Dutch Oven Corned Beef and Cabbage

This is our easy dutch oven corned beef and cabbage recipe with potatoes and carrots inside your cast iron pot you can make for St. Patricks Day dinner. One of our family favorite dutch oven recipes.

Are you ready for St. Patricks Day?? Well you don’t need that specific day to eat dutch oven corned beef and cabbage. We eat it year round because it’s so delicious! This is our fourth way of cooking corned beef and cabbage, we’ll share them all at the end. This is one of many favorite dutch oven recipes we have here on The Typical Mom blog.

Do you have this cast iron pot?? They come in a wide variety of looks. From plain black and rustic to the pretty green one you see here I just got. They all work the same. If you don’t have a Dutch oven it’s a great way to cook using cast iron.

It all starts with this type of meat though right? If you are new to cooking this type of beef I am here to help. There are two types; the point and the center cut or square version. The latter is preferred but I’ve made both.

Sometimes there is only one type available at the store. Either one will work I just prefer the fattier flat cut that tends to be thicker too. Once you make this for the holidays I guarantee you’ll decide to cook it at least once more throughout the year.

How Long to Cook Corned Beef in Dutch Oven

3 hours is about right, depending on how thick it is. You can easily check by lifting the lid and piercing it with a knife. If it slides in easily you’re ready to enjoy. It really is that good!! Fall apart tender meat with potatoes all of you will fight over because they are just so darn good.

You don’t add the cabbage leaves until the last 30 minutes so they get to be the perfect wilted texture and not too soft. Or you can make Instant Pot Fried Cabbage separately if you’re like my husband and don’t like your foods mixing. lol

Can you cook frozen corned beef in a Dutch Oven?

Fresh is best but I have cooked frozen corned beef to tender this way as well but it does take an additional hour or so. That will vary depending on it’s thickness and note that the veggies will get a lot softer because of the longer timing but will work.

For a faster method use the directions for Instant Pot frozen corned beef instead. That is a great just in case if you don’t have time to defrost it or able to pick up a fresh piece. This is the best way of how to cook corned beef in a dutch oven.

Should you cook corned beef covered or uncovered?

Definitely covered, there is NO way around this one. You want the steam to really build up around it to break down the connective tissues in this typically tough piece of beef, that is key. This one uses the lid and we show you how to cook Corned Beef in the Oven here which uses aluminum foil instead.

What should you cook with corned beef brisket?

I have already gone over the whole love for russets or red potatoes below right? If you do not like carrots then by all means leave them out! Love onions?? Add 2 instead of 1. The vegetables are tender and so delicious though if you do add a bunch, red potatoes are a must! Same goes for our slow cooker corned beef brisket recipe but that cooks all day long.

Tips for Success

Here is additional post explaining the difference between the flat cut and point cut corned beef pieces. We went over that above but if you need more information to make your decision I get it. Beyond that you should make sure to;

The trick to making the best corned beef is adding lots of flavor. I feel beer does this, and I am NOT a beer drinker. I do buy an occasional 6 pack though to make the best 3 ingredient beer bread recipe, and corned beef brisket.

You do want to cut your vegetables very large. Leave your potatoes whole but pierce them. Medium russet or large red are best. And make sure your corned beef is mostly submerged into your liquid so it comes out tender 

Do not add your cabbage until the last stage either. When you take the lid off to cook it 1 additional hour, add it then. Another trick when it comes to cooking simple cabbage recipes perfectly this time is to quarter your head. Just cut the end off and cut into 4 equal pieces, that way it won’t overcook and become limp.

Make sure you allow it to rest for 15 minutes before you cut beef across the grain and serve potatoes and cabbage together. If you chose to add bay leaves make sure you remove them before serving too.

How much beer do you need to cook corned beef brisket?

It depends on how large the pot is. If making our Instant Pot corned beef and cabbage, that is also amazing, you just need 1 can which is 12 ounces. Since this has a larger area to cover we use 24 ounces, or 2 typical cans. It doesn’t matter what type you use but I use a light blonde version. Here are the steps to follow:

Other methods of cooking a corned beef you’ll love

Keep the size of your dutch oven in mind when choosing a piece and cooking corned beef and cabbage. You can typically find it in the meat department packaged with the spice packet inside.

Ninja Foodi corned beef and cabbage is great if you have that kind of pot. You use high pressure to make it this way so it is done in no time. Once you have tried and fall in love with this way of cooking you will want to try others.