Everyone I have made this Slow Cooker Apple and Brown Sugar Corned Beef and Cabbage goes absolutely crazy for it! People have told me again and again they’ve never even liked corned beef and cabbage before trying this recipe. Not only is it the best corned beef and cabbage you’ll ever eat, but it takes no time or effort to throw together and it cooks by itself in the crockpot!
THE STORY BEHIND SLOW COOKER APPLE AND BROWN SUGAR CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE
Whenever I make this corned beef and cabbage I think about coming home from the hospital with Clara, my first born. She was born on March 15th, and St. Patrick’s Day was the day I was released from the hospital. Being a first time mother, I was definitely feeling awestruck, overwhelmed, hormonal, and frazzled after just giving birth.
Those feelings were quickly pushed aside, though, to make room for more pressing issues such as, it’s-St.-Patrick’s-Day-and-I-need-to-eat-the-best-corned-beef-and-cabbage-in-the-world.
Momentous life changing event, or not, I wasn’t going to let the only day of the year to ceremoniously eat corned beef and cabbage and the best ever Irish soda bread pass me by. Luckily, I had culinary back-ups with me in the form of my mom and sister who flew out to help with the new baby and cook delicious food for us.
They started the corned beef in the slow cooker and I beckoned an arsenal of friends to come over and eat it with us. Note to all you prospective new mothers out there, it’s probably not in your best interest to host a St. Patrick’s Day party two days after giving birth, but what did I know at the time? I was cloud-nine due to a healthy baby girl, and people aren’t always known to make the most rational decisions on St. Patrick’s Day.
There’s probably quite a lot of us, especially as kids, who have sucked it up and ate corned beef and cabbage because it’s St. Patrick’s Day. Besides wearing green and randomly pinching people, it’s just what you do. If your kids refuse to eat it, keep forcing it on them. I guarantee they will eat it with gusto when they get older.
If you’ve never particularly enjoyed corned beef and cabbage, or eat it out of pure obligation, this recipe is for you. I swear to you it has converted so many people into corned beef enthusiasts.
This post contains affiliate links. My opinions are always my own. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I make a small commission – at no cost to you – which helps justify to my family all the time I spend on the computer.
TIPS FOR MAKING SLOW COOKER APPLE AND BROWN SUGAR CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE:
- Save yourself a lot of unnecessary food angst and double the recipe in two crockpots, especially if you are having company. Corned beef shrinks during cooking and you will want to feel satiated after waiting all day (frankly, all year) to eat it.
- If cabbage is your favorite veggie to eat with the corned beef (like me), you will have a hard time stuffing it all in slow cooker. I usually shove as much as I possibly can in the slow cooker and then the lid doesn’t fit securely on top. NO WORRIES! Just cover the top with foil, place the lid on top of the foil, and as it cooks everything will reduce in size. You can leave the foil on for the duration of the cooking.
- Make sure you use a large slow cooker (see #2)! I use a 6 quart slow cooker, and I have to regularly use foil in place of the lid for everything to fit. If you don’t have a large slow cooker, consider not going so crazy with cabbage, like I do. 🤗
- If you don’t have a large enough slow cooker, or want an amazing stand-alone potato recipe, sometimes I just leave out the potatoes and cook them separately with this recipe. Personally, I prefer the taste of the potatoes this way even better!
SAVE THIS SLOW COOKER APPLE AND BROWN SUGAR CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE TO YOUR PINTEREST BOARD!
And let’s be friends on Pinterest! I’m always pinning great recipes!
- 2-2 1/2 lbs. small red potatoes
- 1 lb. baby carrots
- 1 small cabbage, cut in wedges
- 3 lb. flat cut corned beef
- 1 quart apple juice
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp. stone ground mustard
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Put potatoes on bottom of large 6 quart slow cooker. Layer carrots, meat, and then cabbage wedges on top (you may have to slice the cabbage wedges thinner to fit everything in slow cooker).
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Whisk together the apple juice, brown sugar, and mustard. If you have a seasoning packet that came with your corned beef you can throw that in there too. Pour over everything in the slow cooker.
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Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high 4-5 hours until meat is very tender. Slice beef against the grain and serve with vegetables.
Sometimes I have been very aggressive with the amount of veggies and meat I put in the slow cooker. The lid may not fit securely at first, but as it cooks everything will shrink, and the lid will fall on snuggly. If it really doesn't close at all, I have covered the slow cooker with foil under the lid. SEE TIPS ABOVE RECIPE CARD
❊SHOP THE RECIPE❊
Here are some items I used to make this recipe:
6-quart Slow Cooker Ι 2-quart Measuring Cup Ι Serving Platter
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This post contains affiliate links. My opinions are always my own. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I make a small commission – at no cost to you – which helps justify to my family all the time I spend on the computer.
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