Air fryer corned beef recipe is here! How to cook tender beef brisket with mustard sauce is perfect for dinner at St. Patricks Day or made year round.
If you have a Foodi you can choose to cook air fryer corned beef or Ninja Foodi corned beef and cabbage pressure cooker style. Both are beyond amazing and don’t take long. We will show you all the tips in getting it the perfect texture that will melt in your mouth. (affiliate links present)
We share easy air fryer recipes every single week here. Some are large pieces of protein like this and others are side dishes. This comes in handy because on this holiday you’ll likely want some veggies on the side, specifically some air fryer cabbage.
How Long to Cook Corn Beef in Air Fryer
1 hour 45 minutes is what you need to count on. You never want to rush this cut of beef. With a lot of connective tissue you need to give it time to “steam” in aluminum foil to get as fall-apart tender as possible.
Ingredient Notes
I used a 4 pound piece of corned beef brisket flat cut is best, with the pickling spice pouch that comes in the bag.
Mustard is optional but highly suggested to mix up our mustard for corned beef ahead of time and add near the end to “bake” on and add a bunch of flavor. Dijon with a bit of brown sugar works too if you want a sweet and savory mix (but mine is better)
If you are going to cook “regular” brisket in air fryer that comes out great too using our dry rub. You don’t need any seasonings other than the spice packet inside the bag for this one which is nice.
with cabbbage
Instead of steaming leaves plain like my Grandmother did back in the day, to boil cabbage, there are so many other better ways to add a lot more flavor. I have made it in this same pot but typically will make Instant Pot fried cabbage to serve on the side for the best result for dinner.
Can frozen corned beef be cooked in an air fryer?
For this your meat needs to be fresh or defrosted for it to work well. If you forgot to do this and are freaking out right about now, I have help. You can use our Instant Pot frozen corned beef recipe to save the day, and dinner which is amazing and nobody will know the difference.
Equipment Needed
Beyond the ingredients and machine you’re just going to want a large piece of foil that is either non stick or you spray a bit of Pam on the inside. You just don’t want the meat or sauce to stick and pull off when it’s done. You can just add the pickling packet to the top or add our homemade mustard sauce too, I suggest both.
Ninja Foodi Option
You can use any brand you might have. I personally love ninja foodi recipes but AirWave and Cosori all work the same except for the size of the basket itself. As long as yours is a 5 quart or larger this will work quite well. A 4 pound flat cut was used just for your reference, that style is better if you have the choice.
Tips
I wouldn’t buy a piece larger than 4 lbs. If you wanted to make a smaller piece you would just need to adjust the heat. 2 lbs. is unusual to find but it would likely need a bit more than half the cook time listed below. Remember that it shrinks A LOT when it cooks though, and leftovers are super killer!
I usually will make 1.5x the mustard recipe below so I have more to serve with on the side. Seriously this is one of the best ways of cooking corned beef.
If you are wondering whether you should buy a flat cut or point cut of this brined meat the flat is much better. Reason being is you get more fat which you need to keep as tender as possible, and the meat is the same thickness all the way across which means every piece is moist and not dried out.
Air Fryer Corned Beef Recipe
Equipment
- 1 air fryer
- 1 dish to make mustard
Ingredients
- 4 lb corned beef, flat cut is best, with pickling spices in pouch
- 1/4 c corned beef mustard
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer 360 F for 5 minutes. In a small bowl, mix contents of pickling package with mustard and apple cider vinegar. Place corn beef on a large piece of aluminum foil, big enough to wrap corn beef.
- Spread 2/3 of mustard mixture over meat, top and sides. Fold foil around corn beef and place in air fryer basket. Cook at 360 degrees for 1 hour.
- Carefully pull back foil, spread remaining mustard mixture on top of corn beef, recover, and cook for another 40 minutes.
- Pull back foil, cook at 400 F for 5 minutes to crisp the top of the meat, if desired. Lift out of foil and on to a cutting board. Slice against the grain and serve with cabbage.
Video
Notes
Internal Temperature of Fall-Apart Corned Beef
You need it to reach 145F for food safety reasons but with this cut you need it to cook longer to break down the connective tissues. To reach a fall-apart texture it needs to be 160-180F so I tend to aim for 170F, lift out, cover with foil, allow to rest for 10 minutes covered (it will rise another 5 degrees during that time) and then slice against the grain on a cutting board.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Another easy recipe that doesn’t really matter whether it is thawed or frozen is our slow cooker corned beef brisket recipe.
How to Store Leftovers
Only slice what you will eat when it is fresh first off, and leave the rest whole. Allow to completely cool to room temperature always. Store in a freezer bag with air pushed out and zipped closed tightly. Keep in fridge and use within the next 3 days ideally. If you don’t think you’ll eat it by then you could freeze it.
Can You Freeze Corned Beef
Yes, in two ways. First off right after the Feb. holiday you can find the leftovers on sale for super super cheap. I have bought several, thrown them into our deep freezer and you can cook corned beef brisket from frozen throughout the year that way. Or defrost it of course but you’ll be surprised at how well it works rock hard.
For leftovers you store the same way as above, mark the date on your bag and it will stay for a few months. Then allow to thaw and reheat in your favorite 2nd dish.
Our corned beef soup is probably our favorite things to make with the leftovers. This way you’re adding and heating it with a number of other ingredients which will help moisten your pieces again.
You can jump to recipe below and get started. Think this is only for the holidays?? OH NO friends, you should really grab one a few times a year and enjoy it on an off day, it’s good enough for year round for sure.
Normally it is not recommended because it will inhibit the air from circulating around your food and not get it crisp. When cooking corned beef in air fryer you will want this though in order to get it tender. The aluminum will create steam and break down the connective tissue this way.
It depends slightly how many pounds it is but typically 1 hour – 1 hour 45 minutes for a larger piece of corn beef. Faster than in the oven but still needs time to warm the middle and get tender.
Ohhh, I like the idea of making corned beef in an air fryer. I like corned beef but don’t love that it ends up so wet and soupy. Which air fryer brand do you like best? I am shopping for a new air fryer.
I have the two drawer Ninja that is great for cooking 2 different things but the baskets are smaller. For larger I like the Cosori with the square basket vs. round.
Amazing! I never considered air frying a corned beef before but so good. Thank you!
I tried the recipe and it turned out fantastically. The cooking time was spot on, resulting in a perfectly cooked and flavorful dish. I highly recommend following the recommended cooking time for delicious results.
This turned out wonderfully! Thanks for the recipe.
oh so glad
I love how tender and delicious this corned beef looks. It’s such an easy recipe and perfect for any day.