Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage (Whole30)

Whole30 Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage, a quick and delicious (paleo, and gluten free) dinner. I like to serve it with baby potatoes and carrots and it’s absolutely perfect for your healthy St. Patrick’s Day dinner! For a low carb option: Simply leave off the root veggies!

It’s almost St. Patrick’s Day, and that means Corned Beef and Cabbage, of course!

My grandma and grandpa thought it was kind of a silly tradition– Growing up in Ireland they said they never ate corned beef and cabbage (they ate Irish Lamb Stew or Farmhouse Vegetable Soup)… so maybe it’s an American-Irish thing?

However the tradition started, every single year for decades now, my mom has hosted a big St. Patrick’s Day dinner for family and friends. On the menu? Corned beef and cabbage, always. She’d have giant pots simmering away on the stovetop all day long to feed the crowd that came over.

These days, I still try to keep up with the corned beef and cabbage tradition, and this year, it’ll be made in the Instant Pot. Ready in a little more than an hour, and with hardly any clean-up, I’m 100% convinced that my trusty Instant Pot is the way to go for this dish.

How to Cook Instant Pot Corned Beef

1. Start by adding the roast, spices, a flavorful stock, onions, and garlic to the Instant Pot. If you roast is too big to fit inside, cut it in half and put one piece on top of the other. Turn the pressure to High for 70 minutes.
   
   Note: The Instant Pot doesn’t cook based on volume (you could double this recipe without the need to double the time), but it cooks based on the size and thickness of the meat. My brisket was about 2.5 inches thick before cooking. If yours is much thinner or thicker, then you’ll need adjust the cooking time a bit.
   
2. Once the meat is cooked, let the release the pressure using NR (Natural Release). All this means is you do nothing to the pressure valve, just simply wait for all the pressure to dissipate.
   
   Note: If you’re in a hurry, you can let it NR for about 10 minutes, then turn the valve to let the steam release quickly (QR). Trust me, most roasts should rest a bit, so give it at least 10 minutes. It allows the meat to rest and will make for much more tender meat.
   
   After you’re done cooking the roast, set it aside, ladle some of the cooking liquid over it, and then cover it.
   
3. While the corned beef rests, I quickly the cooking liquid in the Instant Pot, just to remove all the pickling spices and pieces of onion and garlic. Then I add the veggies in and cook them until they’re tender – it only takes 4 minutes! Add the potatoes in first, then carrots and finally, cabbage.
   
   Note: The liquid is full of rendered fat, so it’ll definitely help flavor the vegetables while they cook.

Cooking the Vegetables

You only need to cook the vegetables for four minutes! Would you believe that? Four minutes to perfectly tender potatoes, carrots, and cabbage.

And since the vegetables take only a few minutes to cook, the meat will stay warm and moist under the covering until they’re ready.

Once they’re done, make sure to QR (Quick Release) the Instant Pot by turning the vent and allowing all the steam to release quickly.

Take the vegetables out immediately using a slotted spoon. You might want to season them with a bit of salt and pepper, but I’ve found you don’t really need much since the corned beef is pretty salty.

Recipe FAQ:

What do I do with leftovers?

Well, f you’ve got leftovers, you’ve GOT to make corned beef hash. We almost never have leftovers though, so I usually buy and cook a second corned beef specifically for corned beef hash.

To Make Corned Beef Hash:

• All you need to do is dice the cooked corned beef, potatoes, and carrots, and dice an onion.
• Saute everything in a few tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over high heat, turning occasionally, until it’s crisped up and delicious.
• Top the hash with eggs cooked however you like them best and blammo, you’ve got my favorite breakfast EVER.

Where to Source Whole30 Corned Beef

I used to have trouble finding corned beef made without made without sulphites and nitrates, but in the last few years I’ve been able to find them at most larger grocery stores!

Remember, nitrates are actually Whole30 compliant, although they’re not encouraged. Since it’s for a special holiday meal, if you can find one without sulphites (noncompliant) but with nitrates (compliant), it’s okay! Here’s the Whole30 additives cheat sheet for reference.

If you can’t find Whole30 corned beef at stores near you…

…you can always make your own from scratch. It’s not very difficult, but it does take several days to cure. Planning has never been my strong suit so I tend to stick with what I can find in stores!

If you like this recipe, check out some of my other healthy recipes:

• Classic Pot Roast (Whole30)
• Buffalo Chicken Nachos (Paleo)
• Kielbasa & Butternut Squash Skillet (Whole30)
• Swedish Meatballs (Whole30)

And if you like this recipe, I’d love to hear from you!
Drop a comment below or tag me on Instagram @cookathomemom.