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How to Cook Frozen Corned Beef in Crock Pot

How to cook frozen corned beef in Crock Pot is here! Cooking frozen corned beef in Instant Pot and now in your slow cooker comes out tender and delicious.

How to Cook Frozen Corned Beef in Crock Pot

You know how I love cooking frozen meat to tender right?? Well I hadn’t cooked frozen corned beef this way yet so I got to experimenting. My husband and daughter actually said it was the best one I had ever made. Little did they know it started out rock solid! (affiliate links present)

Can Corned Beef be Frozen

Yes!! I’m telling you this turns out great, or I wouldn’t be sharing it. I started experimenting with this after St. Patricks Day last year. Saw all the packages that were left over and they were practically giving them away. $5 for each package which is SO cheap and I couldn’t pass them up.

Bought 5 of them, threw them into our deep freezer and cooked them from frozen without defrosting first. OMG, so good y’all. There are two ways you can do this. Cook this slow cooker frozen roast like we will share with you below, or in your pressure cooker. (link to that one above)

Let’s talk a little bit about slow cooking shall we?? First off I have a few different varieties and I love them all. Each one has an occasion to be used like….

  1. This is my favorite 6 quart programmable one with a locking lid so it’s great for bringing to a potluck too.
  2. I prefer not to use liners, but rather just spray olive oil inside before adding my food for easier cleanups.

Let me give you a peek of my pretty thang I bought recently. It goes with my kitchen so I can just leave it out on the countertop all the time. 😉

A floral design slow cooker with a white base and lid sits on a kitchen countertop, perfect for whipping up a 5 ingredient crockpot chili recipe.

Slow Cooker Frozen Corned Beef

Of course we had made slow cooker corned beef brisket for years and years but I always bought that thawed and never thought about it otherwise. Back then I only cooked it in February and I guess I never thought about it other than that time of year. My mistake.

Like I said, I changed that a few years later when I bought a ton, saved them in the freezer and figured out how to cook them year round. I do think if you have time that meat is best cooked when fresh or defrosted. If you wanted to make our air fryer corned beef it could not start out rock hard.

When it comes to which cut to choose I definitely have a preference. You will find the point cut and flat cut, choose the latter. You can see what that one looks like here. It is larger, rectangular, typically with a fat flap on one side.

How to Cook Frozen Corned Beef

How to Cook Frozen Corned Beef Brisket

The other is leaner, which you might think is better but you want fat to get it as tender as possible, and in a triangle shape. As for the liquid you can use all sorts of things. I would not choose water because it won’t add any flavor. Beer is by far the best, and I don’t even really drink.

When cooking corned beef and cabbage you can use any liquid you want. I like beer. I didn’t have a “regular” can but had some apple cider beer and just used that in this go around. Just adds another layer of flavor as it steams is all. This is all you really need;

  • 3-4 lb corned beef brisket frozen, flat cut is best
  • 4 potatoes, any variety but russett or red are best – they will be used as your trivet
  • An onion sliced is optional but great
  • 1 can of beer, water or 12 oz broth

How to Defrost Corned Beef

How long to thaw frozen corned beef?

You would need to leave the unopened package in your fridge overnight for it to defrost. If it is larger than about 3 pounds it may take even longer than that so be patient. You should keep it cool in the fridge to soften, never leave on your countertop or at room temperature.

Slow Cooker Frozen Corned Beef

Frozen Meat in Slow Cooker

Reason why I don’t cook one of our cabbage recipes in at the same time or at the end is I love it so much I really want that vegetable to shine on it’s own too. I have so many options to make cabbage steaks in the oven, or our favorite Instant Pot fried cabbage you should try with this.

This is how to cook frozen Crock Pot corned beef, literally so easy.

  • Wash your potatoes to remove debris and lay inside pot together in the middle to be your trivet. Slice onions and lay all around them.
  • Unwrap your package and set frozen corned beef on top of potatoes with fat side facing up. Pour can of beer over the top.
  • Sprinkle seasoning packet that came in that bag with meat on top so it sticks.
  • Cover and cook on low for 9 hours or until it slices easily and is fork tender.

