Slow Cooker Corned Beef

Never in my life have I needed an excuse to make corned beef. Whenever it goes on sale I am the first to load up my grocery cart. Yep, load up. Stack them high, I say. One of my favorite ways to prepare them is this slow cooker corned beef. Nothing fancy, nothing difficult, but awfully tasty, juicy and tender. Perfect for whatever I plan on using it in (most likely, Reuben sandwiches!).

Slow Cooker Corned Beef

It’s pretty easy to make minor changes to this recipe for slow cooker corned beef and end up with a totally different dish. Spicy chili sauce will add a nice kick. Cherry cola instead of ‘normal’ soda will add a nice twist. I highly recommend using my homemade onion soup mix. I think it’s much better than that stuff in a pouch.

Also try my spicy version of this recipe.

Slow Cooker Corned Beef
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5 from 1 vote

Slow Cooker Corned Beef

Never in my life have I needed an excuse to make corned beef. Whenever it goes on sale I am the first to load up my grocery cart. Yep, load up. Stack them high, I say.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword corned beef, crockpot, slow cooker
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 10 minutes
Servings 10 servings
Calories 236kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Remove corned beef from packaging. Rinse and pat dry. Reserve the spicy packet (try my pickling spice chicken wings!).
  • Combine remaining ingredients and pour over the corned beef.
  • Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until tender.
  • Slice and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 1788mg | Potassium: 416mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 232IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Slow Cooker Chopped Corned Beef Reuben

I’m a sliced-corned beef Reuben kind of guy. Or I was. We recently ate at a little restaurant where a Reuben was on the menu. I’m a big fan of Reuben sandwiches, and I think they are a good test of the quality of the food a restaurant turns out. Tough corned beef? I’m not coming back. Well, to my surprise the Reuben at the restaurant had chopped corned beef mixed in with kraut. Slow cooker chopped corned beef Reuben??? I thought…. hmmmm… I’m not sure about this… but I took a bite and loved it! So I went home and made a big batch for the week’s lunches!

Slow Cooker Chopped Corned Beef Reuben

There’s nothing fancy about this slow cooker chopped corned beef Reuben. It’s your standard fare. Slow-cooked corned beef, tender, and then chopped. Mixed in with well-rinsed and drained kraut. Easy dressing, cheese, and rye. Done. Eat! For a fantastic twist, my spicy slow cooker corned beef really kicks up a Reuben sandwich. My sous vide version is also fantastic.

Also try my southern Reuben sandwich and my slow cooker shredded Mexican beef. And my slow cooker Guinness corned beef is amazing also!

Slow Cooker Chopped Corned Beef Reuben
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3.67 from 3 votes

Slow Cooker Chopped Corned Beef Reuben

There’s nothing fancy about this Reuben. It’s your standard fare. Slow-cooked corned beef, tender, and then chopped. Mixed in with well-rinsed and drained kraut. Easy dressing, cheese, and rye. Done.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword corned beef, crockpot, sandwich, slow cooker
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 hours
Total Time 12 hours 15 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 556kcal
Author Mike

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds sauerkraut rinsed and drained well
  • 2-3 pound corned beef brisket rinsed
  • 1 cup Thousand Island dressing
  • 16 slices pumpernickel bread toasted (or rye)
  • 8-16 slices Swiss cheese

Instructions

  • Place kraut in slow cooker.
  • Add corned beef brisket and the spice packet that came with it.
  • Add lid and cook on low for 12 until the corned beef is about to fall apart.
  • Remove the corned beef and chop. Yes, you can slice it if you prefer. Return the beef to the slow cooker and stir to combine.
  • At this point you can add the Thousand Island to the slow cooker and stir, if you desire, or simply slather it onto the bread slices.
  • Spoon kraut and beef mixture onto the bread. Note: I like to transfer the mixture to a strainer first. I press down on it lightly to remove as much moisture as I can. This prevents me from having a soggy (bleh!) Reuben.
  • Add cheese to sandwich and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 556kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 2742mg | Potassium: 684mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 227IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 217mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Slow Cooker Spicy Corned Beef

