Instant Pot Corned Beef Brisket is very easy and cooks to a juicy, tender consistency with fantastic flavor. A great vegetable trick ensures firm, cooked vegetables making an easy full dinner recipe!
Making Instant Pot Corned Beef Brisket is so easy and also tenderizes the brisket faster thanks to pressure cooking.
A special twist gives great flavor and tenderizes it further: cooking the Instant Pot Corned Beef in beer!
Though not a traditional Irish recipe to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, it is a popular American recipe for the holiday and for good reason!
Jump to:
- What is Corned Beef Brisket?
- Ingredients in Instant Pot Corned Beef with Vegetables
- What Beer to Use for Instant Pot Corned Beef ?
- Tips for Preparing Instant Pot Corned Beef
- The Instant Pot I Use
- Love Corned Beef Brisket? Buy it Now!
- How to Make Instant Pot Corned Beef – Step by Step:
- Mind-Blowing Instant Pot Tips You Need to Know!
- More recipes you’ll love!
- Recipe
What is Corned Beef Brisket?
Corned Beef Brisket is a brine-cured beef brisket. The brining adds both flavor and makes it very pink in color.
Once cooked the corned beef has a perfect texture for slicing and eating as a main dish or thinly for sandwiches.
Corned Beef brisket is sold pre-packaged in brine with a specific seasoning packet to cook with it giving it a signature flavor.
Once cooked the Instant Pot Corned Beef Brisket has a mixture of salty, meaty, and tangy flavors thanks to the brining and cooking processes.
Ingredients in Instant Pot Corned Beef with Vegetables
The addition of vegetables make this a full meal in one pot.
The ingredient list for this recipe is short and simple:
- 2-3 pound Corned Beef Brisket
- Yellow Onion
- Garlic Cloves
- Dark Ale (recommendations below)
- 1 Seasoning Packet that comes with the corned beef
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- 6 qt Instant Pot
Please check the recipe card below for specifics.
What Beer to Use for Instant Pot Corned Beef ?
I recommend using a dark beer for this recipe. Guinness is a perfect choice.
If gluten-free: I used Green’s Gluten-Free Dubbel Dark Ale.
If Holidaily Brewing Co. gluten-free beers are available in your area, Riva Stout is a a great choice.
Note for Non-Beer Drinkers
For those of you who are not into beer, the Instant Pot Corned Beef Brisket does not come out TASTING like beer so never fear.
You also can’t get drunk from eating it.
Substitution Option: If you feel strongly about not using beer you can substitute water or chicken stock (beef stock is very strong tasting and I think will affect the end flavor of the brisket).
Tips for Preparing Instant Pot Corned Beef
Corned beef brisket is a saltier, fattier cut of meat.
When you buy it, it will have already been brined and the liquid in the package is brine as well.
The brined brisket should be thoroughly rinsed before cooking. It can also be soaked for an hour before cooking to release even more salt.
If you have a very fatty cut, you can trim the excess fat before cooking (it’s easy to trim after cooking too).
Also place the fatty side down in the Instant Pot.
I chose to cook the brisket in beer which I have found makes it more tender and flavorful.
The Instant Pot I Use
(Because you asked….) I use this Instant Pot
Love Corned Beef Brisket? Buy it Now!
With St. Patrick’s Day coming soon corned beef brisket is available in most grocery stores.
Did you know most stores do not carry it year-round?
If you love corned beef brisket, buy extra and stick it in your freezer now so you can make Instant Pot Corned Beef ANYtime!
How to Make Instant Pot Corned Beef – Step by Step:
Cooking Instant Pot Corned Beef is so easy!
Please refer to the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
- Add the rack to the insert of a 6 quart Instant Pot
- Cover the rack with onions cut into wedges and garlic.
- Place the corned beef brisket fatty side down on top of the vegetables
- Sprinkle the spices that came with the brisket on top of the corned beef.
- Pour the beer (gluten-free or regular) around the brisket in the Instant Pot.
- Seal the lid and cook the brisket at High Pressure for 90 minutes.
- Do a quick release and remove the brisket to rest.
- Add the prepared carrots and potatoes to the Instant Pot; and cook on Manual High Pressure for three minutes.
- Remove the vegetables and slice the brisket for serving!
TIP: Adding the vegetables just at the end ensures they are cooked but still firm and delicious!
Mind-Blowing Instant Pot Tips You Need to Know!
After developing Instant Pot recipes for the past few years, I’ve uncovered some unexpected, useful tips I think you’ll want to know!
