Last Updated on February 2, 2024 by Carne Diem
Protein: 
Origin: Irish (sort of), European
Method: Brining and Stovetop
Jump to RecipeThese step-by-step instructions will show you how to make the best corned beef at home. From a selecting your brisket to making a homemade corned beef brine, to serving the fork tender beef, we will have you ready to impress your family and friends this St. Patrick’s Day.
Table of contents
With St. Patrick's Day just around the corner, we figured what better time than to share our made from Scratch Corned Beef recipe and technique. Corned Beef and cabbage has become almost as synonymous with St. Paddy's Day in the U.S. as turkey is with Thanksgiving. Interesting enough, corned beef and cabbage as we know it is not really an Irish culinary import. It is actually a Jewish creation that became popular among Irish immigrants in the United States. Regardless, it is delicious and still popular among the Irish-American community today.
For this post we will show how to go from a full packer brisket to the most flavorful plate of corned beef and cabbage you have ever had. The process of making corned beef brisket is a bit labor intensive and will require a large amount of space in the fridge while it brines and a large container or bag in which to brine the meat. Be sure to plan ahead. The recipe can also be halved or adjusted for smaller pieces of meat but be certain to adjust the curing salt correctly.
Making the Corned Beef at home
Selecting and preparing the meat
For this recipe we break down an entire prime packer brisket. A packer brisket is made up of a point cut which is fattier, and a flat cut, which tends to be leaner. Either can be used to make corned beef. We will be using the point to make our corned beef. We chose an entire packer, because it is more economical to do it this way. You can then smoke the brisket flat to make some delicious BBQ, or you can brine both sections and use the flat to make more corned beef or pastrami. We typically do the latter and use the flat to make a homemade pastrami recipe. The recipe that follows, however, would be for 12 pounds of corned beef.
Trimming the brisket
Unlike a smoked BBQ brisket, where fat is flavor, for corned beef brisket you will want to trim off most of the excess fat. This allows the cure to reach all of the meat. Cut along the vein of fat running between the point and the flat to separate the 2 pieces of brisket.
Making your Homemade Corned Beef Brine
Prepare your pickling spice
We are providing one of our favorite pickling spice blends. This is so much better than the spice packet that comes with store bought corned beef. Please feel free to modify it and make it your own, that is half of the fun with doing things from scratch. We are curing an entire brisket, so we are using ½ cup of pickling spice. If you are brining just a point or just a flat, you will want to decrease the spice mix to ¼ cup (4 tablespoons).
For our homemade corned beef pickling spice mix we use an assortment of whole spices. Most should be readily available in any spice aisle of any grocery store.
Black Peppercorns- A mix of black, white, and pick peppercorns can be used as well.
Whole Coriander Seeds- Use whole coriander, not ground.
All Spice- You want to use whole all spice berries, not ground.
Mustard Seeds- Either yellow or black mustard seeds can be used.
Crushed Red Pepper-Crushed red pepper adds a little heat to the spice mix.
Cloves-Use whole cloves, not ground.
Mace-If you can't find ground mace it can be omitted, or you can substitute ground nutmeg or pumpkin spice.
Celery Seed- Use whole celery seeds in the pickling spice.
Juniper Berries-We love the flavor that Juniper berries give in the pickling spice. If your store does not have them, they can be purchased on Amazon.
Crystallized Ginger-This ingredient may not be readily available. If you can't find it, you can substitute ⅛ of a teaspoon of ground ginger or ½ teaspoon of fresh ginger.
1 Bay Leaf-Crumble up the Bay leaves
1 Cinnamon Stick broken into pieces
Cooking the brine solution
For our corned beef brine we like to use a little bit of beer and a ginger beer for extra flavor. Use a lager or light beer for the brine. An Irish Red also works really well. You will need 3 gallons of liquid in the brine. If you choose to use beer and ginger beer, subtract an equal amount of water from the recipe.
Measure out the remaining ingredients for your brine and set aside. We recommend using Kosher salt and brown sugar in the brine. Either light or dark brown sugar can be used.
Calculating the correct amount of cure to use
The curing salt is what gives the meat its vibrant pink color and also inhibits the grown of bacteria. Whenever you are curing meat, it is always important to use the proper amount of curing salt and water based on the weight of the meat you are curing.
Use only Pink Cure #1
We use a cure #1 which is also referred to as Prague Powder, Pink Cure #1 or pink curing salt. Pink cure number one contains 6.25% sodium nitrite and 93.75% table salt. It is recommended for meats that require shorter cures and will then be cooked and eaten pretty quickly. This is NOT the same thing as Himalayan pink salt so do not use them interchangeably. Cure #2 is used for meat curing over a very long period of time and contains both sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite. It is used in foods like salami or other meats that will not be cooked. They are not interchangeable, so make sure you are using the correct cure.
