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The absolute BEST Crock Pot Guinness Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe with Guinness reduction sauce! Fall-apart corned beef that melts in your mouth!
Married to Mr. Fantabulous and him being a GINORMOUS beer snob I’ve been ‘coerced‘ to try umpteen different types with the line of “baby, maybe you’ll like this one. If you loved me, you’d try it.”
My response is always “..and if you loved me you’d remember that we’ve yet to find one that I like or can even get past the smell. If YOU loved me you’d figure out how to pick up your clothes, put the dishes in the dishwasher and figure out that vacuuming CAN be fun.” Sounds fair, right?
But like the good wife I give in to spousal pressure, take the god-awful sip, make the funniest yucky squinched-up-7-year-girl-I’m-gonna-die face and then say that I still hate it while he chuckles at my response.
I LOVE Cooking and Baking with Beer!
It’s funny though as I don’t like the taste of beer straight from the bottle but I LOVE the flavor of it when it’s cooked or reduced.
The flavors tend to be mellow and almost create this magical taste. I use beer quite often in various chocolate cakes (reduced stout in a chocolate cake is EPIC!) as well as in brownies. Heck, I’ve even made beer syrup and used it in ice cream.
From Stovetop to Crock-Pot For Corned Beef
Now I’ve been making corned beef & cabbage since I was little. I can remember my Mom making it on the stovetop for hours on end.
When she got her first crockpot you would have thought Sweet Baby Jesus delivered it to her personally! From then on, corned beef was made in the crock. And as always it had a beer in it.
What about making Corned Beef in the Instant Pot?
I got you guys! I have the instant pot recipe already posted. You can’t go wrong with either method, to be honest!
The beer matters in this recipe
Being married to a beer snob we always have a ton on hand to work with. I tried more than my fair share. The best beer I’ve found for this recipe is Guinness Draught Stout. It, as it cooks, adds such incredible depth of flavor that any other beer.
What I did find was that the stout beers – those darker beers, when cooked infused such an intense flavor that you find yourself being unable to stop eating the beef (case in point last night when I made this recipe).
If you’re not a beer drinker, like I am, you can buy just single cans/bottles in most grocery stores so you don’t have to feel concerned about having to buy a whole case.
Ingredients needed to make THE BEST Guinness Corned Beef
- Flat Cut Corned Beef Brisket with seasoning packet – flat is best for slicing
- Veggies – carrots, cabbage, potatoes, and onions
- Beer – Guinness Draught Stout
- Seasonings & liquids – mustard, Worcestershire, water, horseradish, salt, pepper, honey
- Sugar – This depends on how sweet you like your meat and sauce. Start with less for the sauce as you can always add more if you need
How to Cook The Best Corned Beef with Beer!
It’s super simple to make as you throw most of it in the crockpot and let it cook the day away!
- Pat your meat dry and place it fat side up in the crockpot. Add the carrots and potatoes around the meat.
- Mix the mustard and seasoning packet and spread it all over the meat. Next, add the beer around the meat (not on top).
- Sprinkle some sugar over the top of it all and cover.
- Cook on low for 7 hours.
- Add the cabbage and cook for another 2 hours.
Guinness Reduction Sauce
- Once the meat is done, strain all of the juice out and place it in a pot over high heat.
- Once boiling, add in some sugar and the rest of the ingredients. *Remember this is where you want to start off in small amounts
- The sauce can take 30-55 minutes to reduce. This depends on how liquid your beef is.
Difference Between Corned Beef Cuts – Flat and Point
So there are a few different cuts of corned beef brisket but the two most popular are Flat Cut and Point Cut.
Flat Cut Corned Beef
The flat cut is leaner though it still has a fat cap layer that helps keep the meat moist. This is what you want to use when you want to slice your corned beef and have it lay nicely on the plate or sandwich.
Point Cut Corned Beef
The most obvious difference is the pointed tip at the one end. This type of cut has more fat to it so when you cook it up, it comes out super tender and juicy. This is perfect for when you want to shred it for nachos and sandwiches.
Uses for Corned Beef Leftovers
- Reuben Nachos – simply shred the meat and layer it on the nachos with some Irish cheddar, green onions, and some braised cabbage/slaw. You can even drizzle some of the Guinness sauce on the side!
- Pulled Corned Beef Sliders – these paired with Irish Cheddar – EPIC!
- Reuben Sandwiches – The hardest part is deciding if you want mustard of 1000 island dressing
- Reuben Tart – tart dough filled with sauerkraut, corned beef, and cheese!
- Reuben Pizza – need I say anymore?
- Cheesy Reuben Dip – all the great flavors of a Reuben sandwich but in a dip!
