Corned Beef Cooking Guide

Smoker Directions:

The night before smoking the Corned Beef Brisket
Remove the meat from the package and place in a large, seal lock bag. Add 2 quarts of water to the bag and seal. This will prevent the smoked Corned Beef Brisket from becoming overly salty during the cook process, while helping to maintain its full flavor. Place the sealed bag in refrigerator for 12 hours, being sure not to exceed 24 hours.

After the soak
Remove the Corned Beef Brisket from the bag and discard the water.

Preheat the smoker to 225°F.

Place the Corned Beef Brisket fat side up in the smoker.

Smoke the Corned Beef Brisket until it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.
Once it hits the targeted temperature, remove from smoker and wrap the meat in either pink butcher paper or aluminum foil. This method (called the Texas Crutch) will help push the brisket through the stall phase of cooking, without compromising the flavor or quality of the meat. Return the wrapped brisket to the smoker and increase the temperature to 250°F.

For optimal tenderness
Cook the Corned Beef Brisket until it reaches an internal temperature of 203°F, then remove it from the smoker.

Place the smoked corned beef on a cutting board, cover with foil, and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Slice against the grain and serve.

Oven Directions:

Remove Corned Beef from package
and place on rack in roasting pan with 1” of water.

Cover pan
and seal with foil to trap moisture.

Cook in oven at 275°F for 3 - 4 hours
or until firmly fork tender. Internal temperature should be at least 160°F for food safety; for optimal tenderness, cook to an internal temperature of 190°F.

Remove meat from oven
and let rest for 5 – 10 minutes. Slice thinly across the grain and serve.

Easy Stovetop Directions:

Remove Corned Beef from package
and place in large pot with enough water to cover the meat.

Bring water to boil.
For a more robust flavor, cut open the spice pack and add desired amount of enclosed spice packet to water.

Reduce to simmer and cover.
Simmer for approx. 2 1/2 – 3 hours or until firmly fork tender. Internal temperature should be at least 160°F for food safety; for optimal tenderness, cook to an internal temperature of 190°F.

Remove meat from pot
and let rest for 5 – 10 minutes. Slice thinly across the grain and serve.

Crock Pot/Slow Cooker Directions:

Remove Corned Beef from package
and place in crock pot and completely cover with water.

Cover and cook
for approximately 11 hours on low or 5 hours on high, or until firmly fork tender. Please note that crock pot cooking times may vary greatly depending upon brand and style. It is important to check the meat with a meat thermometer to ensure it has reached at least 160°F for food safety; for optimal tenderness, cook to an internal temperature of 190°F. For best results, monitor at regular intervals. Slice thinly across the grain.

Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker Directions:

Remove Corned Beef from package
and place in pressure cooker with enough water to cover.

Attach the lid and cook
at full pressure for 70 minutes. Bring pressure down and remove the lid. Add vegetables such as cabbage, potatoes, and carrots to the pot. Bring to full pressure and cook 15 additional minutes then release pressure and remove the lid. The corned beef and vegetables should all be fork tender . Internal temperature should be at least 160°F for food safety; for optimal tenderness, cook to an internal temperature of 190°F.

Remove meat from pressure cooker
and let rest for 5 – 10 minutes. Slice across the grain.

Air Fryer Directions:

Remove Corned Beef from package
and place on the rack. Or, to add flavor rub the raw corned beef with mustard and sprinkle the top side with brown sugar, then place on the rack.

To make clean-up easier, consider lining the rack with aluminum foil.

Close the air fryer and set the temp. to 350°F and cook for approximately 90 – 120 minutes.

Please note that cooking times may vary across different brands and models.

For food safety and tenderness, cook to internal temperature of 160°F; for optimal tenderness cook to 190°F internal.

When the meat has reached the desire temperature, remove it from the air fryer and place on a cutting board. Allow the meat to rest for 20 minutes. Slice across the grain into ¼ inch slices and serve.