Sign-Up below and I’ll tell you all my Instant Pot secrets!
No Instant Pot? No Problem!
For those who have not jumped on the Instant Pot bandwagon, this Slow Cooker Beer-Simmered Corned Beef and Vegetables recipe is also fantastic way to prepare it.
More recipes you’ll love!
Recipe
Instant Pot Corned Beef Brisket Recipe
Ingredients
- 2-3 pound Corned Beef Brisket
- 1 medium Yellow Onion peeled and cut into wedges
- 3 Garlic Cloves peeled and chopped
- 1 ½ cups (12 fluid ounces) Dark Ale (I used Green’s Gluten-Free Dubbel Dark Ale; if not gluten-free I suggest Guinness)
- 1 Seasoning Packet that comes with the corned beef
- 2 (1 pound) Potatoes peeled and cubed into 1-inch cubes
- 2 large Carrots peeled and cut into 1 ½-inch lengths
- 6 qt Instant Pot
Instructions
Cooking the Corned Beef Brisket
- Insert the rack into the Instant Pot.
- Add the onion and garlic to the 6-quart Instant Pot distributing it evenly on the bottom.
- Remove the Corned Beef Brisket from the package, reserve the spice packet and rinse the meat thoroughly.
- Place the brisket in the Instant Pot on the lift-out rack (if there is a fattier side put that facing down) on top of the onions and garlic and sprinkle the seasonings evenly on top of the brisket and around it in the pot.
- Pour in the beer around the edges of the Instant Pot (to keep the spices on the brisket in place).
- Add the lid to the Instant Pot, select MANUAL High Pressure (default pressure setting) and 90 minutes.
- When done, do a QUICK RELEASE of the pressure, remove the brisket, brush the seasoning from the top of the brisket (more difficult to remove when it has cooled) and allow to rest.
Cooking the Vegetables
- Add the potatoes (on the bottom) and carrots (on top of the potatoes) to the Instant Pot.
- Seal and select MANUAL for 3 minutes on High Pressure.
- When done do a QUICK RELEASE and remove vegetables with a slotted spoon.
To Serve
- Slice the Corned Beef across the grain and serve on a platter with the vegetables. The cooking juices may be spooned over the meat to keep it moist.
Video
Nutrition
Originally published March 2, 2017
Sinisa says
Looks so delicious. Good recipe to try with instant pot.
Anne says
I was reading through your recipe to see if I could make it in my Cuisinart electric pressure cooker, and I see that your initial cooking time is 90 minutes. I suspect that’s an error–I hope it’s not too late for you to correct the recipe! It certainly looks good. Thanks!
Toni Dash says
Hi Anne, no error on the cooking time. A brisket takes all day long to make conventionally and usually 8-10 hours in a slow cooker. Making it in the Instant Pot in 90 minutes may seem long since most ‘IP” recipes are short but it’s actually a very fast time for this cut of meat. It turns out so plump, tender and flavorful!
Anne says
Wow! Thanks, Toni. I’m just getting used to my pressure cooker, and nothing I’ve made so far has taken nearly that long to cook. Thanks for clarifying it for me! Now all I need is to find some nice corned beef on sale. 🙂
Toni Dash says
It’s hard to believe I know since everything else seems to take 4.35 minutes right? Brisket just is a long cooking piece of meat. I have seen other shorter recipes but this one is fantastic (even when doing it wrong it seems from my experience shared in the blog post LOL). Since we can be doing other things while it cooks, to me a few more minutes don’t bother me much.
Randa says
Oh yum! Corned beef is so good and I can imagine it’s even better they way you’ve cooked it in beer. I must try this recipe.
MJ.L says
I love my instant pot so I will have to try this recipe!
Ann Bacciaglia says
I bought an Instant Pot a few months ago and I love it. I will have to get the ingredients I need to make this on the weekend.
Diana Rambles says
Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day. I must pin this!!
Cacinda says
My sister just bought an instant pot and I am so jealous. I should send her this recipe so she can have me over for dinner haha.
Toni Dash says
I think that is an excellent idea Cacinda! You can do it in a loving way as though you knew she’d love something new to make in her fantastic new Instant Pot. It will be our little secret!
Reesa Lewandowski says
Oh my! I really am behind with this instant pot craze. This looks amazing!!
Jennifer says
Oh yummy! This looks like such a great dinner. I have been wanting to buy an instant pot for a while – they are awesome!
Mama to 6 Blessings says
I am drooling! That looks amazing, I need to try this recipe fir my family