Ours was about 3.5 pounds so the timing would be appropriate for that weight. Timing also fluctuates slightly depending on how tender you want it to be. Longer = more pull apart.

how to cook corned beef frozen

Frozen Corned Beef in the Oven

Ok so if you wanted to try it this way it would take about the same amount of time. I think a Crock pot is by far the best when it comes to really trapping that heat and steaming to a tender bite. BUT if you really want to try a few different ways you’ll need to;

  • Remove meat from packaging, set seasoning packet aside
  • Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
  • Lay two sheets of heavy duty tinfoil down and wrap the entire piece of meat making sure to fold ends together so it is completely sealed and can steam inside of it
  • Set inside of a casserole dish or on a baking sheet with a lip on the edges. Lined with foil is best in case there is any leakage.
  • Bake for 4 hours, then unwrap the top, sprinkle spice packet on top of meat and pour our prepared corned beef mustard over the top. Brush lightly to ensure all spots and sides are covered.
  • Put back into the oven for another 3-4 hours cooking time or until the center reaches 145 degrees F and is nice and fork tender.

Remove, set on a cooling rack still sealed and allow to rest this way for 15 minutes. Then slice against the grain and serve corned beef and cabbage together with taters on the side or make mashed potatoes with them.

Frozen Corned Beef in the Oven

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the typical mom
How to Cook Frozen Corned Beef in Crock Pot
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4.84 from 6 votes

How to Cook Frozen Corned Beef in Crock Pot

How to cook frozen corned beef in Crock Pot is here! Cooking frozen corned beef brisket is possible in a slow cooker to tender and delicious.
Course Entree, Main Course
Cuisine irish
Keyword corned beef, crockpot, frozen, slow cooker
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 9 hours
Servings 6
Calories 474kcal
Author The Typical Mom

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 3-4 lb corned beef frozen, flat cut is best
  • 4 potatoes
  • 1 onion sliced
  • 1 can beer or 12 oz broth

Instructions

  • Wash potatoes and lay inside pot together in the middle to be your trivet. Slice onions and lay around them.
  • Unwrap and set frozen corned beef on top of potatoes with fat side facing up. Pour can of beer over the top. Sprinkle seasoning packet that came with meat in the bag on top of meat.
  • Cover and cook on low for 9 hours or until it slices easily and is fork tender.

Video

Nutrition Facts
How to Cook Frozen Corned Beef in Crock Pot
Amount Per Serving (2 oz)
Calories 474 Calories from Fat 306
% Daily Value*
Fat 34g52%
Saturated Fat 11g69%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 16g
Cholesterol 122mg41%
Sodium 2763mg120%
Potassium 713mg20%
Carbohydrates 3g1%
Fiber 0.3g1%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 34g68%
Vitamin A 0.4IU0%
Vitamin C 63mg76%
Calcium 22mg2%
Iron 4mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
4.84 from 6 votes (4 ratings without comment)
Recipe Rating




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LMS

Sunday 29th of September 2024

Very good! It’s a keeper.

The Typical Mom

Tuesday 1st of October 2024

so glad

Lp

Wednesday 13th of March 2024

Only 12 oz of liquid lasts this entire time for this and it isn’t dry?

The Typical Mom

Wednesday 13th of March 2024

works great

Jaden Halverstein

Tuesday 27th of February 2024

If I don't have any potatoes handy would it work as well without something as a trivet? Or also, would onions cut in half work as one too?

The Typical Mom

Tuesday 27th of February 2024

Onions should be fine, whole with ends cut off so they sit flat

Francie

Tuesday 1st of August 2023

I am wanting to try my new sous vide' machine with a frozen corned beef brisket. Have you done it that way? Any pointers? Also, I purchased the 'on sale' corned beef (as you did!) right after St. Patrick's Day and froze it. When I took it out of the freezer this morning the package was all puffed up with air. Does that mean it spoiled? In your opinion, is it safe to eat? Thanks!

The Typical Mom

Tuesday 1st of August 2023

I have never seen mine puffed up so unsure of that aspect. If it was frozen after this calendar holiday the timing in the freezer should be fine but unsure if it has been punctured so cannot say in your case.

Sonya

Tuesday 25th of April 2023

Turned out yummy. I cooked ot on low 7 hours and 2 1/2 hours on high. Fell off fork... yummy

The Typical Mom

Tuesday 25th of April 2023

awesome!

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