This simple Irish meal is made even easier with the help of the slow cooker, and it's the perfect excuse to buy a 6-pack of Guinness! Great for St. Patrick's Day dinner.

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It's that time of year again! Time to fire up the slow cooker to make the annual batch of corned beef and cabbage.

But why use the pre-made spice mix that comes with the corned beef brisket from the grocery store when you can make a simple, flavorful blend yourself?

Slow-Cooker Guinness Corned Beef and Cabbage: This simple Irish meal is made even easier with the help of the slow cooker, and it's the perfect excuse to buy a 6-pack of Guinness! Great for St. Patrick's Day dinner.

For me, St. Patrick's Day will always be synonymous with the day my slow cooker died. I had been making corned beef and cabbage without fail for several years at that point.

I remember opening the lid of my slow cooker and thinking it was odd that the cabbage was still so green after a full day of cooking.

It's because it wasn't cooking – my slow cooker shorted out and died, so I had to throw out a batch of meat and veggies that had been sitting at room temperature all darn day.

We ended up going to the local diner for our corned beef and cabbage fix, and interestingly enough, I wasn't feelin' my pint of Guinness. I handed it off to my father-in-law and chalked it up to a bad day. I found out a few days later that I was pregnant with my (now five-year-old) son!

So it was a memorable day for many reasons, but I was happy to get a new, functional slow cooker after all that mess. My husband ended up picking out a nice replacement for me, and all was right in the world again.

Slow-Cooker Guinness Corned Beef and Cabbage: This simple Irish meal is made even easier with the help of the slow cooker, and it's the perfect excuse to buy a 6-pack of Guinness! Great for St. Patrick's Day dinner.

This meal is super simple to put together. I haven't made it since getting my Instant Pot last year, but you could definitely use the slow cooker function on it and follow the same instructions.

I'll have to do some experimenting to see how it would be different to pressure cook this instead. It would certainly make quick work of this meal!

We always serve this meal with potatoes of some sort – often plain ol' boiled, roasted garlic mashed, or Colcannon if we're feeling fancy.

We like dipping the meat and veggies in coarse ground mustard, but it's definitely optional. Dijon would be a good choice, too.

Definitely make a loaf of our favorite Irish Soda Bread if you have time – it's the perfect way to wrap up this Irish meal!

Looking for more comfort food favorites? Check out these 5-star recipes:

  • Skillet Lasagna with Lamb, Ricotta + Mint
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  • Instant Pot Beef Goulash
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  • Instant Pot Chicken, Bacon, and Potato Soup
  • Roast Chicken with Dijon Root Vegetables
  • Our Favorite Sloppy Joe Sandwiches
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  • Rosemary Beef & Peas Over Grits
  • Bar-B-Q Pulled Pork Fries with Cole Slaw
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Print

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Description

This simple Irish meal is made even easier with the help of the slow cooker, and it's the perfect excuse to buy a 6-pack of Guinness! Great for St. Patrick's Day dinner.


  • 1 (3-5 pound) corned beef brisket
  • 2 (11.2-ounce) bottles Guinness Draught
  • 3 whole black peppercorns
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole yellow mustard seeds
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • 2 small yellow onions, peeled and quartered
  • 1 small green cabbage, quartered, cored, and cut into large chunks

To Serve:

  • Coarse ground mustard (optional)

  1. Place corned beef in slow cooker, cutting it into 2 pieces if it's too big to fit whole. Add remaining items on top, in the order listed, ending with cabbage. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours or high for 6-7 hours.
  2. Slice meat and serve with coarse ground mustard for dipping, if desired.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 543
  • Sugar: 4.8 g
  • Sodium: 3175.1 mg
  • Fat: 34 g
  • Saturated Fat: 10.8 g
  • Carbohydrates: 14.5 g
  • Fiber: 3.7 g
  • Protein: 35.8 g
  • Cholesterol: 122.5 mg

Keywords: guinness, corned beef, slow cooker, beef brisket, St. Patrick's Day recipe

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Slow-Cooker Guinness Corned Beef and Cabbage: This simple Irish meal is made even easier with the help of the slow cooker, and it's the perfect excuse to buy a 6-pack of Guinness! Great for St. Patrick's Day dinner.