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.

Slow cooker corned beef brisket is easy to make using a crock pot, adding chopped vegetables, herbs and spices to the meat, and cooking for 8 to 10 hours on low heat. Another option is to bake corned beef and glaze it with stone ground mustard and brown sugar to flavor the dish.

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.

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.

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.

Boiling is the traditional way of preparing corned beef.

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.

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.

Is it better to boil or bake corned beef? ›

Should You Boil or Bake Corned Beef? Really, it's up to you. Both methods create a juicy, tender corned beef when done properly. Traditional recipes, like our corned beef and cabbage or glazed corned beef, call for simmering corned beef in spiced water for about three hours.

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!

If it's still tough, you will need to cook it longer. The pressure cooking process breaks down tough meat, making it tender. Put the lid back on, seal the pressure cooker, and cook at high pressure for another 10 to 20 minutes. The provided nutrition facts are estimates.

Simmering in a little bit of liquid or broth is a great way to tenderize. Acidity can also be your friend here. A little bit of vinegar and lemon juice in the liquid can help you tenderize the meat. It adds moisture, but it also cooks the meat.

Both slow cookers and pressure cookers do a good job of tenderizing tough meat, but each makes meat more edible in a different way. A pressure cooker is an enclosed pot with a lid that locks to form an airtight seal.

In a few words, yes! You can also undercook it, too. Overcooking the meat would result in a very dry tasting pot roast.