Adjusting the amount of cure based on actual weight of the meat
While most of the other ingredients can be easily adjusted in the brine by simply halving or quartering the recipe based on the size of the brisket, the cure needs to be adjusted with a cure calculator to make sure you have the appropriate amount sodium nitrite.
Amazing Ribs has a fantastic article on curing meat and includes a curing calculator so you can be sure you are using the proper amount of cure. https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/salting-brining-curing-and-injecting/curing-meats-safely. We use this calculator any time we are wet curing meat.
For the Homemade Corned Beef recipe we described, we had 12 pounds of brisket to cure after trimming and used 3 gallons of liquid. At 175ppm of cure this resulted in a need of just over 47 grams of pink cure, or about 3 tablespoons. If possible, we recommend weighing this out as it is far more accurate.
Heat the brine
To make the brine for the homemade corned beef, add the beer, ginger beer, and about 1 gallon of distilled water to a large pot and heat over high heat. Stir in the salt, sugars, Prague Powder, and honey. Stir frequently to dissolve the sugar and salt.
Once the granules are dissolved add in ½ cup of your pickling spice. Bring the brine to a boil then add your minced garlic. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes then remove from the heat. Allow the mixture to cool. You can start adding in the rest of the distilled water to speed this along if needed. You want the brine to cool to close to room temperature as possible as quickly as possible before adding the meat to the brine solution.
Brine the Brisket
Place the brine in a large, heavy duty brining bag or a brining bucket. If you are doing the full recipe as described, you will need something capable of holding at least 5 gallons. Add the brisket to the brine and seal. Make sure the brisket is completely covered in brine. The curing process typically takes 5-7 days so plan ahead. Place in the refrigerator and move the meat around in the bag or brining bucket each day to be certain it cures evenly.
If you are looking for more great brined or marinated meat recipes that be sure to check out our Authentic Sauerbraten. In the mood for something quick and easy? Check out our Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers.
Cooking your Homemade Corned Beef
After 5-7 days in the curing solution, strain the brining liquid and remove the brisket. Rinse the meat well under cold water for a couple minutes to remove the salt brine from the surface of the meat. Rinse and reserve about 4 tablespoons of the pickling spice. If preferred, you can make some fresh pickling spice for this step.
If you are cooking the entire brisket as corned beef, you will need a very large pot to do this or you may need to divide the recipe into 2 pots or crock pots. In the photos below we were only preparing the point as corned beef and reserved the flat for making pastrami so we were able to fit the recipe in a large crock pot. If you are only doing a half recipe, then reduce the number of veggies by half.
Prep your veggies
Quarter the yellow onions and place them in the bottom of the large pot you will be cooking the corned beef in.
Peel and cut the carrots and parsnips into 2-3 inches long and about ½-inch-wide pieces.
Cut the yellow or red potatoes (unpeeled) into halves or quarters if they are a little bit bigger. Slice the end off and quarter your cabbage, cutting out the center.
Cook Your Corned Beef Nice and Slow
We find it best to halve your brisket pieces instead of cooking the pieces whole. This will help it cook a bit quicker and more evenly. Be prepared - your brisket is best cooked slow, and it will take at least 6 hours to cook the meat thoroughly but can take up to 8 or more hours depending on your crockpot and how much meat you are cooking. Pour one bottle of light beer over the onion.
Place your brisket over the beer and onions.
Add the pickling spices and liquid
Next, distribute the reserved pickling spices over the brisket.
Next, pour enough water to just cover the brisket (for this brisket point we ended up needing 7 cups of water but it will vary greatly depending on the size of the pot and amount of meat). You will need space in the pot later to add your vegetables. You may need to flip the brisket once during the cooking if it isn't quite staying covered with liquid.
If using a crockpot or slow cooker, cook the brisket on high to get the temperature up for about an hour and then turn to low for about 3 hours. If cooking in a pot, heat over medium heat until just boiling then cover and reduce to a simmer. After 4 hours total, flip the brisket and add in the potatoes and all of the vegetables except the cabbage.
Continue to cook for about another 2-3 hours. The brisket can cook for a long time on low so that it is very tender. Don't rush it or you will have tough meat. Typically, the meat will become tender at an internal temperature of between 190 and 205 degrees.
When you are 45 minutes to an hour from wanting to eat, place your quartered cabbage wedges into the crockpot with the corned beef and the rest of the vegetables.
Once the cabbage is tender, you are ready to eat!
