Slow Cooker Corned Beef

Say goodbye to tough and tasteless corned beef. This Slow Cooker Corned Beef is tender, flavorful, and super easy to prepare. It's the very best corned beef recipe you'll ever make!! IMHO 🙂

**Please Note - The printable recipe card with detailed instructions, complete ingredient measurements, and nutritional information for making the very best crockpot corned beef you've ever had is available at the end of this post. Or you can hit the "jump to recipe" button (found above) to be taken directly to the recipe.

The ingredient list:

**Note - The following lists of ingredients plus kitchen tools and equipment contain affiliate links (highlighted in blue) for your consideration and shopping convenience. #CommissionsEarned

• corned beef (4 pounds), plus the pickling packet
• beef broth (I used no sodium)
• prepared chili sauce
• prepared horseradish
• brown sugar
• dill pickle juice
• black pepper

Kitchen tools and equipment needed:

• slow cooker/crockpot (7 quart, shown)
• measuring cups and spoons
• 4 cup glass measuring cup
• tongs
• whisk
• carving board
• carving knife and fork
• aluminum foil

How this recipe came to be:

Last St. Patrick's Day my mom was coming over for dinner, and to play some cards. We like playing Russian Rummy. Ever hear of it?

Back to dinner...My mom loves corned beef so naturally, with it being St. Patrick's Day, I wanted to make it a meal she'd really enjoy, and one I didn't have to babysit while we were busy.

At the time I didn't take any photos of the finished corned beef, but I wrote down the ingredients I'd used and took some prep photos (shown below).

I waited a full year to remake this crockpot corned beef, remembering how wonderfully tender and flavorful it was, and I'm super excited to finally be sharing it with you now!

Why this slow cooker corned beef recipe works:

Because it cooks low and slow, and because of the pickle juice acting as a meat tenderizer, the finished meat is amazingly fork-tender and wonderfully juicy!

I also like it because it's what I call a "dump" recipe. Meaning... you add all the ingredients into the crockpot at one time, set the timer, and walk away until it's done.

What's inside that little packet packaged with the corned beef?

That's the pickling packet. Don't throw that away. This gets added to the slow cooker along with all the other ingredients.

Spices included in the packet are typically peppercorns, dill seeds, crushed bay leaves, and mustard seeds.

Why is there no salt listed in the ingredients?

Because the addition of salt in this recipe is not needed.

Since the corned beef has already been cured (preserved in a salty brine solution), and with the addition of dill pickle juice (another salty element), adding additional sodium would make the meat far too salty and unappealing.

How long will this recipe take from start to dinner?

With the slow cooker set on high, this corned beef will be ready in 4-5 hours.

With the slow cooker set on low, the corned beef will be ready in 6-7 hours.

Why it's important to slice corned beef, or any protein, across the grain:

I found the following video on YouTube which explains it perfectly. If you're a visual learner (like I am), the video below will be very helpful for you.

The step-by-step photos for making the most tender crockpot corned beef:

• Place the corned beef, along with the pickling spices included with the meat, into the slow cooker.
• In a large bowl, whisk together all the other ingredients.
• Cover the cooker and set the timer for 4 hours on high, or 6 hours on low.
• Remove the corned beef to a carving board, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing (across the grain) and serving.

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Recipes using leftover corned beef:

*Corned Beef and Cabbage Coleslaw (shown below and featured in the video)

This recipe for Corned Beef and Cabbage Coleslaw may be unusual, but it’s also unusually delicious! Inspired by traditional Irish fare, this recipe is decidedly untraditional!

*Lazy Latke Reuben Casserole (not shown) from THE LAZY SLOW COOKER

"The latke-Reuben casserole is a slow cooker wonder filled with corned beef, sauerkraut and melted swiss cheese nestled between two layers of potato pancakes." - The Lazy Slow Cooker

*Irish Corned Beef Boxty (not shown)

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a classically stuffed boxty. An Irish Corned Beef Boxty is a potato pancake stuffed with tender corned beef and lots of melted Swiss cheese.

*Corned Beef Hash Fritatta (shown below)

When you have a taste for some corned beef hash, but also a wonderfully eggy frittata, why not make this unexpected yet delicious Corned Beef Hash Frittata?

*Leftover Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup (not shown) from HOT EATS AND COOL READS

"Use your leftover St. Patrick's Day Corned Beef dinner and turn it into a delicious and easy soup that's ready for lunch or dinner in less than 20 minutes!" - Hot Eats and Cool Reads

*Corned Beef Macaroni and Cheese (not shown) from WHO NEEDS A CAPE?

"Leftover corned beef from St. Patrick’s Day? Make delicious Corned Beef Macaroni and Cheese, a comforting casserole that’s so simple to make." - Who Needs a Cape?

*The BEST EVER Slow-Cooker Corned Beef (shown below) THIS IS THE PLACE!!

Below is the printable recipe card along with the exact ingredient measurements and nutritional information for making today's extremely tender corned beef recipe that's made in the crockpot/slow cooker.

If you've made this recipe, or are excited to make this recipe, I'd appreciate it if you'd take a moment to leave it a star rating in the recipe card, along with a comment if you're so inclined. Thank you. 🙂

I sincerely hope you've enjoyed today's slow cooker recipe for easy corned beef brisket as much as I've enjoyed bringing it to you!