The Best Corned Beef Recipe: Crockpot & Oven Glazed Perfection

Discover this truly amazing Best Corned Beef Recipe that transforms a classic dish into something extraordinary. We combine the effortless ease of slow cooking with the irresistible flavor of an oven-baked glaze. This method yields incredibly tender, juicy corned beef with a sticky, sweet, and spicy crust. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or any family gathering, you will love serving this elevated version of a beloved meal.

Why You’ll Love This Best Corned Beef Recipe

This Best Corned Beef Recipe stands out from the rest. It’s designed for busy parents and beginners, making a typically long cooking process simple and stress-free.

• You get incredibly tender and flavorful meat every time.
• The crockpot does most of the work, followed by a quick oven finish.
• A unique sweet and spicy glaze elevates the taste far beyond traditional boiled methods.
• It’s a fantastic recipe for holidays, special occasions, or just a comforting family dinner.
• This method guarantees a juicy result, preventing dry, tough meat.

Ingredients

To create this incredible slow-cooked and glazed corned beef, gather these fresh ingredients. This is the Best Corned Beef Recipe for a reason – high-quality ingredients make all the difference!

• 1 (3-4 lb) raw corned beef brisket (with pickling spices included)
• 1 lb of baby carrots
• 1 lb whichever potatoes you enjoy most, large diced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 bottle of stout beer (like Guinness)
• Hot water, as needed
• 1/8 cup spicy brown mustard
• 1/8 cup brown sugar
• 2 T horseradish

Notes & Substitutions

You can easily adapt this recipe to your preferences. Choose either a flat or point cut brisket; the flat cut is leaner and slices beautifully, while the point cut is fattier and more shreddable. For potatoes, waxy varieties like red or Yukon Gold work best, as they hold their shape and prevent mushiness during slow cooking. A dark stout beer provides the deepest flavor, but you can use a hard cider for a slightly different sweet-tart note. Adjust the glaze to your taste, adding more brown sugar for sweetness or horseradish for heat. Feel free to consider making your own pickling spices for an even more customized flavor.

Equipment

You won’t need many special tools to make this delightful corned beef. These essential items help you achieve perfect results with this easy-to-follow recipe.

• Large slow cooker (6-quart or larger is ideal)
• Rectangular glass baking pan
• Sharp carving knife
• Cutting board
• Small mixing bowl
• Whisk

Instructions

Follow these simple steps to prepare the Best Corned Beef Recipe. This method ensures a tender, juicy brisket with a delicious glazed finish, making it perfect for any home cook.

1. Prepare Brisket: First, rinse the corned beef brisket thoroughly under cold water. This helps remove excess salt from the curing process. Pat the brisket completely dry with paper towels.
2. Layer Slow Cooker: Place the prepared corned beef into the bottom of your large slow cooker. Evenly sprinkle the included pickling spice packet over the brisket.
3. Add Vegetables: Next, arrange the baby carrots, diced potatoes, and sliced onion around the brisket in the slow cooker. Distribute them evenly.
4. Pour Liquids: Pour the entire bottle of stout beer over the contents of the slow cooker. Then, add enough hot water to cover the brisket by at least one inch.
5. Slow Cook: Cover the slow cooker with its lid. Cook the brisket on the LOW setting for 7 to 9 hours. The meat should become incredibly fork-tender.
6. Preheat Oven: Once the slow cooking time is nearly complete, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
7. Prepare Glaze: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the spicy brown mustard, brown sugar, and horseradish. Add a couple of tablespoons of the flavorful cooking liquid from the slow cooker to thin the glaze slightly, creating a smooth, paste-like consistency.
8. Glaze Brisket: Carefully remove the tender brisket from the slow cooker and transfer it to a rectangular glass baking pan. Set the cooked vegetables aside in a separate bowl. Evenly rub and cover the top of the brisket with the prepared glaze mixture.
9. Bake Brisket: Place the baking pan with the glazed brisket into the preheated oven. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until the glaze is caramelized and bubbly. Keep a close eye on it; if the glaze starts to brown too quickly, loosely tent the brisket with aluminum foil.
10. Rest & Slice: Remove the brisket from the oven and let it rest on the cutting board for at least 10 minutes before slicing. This resting period allows the juices to redistribute, ensuring a moist and tender slice. Always slice the corned beef against the grain for maximum tenderness.
11. Serve: Serve the sliced glazed corned beef with the reserved cooked vegetables. You can also drizzle some of the flavorful slow cooker liquid over the meat and vegetables. If the vegetables cooled, gently reheat them in the microwave or a pot.

Pro Tips & Troubleshooting

Achieving perfect corned beef is easier with a few insider tricks. These tips help you get the most out of your Best Corned Beef Recipe.

• Slicing: Always slice corned beef against the grain. This is crucial for tenderness, making each bite melt in your mouth.
• Doneness: Your corned beef should be fork-tender when fully cooked. If it still feels tough after 7-8 hours, continue cooking until it easily pulls apart.
• Glaze Application: Ensure you coat the brisket evenly with the glaze. This creates a beautiful, flavorful crust across the entire surface.
• Avoid Dry Meat: Be mindful not to overbake the corned beef after glazing. The oven step is just to caramelize the glaze, not cook the meat further.
• Too Salty?: If you are sensitive to salt, rinse the brisket very well before placing it in the slow cooker. You can even soak it in cold water for an hour, changing the water once.
• Flavor Boost: For an extra layer of aroma, consider adding a few bay leaves or whole garlic cloves to the slow cooker with the other ingredients.

