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Instant Pot Corned Beef Recipe

Instant Pot corned beef is one of those things that is so easy, you almost don’t need a recipe. But you need instructions, so check out the version my family adores. Some links in this post are affiliate links that earn me a small commission if you purchase through them.

With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, of course my Irish roots insisted I make corned beef. I never liked cooking it all day on the stove, so I used to make a crock pot version.

Easy Instant Pot Corned Beef Recipe

Now that I use my Instant Pot for…almost everything, you know I had to make Instant Pot corned beef, right?

How to make corned beef Instant Pot

Traditionally, we tend to make this for that famous Irish holiday, but after eating it last night, my son begged me to make it far more often.

He’s right. We all should – so long as our grocery stores have it in stock. Thankfully, I see it more often than I expect.

In fact, my son begged that I make some as a topping for his half birthday mashed potato bar dinner. I mean, really… twist my arm!

Yes, traditionally one makes corned beef with cabbage. In my house, I end up being the only one to eat the cabbage.

Needless to say, I started years ago making it without cabbage. While my Irish born grandfather may roll over in his grave that I leave this out, you are more than welcome to include it in your version.

My family loves corned beef with potatoes and carrots. To keep them from totally falling apart, I cook them after the corned beef.

This step barely adds any time to the cook time, especially when I think that I used to cook this for eight hours in the crock pot.

End result? Two thumbs up from my family. I made a four pound piece, and I hope to have enough remaining to make corned beef hash.

Given their reaction, I don’t think they’ll leave me leftovers to make it though! Darn, I need to make more.

Slices of perfect easy homemade corned beef recipe

Thankfully, I have other Irish foods I made over the course of this week so I can continue to enjoy some of the flavors of my family traditions. Granted, we already ate all my gram’s Irish soda bread, but I plan to make more tomorrow.

I haven’t made my tea cakes yet, but those will come still. Have you ever tried them? So good! I still need to make colcannon and boxty, but they’re on my list!

How to Make Instant Pot Corned Beef

Start by dicing your onion to add to the Instant Pot. If you choose to add cabbage to your Instant Pot corned beef, core and quarter the cabbage then add it atop the onion. Pour beer over this.

Don’t forget about the pickling spices that (generally) come with your corned beef. Make sure you grab it when you remove the brisket from its packaging. Open the packet and pour it into your Instant Pot.

Trim your corned beef to remove excess fat. You don’t need to be perfect, but aim to clean it somewhat. Place corned beef into your Instant Pot.

Add the lid and ensure the vent is turned to seal. Set the Instant Pot to cook for 70 minutes.

You can use the same time for a three pound brisket as a five pound brisket. If you have an unusually thick cut, add five minutes.

While your Instant Pot corned beef cooks, peel your carrots and slice into thicker chunks. Clean potatoes and cut into bite size pieces once the timer goes off while you let the pressure slowly release.

Let the pressure cooker do a natural pressure release (NPR) for ten minutes, then carefully release the seal to vent any remaining pressure. Open the lid and remove the corned beef to rest. Remove the cabbage, as well, if you chose to include it.

Add carrots and potatoes to the liquid remaining in the Instant Pot. Close the lid and seal the vent again.

Set the pressure cooker for five minutes. Once the time goes off, release the pressure being careful to avoid the steam.

Slice the corned beef against the grain and serve immediately with the veggies.

Have you ever tried Instant Pot corned beef? What’s your favorite Irish dinner?

Looking for more great Instant Pot recipes? Check these out:

Instant Pot Corned Beef

This simple recipe for Instant Pot corned beef tastes amazing. You'll be surprised by how little effort it takes to create this traditional Irish dish in your pressure cooker. Whether you like your corned beef with cabbage or without, your family will love this gluten-free dinner.
4.95 from 19 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: main dish
Cuisine: Irish
Diet: Gluten Free
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 554kcal
Author: Michelle

Ingredients

  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 head cabbage optional
  • 12 ounces beer
  • 3.5 pounds corned beef brisket
  • 1 tablespoon pickling spices generally included
  • 1 pound new potatoes
  • 2 carrots peeled and sliced

Instructions

  • Dice onion and add to Instant Pot. Core and quarter cabbage, then add it atop onion. Pour beer over this along with pickling spices from the included packet.
    1 onion, 1 head cabbage, 12 ounces beer, 1 tablespoon pickling spices
  • Trim corned beef to remove excess fat. Place into Instant Pot. Add lid and turn vent to seal. Set the Instant Pot to cook for 70 minutes.
    3.5 pounds corned beef brisket
  • While Instant Pot cooks, peel carrots and slice into thicker chunks. Clean potatoes and cut into bite size pieces once the timer goes off.
  • Let pressure cooker do a natural pressure release (NPR) for 10 minutes, then carefully release the seal to vent any remaining pressure. Open lid and remove corned beef to rest. Remove cabbage, as well.
  • Add carrots and potatoes to Instant Pot. Close lid and seal the vent again. Set the pressure cooker for five minutes. Once time goes off, release pressure, being careful to avoid the steam.
    1 pound new potatoes, 2 carrots
  • Slice the corned beef against the grain and serve immediately with veggies.

Notes

  • If your family doesn’t like cabbage, feel free to omit this. Use the same time to cook whether you have a three-pound brisket or a five-pound one. If you have an especially thick cut, add five minutes but otherwise, you do not need to adjust the cooking time.
  • For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 554kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 168mg | Sodium: 98mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g

This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.

Instant Pot corned beef recipe. This simple recipe has a ton of flavor but requires so little effort. Don't just enjoy corned beef on St. Patrick's Day - this is a great recipe all year round, especially since it's gluten free and kid friendly.

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4.95 from 19 votes (19 ratings without comment)

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  1. Lisa says:

    If I dont use beer for the liquid, what can i substitute?

    • Michelle says:

      If you don’t wish to use beer, I would use beef stock with a little add of vinegar in its place. It won’t be exactly the same, but it will work. If you don’t want beer because of the alcohol, you can use an alcohol free beer, as there are many on the market now. Similarly, if it’s because of the glute, they actually make some gluten free beers now, too! Good luck!

  2. Mateo Pedersen says:

    I grew up on a pressure cooker – chicken and potatoes was often the meal my mom would make. Received my first cooker of my own in my 20’s and I’ve been using one ever since! I now have one that is stainless steel so it’s easier to clean than the old Presto model – it also has an easy release button to vent the steam when done.

  3. Denise says:

    You know, I have never tried corned beef. However I do think my hubby and his dad love this and since you can easily make it in the Instant Pot, I will def give it a try! Great post!

  4. I love corned beef but have not made it in ages. As a kid I always thought my mom made the best-corned beef and this looks so similar. I cannot wait to try this soon. Looks so yum.

  5. Jolina says:

    To be honest, we’ve never made homemade corned beef. Yikes! We always just buy it from the can. This makes me want to make them now! Hope you had a fun St. Patrick’s Day.

  6. Gloria says:

    This sounds like the perfect way to make corned beef. I don’t have an Instant Pot…but I do have a pressure cooker. I am sure I can adapt this….and OMG sandwiches would be so good too.

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