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Dutch Oven Corned Beef and Cabbage

Plated corned beef and cabbage dinner with onions, carrots, potatoes, and dipping sauce.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 45 minutes

Everyone’s favorite St. Patrick’s Day meal, this Dutch Oven Corned Beef and Cabbage is loaded with flavor and great all year long.

Branded image of Corned Beef and Cabbage in a dutch oven.

This post has been updated from its original March 15, 2018 publishing with new content, photography, and updated recipe card.

Corned beef and cabbage is probably the most iconic of dishes for St. Patrick’s Day.

Fun fact: This is not an Irish dish at all. It’s an Irish-American dish. Made popular by Irish immigrants who had access to this (then) cheap cut of cured meat. They began serving it for St. Patrick’s Day and the rest is culinary history.

How to make Corned Beef and Cabbage

A green enameled Dutch oven with a cabbage, onions, and potatoes inside; corned beef on a cutting board with the spice packet; fresh rosemary, serving utensil and green/white dish cloth off to the side.

This is one of the few times I don’t prep all my vegetables first. I work on them while the corned beef is boiling and baking. But you do you. 

Preparing the Corned Beef

Remove corned beef from its package. I always rinse the meat because there tends to be this congealed gooey stuff that rather unappetizing.

There’s usually a nice fat cap on one side, leave that. But on the other, there can be clusters of fat and such that can be trimmed away.

Raw corned beef being trimmed for cooking.

This will vary from package to package. Some years, there’s none, it’s pristine. Other years it’s like there’s two fat caps. This year I did trim some away with a sharp knife. This is a personal call.

After trimming the beef, place it in the Dutch oven and cover the entire thing with water, about 10 cups or so. Bring it to a boil over medium high heat.

As the corned beef begins to boil reddish-gray foaming film, which I call scum, will rise to the surface. Spoon this out and discard. Preheat the oven to 350 F at this time.

What is the reddish-gray foaming film when boiling corned beef?

So what is this scum?

Scum that rises while boiling corned beef.

That reddish-gray foam that rises to the surface as the corned beef boils is basically a mixture of sodium nitrate (used to cure the beef, giving it the reddish-pink hue), some additional spices that may have been injected with the sodium nitrate, and possibly a bit of boiled blood. Tasty!

You’ll want to remove this while cooking because gross! All in all, it takes about 30 minutes or so for all the scum to rise to the surface.

Once all the scum has been released and removed, add more water to cover the corned beef, as some may have reduced while boiling.

Corned beef with the spice packet and bay leaves added.

Add the seasoning packet that comes with the corned beef and the bay leaves. Cover, toss it in the oven and cook it for an hour. 

After the hour, reduce the temperature to 300 F and bake for an additional 90 minutes.

Preparing the vegetables 

Peel and chunk the carrots, quarter the onions and cube the potatoes. Place them all under corned beef. While you’re doing this, remove a cup of liquid.

Don’t cut the potatoes too small or you will end up with mashed potatoes by the end of cooking. If you accidentally cut them too small, don’t add them at this point. Save them for later. (See tips below.)

Onions, carrots, potatoes, and rosemary added to the seasoned pot of corned beef.

Put some rosemary down with the veggies and a sprig on top of the corned beef. Peel of the outer layers of cabbage and slice into steaks or wedges if your pot has the room.

Place the cabbage on top of the corned beef. I don’t submerge the cabbage, preferring to let it steam more than boil. Pour the reserved cup of liquid over the cabbage, just to moisten in for steaming. Cook for 90 minutes.

Remove the dish from the oven, plate up the meat and veggies, and enjoy.

Broth being ladled over the cabbage.
Stylized corned beef and cabbage in the dutch oven.

