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Mar172013

Guinness Crock Pot Corned Beef & Cabbage with a Guinness Reduction Sauce

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Corned Beef & Cabbage with a Guinness Reduction Sauce
The absolute BEST Crock Pot Guinness Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe with Guinness reduction sauce #guinness #cornedbeef #stpatricksday #irish #reuben #cabbage #ireland #crockpot
Pin to save this Crock Pot Guinness Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe
Corned Beef & Cabbage with a Guinness Reduction Sauce
The absolute BEST Crock Pot Guinness Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe with Guinness reduction sauce #guinness #cornedbeef #stpatricksday #irish #reuben #cabbage #ireland #crockpot

Find the recipe card at the end of the post. Make sure to read the content as it contains chef tips, substitution options, answers to FAQs to help you succeed the first time around!

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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!

Corned Beef & Cabbage with a Guinness Reduction Sauce

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? 

Guinness Corned Beef & Cabbage5

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!

Guinness Corned Beef & Cabbage2

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!

Pin to save this Crock Pot Guinness Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe

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.

Guinness Corned Beef & Cabbage

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!

  1. Pat your meat dry and place it fat side up in the crockpot. Add the carrots and potatoes around the meat.
  2. Mix the mustard and seasoning packet and spread it all over the meat. Next, add the beer around the meat (not on top).
  3. Sprinkle some sugar over the top of it all and cover.
  4. Cook on low for 7 hours.
  5. Add the cabbage and cook for another 2 hours.

Guinness Reduction Sauce

  1. Once the meat is done, strain all of the juice out and place it in a pot over high heat.
  2. Once boiling, add in some sugar and the rest of the ingredients. *Remember this is where you want to start off in small amounts
  3. The sauce can take 30-55 minutes to reduce. This depends on how liquid your beef is.
Guinness Corned Beef & Cabbage4

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 more 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 point 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.

Guinness Corned Beef & Cabbage6

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!
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Guinness Crock Pot Corned Beef & Cabbage

  • Author: The Kitchen Whisperer
  • 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

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★★★★★ 4.8 from 51 reviews
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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

  1. 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.
  2. 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

  1. 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

  1. 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.

63729.4 g2013.3 mg24.5 g72.4 g29.6 g82.1 mg

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Pairs Perfectly With:

Guinness Corned Beef Reuben Pizza
Ultimate Mounds Brownies
Cheesy Guinness Reuben Gnocchi Casserole Cheesy Guinness Reuben Gnocchi Casserole

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Recipe Reviews & Comments

  1. David G says

    March 7, 2022 at 11:33 am

    Hello,

    Any tips of making this for a crowd. I have (2) 16 lbs corned beef briskets and want to cook them both. I would need a gazillion crock pots! Can this be done in the oven in hotel pans?

    Thanks and great recipe!

    Reply
    • TKWAdmin says

      March 7, 2022 at 12:49 pm

      Hi David,

      Absolutely! 350F for the oven. Rule of thumb is 1 hour per pound. I’m suspecting yours will take somewhere about 14-16 hours. This is where you MUST rely on your thermometer. It’s done when it registers 145F. Make sure to keep it wrapped nice and snug too.

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  2. Beth W. says

    October 16, 2021 at 10:10 am

    I’ve made this many times before, up to the reduction sauce, my husband loves the corned beef and veggies, I had an extra corned beef in freezer I needed to use, so am going to try the sauce this time. 35-50 minutes is a long time for the cooked meat/veggies to sit….I am guessing I should keep warm in the oven? Just checking, couldn’t find anything in the reviews :0)

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • TKWAdmin says

      October 16, 2021 at 11:58 am

      Meat can rest, tented or you can put in the oven, covered at a warm temp while you make the sauce.

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  3. Paula says

    March 23, 2021 at 6:17 am

    If I want more sauce , should I just add more beer to crockpot or add when on stovetop?

    Reply
    • TKWAdmin says

      March 23, 2021 at 9:33 am

      Hi Paula,

      You can or you can add beef stock as well. You may have to alter the seasonings just a tad in the pot (i.e., more salt, etc).

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  4. Carla Mae says

    March 20, 2021 at 3:07 pm

    This is undoubtedly the BEST corned beef I’ve ever eaten. I’m not a fan of mustard because I have an ulcer but the mustard smear on the corned beef made the dish, with a little help from the Guinness. This cooked mustard smear never irritated my ulcer and the flavor is to die for. Next year I’m making twice as much and inviting my friends over. They have to taste this. My complements to this dish’s creator!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  5. Tanya Howze says

    March 16, 2021 at 9:10 pm

    Researched TONS of corned beef recipes and I decided to try this one. For the simple fact that you’ve been making it for year’s beside your mom. Its in the crock pot cooking now. SUPER EXCITED!

    Reply
  6. Chere says

    March 15, 2021 at 11:44 am

    I’ve been making this Guinness Corned Beef & Cabbage since you first posted the recipe some 8 years ago. By far, this is THE BEST corned beef recipe I’ve ever had!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  7. David Linn says

    March 15, 2021 at 5:08 am

    Can i leave out the veggies and cook brisket following the same cooking time? iI sill want to make the also.
    God Bless!
    David

    Reply
    • TKWAdmin says

      March 15, 2021 at 10:27 am

      Hi David!

      Absolutely! 3 pounds of brisket in a slow cooker will take ~8-10 hours on low. If you’re not sure, make sure when you cut it, that you cut against the grain.

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  8. Donny says

    March 9, 2021 at 4:38 pm

    Absolutely THE BEST corned beef and cabbage recipe I’ve ever had! I tried about 15-20 before this and this is the absolute best ever!

    Make this!!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • TKWAdmin says

      March 9, 2021 at 5:19 pm

      Thank you so much Donny! So happy you found your forever recipe!

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  9. Debbie Calvert says

    March 31, 2020 at 1:55 am

    Have the corned beef in the fridge waiting to be prepared. Have to give this a try. #TKWTreasureHunt

    Reply
  10. Ciekiesha Spikes says

    March 24, 2020 at 5:52 pm

    Will make great sandwiches #TKWTreasureHunt

    Reply
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