Easy Instant Pot Corned Beef Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

Why is my corned beef not tender enough in the instant pot? ›

When there's not ample liquid to cover the meat, your dreams of tender corned beef may be replaced by a tough, chewy result. Instead: Start by filling a large pot with enough water so the corned beef is completely submerged.

Slow cooker corned beef brisket is easy to make using a crock pot, adding chopped vegetables, herbs and spices to the meat, and cooking for 8 to 10 hours on low heat. Another option is to bake corned beef and glaze it with stone ground mustard and brown sugar to flavor the dish.

When you're done cooking the corned beef, make sure you slice against the grain of the meat. This will produce a more tender result; if you slice with the grain, you'll find a more tough and stringy texture when you chew.

Corned beef is safe once the internal temperature has reached at least 145 °F, with a three minute rest time, but cooking it longer will make it fork-tender. Corned beef may still be pink in color after cooking. This does not mean it is not done. Nitrite is used in the curing process.

Not rinsing the meat before cooking.

Do this instead: Whether you bought a ready-to-cook corned beef or you cured your own, rinse the meat several times under cool water to remove any excess salt. But don't think this means you're rinsing away all the flavor; by this point, the meat is fully infused with it.

Place the brined corned beef in a large pot or Dutch oven along with the liquid and spices that accompanied it in the package. Pour in enough water to cover the beef, then bring the water to a boil on the stovetop. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover the pot.

Place the corned beef fat-side up in a roasting pan with a rack or use an oven-safe rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. If you don't have either, set the corned beef on top of a bed of chopped onions so it's elevated from the pan.

Pour beef broth into the slow cooker with the brisket. You can also use half broth and half beer if you'd like. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 8-10 hours. Half way through the cooking time, add the potatoes, carrots and onions.

For a two to three-pound corned beef brisket, cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. For a three to five-pound corned beef brisket, cook for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. STOVE: Place brisket fat-side up in a large pot and cover it with water. Bring the water to a boil; then reduce the heat and simmer, allowing about 1 hour per pound.

Always Rinse Corned Beef Before Cooking It

Regardless of whether you cure the meat yourself or buy a ready-to-cook corned beef, chances are there's excess salt lingering on the surface and tucked into folds on the outer part of the meat.

Should corned beef be submerged in a slow cooker? ›

You want it to be close to submerged, but you don't need it to be covered completely. — How long does it take to cook corned beef in the slow cooker? This slow-cooker version CAN be done in 4 to 4 ½ hours on high, but is really best cooked low and slow for 9 to 10 hours.

If your Instant Pot corned beef is tough, it's probably because it was not pressure-cooked long enough. Usually, 90 minutes of pressure cooking time does the trick.

In a few words, yes! You can also undercook it, too. Overcooking the meat would result in a very dry tasting pot roast.

To prevent a chewy beef steak, you need to avoid using too much high-pressure heat. Of course, start with pressure cooking your roast (that's why you're using the Instant Pot anyway), but keep that high-pressured phase to a few minutes only.

If it's still tough, you will need to cook it longer. The pressure cooking process breaks down tough meat, making it tender. Put the lid back on, seal the pressure cooker, and cook at high pressure for another 10 to 20 minutes. The provided nutrition facts are estimates.

Both slow cookers and pressure cookers do a good job of tenderizing tough meat, but each makes meat more edible in a different way. A pressure cooker is an enclosed pot with a lid that locks to form an airtight seal.