How to cook corned beef and cabbage in a pressure cooker

March tends to be a long slog of bad weather and zero work holidays, but that’s why we have St. Patrick’s Day: an Irish-American excuse to eat and drink well, right when you need it most. If you’re looking to celebrate the day with a traditional meal of corned beef and cabbage but just thought to yourself, “Uh, I’ve literally never cooked corned beef in my life,” we’re here to help.

Corned beef brisket is a specially seasoned variety of brisket that typically turns delicious and tender after hours of slow cooking. But thanks to the magic of pressure cooking, you can achieve the same results after just 90 minutes in an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker.

We combined some of our favorite recipes, including one written by one of our editors Danielle DeSiato, for the book Pressure Cooker Perfection, to make this rich and robust St. Patrick’s Day meal.

At this time of year, you can find corned beef in most grocery stores, but you can also order a premium American Wagyu corned beef brisket from one of our favorite meat delivery services, Snake River Farms.

Here’s how to cook corned beef and cabbage in a pressure cooker

What you need

• An Instant Pot or other pressure cooker with a minimum 6-quart volume and a rack insert—our favorite is the Ninja Foodi OL701
• A sheet pan for preparing and holding the meat
• A sharp chef’s knife
• A medium to large cutting board
• One corned beef brisket (3-4 pounds)
• 1.5 cups brown sugar, or just enough to coat both sides of the brisket
• Two (12-ounce) cans or bottles Irish stout beer (such as Guinness) or 24 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
• Aromatics: 4-5 garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves, 2 thyme sprigs, and 1 teaspoon whole dried allspice berries
• 1.5 to 2 pounds baby red potatoes
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 small head green cabbage, cut into eight wedges
• 6 to 8 large carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces

1. Prep the meat

Lay the meat flat on a sheet pan and rub about a cup and a half of brown sugar onto the meat, making sure to cover both sides.

2. Add the meat, garlic, and beer (or broth) to the Instant Pot

Place the meat on a rack insert inside the pressure cooker. Add the beer or broth and all of the aromatics to the pot, plus an additional 1 cup of water.

3. Pressure cook for 90 minutes

Cook using the regular meat/stew setting or high pressure for 90 minutes. Once time is up, allow pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes and then quick release remaining pressure—and be careful to avoid the steam!

4. Prep the vegetables

While your meat is cooking, rinse and prep all of the veggies. Halve any potatoes that are larger than 1.5 inches in diameter.

5. Remove the meat and cover

When the pressure has been released, carefully remove the meat, leaving all the liquid in the pot, and place onto a clean baking sheet or carving board. Cover with tinfoil to keep warm while your vegetables cook.

6. Pressure cook the vegetables for 4-5 minutes

Without discarding the liquid, add the potatoes, carrots, onions, and cabbage into the pressure cooker. Pressure cook on high for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how soft you would like them, and quick release pressure when the time is up.

7. Plate and enjoy!

After the brisket has rested, carve it against the grain. That's important for keeping it tender. Serve the vegetables alongside the brisket on a platter, and pass some Irish brown bread on the side. Your St. Patrick’s Day feast is complete!