I’ve done that corned beef and cabbage thing. Loved it. I’ve done the corned beef sliders thing. Definitely loved it. There’s nothing wrong with tradition, but it’s time for something new. Time for slow cooker spicy corned beef. Oh yes. Tender, sliced, and the best part, topped with a simple glaze that doesn’t remind you of the usual corned beef ‘thing’. You can tell that just by looking at the list of ingredients! Oranges and corned beef? Yes. Cloves, you bet! And lots and lots of other great things that end up packing the corned beef with crazy good flavor. This isn’t a boring dish by any stretch of the imagination.

Slow Cooker Spicy Corned Beef

I sliced this slow cooker spicy corned beef thinly and served it on rye bread with just a bit more of the glaze drizzled over the top. Piled high. Big time high. That’s it. That’s all it needed. No kraut, Swiss cheese, or anything else. Yeah, you can add those things. But, wow the glaze is so good I just wanted to enjoy it and the crazy delicious corned beef. At most I’d add a slice or two of cheese and put the sandwich under the broiler for a few seconds to get it hot and melted.

Also try my non-spicy version.

Slow Cooker Spicy Corned Beef
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5 from 1 vote

Slow Cooker Spicy Corned Beef

Time for something new. Time for slow cooker spicy corned beef. Oh yes. Tender, sliced, and the best part, topping with a simple glaze that doesn’t remind you of the usual corned beef ‘thing’.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword corned beef, crockpot, slow cooker, spicy
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 16 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 16 hours 45 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 355kcal
Author Mike

Equipment

Ingredients

For the corned beef

  • 4-5 pound corned beef rinsed, lightly trimmed
  • ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon dried dill
  • 6 cloves whole
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 medium onion cut in chunks
  • 2 ribs celery cut in chunks
  • ½ orange unpeeled, sliced thin

For the glaze (double to have extra for drizzling over the meat after slicing)

Instructions

For the corned beef

  • Place all of the corned beef ingredients into a slow cooker.
  • Cook for 8 hours until tender, but not falling apart.
  • Remove the beef from the slow cooker and let cool slightly.
  • Wrap tightly in foil and refrigerate overnight.
  • Preheat your oven to 350 F.
  • Unwrap the beef and place in a 9″ x 13″ baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.
  • Combine the glaze ingredients and pour over the top of the corned beef.
  • Bake for 30 minutes.
  • Remove and slice. Drizzle with any glaze left in the baking dish or double the glaze and warm the remaining before pouring over the beef.

Nutrition

Calories: 355kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 2002mg | Potassium: 549mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 121IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Slow Cooker Corned Beef Sliders

The corned beef on these slow cooker sliders is beyond amazing. Yes, it’s tender, but that’s not the main attraction. The flavor is incredible. The corned beef brisket cooks for hours in a wonderful mix of vegetables, seasonings and broth. There’s a mild tomato flavor, which isn’t something you normally expect, but it’s just another taste that really sets this corned beef apart from anything else.

Slow Cooker Corned Beef Sliders

You can certainly add sauerkraut to make these slow cooker corned beef sliders more Reuben-esque, but honestly, I wouldn’t and I didn’t. The corned beef is so incredibly tasty that you don’t want to bury it in kraut flavors. I find it weird to even say that because I’m a huge kraut fan. Specially when it comes to a sandwich with corned beef or pastrami on it. It’s unusual for me to even see one without at least a bit of kraut somewhere!

I know it may seem like there are a lot of ingredients in this recipe, but I assure you that it’s not really that difficult to make. There’s just a little bit of preparation time. Then everything goes into the crockpot. I like to take my corned beef out and let it rest for a few minutes before I start slicing it.

Also try my slow cooker spicy corned beef.

