Smoked Corned Beef and Cabbage
On March 10, 2020 (Updated April 16, 2022)
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Smoked Corned Beef and Cabbage is a St. Patrick’s Day staple. This smoked corned beef is a delicious tradition in our house and hopefully will soon become one in yours! This guide is sure to become your go-to recipe and method for deliciously tender smoked corned beef and cabbage every time.
Smoked Corned Beef
Let’s start today’s post with a chat about corned beef. What is corned beef exactly? Corned beef is a tough cut of beef that is cured in a nitrate/nitrite solution to add flavor, tenderness, and that iconic pink hue. It is typically made from brisket points, flats, or from round roasts.
I have an amazing recipe for making corned beef at home (scroll below for the recipe) if you’ve got a week’s worth of time and a desire to take the curing process into your own hands. If you have some time to dedicate to making your own corned beef, you can begin with that recipe, then come back to this post when you’re ready to cook! If you’re buying your corned beef from the store, read on for details on what to look for in the store before buying.
Smoked Corned Beef Brisket
When purchasing a corned beef brisket to cook, you’ll find a variety at the grocery store. These include corned beef briskets (point and flat) and corned beef rounds. You can purchase whatever kind you like, but if you are buying your first ever corned beef let me give you a little info about each:
- A corned beef brisket is a cut from the pectoral muscle of the cow. It is notoriously tough, requiring long cook times to tenderize the meat. A brisket point is cut from the brisket and typically more marbled with fat and therefore more tender and flavorful. The point is my preference when it comes to store bought corned beef brisket. A brisket flat is less fatty, but has a tendency to be a little more tough, even after a long cook. The brisket flat has a more even thickness, so it is my choice for curing at home.
- A corned beef round is a cut from the rear leg of the cow. It is also a tough cut of meat, but this roast is well suited for thinly sliced corned beef. I like to use these on sandwiches or in corned beef hash. For this recipe, I used a corned beef round, but a brisket (either point or flat) would work just as well.
How to Smoke Corned Beef
Corned beef is best when cooked for a long time at a low temperature. This will help transform the tough cut of meat into tender, beefy deliciousness. Here’s how to smoke corned beef:
- Preheat the smoker. Turn on your smoker and allow it to preheat to 250 degrees F. This adds an incredible layer of flavor. If you don’t have access to a smoker then this process can still be done in your oven, just add an extra 2-3 hours to the braising time.
- Smoke the corned beef! Place the corned beef roast directly on your grill and smoke for 3 hours.
- Prep the vegetables. Place the onions and carrots in the bottom of a heavy dutch oven pot. Position the cabbage quarters on top of the carrots and onions. Pour the beef broth over the vegetables and sprinkle with the pickling spice seasoning packet.
- Braise! After the corned beef has finished smoking, place it in the dutch oven on top of the vegetables. Braise the corned beef and cabbage, onions, and carrots at a low temperature for 4-5 hours. Adding in potatoes for a fully rounded meal is totally optional. The potatoes go in during the last two hours of cooking so they don’t get mushy. You can also test your vegetables and remove them at any time if they are getting too soft (you can also add your veggies later if you like everything al dente).
- Rest and serve. The roast is done cooking when it has reached an internal temperature of 205-210 degrees F. Remove it from the pot and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slice and return to the pot to serve.
More Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipes
Digging the corned beef and cabbage combo to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Try out these other tasty recipes from Hey Grill Hey!
Home Cured Corned Beef
Bacon Wrapped Smoked Cabbage
Smoked Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe
Follow the recipe below and let’s make something delicious! I’m all about helping you make better BBQ, feed the people you love, and become a BBQ hero. If you want to see more of my recipes, tips, and behind the scenes action, follow along on my social channels. You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube!
Corned Beef and Cabbage with Braised Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1 3-5 lb corned beef roast brisket or round
- 1 tablespoon pickling spice
- 1 yellow onion sliced
- 1 cup baby carrots
- 1 small head green cabbage quartered
- 3 cups beef stock
- 1 1/2 pounds potatoes washed and cubed
Instructions
- Before cooking, remove your corned beef from the brine and rinse any excess liquid from the surface of the roast. Start up your smoker and shoot for a temperature around 250 degrees F. Place the roast on your grill, close the lid and smoke for 3 hours.
- While the roast is smoking, prepare the vegetable and braising liquid. Place the onions and carrots in the bottom of a heavy dutch oven pot. Position the cabbage quarters on top of the carrots and onions. Pour the beef broth over the vegetables and sprinkle with the pickling spice seasoning packet.
- After the roast has smoked for 3 hours remove it from the grill and place it on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle the roast with additional pickling spice, if desired. Cover the dutch oven with a lid and return to the grill or oven with the temperature set at 250 degrees F. Braise for 4-5 hours or until the internal temperature of the roast is 205-210 degrees F.
- During the last two hours of braising, add in 1 1/2 pounds of washed and cubed potatoes or whole fingerling potatoes to the braising liquid.
- Remove the roast and allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Return the sliced corned beef to the vegetables in the pot and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
**This post was originally published March 2015. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.
Cooking for next week with home-cured recipe. Should you desalinate the beef before smoking, like you do with pastrami? Or will braising take care of that?
Hi! I just picked up a 5.73lb Flat cut corned Beef Brisket from Costco, do I need to adjust the smoke and braise times?
No you should be fine. Make sure you’re cooking to temperature instead of by time and make sure you give yourself plenty of extra time just in case.
Hopefully I can get an answer to this ASAP as I’m putting it in now, but I had to get two 1 1/2 pound corned beefs rather than a one 3 pounder. Does this alter the cooking times at all?
I figured it out. I just reduced the smoking part by 45 min and then the braising part by an hour. Meat got to temp before braising was done so moved to a separate tray with some broth and wrapped. Let me tell you, this was some of the most delicious corned beef I’ve ever had. Beautiful touch of cherry wood smoke, super juicy and flavorful. Melt in your mouth good. Thanks for the recipe. Everyone stay safe and healthy in these crazy times.
Can you smoke the corned beef for the entire process, skipping the braising?
You could, but would be missing out on the flavor from the pickling spices. Also, after 2 or 3 hours it’s a good idea to wrap the meat in parchment or butcher paper (not freezer paper, which is waxed on 1 side)…it’ll help keep the brisket from drying out. And always, no matter the cooking method, fat side up. It’ll naturally baste the meat. Hope this helps.
I don’t believe the pickling spices permeate the meat but they do add flavor to your veggies IMHO
Made this yesterday and although I don’t care for corned beef my entire family loved it and said it’s the best they ever had. We normally just boil the crap out of a pre packaged corned beef in a pot of water with the spice packet and vegetables. I had a 5# and no leftovers which is a first. Nice job girl !!
One question. One should not brine a store bought corned beef brisket that has it’s own solution in the package correct? If not, what cut of beef should be selected for the brine recipe?
Correct! For this recipe I used a brisket flat and it worked perfectly, but you can use a brisket point or a bottom round roast as well!
Many Thanks for your incredible culinary talent! I will have to get on board with a membership because our super bowl party was over the top simply due to your smoked candied bacon recipe! Cheers Girl!
I followed your cure recipe for the corned beef and it was absolutely fantastic!! Delicious!!
What type of wood pellets do you use. Would be great if you added that to the recipes.
I used cherry and it was really good.
Can I finish it in a crock pot? If so how long and on low or medium?
Absolutely! I would say low heat for 6 hours, medium for 4-5, or high for 2-3 hours.
Looks yummy! Can’t wait to try it!!