Guinness Crock Pot Corned Beef & Cabbage
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 9 hours
- Total Time: 10 hours
- Category: Beef
- Method: CrockPot
- Cuisine: Beef
The absolute BEST Guinness Crock Pot Corned Beef & Cabbage with Guinness Reduction Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 carrots, peeled and chopped into 2–3” chunks
- 6–8 small-medium size red potatoes (unpeeled)
- 1 large yellow onion, rough chopped
- 2–3 lb flat cut corned beef brisket with seasoning packet
- 1 14.9 ounce can of Guinness Draught Stout
- 3 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup brown sugar, divided *See note
- 2 tablespoon grainy mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon horseradish
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 medium size head of cabbage, cut into wedges
Instructions
Make the Corned Beef
- Rinse the corned beef under cold water and pat dry. Place the corned beef, fat side up in a 6 quart (or bigger) crock pot. Add the potatoes, onions and carrots around the beef. In a small bowl, mix the yellow mustard and seasoning packet together. Spread the mustard mixture all over the top of the corned beef. Pour the beer around the beef. Sprinkle 1/2 cup brown sugar over top the beef, veggies and beer. Cook on low for 7 hours.
- Remove the lid and add the cabbage wedges. Cook for 2 more hours. Remove the meat from the crock pot and set aside. Place a tent foil on top. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the veggies and place in a bowl.
Guinness Reduction Sauce
- Place a sieve/strainer over top a medium pot and strain the juices into the pot. Place the pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, add in the remaining 1tablespoon – 1/4 cup of the remaining brown sugar (depends on how sweet you want your sauce. Start off with a little, taste and adjust from there), water, horseradish, salt, pepper, grainy mustard, Worcestershire, honey and mix. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer to reduce the sauce by half and it starts to thicken. ~35-50 minutes.
Serve
- Slice the meat against the grain and serve with the reduction sauce over top with a side of potatoes, carrots and cabbage.
Notes
With regards to the brown sugar, keep in mind that reducing the Guinness will render the sauce sweet however I still add up to the last 1/4 cup of brown sugar personally as I found it was a tad ‘bitter’ without it. My advice is to start off with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, taste the sauce as it reduces and add more if necessary.
Vickie says
I’ve made this recipe the last 4 years or so. It’s a great recipe. I have changed a few things now that I know the recipe. I cannot get the gravy to thicken. I do exactly what it calls for. So today I used a little corn starch. I also don’t add any salt to anything it all seems salty enough. The cabbage in one hour is also impossible. It should be put in at least 2 hours on high. I had to use my microwave to soften up the cabbage. I’m so glad I have this recipe. The stout makes it.
TKWAdmin says
Hi Vickie,
Thank you so much! So it’s not so much a gravy (like say thanksgiving gravy) but rather a reduction sauce. Like if you stuck the spoon in and then swiped your finger down the back. If it leaves that gap/space – that’s a sauce. For the cabbage you can cook it longer if you like it softer; most definitely. Also the size will make a difference – larger chunks will take longer to soften. Either way, so happy you loved this!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Cindy says
I’m planning this for today but only have some bottles of “Bud Lite” my son left here. Do I need a “Stout” run? Has anyone ever made this without the alcohol? I adore your web site! Keep the Deliciousess coming our way.
🍻🍻 Happy Saint Patrick’s Day Everyone!! 🍻🍻
Denise says
I’m trying a lager.
TKWAdmin says
Stout works best but you can also use beef stick in lieu of alcohol.
Happy St. Patrick’s day and Best Kitchen Wishes!
Christopher says
I didn’t make this yet but am preparing it as I write this. I’m looking at your instructions and notice it says to put the corned beef fat side down. Every time I have made it in a crock pot I always put fat side up, I even looked at other recipes and most say to put fat side up. Have you tried both ways? Just curious as to why fat side down is what you suggest. Look forward to your response and I will be following up tomorrow with my review upon completion. Thank you!
TKWAdmin says
Hmmm that’s odd as I just looked and it says fat side up. I do know when I first posted this I did have it backwards and in error said to put it down. But always fat side up as that helps keep the meat tender and more moist.
Maybe somehow a search engine kept a cached page from several years ago. Either way, it’s most definitely fat side up.
Be sure to read the notes about the brown sugar. I am not a beer person so even though Guinness does sweeten as it’s reduced I still find it too “beery” for me so I make mine a bit sweeter. My husband loves beer so I’ll make his sauce with very little sugar.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Suz says
I noticed the same. My printed version says fat side down, but when I bring it up online it says fat side up.
Christopher says
Went with the fat side up to be safe. This came out even better than I would have imagined. Everything was perfect. Thank you for sharing!
TKWAdmin says
Hi Christopher!
Yeah, thank you so much! So happy you loved it as much as we do!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Tricia says
Can you tell me if you can make it on high in the crock pot?
8 hours low is hard to do when you are not home in time!
TKWAdmin says
Hi Tricia!
