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This Slow Cooker Corned Beef Dinner Is the Easiest St. Patrick’s Day Meal Ever

Serving up a traditional feast for any holiday is intimidating, and St. Patrick’s Day corned beef and cabbage is a meal you really want to nail. But if you throw those puppies in the slow cooker, you’ll be on easy street and your Irish fare will taste amazing.

There are some kitchen appliances a busy family just can’t do without, and a slow cooker is probably at the top of that list. There’s nothing better than popping in a few ingredients before leaving for the day, then coming home to a house filled with the wonderful scent of dinner, all ready to feast on. And if you have a memory like mine (meaning a lack of one), 9 times out of 10 you don’t remember you even put dinner in until you walk in the door and the house smells like heaven. It’s always a nice surprise.

More: Forget the Beer — Make Green Sweets for St. Patrick’s Day

Break out that slow cooker, because this corned beef, cabbage and vegetable dinner cooks all together for one of the easiest St. Paddy’s Day meals ever. And it’s one of our family’s all-time favorites.

The meat is so juicy and tender it literally feels like it’s melting in your mouth. Serve it on your prettiest dishes for a holiday meal, or enjoy it reheated the next day for lunch. We rarely have leftovers, and when we do, it’s amazing in the morning with eggs.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do and turn it into a St. Patrick’s Day family tradition!

Cooking notes: Corned beef typically comes packaged with a spice packet, which I have tried using just once. My family doesn’t prefer the strong taste of this packet, so I don’t use it. I find that the meat has a rich and complex flavor with no need for any other spices (not even salt and pepper), and slow-cooking creates a rich broth. This tasty broth will saturate the vegetables, so again, no seasonings required. I promise you will be amazed at how much flavor the meat infuses into this whole dish.

For morning people, I recommend starting no later than 6 a.m., adding the veggies at 4 p.m., which means you will be serving around 6 p.m. However if, like me, you are a night owl, then start before bed (11 p.m.), add the veggies around 9 a.m., and turn off the cooker around 11 a.m. to transfer to a platter to save for an early afternoon dinner.

Slow cooker corned beef and cabbage with vegetables recipe

Serves 8

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 12 hours | Total time: 12 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 large corned beef (brisket or round)
  • Enough water to cover the corned beef
  • 1 cup white wine or 1 bottle beer
  • 8 small or 6 large red potatoes
  • 8 small or 4 large carrots
  • 1 medium head cabbage

Directions:

  1. Place your corned beef into a large slow cooker. Pour in the wine (or beer), and cover with water. Cover, and cook on low for 10 hours.
  2. Halve small potatoes or quarter large ones, chop carrots into large chunks, and slice cabbage into wedges so that each slice has some of the stem end remaining. This will help each cabbage wedge stay together for serving. Add the veggies, pushing them into the liquid as much as possible, then cook another 2 hours.
  3. To serve, transfer the meat to a cutting surface, and slice thinly across the grain. Separate the vegetables, and arrange them on a platter around the meat. Add a simple salad, and dinner is served.

Before you go, check out our slideshow below.

Originally published March 2016. Updated March 2017.

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