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.

Boiling is the most common method, but you can also slow cook, bake, grill, or pan-fry your corned beef. Each method has its distinct flavor and cooking process, so it's worth trying them all to find the best fit for you. The most common method for cooking corned beef and cabbage is boiling.

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.

Pressure Cooking the Corned Beef

The meat comes out fork-tender, but still sliceable against the grain without falling apart. Adding about 15 minutes to the cooking process for the Instant Pot to heat up to pressure, the corned beef itself takes about 2 hours total.

Like any cut of meat, when corned beef is cooked too briefly or for too long at a high heat, it can take on a chewy, tough texture. Follow the instructions closely and release the pressure after 10 minutes to ensure that your corned beef does not over-cook.

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 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.

It's a good idea to do so. Don't worry that you will be rinsing away flavor. Rinsing the corned beef means it will be less salty. Also, keep the seasoning packet if one came with it.

Depending on the pickling solution used for the meat, you may be in for a saltier meal than you bargained for if you cook the meat without rinsing it. And don't worry: Rinsing won't make the beef taste bland! The flavor is infused deep into the beef during the curing process.

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.

Should you use the juice in the corned beef package? ›

To make the corned beef, open the sealed package right over the slow cooker, because you want to include the brine in the cooking liquid. Don't discard the brine.

The corned beef seasoning adds so much flavor to this traditional recipe, and a low, slow cook in beef broth makes this corned beef brisket juicy, tender and melt-in-your-mouth delicious!

The pressure cooker makes that all-day flavor attainable in a fraction of the time. The veggies and beef pieces become perfectly tender and flavorful in a scrumptious, cozy-to-your-core broth.

The pressure cooker cuts the cooking time but yields fork-tender meat. That was the case with two pounds of cubed beef chuck that cooked to juicy and soft in just 20 minutes. We shredded the beef to make an open-faced sandwich topped with Swiss cheese and scallions, but the stew meat has many uses.

Yes, you can overcook meat in an Instant Pot. Overcooking can make the meat tough and dry, especially for tender cuts. Does Instant Pot Make Tough Meat Tender? An Instant Pot is excellent for making tough meat tender.