This Slow Cooker Shredded Corned Beef & Cabbage is an easy, one-pot recipe that is so delicious that you’ll want to make it for St. Patrick’s Day, and all year round.  

bowl with shredded corned beef and mashed potatoes.

Most of us associate corned beef with St. Patrick’s Day, but do you even know what it is? I didn’t until I bought one and made it for myself. Turns out, it is simply a cut of beef, usually brisket, that is soaked in a salty mixture with peppercorns.

The best way to cook a corned beef is in a large slow cooker, since the long cooking time will transform a normally tough piece of meat into a tender, fall-apart meal. 

And, while I am often concerned that a corned beef will be too salty, the one that I buy has just the perfect amount of salt and pepper. If you’ve ever tried this dish, then you’re going to want to make it several times of year. It is an absolutely divine meal that is served with cooked cabbage. 

The corned beef that I buy is a grass-fed corned beef brisket from U.S. Wellness Meats. It comes frozen and shipped straight to your door. 

Recipe Steps

If you’ve ever made grass-fed beef before, then you know that it’s usually leaner than its grain-fed counterpart. The slow-cooker or crockpot is really perfect for cooking lean and grass-fed meats, and that’s why I love it for making this recipe.

Plus, the slow-cooker is just so amazing for truly hands-off cooking. Set it and forget it!

Step One

The first step in this Slow Cooker Corned Beef & Cabbage recipe is to buy a corned beef. I recommend looking for one that is grass-fed and made with a brine that does NOT have nitrates, sugar, or MSG. 

Step Two

The second step is to prep any veggies that you want to cook with the corned beef. I went with just plain cabbage for this recipe, but you could use onions and carrots if you want to.

Potatoes would also go really well in this Slow Cooker Corned Beef & Cabbage recipe.

chopped cabbage in crockpot ready to be cooked.

Step Three

The third step is to pop everything in your slow-cooker. I recommend cooking it on low for 7-9 hours.

If you’re short on time, you can cook it on high for 6 hours.

crockpot corned beef and cabbage ready to be cooked.

Step Four

When you’re ready to serve your Slow Cooker Corned Beef & Cabbage, just use two large serving forks to shred the meat right in the pot. Some people like to slice corned beef, but I much prefer it shredded.

Serve each bowl with some veggies and meat. Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes go really well with this dish, too.

two bowls of corned beef.

FAQs 

Why do we eat corned beef on St. Patrick’s Day?

It turns out that corned beef is not a traditional Irish food, but it was adopted by Irish immigrants in the early 19th century. So, eating corned beef on St. Patrick’s Day is really just one of those quirky American traditions.

What does this dish taste like?

It is delicious! The meat is falling-apart tender, with just the perfect amount of salt and pepper. I love it so much. It goes particularly well with cabbage, too.

Is corned beef bad for you?

I think it depends on what kind of corned beef you buy. If you get a conventionally-raised piece of meat full of antibiotics, then I consider that unhealthy.

If you get a grass-fed brisket with simple, real food ingredients, then it’s a nourishing meal for special occasions. A corned beef is likely higher in sodium than other beef meals, so that is the only drawback in my opinion.

More Clean Eating Crockpot Recipes

You might also like my other healthy slow cooker recipes, including:

I hope you make this recipe! If you do, please leave a comment and a starred review below.

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corned beef and mashed potatoes in bowl

Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

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5 from 7 reviews

Print Recipe

This Slow Cooker Corned Beef with Cabbage is an easy, one-pot recipe that is so delicious that you’ll want to make it all year round.

  • Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 medium head of green or red cabbage, chopped coarsely
  • 1/2 cup water or broth
  • 1 2–pound corned beef brisket

Instructions

  1. Add the cabbage to the pot of a 6 or 8-quart slow-cooker. Place the corned beef on top of the cabbage and add the lid.
  2. Cook on low for 7-9 hours or on high for 6 hours.

Notes

  1. Store any leftovers in a tightly-sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Or, place any leftovers in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. 

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
  • Calories: 358
  • Sugar: 7.2 g
  • Sodium: 1891.1 mg
  • Fat: 22.8 g
  • Saturated Fat: 7.2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 14.1 g
  • Fiber: 4 g
  • Protein: 24.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 81.6 mg

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About the Author: Carrie Forrest has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition and is studying to be a holistic nutritionist. She is a top wellness and food blogger with over 5 million annual visitors to her site. Carrie has an incredible story of recovery from chronic illness and is passionate about helping other women transform their health. Send her a message through her contact form.