I’ve not tried it on high. Some meats require low and slow, like this one. If you have an Instant Pot I did create a version of this for it. It’s all done in 90 or so minutes!
https://www.thekitchenwhisperer.net/2017/03/15/pressure-cooker-guinness-corned-beef-with-cabbage-potatoes-carrots/
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Krystle says
I made mine on high for 5 hours total and it worked perfectly.
TKWAdmin says
Oh good to know! Thank you so much!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Susan says
This recipe was delicious. Very tasty and so tender.
I first followed this recipe back in 2015 and I have to say I prefer the way the instructions were laid out back then. Each step was numbered and the lines were concise. Much easier on the eyes to read/follow than instructions given in paragraph form.
All in all – a great recipe!
TKWAdmin says
Thanks Susan! Yeah it’s a hard balance to write recipes. If a person sees that it has 20 steps they are less apt to try it even though each action is a step – turn on oven, get our crockpot… I write very methodically as I’m an engineer but I got so much feedback wheee folks didn’t want to see every step on their own line. *shrugs* it’s actually hard for me to write recipes with a bunch of steps in a single line item.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Debbie says
OK, two years in a row, and two years it has been the hit of the party. I have talked up this recipe for the last two months to our friends who were doing the 5K Foam Fest as kind of a “reward for a job well done”. I told them they would lick the plate clean when they tried the sauce. Now they know I can cook, but I think they thought I was really being a bit boastful…..
WELL, not only did they love it and polish off three whole briskets, plus the fixin’s, but one of my friends (who works about a mile from me), said he was buying me another one so I could cook it this week and he was coming to my office for
Reubens made with it slathered it that yummy sauce!
They love me even more now!
TKWAdmin says
What’s not to love Debbie?! I’m so happy that it turned out again for you and that it was such a huge hit! Thank you so much dear for such kind words!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Caron Truax says
Oh My Gosh!!!! This just may be better than chocolate or sex! This was absolutely, bar none, the best corned beef recipe ever!!! The whole gang enjoyed it and my husband said, “its so tender, its melting in my mouth.” I had cooked corned beef before and I thought, yuck! I never want it again. But after following your recipe exactly, my taste buds approved and I will make this dish again. Since hubby and I do not eat potatoes, I used turnips and heirloom carrots (purple on the outside and orange on the inside), it was fantastic. I also used 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and water to thicken the sauce. You are correct, it takes exactly 35 minutes to reduce the sauce and drippings, but so worth it in every way. There is plenty left to pour over pork tenderloin too.
TKWAdmin says
Oh Caron you seriously made my night! Thank you so much! And I’m glad I made a corned beef lover out of you! Yeah! And I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE the idea of turnips and heirloom carrots!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
SHANNON says
I made the reduction sauce, but didn’t not use all the liquid or strain. I also added more Worcestershire sauce and horseradish. I left out the additional brown sugar and honey. The sauce is better on the potatoes after buttering than on the meat. The cabbage was not my favorite, but some pepper sauce fixed it right up. The meat was tender and yummy. Next time I won’t rinse the roast and add it with its liquid to crock and reduce the brown sugar to 1/4 cup.
TKWAdmin says
Hi Shannon!
Yes the sugar is totally optional or more so you can add as little or as much as you want. That’s why I tell folks to start with less and add more if need be. I’m so happy you loved it!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Debbie says
Well, I made this recipe last year for SPD and it was the best I had ever had! This year, there are about 20-25 of us running the 5K Foam Fest on SPD, and everyone is coming over afterwards for this and all the fixin’s. I can’t wait to make it again, and I just bought two huge roasts so I would have them ready. Even bought the Beer last night. I guess you can say I am in anticipation for the date so I can eat this and share with everyone else.
Love, love, love this recipe!
John Ellis says
I made this tonight using two 11.2oz Guinness Draught Stout beers (minus a sip or two) in a seven quart cooker using the point cut. I was worried that the beer would overpower the corned beef taste but it didn’t. This was absolutely delicious and the only modification that I made was to thicken the glaze with a small amount of Wandra flour & water to help it get to Nappe consistency (not gravy) once reduced. This help reduce the sweetened taste also. I served this with warm traditional Irish Soda Bread with a large amount of Irish Gold Butter. The extra glaze that I had I also enjoyed as an Au Jus sauce for my bread. Simply delicious. The glaze has a wonderful amount of layers in the taste. My wife loved it as well. This is our new favorite corned beef and cabbage recipe. I literally haven’t had corned beef and cabbage in forty years (summer of 1977) and it was my wife’s first time. This is so much better than what I remembered having back then hence (was horrible). Thank you.
TKWAdmin says
Hey there is absolutely nothing wrong with the cook having a sip (or three) from the beers 🙂 I love how you made the nappe glaze. That’s a great suggestion! I’m so happy that you both loved it! I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and what you served it with. I’m so with you on the Irish Gold Butter! It’s simply amazing!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!
Best Kitchen Wishes!