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This sous vide corned beef is an absolute game changer! If your a fan of this Instant Pot corned beef and cabbage, you're going to LOVE this version.
It's ultra tender and buttery soft, with that traditional corned beef flavor that we all love.
Now, true to the sous vide method, it takes a bit to cook this corned beef...but it's 99% hands off and is totally worth that bit of extra waiting time.
The long cook gives the corned beef a texture that is just about fork tender. And the seared exterior gives that extra caramelization and crispness that makes this dish perfect.
Plus, don't miss the instructions on roasting the most incredible cabbage and carrots to go with this and make the perfect St. Patrick's Day meal!
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What is Sous Vide?
Sous vide is basically a method of cooking using what is called an immersion circulator (i.e. the sous vide machine). This immersion circulator circulates water in a temperature controlled water bath at a certain temperature to perfectly cook your food every time.
Because the temperature doesn't change, and it keeps your meat (or dessert, veggies, etc.) at the same temperature, your risk of overcooking becomes very minimal.
To learn even more about sous vide cooking, head over and read "what is sous vide cooking and the benefits of sous vide cooking."
If you don't have a lot of experience cooking sous vide yet, you may want to pop over and read what sous vide cooking is and the benefits of sous vide cooking.
Tools Used
You will also want to check out these posts on the best sous vide containers and the best sous vide bags for more information!
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Why This Recipe Works
- Cooking the corned beef low and slow gives it the most amazing buttery texture.
- Rinsing the corned beef before cooking it prevents it from getting too salty while cooking.
- It's great served on it's own, but also awesome used in fried rice, in this chicken congee or these grits.
- It's easy to make in advance so your meal can be super easy to serve!
Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and amounts is included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
I use a point cut corned beef brisket (including the seasoning packet) in this recipe for the best results (see below for the difference between flat and point cut).
A touch of beef stock and a chopped onion add a little extra flavor, but the corned beef itself has a ton of flavor and does not need much more!
Point Cut vs. Flat Cut
The point cut of a brisket tends to be thicker an contains more fat than the flat cut. The flat cut is, well, flatter and also contains less fat and more connective tissue.
I recommend using a point cut for this recipe as the extra fat will help give the corned beef more flavor.
However, the point cut can be more difficult to find sometimes, so the flat cut will still work if that's all you can find.
Cooking Options
This recipe call for cooking the brisket for 48 hours at 145F degrees as I believe it results in a tender, buttery consistency that is amazing. Here are some other cooking options you can try as well:
| 140-145F degrees | 36-48 hours | Ultra tender, buttery and sliceable - great for sandwiches! |
| 155F degrees | 24-36 hours | Tender a sliceable, with a little more moisture loss. |
| 165F degrees | 12-24 hours | Tender, flakier and more fall-apart |
| 180F degrees | 10-12 hours | Most moisture loss, but closest to "traditional" corned beef texture - fall-apart with more grain. |
Step by Step Instructions
Heat a sous vide water bath to 145F degrees.
Rinse the corned beef thoroughly and let it soak in cool water for 30-60 minutes.
**It's important to rinse the brisket as the solution it is in is very salty and will add extra salt to the corned beef while cooking that we don't want. Typically, corned beef is boiled in water or liquid which reduces the salt, but because we don't do that here we want to eliminate some of the excess salt before cooking.
Rinse again and place in a vacuum seal bag (or freezer bag if using the water displacement method) with the seasoning packet, beef stock and onion.
Seal and cook in the water bath for 48 hours.
Remove from the bag and pat dry.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil.
Brown the brisket for 1-2 minutes on each side and remove.
Slice and serve with roasted cabbage and carrots (below) or one of the amazing recipes listed below!
How to Roast Cabbage and Carrots:
Heat the oven to 400F degrees.
Chop 1 head of cabbage into 8 pieces and place on a baking sheet.
Chop 6-8 carrots into 2" pieces and place on a baking sheet.
Drizzle the cabbage and carrots with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.
Use your hands to massage the oil, salt and pepper into the vegetables.
Roast for 30-40 minutes, flipping everything over halfway through.
Serve with corned beef.
