Corned Beef and Cabbage

This tender, flavorful Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe is a budget-friendly family favorite! Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or a cozy dinner! The post Corned Beef and Cabbage appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Mar 11, 2025 - 16:10

Corned Beef and Cabbage is a recipe my mother has been making for years. She always kept it simple, nothing fancy, and it always came out perfect! This corned beef and cabbage recipe bakes slowly in the oven on low heat for the most tender, juicy slices of beef. The cabbage cooks separately in a skillet to keep it from being too mushy. This is a favorite in our household, especially this time of year. It’s absolutely perfect for Sunday dinners, St. Patrick’s Day, or any special occasion you like!

Overhead view of corned beef and cabbage in a skillet.

Easy Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe

Corned beef is a type of salt-cured beef (typically brisket), which helps to tenderize this otherwise tough cut of meat and gives it a deep, savory flavor. This recipe is my favorite way to cook it because it’s simple, satisfying, and my family LOVES it. The slow-cooked corned beef turns out so flavorful, and the cabbage is perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection. Be sure to cut your beef against the grain, though, to ensure maximum tenderness (more on this below!). I don’t need a special reason to make this delicious dish, but it’s especially popular around St. Patrick’s Day when corned beef and cabbage takes center stage.

Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe

This tender, flavorful Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe is a budget-friendly family favorite. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or a cozy dinner!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Total Cost ($22.63 recipe / $3.77 serving)

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 4

Total Time 4 10

Servings servings (about 1/2lb. meat each)

Calories 537kcal

Author Marsha McDougal

Equipment

9×13-inch Baking Dish

Ingredients

1 corned beef brisket flat cut, with spice packet (about 3 lb.)* $19.99
2 cups beef broth $0.26
½ head of cabbage $1.25
1 Tbsp olive oil $0.22
2 Tbsp butter $0.24
1 yellow onion, diced $0.48
¼ cup chicken broth $0.06
¾ tsp Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning** $0.10
¼ tsp smoked paprika $0.03
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the corned beef from the package, save the spice packet, and rinse the beef well on all sides in the sink. Dry the beef and remove any excess water with paper towels.
Place the corned beef in a 9×13-inch baking dish with the fat side facing up. Sprinkle the contents of the spice packet over the top of the beef.
Pour the beef broth into the baking dish around the sides of the corned beef. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, lower the heat to 325°F. Remove the baking dish from the oven and carefully remove the foil. Baste the corned beef with a large spoon and the beef broth. Place the foil back over the dish and continue baking for another 3 hours at 325°F. (Baste once more halfway through the 3 hours. Total cook time depending on the size of your corned beef will be approximately 4 hours.)***
Once the corned beef has finished baking, remove it from the oven and let it rest. You can let it rest with the foil over it so it stays warm.
While the beef is resting or during the last 20 minutes of the bake time, start cooking the cabbage. Remove any wilted or damaged outer leaves from your cabbage and cut it into thin strips.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and butter. Once the skillet is hot, add the diced onion. Sauté the onion for 4-5 minutes until soft and translucent.
Add the chopped cabbage, chicken broth, creole seasoning, and smoked paprika to the skillet. Stir the cabbage and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the cabbage is tender to your liking. Taste the cabbage and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Place the corned beef on a cutting board and slice against the grain.**** Serve the cooked cabbage on a large platter with the sliced corned beef on top. Enjoy!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*Corned beef is typically made from brisket, which comes in two main cuts: flat cut and point cut. I went with the flat cut brisket because it has the best ratio of fat to meat. It’s also perfect for slicing. The point cut is often more fattier and better for shredding. Either can be used in this recipe, but the flat cut is my preferred choice. Be sure to get one with the spice packet included.

**Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning is a pre-mixed blend of spices. I highly recommend using this seasoning (it’s my favorite!), but you can use any cajun or creole seasoning salt blend you like.

***My corned beef was approximately 3lb, but if yours is larger you may want to let it cook for 4.5 hours total until it is tender.

****My biggest and most important tip – after the corned beef has cooked and rested make sure to slice against the grain. This way you end up with tender, juicy pieces of meat instead of tough, rubbery ones. See this guide on slicing meat against the grain from The Kitchn for reference!

Nutrition

how to make Corned Beef and Cabbage step-by-step photos

The ingredients for corned beef and cabbage.

Prep your ingredients: Gather all the ingredients and preheat your oven to 350°F.

A hand blotting a piece of corned beef with a paper towel.