Slow Cooker Corned Beef Sliders
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5 from 1 vote

Slow Cooker Corned Beef Sliders

The corned beef on these slow cooker sliders is beyond amazing. Yes, it’s tender, but that’s not the main attraction. The flavor is incredible. 
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword corned beef, crockpot, sliders, slow cooker
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 8 hours 45 minutes
Servings 12 sliders
Calories 383kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

For the brisket

For the sliders

Instructions

For the brisket

  • Layer 1/2 of the onion, carrots, celery and garlic in the bottom of a slow cooker set to low.
  • Add corned beef brisket, fat side up.
  • Add remaining onion, carrots, celery and garlic.
  • In a bowl whisk together the broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire, brown sugar, celery seeds and red pepper. Pour over the beef.
  • Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper.
  • Slowly pour beer around the beef and cover the cooker. Cook on low for 8-9 hours until the corned beef is tender.
  • Remove meat and slice or shred as desired. If storing leftovers, I would add a bit of the sauce from the slow cooker so that the beef doesn’t dry out when reheated.

For the sliders

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cut buns in half horizontally. Spread the insides with the Thousand Island dressing.
  • Add corned beef and cheese.
  • Add bun tops and brush with melted butter.
  • Wrap in foil and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 383kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 2682mg | Potassium: 683mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 2730IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Cheater Pastrami

I love the week around St. Patrick’s Day. Not because I’m Irish or love the color green. No, it’s because corned beef briskets go on sale. And every year, I buy a big load of them and make cheater pastrami on my smoker. The end result is tender and very flavorful. Perfect for sandwiches. Almost beyond perfect.

Cheater Pastrami

So why is this approach called ‘cheating’? Well, real pastrami takes a long time to make. You don’t start with a corned beef brisket out of the grocer’s fridge. I’ve had the most amazing pastrami in New York City. Here in Indianapolis, the closest I’ve found is at Shapiro’s Delicatessen (though I’ve heard that Fat Dan’s Deli is also great). This cheater version isn’t as good, of course, but it’s actually quite fantastic. All my neighbors will back me up on that.

I start out by rubbing corned beef in a mix of mustard, all spice, coriander and a lot of cracked pepper.

Cheater Pastrami

The meat gets wrapped and goes into the fridge overnight to get ‘happy’.

Cheater Pastrami

Then onto the smoker at 225 F for about 8 hours or until the internal temperatures reach 195-205 F. Let them rest then slice then and enjoy!

Cheater Pastrami

This recipe is a combination of a recipe I found on Patio Daddio and the technique on my favorite Weber Smoky-Mountain-related site, the Virtual Weber Bullet.

Cheater Pastrami
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5 from 1 vote

Cheater Pastrami

Perfect for sandwiches. Almost beyond perfect.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword corned beef, homemade, pastrami, smoked
Prep Time 8 hours
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 16 hours
Servings 1 pastrami
Calories 1997kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Note: I buy coriander seeds and whole peppercorns from the local GFS store and grind them using an old blade-style coffee grinder. Make sure you keep the grind a little coarse. You can also use a mortar and pestle.
  • Rinse and dry the corned beef.
  • Whisk together the mustard, brown sugar, coriander and allspice. Rub the mixture all over the brisket, then cover completely with the ground pepper. Place in a large resealable bag or wrap tightly in foil and keep in the fridge overnight.
  • The next day, fire up your smoker for 225-250 F. Place a chunk or two of light fruit wood in the smoker (I used cherry). Cook the brisket for at least 8 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 195 – 205 F.
  • Remove, wrap in foil, and let rest for 30 minutes.
  • Thinly slice the brisket against the grain using a meat slicer or sharp knife. Serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 1997kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 136g | Fat: 136g | Saturated Fat: 43g | Cholesterol: 486mg | Sodium: 11311mg | Potassium: 3055mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 173IU | Vitamin C: 245mg | Calcium: 223mg | Iron: 18mg

Nutritional values are approximate.