Serving Options
Corned beef can honestly be served so many different ways, you've got your traditional corned beef and cabbage like we showed you above, or you can service it with some of these options:
- Serve it with these Instant Pot cabbage, Instant Pot carrots, Instant Pot creamed corn, garlic mashed potatoes,
- Use it in place of spam for in this spam and eggs, or chopped up in this breakfast fried rice,
- Make sous vide pastrami and/or serve it on sandwiches,
- Serve with Instant Pot scalloped potatoes or Crockpot au gratin potatoes,
- Chop it up and serve it in tacos with this green salsa.
Expert Tips
- Make sure to rinse the corned beef and soak for at least 30 minutes to remove any excess salt before putting it in the water bath.
- Make it ahead of time and store in the fridge for 1-2 weeks (in the bag) or freezer until ready to use. Heat for 30-60 minutes in a 145F sous vide water bath.
- Make sure the corned beef stay submerged while cooking - otherwise you risk it cooking unevenly and can also promote bacteria growth in the bag. Use a sous vide sinker weight if your bag is floating.
- You can also place the cooked corned beef under the broiler (or over a grill) instead of using a cast iron skillet to brown it.
Frequently Asked Questions
For the most tender, buttery results, it is best to sous vide corned beef for 48 hours at a temperature of 145F degrees. Some recipes call for cooking for 10 hours at 180F degrees, but I find the meat comes out less tender that way.
The best temperature to sous vide corned beef is 145F degrees. It is high enough so the fat cooks down, but doesn't allow to the meat to overcook.
I do not recommend cooking it straight from the package as it should be rinsed before cooking it in a water bath to avoid it becoming too salty.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Thaw frozen leftover in the fridge overnight before reheating. Can reheat right in the microwave, or place in a freezer bag and reheat in a 140F degree water bath.
If you love this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below and let us know your favorite thing about it. We'd also love to connect on Instagram! Follow us at @went_here_8_this for awesome recipes and all sorts of fun food stuff 🙂
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Recipe
Sous Vide Corned Beef
Ingredients
- 1 3-5 pound corned beef brisket with seasoning packet
- 1 medium onion chopped
- ⅓ cup beef stock
Instructions
- Heat a sous vide water bath to 145F degrees.
- Rinse the corned beef thoroughly and let it soak in cool water for 30-60 minutes.
- Rinse again and place in a vacuum seal bag (or freezer bag if using the water displacement method - see post above) with the seasoning packet, beef stock and onion.
- Seal and cook in the water bath for 48 hours.
- Remove from the bag and pat dry.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil.
- Brown the brisket for 1-2 minutes on each side and remove.
- Slice and serve with cabbage and carrots optional).
How to Roast Cabbage and Carrots:
- Heat the oven to 400F degrees.
- Chop 1 head of cabbage into 8 pieces and place on a baking sheet.
- Chop 6-8 carrots into 2" pieces and place on a baking sheet.
- Drizzle the cabbage and carrots with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.
- Use your hands to massage the oil, salt and pepper into the vegetables.
- Roast for 30-40 minutes, flipping everything over halfway through.
- Serve with corned beef.
Expert Tips:
- Make sure to rinse the corned beef and soak for at least 30 minutes to remove any excess salt before putting it in the water bath.
- Make it ahead of time and store in the fridge for 1-2 weeks (in the bag) or freezer until ready to use. Heat for 30-60 minutes in a 145F sous vide water bath.
- Make sure the corned beef stay submerged while cooking - otherwise you risk it cooking unevenly and can also promote bacteria growth in the bag. Use a sous vide sinker weight if your bag is floating.
- You can also place the cooked corned beef under the broiler (or over a grill) instead of using a cast iron skillet to brown it.
Nutrition
Slimbo says
Thanks Danielle, the wait was well worth it best corned beef I ever had. Need to learn to corn my own beef if I could wait 2 days cooking makes 3 weeks Corning not sound so bad. Even had hot loaf rye bread right on time. Got garlic confetti going now figured water temp was about there. Thanks again
Danielle says
So glad you enjoyed it!!
Slimbo says
This is painful watching the corned beef laying on the bottom of cooker
I need to find a new hobby been watching it cook for only 6 hours now. Got some time to go I'll let you know what I think after it's done.
Danielle says
I know the time can be hard when you're ready to eat it 🙂 Hope you love it!
heidi says
This turned out so good! I wanted to do a test run before st patricks day and I cannot wait to impress everyone with this recipe!
Danielle says
SO glad to hear it! Hope they all enjoy it 🙂