Rinse the corned beef: Take the corned beef (about 3 lb.) out of the package and save the spice packet. Discard any juices in the package. Rinse your corned beef on all sides in the sink (to remove excess salt). Use paper towels to dry the beef well and remove excess water.

Corned beef topped with seasonings in a baking dish with beef broth being poured into the baking dish.

Cook the corned beef: Place the beef into a 9×13-inch baking dish with the fat side facing up and sprinkle the spice packet over the top. Pour 2 cups beef broth around the sides of the beef (don’t pour it over the beef, or it’ll wash away the spices!).

A piece of foil being added on top of corned beef in a baking dish.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour.

A spoon basting a piece of corned beef in a baking dish.

Baste the corned beef: Once the beef has been cooking for an hour, turn the heat down to 325°F. Take the baking dish out of the oven and remove the foil. Be careful, as the steam will be hot! Use a large spoon to baste the corned beef with the beef broth from the baking dish. Recover the dish with foil and bake for another 3 hours at 325°F. (Baste once more halfway through the 3 hours. The total cooking time will depend on the size of your corned beef.)

Cooked corn beef in a baking dish with beef broth.

Your corned beef is done when it’s fork-tender. If it’s not fork-tender, you can pop it back in the oven for a little longer until it is. Once it’s finished baking, remove it from the oven and let it rest. I keep it covered with foil, so it stays warm while resting.

Chopped cabbage on a wooden cutting board.

Prep the cabbage: While the corned beef is resting (or during the last 20 minutes of cooking time), you can cook the cabbage. Discard any wilted or damaged outer leaves from your half a head of cabbage before slicing it into thin strips, as shown here.

Diced onion sauteing in a skillet with olive oil and butter.

Sauté the onions: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp olive oil and 2 Tbsp butter. Once the butter is melted and the skillet is hot, add your diced onion. Sauté the onion in the olive oil and butter until soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes.

Chicken broth and creole seasoning added to sauteed cabbage in a skillet.

Cook the cabbage: Now, add the chopped cabbage, ¼ cup chicken broth, ¾ tsp creole seasoning, and ¼ tsp smoked paprika to the skillet with the onions. Stir to combine and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the cabbage is tender to your liking. Be sure to stir the cabbage occasionally to ensure it cooks evenly.

Cooked cabbage in chicken broth in a skillet.

Serve: Once done, taste the cabbage and adjust the seasoning by adding salt and black pepper to your liking. Place the rested corned beef on a cutting board and slice against the grain. I like to serve the cooked cabbage on a large platter with the sliced beef on top, but you can also portion it onto individual plates. Serve, and enjoy!

Overhead view of a plate of corned beef and cabbage.

Rinse the corned beef. I like to rinse my corned beef to remove any excess salt from the curing process. This stops the dish from becoming too salty.
Cook until fork-tender. After cooking, the beef should be fork-tender, meaning there’s no resistance when you insert a fork into the thickest part of the meat. If it’s still tough, continue cooking for another 30 minutes and check again. The internal temperature should be at least 145°F, too (plus 3 minutes minimum rest time). Corned beef can still look pink when fully cooked (see my photos for an example!), so don’t rely solely on color to determine if it’s done.
Cut against the grain. Slicing against the grain shortens the muscle fibers, making each bite more tender. Look for the lines running through the meat and slice perpendicular to them!
Got half a head of cabbage leftover? My recipe uses half a head of cabbage to create 6 servings, so you’ll probably have the other half left over. Store it in the fridge, wrapped in plastic wrap, and use it to make soups, stews, and salads! Cabbage is also delicious when grilled or added to mashed potatoes to make colcannon (another Irish dish!).

Serving Suggestions

This baked corned beef and cabbage recipe is absolutely delicious served with horseradish sauce and a side of homemade Irish soda bread. But if horseradish isn’t your thing, you can also pair it with some grainy mustard or a simple beef gravy. For an extra comforting meal, I think roasted potatoes are a great addition, especially when they’re crispy and seasoned just right. And if you have leftovers, don’t let them go to waste! Corned beef makes an incredible Reuben sandwich or a deliciously crispy corned beef hash for breakfast the next day.

Storage & Reheating

Store your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. You can reheat both the cabbage and the corned beef (separately) in the microwave until heated through. The cabbage also reheats well in a skillet on the stovetop. If you’d prefer to reheat the beef in your oven, preheat the oven to 325°F and place the slices of beef into a baking dish with a little broth or water. Cover the dish with foil and heat until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165°F (the recommended temperature for reheating leftovers).

You can also freeze the cabbage and corned beef for up to 2-3 months, but keep in mind the cabbage will get much softer when thawed and reheated. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.