Instant Pot® Corned Beef & Cabbage

This Instant Pot® Corned Beef & Cabbage is the kind of hearty comfort dinner that feels traditional but cooks in a fraction of the time. The pressure cooker transforms the brisket into fork-tender slices while the cabbage becomes perfectly soft and flavorful — without the long simmer of the stovetop version.

Instant Pot® Corned Beef & Cabbage is the kind of hearty comfort dinner that feels traditional but cooks in a fraction of the time. The pressure cooker transforms the brisket into fork-tender slices while the cabbage becomes perfectly soft and flavorful — without the long simmer of the stovetop version.

If you love cabbage-based dinners but want something quicker and bolder for busy weeknights, you might also enjoy this Korean Chicken and Cabbage Skillet — it’s a high-protein, 30-minute option with big flavor and minimal prep.

This Instant Pot version keeps all the smoky, savory depth you expect from corned beef while making it weeknight-friendly. It pairs beautifully with mashed potatoes, but if you’re leaning into traditional Irish flavors, creamy Colcannon (Irish mashed potatoes with cabbage) is another classic side that works perfectly here.

For a traditional Irish pairing, creamy Colcannon makes the perfect side dish alongside corned beef and cabbage

Prep time: 15 minutes
Active cook time: 88 minutes ((combined) + time to come to pressure)
Natural release: 10 minutes (+ 5 minutes for vegetables)
Serves: 4-6

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• Instructions
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• Instant Pot® Corned Beef & Cabbage

Ingredients

6 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 small (or 1 medium) yellow onions, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 c. chicken or beef broth, preferably organic
1 c. water
2½ - 4-pound corned beef brisket with spice pack
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
5 large carrots, cut into strips
1 lbs. red potatoes, quartered
½ large cabbage head, sliced

Instructions

1. Add garlic, onion, and bay leaves to the Instant Pot® container and pour the broth and water on top. Place the trivet that comes with the Instant Pot® inside the container with the handles positioned up for easy removal.
   
2. Place the brisket fat-side down on the trivet and season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Sprinkle the spice packet that came with the brisket on top.
   
3. Add the lid and lock it into place. Set the vent to “Sealing” and select the “Manual” button. Adjust to the “High” setting and set the cooking time to 85 minutes.
   
4. When cook time is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes before doing a quick release on any remaining pressure. Remove brisket by carefully lifting the trivet out by the handles (using potholders) and transfer to a platter. Set aside and keep warm. 

5. Return the trivet to the Instant Pot® and add the carrots, potatoes, and cabbage on top. Cover and lock the lid into place. Set the vent to “Sealing” and select the “Manual” button. Adjust cook time to 3 minutes. 

6. When cook time is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes before doing a quick release on the remaining pressure.
   
7. Transfer the cooked vegetables to the serving platter with the corned beef. Slice the beef against the grain and serve immediately along with the vegetables. Enjoy!

Variations

Giving the visitor ideas on how they can change this recipe to better suit their dinner guests, or their cultural cuisine, is a great way to increase the chances they make the recipe

• Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish, or banana peppers
• Deluxe - add guacamole, crispy onions or
• Kid friendly - add crushed potato chips (ketchup chips!)

See this spicy version of this recipe on my website! (placeholder for in-content link)

Equipment

Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.

Tell your visitors what equipment you use and how to adjust the recipe if they use something different, and link to your affiliate link to purchase the equipment.

Storage

Store the wet ingredients (lettuce, tomato, onion) separately from the dry ingredients (buns) in the fridge, and recombine when ready. Good for 2-3 days.

These ingredients do/don't stand up well to freezing for X days/weeks/months.

Related

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:

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