Serving, Storage, & Variations

This amazing corned beef is versatile and delicious for any meal. Get creative with serving ideas or use leftovers for another fantastic dish.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve your tender glazed corned beef with classic accompaniments like roasted cabbage, creamy mashed potatoes, or a hearty slice of crusty bread. These sides perfectly complement the rich flavors of the meat.

Roasted Cabbage:

To roast cabbage, cut a head into thick wedges. Toss them with olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Roast at 400-450°F (200-230°C) until the edges are tender-crisp and slightly caramelized.

Storage:

Store any leftover corned beef in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

Freezing:

For longer storage, slice the cooked meat and freeze it in individual portions with a little of the cooking liquid to keep it moist. Use freezer-safe bags or containers for best results.

Variations:

Experiment with different beers in the slow cooker, such as hard cider for a sweeter, fruitier note. You can also brush some of the brown sugar glaze over the vegetables before roasting them for added flavor.

Reuben Sandwiches:

Leftover corned beef makes the most incredible homemade Reuben sandwiches! Layer slices on rye bread with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing.

Nutrition Information

This hearty glazed corned beef dish offers significant nutritional value, though it’s typically enjoyed as an occasional, comforting meal. While precise values can vary based on cuts and preparation, here’s an estimated breakdown per serving.

*These values are estimates and can vary based on exact ingredients and portion sizes. Enjoy this delicious meal in moderation as part of a balanced diet.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Here are answers to common questions about preparing and enjoying this delicious slow-cooked corned beef.

• What is corned beef? Corned beef is beef brisket, typically cured in a salt brine with various spices, giving it its characteristic flavor and reddish-pink color. To understand more about this process and the traditional meaning of “corning,” explore the history of corned beef and its curing methods. The “corned” refers to the large “corns” or kernels of salt historically used.
• Can I cook this recipe entirely in the oven? While this Best Corned Beef Recipe uses a crockpot for tenderness, you can braise it in a Dutch oven on low heat for several hours if you don’t have a slow cooker.
• What type of brisket should I buy? You can use either a flat cut (leaner, easier to slice) or a point cut (fattier, more flavorful, shreds well) for this recipe. Both work beautifully.
• Why does corned beef need to be cooked so long? Brisket is a tough cut of meat, and long, slow cooking breaks down its connective tissues, resulting in incredibly tender and succulent beef. The science behind this tenderization, particularly how temperature affects collagen, is further explained in meat cooking guides focusing on low-and-slow methods.
• What are good sides for corned beef? Classic sides include cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and onions, often cooked alongside the beef. Mashed potatoes or roasted root vegetables are also excellent choices.

Conclusion

You now have the definitive guide to the Best Corned Beef Recipe, blending the simplicity of slow cooking with the irresistible appeal of an oven-glazed finish. This method guarantees incredibly tender, juicy beef with a perfectly caramelized crust, making it a showstopper for any occasion. Forget dry, bland corned beef; this recipe delivers maximum flavor with minimal fuss, perfect for busy home cooks. Try this improved classic soon, and experience the delicious difference for yourself. We can’t wait to hear how much you love it!

The Best Corned Beef Recipe: Crockpot & Oven Glazed Perfection

This recipe details how to make tender corned beef brisket in a slow cooker with root vegetables, then finished with a sweet and spicy glaze in the oven. It's perfect for a hearty and flavorful meal.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Total Time 8 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Servings: 8 people

Calories: 750

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Main Ingredients

• 3-4 lb raw corned beef brisket with pickling spices included
• 1 lb baby carrots unless you really want to chop up 1lb of big carrots
• 1 lb potatoes whichever you enjoy most, large diced (butter potatoes get too mushy)
• 1 sliced onion
• 1 bottle stout beer
• Hot water as needed
• 1/8 cup spicy brown mustard
• 1/8 cup brown sugar
• 2 T horseradish

Equipment

• Large slow cooker
• Rectangular glass pan
• Oven
• Microwave (optional)

Method

 

Instructions

1. Place the corned beef in a large slow cooker, scatter the pickling spice, then layer the carrots, potatoes, and onion on top.
2. Pour the stout beer into the slow cooker and add enough hot water to cover the brisket by at least 1 inch.
3. Cook on Low for 7 to 9 hours until the brisket reaches the desired consistency, then remove it to a rectangular glass pan.
4. Create a paste from brown sugar, horseradish, spicy brown mustard, and some slow cooker juices, then rub and cover the top of the brisket.
5. Place the glass pan in the oven at 350°F for about 20 minutes, watching carefully to avoid overcooking; you can tent it with aluminum foil if needed.
6. Slice the brisket across the grain and serve with the vegetable mixture, cabbage, and optionally, some of the slow cooker liquid.

Notes

Potatoes like butter potatoes can get too mushy, so choose a firmer variety. When glazing the brisket in the oven, watch carefully to prevent overcooking; you can tent it with aluminum foil if needed. Serve with the vegetable mixture, cabbage, and optionally, the cooking liquid from the slow cooker.