Tips for making corned beef and cabbage in the Dutch oven

  • If you like your cabbage completely soft, add it with all the other veggies as mentioned above.
  • If you want crisper cabbage, do not add it with the other veggies. Replace the lid and bake for an hour. Then remove the dish from the oven, scoop up some liquid, place the cabbage on top, pour the liquid over and resume baking. Covered for 30 more minutes.
St. Patrick's day dinner served up on a white plate.
  • If you diced your potatoes too small, you will want to add them the last 45-30 min of cooking time. You’ll have to disrupt most of the dish to get them under the meat, unless you’re adding the cabbage at the end of cooking, then it’s easy-peasy.
  • If this last step of cooking the vegetables is too long you may increase the temp to 350 F, toss in the veggies, and cook for about 30 minutes. 
  • Once done, remove everything from the Dutch oven, save the broth for another use. We don’t dump liquid gold down the drain.
  • You can skip the boiling method and go straight to the oven, there will be less impurities that rise to the surface, but remove any that have when adding the spices and lowering the oven temp.
Plated corned beef, cabbage, onions, carrots, and potatoes with a sprig of fresh rosemary.
Branded image of the plated corned beef and cabbage and optional dipping sauce.
Plated corned beef and cabbage dinner with onions, carrots, potatoes, and dipping sauce.
Print Recipe
5 from 56 votes

Dutch Oven Corned Beef and Cabbage

Everyone's favorite St. Patrick's Day meal, this Dutch Oven Corned Beef and Cabbage is loaded with flavor and great all year long.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time4 hours 45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Corned Beef and Cabbage
Servings: 6
Calories: 750kcal
Author: Ned Adams

Equipment

  • 7 qt Dutch Oven

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs. flat cut corned beef with seasoning packet
  • 10 cups water
  • lbs red potatoes (4-6); halved
  • 10 oz carrots (5-7); chopped
  • 2 onions halved
  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 head green cabbage sliced

Instructions

  • Rinse the corned beef and place in the Dutch Oven.
  • Cover with water, about 10 cups.
  • Preheat oven to 325°F.
  • Bring corned beef to a boil, removing film from surface, about 30 minutes.
  • Replace any evaporated water: add the spice packet and bay leaves.
  • Cover and bake for 1 hour.
  • Reduce the temperature to 300°F and bake for an additional 1½ hours.
  • Remove one up of liquid; set aside.
  • Nestle the onions, carrots and potatoes UNDER the cornbed beef.
  • Add rosemary sprigs around the vegetables and one on top of the corned beef.
  • Place the cabbage on top; pour the reserved liquid over the cabbage to moisten it.
  • Cover and bake for 1½ hours. (See notes)
  • Remove everything from the Dutch oven; allow the corned beef to rest for a couple of minutes before serving.
  • Serve with the optional dipping sauce and enjoy.

Notes

Dipping Sauce for Corned Beef

Optional dipping Mustard Sauce. 
Mix together:
  • 8 oz sour cream  
  • 2 tbsp dijon mustard
  • ¼ tsp sugar

Nutrition

Calories: 750kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 3782mg | Potassium: 1877mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 8054IU | Vitamin C: 152mg | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 7mg

Dutch Oven Daddy is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.

Did you try this recipe?Leave me a comment and rating below or Tag @DutchOvenDaddy on Instagram to show us your photos!
66 replies
    • nedadams
      nedadams says:

      Yes Jenifer, I would adjust the time, you will want to make sure you monitor it closely so it doesn’t become over cooked.

      Reply
  1. Courtney O
    Courtney O says:

    5 stars
    I made two different corned beef roasts, one with this recipe and one in a crock pot. The roast with this recipe in the dutch oven was easily the crowd favorite. More tender, tastier meat, less work, and less cooking time. Well done!

    Reply
  2. Keith
    Keith says:

    5 stars
    I did this in a cast iron Dutch oven on the big green egg on St Pats day. Jameson on ice, Black and Tan with dinner. 2021 was the best st pat day on years. Use indirect cooking method at 300f whole process. Meat should get to 200f internal temp. It was like cutting butter. Absolutely amazing. Going to do it again for sure.

    Reply
  3. Amanda F
    Amanda F says:

    5 stars
    Thank you so much for putting the recommended dutch oven size. I bought my first dutch oven and it’s a 5 Quart for our family of 4. Dutch ovens come in a wide range of sizes and many online recipes don’t mention a recommendation for us dutch oven newbies. Thanks again!

