Forget complicated cooking methods and lengthy ingredient lists; this incredibly easy slow cooker corned beef brisket recipe results in tender, melt-in-your-mouth corned beef with minimal effort. Simply place everything into your slow cooker, set it, and walk away. The real magic happens when the slowly cooked corned beef is glazed with a sweet and spicy mixture of brown sugar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and horseradish. A quick bake in the oven transforms this sauce into a golden, bubbly delight, creating a memorable corned beef dish that is sure to be a family favorite.
I’m still living in a corned beef dreamland. Y’all have heard me talk over and over again about my never-ending love for brisket, and I’m afraid that once again you are going to have to suffer through yet another recipe for crockpot corned beef. Sorry, not sorry. I’ll be kind enough to even warn you that I have yet another brisket peacefully slumbering in my freezer right at this moment. I’m just trying to figure out in my head what to do with it, and once I eventually do, I promise y’all will be the first to know.
This recipe is so darn simple. I mean, we’re talking throwing a brisket in a crockpot, covering it with water, sprinkling on some brown sugar and peppercorns, and then letting that baby cook, cook, cook. After 8 to 10 hours, carefully lift the tender brisket out of the crockpot, remove any fat or peppercorns, and then slather on the sauce before baking for 10 minutes. I’m pretty sure you can handle that, right? I’m fairly certain that it would be almost impossible to mess this recipe up.
Does it really matter that it’s not St. Patrick’s Day? Keep checking your local market to see if you can find a brisket for a great deal and then get to crockpotting. Yes, I did just use the word crockpotting. Is that even a thing? Maybe not, but it is now. I expect each and every one of you to make this Crockpot Monday recipe, and afterward, comment on how gosh-darn fabulous it tasted. I’m serious. Get to crockpotting. I’ll be right here waiting for you to get back to me.
Ingredients:
Corned Beef Brisket:
- 1 Corned Beef Brisket
- Water
- 2 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar, Packed
- 1 Teaspoon Whole Black Peppercorns
Sauce:
- 1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
- 1 Tablespoon Horseradish
Directions:
Corned Beef Brisket:
- Place the corned beef brisket fat side down in a crockpot, and then cover with water by 1 inch.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar and peppercorns over the corned beef.
- Cover with lid; cook for 8 to 10 hours on low heat.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Carefully remove the brisket from the crockpot, scrape off the layer of fat, remove any peppercorns, and then place in an oven-safe baking dish.
Sauce:
- Whisk together all ingredients until smooth.
- Slather the cooked brisket with the sauce and bake for 10 minutes.
Suggestions:
- There are two different cuts of corned beef; the point cut and the flat cut. The point cut is marbled with fat and has connective tissue running through its length. The flat cut is leaner and has a thin layer of fat called a fat cap that will help to keep it moist. In my opinion, using the flat cut is always the way to go when making corned beef.
- Try to purchase a corned beef brisket that will easily fit inside your crockpot. If the brisket is too large, slice off any excess corned beef. You can save the excess corned beef for later use or you can simply place it on top of the larger piece of brisket, fat side up. The smaller piece of brisket will help keep the larger piece of brisket submerged in cooking liquid.
- A 3-pound to 4-pound corned beef brisket will take 8 to 10 hours to cook on low heat in a crockpot. You can cook corned beef on high heat in a crockpot, however, I don’t suggest it. Low and slow ensures that the corned beef will be tender.
- Make sure to remove any peppercorns that may be stuck to the brisket. Trust me, no one needs nor wants to bite into a whole peppercorn.
- Cut the corned beef brisket against the grain to make slices, or use two forks to shred it for sandwiches.
- If you don’t plan on eating all of the corned beef the day you make it, leave the fat cap on the part you plan on refrigerating for later consumption. This will help the meat stay moist. Make sure to spoon a little bit of the crockpot liquid over the corned beef as well.
Improvements:
- Serve with additional horseradish.
- CLICK HERE to find 7 No-Yeast Bread Recipes for St. Patrick’s Day.
- Thinly slice this corned beef to make Reuben sandwiches.
- Serve alongside this Sexy Irish Butter Oven-Roasted Cabbage or this Zesty Oven-Roasted Cabbage.
Ingredients:
- 1 Corned Beef Brisket
- Water
- 2 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar, Packed
- 1 Teaspoon Whole Black Peppercorns
- 1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
- 1 Tablespoon Horseradish
Directions:
- Place the corned beef brisket fat side down in a crockpot, and then cover with water by 1 inch.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar and peppercorns over the corned beef.
- Cover with lid; cook for 8 to 10 hours on low heat.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Carefully remove the brisket from the crockpot, scrape off the layer of fat, remove any peppercorns, and then place in an oven-safe baking dish.
- Whisk together all ingredients until smooth.
- Slather the cooked brisket with the sauce and bake for 10 minutes.
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