Corned Beef & Cabbage
Corned beef brisket simmered low and slow with its spice packet until fork-tender, served with buttery cabbage wedges and tender radishes in place of the potatoes.
Nutrition per serving
about 4 oz (115 g) corned beef with vegetables- Net carbs
- 8.5g
- Calories
- 424kcal
- Protein
- 27g
- Fat
- 29g
- Total carbs
- 13 g
- Fiber
- 4.7 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
With turnips: Turnips are a little starchier than radishes and taste even more like boiled potatoes, for about 2 g more net carbs per plate.
- Add the turnips with the carrot and simmer 15–20 minutes, until a knife slides through, before adding the cabbage.
Reuben-style bake: Sauerkraut instead of cabbage and melted Swiss on top, with a quick Russian dressing — everything you love about a Reuben, minus the rye bread.
- Skip the cabbage. Slice the rested beef, layer it in a baking dish with the sauerkraut and cover with the Swiss. Broil 3–4 minutes, until the cheese bubbles.
- Stir the mayonnaise, ketchup and pickle into a Russian dressing and drizzle it over. Serve the buttered radishes and carrot alongside.
- Corned beef
- Vegetables
- Nice to have (optional)
- Corned beef
- Vegetables
- Nice to have (optional)
- Corned beef
- Vegetables
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $25.67 for 6 servings ($4.28 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Rinse the brisket under cold water to wash off the surface brine. Put it in a large pot with the contents of the spice packet, the onion, garlic and bay leaves and add cold water to cover by 1 inch (2.5 cm).
-
Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then lower the heat to a bare simmer. Partially cover and cook 2½–3 hours (about 50 minutes per pound), until a fork slides into the thickest part with little resistance. It is safe long before that point (145°F/63°C); the long simmer is for tenderness.
-
Transfer the beef to a board, tent with foil and rest at least 15 minutes. Keep the cooking liquid at a simmer.
-
Add the radishes and carrot to the pot and simmer 10 minutes. Add the cabbage wedges and simmer 10–15 minutes more, until everything is tender but the wedges still hold together.
-
Lift the vegetables out with a slotted spoon, brush or drizzle with the melted butter and season with pepper. Taste before adding salt — the cooking liquid is already salty.
-
Slice the beef thinly against the grain and serve with the vegetables, mustard and a sprinkle of parsley.
Tips for success
-
No spice packet? Use 1 tablespoon of pickling spice, or a mix of mustard seeds, coriander seeds, peppercorns and a crumbled bay leaf. - Flat cut slices neatly and is leaner; point cut is fattier and shreds more easily. Both work.
- Leftovers make a terrific hash: dice the beef and fry it with the radishes in butter until crisp, like our radish breakfast hash.
Nice to have, not needed
- A slow cooker works: cook the beef on low 8–9 hours, adding the radishes and carrot for the last 2 hours and the cabbage for the last hour.
- Prepared horseradish stirred into sour cream makes a sharp, creamy sauce — mustard alone is fine.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Freezes up to 2 months
Reheat: Warm slices covered with a splash of the cooking liquid at 300°F (150°C) for 10–12 minutes; reheat the vegetables in a skillet with butter.
Prep tip: Save a cup of the cooking liquid with the leftovers — it keeps the sliced beef moist.
Refrigerate the beef and vegetables up to 4 days. Freeze the sliced beef with a little cooking liquid up to 2 months; the cabbage doesn't freeze well.
Variations
2 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosWith turnips
SwapTurnips are a little starchier than radishes and taste even more like boiled potatoes, for about 2 g more net carbs per plate.
- radishes → turnips
11 g net · 433 kcal · 27 g protein · 29 g fat · ≈$4.16 per serving (+2.2 g net carbs vs the original)
Reuben-style bake
FlavorSauerkraut instead of cabbage and melted Swiss on top, with a quick Russian dressing — everything you love about a Reuben, minus the rye bread.
- green cabbage → sauerkraut
- + 4 oz sliced Swiss cheese
- + 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- + 1 tbsp sugar-free ketchup
- + 2 tbsp dill pickle
6.3 g net · 546 kcal · 31 g protein · 42 g fat · ≈$4.85 per serving (−2.2 g net carbs vs the original)
Save it for later
Pin this recipe to your keto board so it’s there when you plan next week.
Save to Pinterest