    Reply
  4. Jane
    Jane says:

    5 stars
    This was a great recipe! My first time making corned beef and cabbage and I wouldn’t try a different recipe after using this one. Family approved, too

    Reply
  5. Lee
    Lee says:

    5 stars
    As a first time Dutch oven user I was quite sceptical about the cooking time but wow, the meat was absolutely perfect, so soft. This will definitely be my go-to recipe for an easy delicious dinner.

    Reply
  6. Beth
    Beth says:

    5 stars
    I love corned beef and cabbage, so I was eager to give your recipe a try. It is now my new go-to for corned beef! It’s so good and the beef is absolute perfection.

    Reply
  7. Dana
    Dana says:

    5 stars
    This turned out fantastically! Wanted to give it a test run before St. Patrick’s Day and it was a win. Already looking forward to making it again.

    Reply
  8. Kechi
    Kechi says:

    5 stars
    This looks spectacular and perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, I have been thinking about a menu and this is right up my alley. Definitely making this in my Dutch oven. 🙂

    Reply
  9. Sändra
    Sändra says:

    5 stars
    This was by far the best recipe I have used! The corned beef was finally tender and the cabbage was just right. Thanks for the extra information regarding the “scum” and veggies!

    Reply
  10. Kathleen
    Kathleen says:

    5 stars
    I can’t believe how easy this corned beef and cabbage is to make in the Dutch oven. It looks amazing and is a perfect meal for my family.

    Reply
  11. Sky
    Sky says:

    5 stars
    My new favorite way to prepare corned beef. My whole family loved it! I’ll definitely be making it again, soon! The dipping sauce it also really good with the dish.

    Reply
  12. TAYLER ROSS
    TAYLER ROSS says:

    5 stars
    I made this corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick’s Day last year and it was PERFECT! I can’t wait to make it again this year!

    Reply
  13. Shadi Hasanzade
    Shadi Hasanzade says:

    5 stars
    I’m amazed at how effortlessly this corned beef and cabbage comes together. It looks tasty and makes for an ideal family meal.

    Reply
  14. rebecca
    rebecca says:

    5 stars
    yum! I love corned beef and cabbage. this is such a simple recipe. thanks for adding the mustard dipping sauce recipe, it really takes the corned beef over the top

    Reply
  15. Ben
    Ben says:

    5 stars
    I made this last night, and it was so good. The texture and flavor are both perfect. I make corned beef all the time, so it’s nice to find a recipe that ticks all the boxes.

    Reply
  16. Casey
    Casey says:

    5 stars
    This is perfect for St. Patrick’s Day! I haven’t used my Dutch oven in a while – this is a great excuse to get it out again!

    Reply
  17. Kim
    Kim says:

    5 stars
    I loved this recipe, especially with the dipping sauce, which I put on the leftover corned beef sandwich the next day. It was phenomenal!

    Reply
  18. Emily
    Emily says:

    5 stars
    I had never tried slow cooking meat in a Dutch Oven, this was amazing! Delicious comfort food and it’s going on the St. Patrick’s Day menu!

    Reply
  19. TAYLER ROSS
    TAYLER ROSS says:

    5 stars
    We’ll be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day at home this year, so I can’t wait to make this corned beef! I used this recipe last year and it was fantastic!

    Reply
  20. dana
    dana says:

    5 stars
    This is delicious! Such a cozy meal and it was SO easy to do. Perfect lazy Sunday dinner and too good to save for only St. Patrick’s Day. We will definitely be making this again! And again, and again!

    Reply
  21. Kathleen
    Kathleen says:

    5 stars
    This is a hearty and satisfying meal for St. Patrick’s Day. My family are going to be happy with this corned beef and cabbage.

    Reply
  22. Gianne
    Gianne says:

    5 stars
    The meat was so tender and flavorful, and the cabbage soaked up all the delicious juices. It’s the perfect comfort food for a cozy night in.

    Reply

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  1. […] Dutch Oven Corned Beef and Cabbage: With just 15 minutes of prep, this Dutch Oven Corned Beef and Cabbage will become your new favorite. This dish is loaded with flavorful corned beef and cabbage! […]

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