Slow Cooker Corned Beef
A corned beef silverside cooked on low for 8 hours with onion, cloves and malt vinegar, then sliced. Six servings, with 10 minutes of work.
Photograph credit: 1517429716-slow-cooker-corned-beef-delish-1 by dackelprincess · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Flickr · this resized copy is shared under the same licence
Storing and Planning Ahead
Keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days. Slices freeze for up to 2 months.
Making Slow Cooker Corned Beef
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Rinse the beef under cold water. Put it in the slow cooker fat side up with the onion, cloves, vinegar, sugar, bay leaves, peppercorns and water.
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Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, until a knife slides in easily. If your slow cooker runs hot, check at 7 hours.
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Lift the beef onto a board, cover with foil and rest for 15 minutes.
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Slice thinly across the grain and serve hot or cold.
Worth Knowing
- Rinse or soak a very salty joint first.
- Do not add salt to the water.
- Slice across the grain.
- Discard the cooking liquid; it is very salty.
Some Background
Corned beef is a cured brisket or silverside, and it is tough until it has been cooked slowly in liquid. The slow cooker is ideal: eight hours on low brings it to a tenderness that holds together for slicing.
Rinse the joint under cold water first and look at the pack. Some brands are very salty, and a soak of an hour in cold water makes a difference. Put it in the pot fat side up with the onion, cloves, vinegar and a bay leaf.
The liquid should come about three quarters of the way up the joint. Do not salt the water. The cure is already salty, and the cooking liquid should be discarded rather than used for gravy.
When the beef is done, a knife slides in easily. Lift it onto a board and rest it for 15 minutes under foil, then slice across the grain. Slices cut along the grain are stringy. Serve hot with white sauce or mustard, or cold in sandwiches with pickle.
Good Alongside
Parsley sauce · Boiled potatoes · Cabbage · Mustard
Questions About Slow Cooker Corned Beef
How long does Slow Cooker Corned Beef take to make?
About 8 hours 10 minutes in total — 10 minutes of preparation and 8 hours of cooking. The recipe serves 6.
What are the key tips for making Slow Cooker Corned Beef?
Rinse or soak a very salty joint first. Do not add salt to the water. Slice across the grain. Discard the cooking liquid; it is very salty.
What should I serve with Slow Cooker Corned Beef?
Parsley sauce; Boiled potatoes; Cabbage; Mustard.
Can Slow Cooker Corned Beef be made ahead or frozen?
Keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days. Slices freeze for up to 2 months.
Is Slow Cooker Corned Beef suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is dairy-free, high-protein, low-carb and keto. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Slow Cooker Corned Beef?
About 357 kcal per serving, with 53 g protein, 7 g carbohydrate and 13 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
The Numbers per Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
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Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.
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