Slice and Serve your Homemade Corned Beef
When the cabbage is wilted and tender, pull the corned beef out of the cooking liquid. On a cutting board, cut the corned beef against the grain of the meat. Serve up the melt in your mouth slices of meat with your perfectly cooked veggies, creamy colcannon, and Guinness beer bread and raise a toast up to St. Patrick!
Frequently Asked Questions
Corned beef is actually a Jewish dish and not a traditional Irish dish. Beef was historically prohibitively expensive in Ireland and was reserved only for the rich and royalty. Corned beef became popular among Irish immigrants in America who began to buy the cured beef from Jewish delis. Today, it does remain popular among Irish Americans.
You should also about 1 week to make corned beef brisket from scratch.
For curing meats that are going to be cooked later and eaten relatively quickly, you want to use pink cure #1, also known as Prague powder #1. You should never use Himalayan pink salt or pink cure #2 for making corned beef.
Always use a cure calculator to determine the amount of cure to use. Curing meat half the size of the recipe is not as simple as just halving the amount of cure used.
Corned beef should be cooked until it is tender. Depending on the cook temp and cooking method the internal temperature can vary, but generally the meat becomes tender at an internal temperature between 190 and 205-degrees Fahrenheit.
Yes, you can freeze cooked corned beef for up to 3 months.
Leftover corned beef should be stored in an airtight container and eaten within 3-4 days. The leftover corned beef should be heated to a temperature of at least 165 degrees according to the USDA.
Ideas for leftover corned beef brisket
If you have leftover corned beef, consider making some of our smoked corned beef burnt ends, or make some homemade corned beef hash or Reuben sandwiches.
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📖 Recipe
Homemade Corned Beef Brisket from Scratch
Ingredients
- 12 Pound Packer Brisket weight after trimming
- 1 Head Green Cabbage
- 8 Carrots peeled and chunked
- 2 Parsnips peeled and chunked
- 2 bottles Light Beer
- 2 Yellow Onions quartered and separated
- 3 Pounds Yellow Potatoes unpeeled, halved to quartered
Brine/Curing Solution
- 3 Gallons Distilled Water We replace some of this water with 2 bottles of beer and 1 bottle of Ginger Beer, so subtract accordingly
- 2 Cups Morton's Kosher Salt
- 1 Cup White Sugar
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar
- ½ Cup Honey
- ½ Cup Pickling Spice See below
- 10 Garlic Cloves minced
- 3 Tablespoons Prague Powder #1 47 grams
Pickling Spice
- 2 Tablespoos Black Peppercorns
- 1 Tablespoon Whole Coriander
- 1 Tablespoon All Spice
- 1 Tablespoon Mustard Seeds
- 1 Tablespoon Crushed Red Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Whole Cloves
- 1 teaspoon Mace
- 1 teaspoon Celery Seed
- 1 teaspoon Juniper Berries
- 1 teaspoon Crystallized Ginger
- 1 Bay Leaf crumbled
- 1 Cinnamon Stick broken into pieces
Instructions
Brine the brisket
- Combine your pickling spice in a small bowl. This should make ½ cup of spice mix.
- Trim your brisket, removing most of the outer fat. Separate the point and the flat from along the large vein of fat.
- In a large pot, add the beer, ginger beer, and 1 gallon of water. Heat over high heat. Add the salt, sugars, Prague Powder, and honey and stir until dissolved. Add the pickling spice. Brink the mixture to a boil then reduce heat, add the minced garlic, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove the brine from the heat and cool. Combine with the remaining distilled water in a large brining bag or bucket. Completely submerge the brisket (point and flat) in the brine.
- Place in a refrigerator and brine for 5-7 days.
Cooking the Corned Beef
- Remove the brisket from the brine and rinse well for several minutes.
- Strain the brine and reserve 4 tablespoons of the pickling spice.
- Placed the quartered onion pieces in the bottom of a very large pot. Add the beer, then add the brisket. We like to halve both the point and flat in order to speed cooking and help the meat cook more evenly.
- Top with the pickling spice, then add just enough water to cover the meat completely. Heat over medium heat until the liquid begins to boil (typically about 45min-1 hour) then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 3 more hours.
- After 3 hours, flip the brisket pieces over and add in the prepared vegetables except the cabbage. Continue to simmer for 2-3 more hours.
- About 45 minutes before you are ready to eat, add the quartered cabbage.
- After 45 minutes the cabbage should be tender and you should be ready to eat.
- Slice the brisket and serve up with the vegetables, potatoes, and cabbage.
James
Just realized we never left a comment. Made this last year and it was fantastic. Already got the brisket to make it again this year for St. Paddy's Day. This is our go to recipe.