How Long to Cook a 3.5 Lb Corned Beef Instant Pot
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Instant Pot Corned Beef Brisket made with beer (or not) that's fall-apart tender both ways! Recipe option includes cabbage and potatoes OR turn the brisket into skillet hash. Add corned beef to your Instant Pot recipe collection.
Oh hi! Did you say you're looking for an electric pressure cooker corned beef recipe that's super easy and fall-apart tender? This St. Patrick's Day recipe is a pot of gold!
You only need 6 ingredient and you don't even need to know how to cook corned beef. The Instant Pot does it all for you! Turn the leftovers into a Classic Reuben Sandwich or Homemade Corned Beef Hash.
What is corned beef?
Corned beef is a beef brisket cured in a seasoned brine. As referenced from the Food Lover's Companion, "corn" refers to the particle-sized grains of salt used in the curing process. This curing process tenderizes the brisket, an otherwise tough cut.
Instant Pot corned beef ingredients
Ingredient amounts are included in the printable recipe below.
- corned beef brisket - use point cut or flat cut for this recipe. See my notes in the next section about their differences.
- Guinness Draught - any cooking liquid, or combo, can be used for this recipe including lager, pilsner, broth, or plain water.
- onions - any variety of white, red, or yellow onions work great for this recipe.
- cabbage - green cabbage is traditionally used. You could also simply leave it out.
- potatoes - Waxy potatoes such as red or gold will hold up better once cooked. I also love how they look with skins on.
- carrots - I used large carrots chopped into bite sized pieces. Packaged baby carrots would work great too!
Corned beef point cut vs flat cut
Point cut corned beef has more fat marbling resulting in a fall-apart tender, juicy texture. (Point cut is what I used in this recipe)
Flat cut corned beef is leaner cut with less connective tissue. Flat cut is best for when you don't want corned beef to fall apart, which is just crazy talk, in my book.
Should I rinse corned beef before cooking?
You can rinse corned beef before cooking, but it's really not necessary. People do it to remove excess salt from the brine. Also, it's a little slimy, so it feels like it needs to be rinsed, but doing so is thought to remove flavor. I personally don't rinse, Also, some corned beef briskets are packed with a seasoned brine (like this one pictured), instead of a seasoning packet. In this case, rinsing would remove all that seasoning, which we don't want.
How to make Instant Pot corned beef
Full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe below.
- Place brisket, onions, and contents of seasoning packet in the pressure cooker.
- Add cooking liquid (Guinness, water, or broth), close lid, set the cooker, and allow it to work its magic.
- Once it cooks and depressurizes, transfer the brisket out of the cooker and cover with foil. You'll slice it before serving.
- Pressure cook (and depressurize) the potatoes, carrots, and cabbage.
- Serve and devour!
Electric pressure cooker corned beef and cabbage couldn't be easier, even if you're an Instant Pot beginner.
Instant Pot corned beef with beer or without beer?
It's true that a Guinness beer, or any beer, can create a unique flavor for your corned beef in the pressure cooker. It's also true that any cooking liquid will do the same thing...even water. Corned beef is naturally so flavorful and rich, it would be hard to make it not taste amazing.
How long to cook corned beef in Instant Pot pressure cooker
I have tested various cook times with various sizes of corned beef. I find 90 minutes to be the perfect amount of time for a 2 to 5 lb. brisket. The pressure cooker adapts for you, so no need to adjust the time.
Corned beef is a tough cut with a lot of connective tissue that breaks down and tenderizes the longer it cooks. It takes several hours via stove or slow cooker to get fall apart corned beef. The pressure cooker magically shortens that process and you can have juicy, tender corned beef on the table in under 2 hours.
How much corned beef per person?
Plan on ½ lb - ¾ lb corned beef per person. This weight does not include the cabbage, potatoes, and carrots. When making corned beef for a crowd, you'll want to factor in shrinkage.
How much does corned beef shrink in the Instant Pot?
We measured the shrinkage on this 1 ¾ lb corned beef brisket. After pressure cooking, it shrunk over 50% leaving us with 1 ½ lbs of meat for serving. That's a big number when you're planning to feed a crowd, so plan accordingly.
Is corned beef brisket gluten free?
