make ahead and store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to three months.
Using corned beef leftovers
Leftover corned beef is great for making reuben sandwiches! Or, shred the fork-tender meat to make a corned beef hash.
FAQs
In the slow cooker, corned beef will take 8-9 hours on LOW heat, or 4-5 hours on HIGH heat.
It’s okay if you forget to rinse your corned beef before cooking. However, it may be a bit saltier than you’d like.
Yes, cooking corned beef low and slow is the best way to get the most tender corned beef. That’s why the crockpot is great for making corned beef!
Wine pairings for corned beef
- I suggest a light-bodied, fruit forward red like a Beaujolais or Grenache to pair with the salty-fatty corned beef and the traditional spices of bay leaves and peppercorn.
- On the white wine side, I’d suggest a Pinot Blanc or dry Riesling.
More slow cooker recipes
- More → 37+ Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes
More St. Patrick’s Day recipes
- More → 37+ BEST sides for Corned Beef
Did you try this glazed corned beef?
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PS – Don’t forget about the 9+ BEST Sauces for Corned Beef too!
Full Recipe
Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Corned Beef
Equipment
Ingredients
Meat and Vegetables:
- 6-8 baby red potatoes (cut into large wedges)
- 3 medium carrots (thick sliced)
- 2 ribs celery (thick sliced)
- 3-5 pounds corned beef brisket ((fat trimmed off and rinsed))
- 1 head cabbage (cut into large wedges (about 2 pounds))
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 small bottle dark beer (about 12 ounces)
Glaze:
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup brown mustard
- ½ cup water
- 1 Tbsp butter
Honey Mustard Sauce:
- ½ cup honey ( or agave)
- ½ cup brown mustard
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt (or sour cream, optional)
Instructions
- Layer the potatoes 1/2 cup celery and ½ cup carrots in the bottom of slow cooker. Place corned beef on veggies. Add garlic and packet of seasoning that comes with the corned beef. Add beer and water until meat is covered. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-9 hours (or HIGH for 4-5 hours).
- Just prior to corned beef being done, melt butter in small saucepan — add water and brown sugar. Heat over medium-high heat. After about 5 minutes, stir in mustard. Simmering another 2-3 minutes. Pour in dish and set aside.
- When corned beef is ready, remove and place on cookie tray and tent with foil. Place large pot in sink with colander inside. Pour out the slow cooker ingredients saving both liquid and potatoes. Discard cooked carrots and celery. Preheat broiler. Place pot of liquid on stove on medium-high until boiling. Boil the remaining carrots and celery for 3 minutes then add cabbage and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and drain liquid.
- Remove foil tent. Brush glaze on top of corned beef and broil on low, 6-inches from the element for 30 minutes adding glaze every 10 minutes. Always keep an eye on the broiler to avoid burning. After 30 minutes remove corned beef and place on cutting board. Cut corned beef across the grain. Serve with veggies and honey mustard sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2014. It was updated in 2023. The glazed corned beef recipe remains the same but the content has been updated.
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