It may or may not be. You'll need to check the packaging carefully on your corned beef product. Don't try to decide this based on the ingredient list. Make sure the product indicates that it is gluten free. I invite my GF readers to share their favorite corned beef product in the comments below
What to serve with corned beef and cabbage
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- Homemade Coleslaw
- French Bread
- Smashed Potatoes
- Macaroni Pasta Salad
- Shamrock Shake
Recommended Tools
- chef knife and cutting board
- Instant Pot
- 1 Corned Beef Brisket, 2 - 4 pounds*see footnote about sizes
- 1 large Onion, peeled and quartered
- 1 (11.2 oz) Guinness Draught Beer, about 1 ½ cups
- 1 head Green Cabbage, about 2 pounds cut into wedges
- 1 pound Small Potatoes, whole
- 3 large Carrots, peeled and cut into 2" pieces
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Place ONIONS and CORNED BEEF in the Instant Pot (you don't need a trivet).
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Add corned beef seasoning packet to the pot and add GUINNESS or preferred cooking liquid. It's ok for the liquid to not cover the beef.
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Secure the lid and turn pressure release valve to "Sealing".
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Select Manual or Pressure Cook on HIGH pressure for 90 minutes. *see recipe footnote about different sized briskets.
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When cook cycle completes, allow Instant Pot to sit undisturbed for a 20-minute natural pressure release (NPR).
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Carefully turn the sealing knob to release any remaining steam and wait for the float valve to drop before attempting open the lid.
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Press CANCEL, open the lid, and transfer corned beef outside the pot, cover, and allow to rest.
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Add POTATOES and CARROTS to the cooking liquid in the Instant Pot, then stack the CABBAGE on top. *If you prefer the vegetables to not sit in the cooking water, stack them on a trivet.
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Secure lid and select Manual or Pressure Cook on HIGH pressure for 3 minutes on HIGH for fork-tender veggies (or 2 minutes for firmer), followed by a quick pressure release.
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To serve, transfer veggies to a platter. Slice the beef against the grain, serve it with the veggies, and spoon some of the cooking liquid over both.
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To store, allow corned beef and vegetables to cool completely. Refrigerate up to 5 days in an airtight container.
Visit the comments below and tell me how it went.
Point cut vs flat cut corned beef
- Point cut has more fat marbling resulting in the fall-apart tender and juicy texture.
- Flat cut is leaner with less connective tissue making it better for staying in tact, once sliced, for a cleaner presentation.
Should I rinse corned beef before cooking? You can rinse corned beef before cooking, but it's really not necessary. People do it to remove excess salt from the brine. Also, it's a little slimy, so it feels like it needs to be rinsed, but doing so is thought to remove flavor.
Adding more liquid - It's ok if the liquid doesn't cover the corned beef bc it will pressure cook just fine. If you can't resist the urge, you're welcome to add more liquid to cover the beef. It won't hurt anything.
How long to cook corned beef in the pressure cooker - The sweet spot for most corned beef briskets is around 90 minutes if you want juicy, fall-apart results. Corned beef is a tough cut with connective tissue that breaks down in a slow cooked environment. The pressure cooker shortens that process and puts juicy, fall-apart corned beef on the table in under 2 hours.
Do I use less time for smaller corned beef brisket (like 1.5 lbs)? 90 minutes can be applied to just about any size brisket that will fit into the IP. In my own testing, even a smaller 1.5 lb brisket with 70 min cook time yielded less tender results than the 90 min cook time. This is because the connective tissue has a chance to render and tenderize the beef with more cooking time.
What to serve with corned beef and cabbage
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- Homemade Coleslaw
- French Bread
- Smashed Potatoes
- Macaroni Pasta Salad
- Shamrock Shake
Turn your Instant Pot Corned Beef into Homemade Corned Beef Hash!
Serving: 4 oz | Calories: 70 kcal | Carbohydrates: 16 g | Protein: 2 g | Fat: 1 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 1 mg | Sodium: 36 mg | Potassium: 454 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 4 g | Vitamin A: 2626 IU | Vitamin C: 34 mg | Calcium: 44 mg | Iron: 1 mg
Nutrition data provided as courtesy estimates using unbranded ingredients from a nutrition database. Please consult preferred resource for precise data.
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