Dijon Corned Beef in the Slow Cooker

If you are looking to make perfect crockpot corned beef then you have found your recipe! This is easy and delicious and my family just can't get enough of this amazing meal. l like how the corned beef is cooked in the slow cooker so you know it's moist and delicious no matter what!

corned beef in crockpot slow cooker recipe photo



Hey Steph, did you really cook that corned beef in the slow cooker?

How come it's not wet and slimy? Isn't corned beef supposed to be wet and slimy?

Until a few years ago, I shied away from St. Patrick's Day. I hated getting a plate full of wet meat topped with  lifeless cabbage.

(is that too harsh? I'm sorry if I've offended the soggy cabbage and wet meat lovers of the world...including my husband...)

Corned beef is quite a delicious piece of meat.

It's brined, and packed with flavor all on it's own. In this recipe, the meat cooks in it's own juice--no additional liquid is required--creating a beautifully roasted (not slimy!) meat with a sweet, mustard glaze.

The Ingredients.
serves 6

3 pounds corned beef, trimmed of fat
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared Dijon mustard
10 whole cloves (or you can use 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves)

The Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker.

Unwrap the corned beef, and remove the seasoning packet (use it in another recipe, such as roasted cabbage and potatoes) and trim as much of the fat from the meat as you can.

Rinse the corned beef under a bunch of cold water in a colander to wash away a bunch of the sodium.

(If you have time, you can even submerge the meat overnight in the fridge in a tupperware of cold water to release the excess sodium. In the morning, dump the water.)

In a small bowl,  make a paste of the honey, brown sugar, mustard, and cloves.

 Rub this mixture on all sides of the meat. Place the meat into your crockpot, and cover.

Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until meat pulls apart easily with a fork. Let sit for 15-20 minutes before slicing.

I prefer to cook my vegetables separately, but if you'd like everything in one pot, feel free to add quartered red potatoes, carrot chunks, and cabbage wedges around the meat.

Again, no need to add additional liquid.

The Verdict

This sweet and salty glazed meat will shine on your St. Patrick's Day table.

It's a winner, sure to please the picky leprechauns in your household. I like this meat so much, I'm going to  pick up a few extra corned beef packages to freeze so we can have it much more often.

other recipes you might like:

Since St. Patrick's Day is on Saturday this year, does that mean that the leprechauns need to visit our house? The teachers at school usually destruct the classroom and overturn furniture, toilet paper the play yard, and sprinkle gold glitter all over the grass. I'm up for the TPing, but I have a severe allergy to glitter...

also, I wanted to share that my friend Jen started her own 365 Day Challenge: A Year of Cocktails!

Cheer her on and submit your favorite cocktails to test out--she's got a lot of work ahead of her!

If you are looking to make perfect crockpot corned beef then you have found your recipe! This is easy and delicious and my family just can't get enough of this amazing meal. l like how the corned beef is cooked in the slow cooker so you know it's moist and delicious no matter what!

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Posted by: Stephanie O'Dea | A Year of Slow Cooking at March 10, 2017

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What they say about this article

  1. Bookmarked! This sounds like a winner.

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  2. This corned beef looks fantastic, Steph! I can totally go for your version and not the other kind (sorry, Adam!). ;-)

    Thanks, dear! Off to share! :-)
    Shirley

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  3. YES I am making this! Thank you - I can do without the wet slime! :)

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  4. My problem with corned beef is how TOUGH it is! Was this tough or did slow cooking help to soften it up? I love the flavor of corned beef, just not the texture.

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  5. @OurLittleFamily, no this wasn't tough. I let it sit for 15 minutes or so before slicing with a sharp knife, but the meat was tender enough to pull apart with a fork. Corned beef is stringier than other meat, but this definitely wouldn't be classified as tough.

    If you find that meat in general is tough in your cooker, you might be releasing too much steam/condensation. There should be a good amount of build-up on your lid. If this isn't happening, put a layer of foil down and then the lid to help trap in valuable moisture.

    I hope this helps a bit! -steph

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    Replies
    1. I would also like to add that I have made this recipe but towards the end of the crockpot cooking I take the meat out and put on a platter and spoon the sauce over the meat and then place under the broiler. Yum!

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  6. hrm.. I'm not usually a fan of corned beef. I'll do a brisket every year for St Pat's.. but I've never liked the pickling/saltiness for corned beef.. might have to give this a try, see if it helps.. though I do like the idea of the honey mustard glaze on it..
    And I agree about the soggy cabbage.. hubby only eats it raw, and I just want it barely softened

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  7. I cooked corned beef for the first time ever a while ago using a previous recipe of Steph's. I was horrified at how tough it seemed during the first hours of cooking, and amazed at how it became incredibly tender (though stringy, in a good way!) it became. I think if you've had it tough it was cooked too little or too fast! Loved it.

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  8. Stephanie, I enjoy your blog so much. It is a time saver and an idea factory. I would like to invite you to read my daughter's food blog, A Thinner Dinner.com It provides information on everyday meals for everyday people and also helps the one or two people who are trying to loose weight. One meal for the whole family.

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  9. I'm mostly in corned beef for the leftovers. Love making reuben sandwiches with it- yum yum.

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  10. I am with you on the glitter. Comedian Demetri Martin says it best - "glitter is the herpes of craft supplies". :-)

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  11. Anonymous3/10/2012

    I love corned beef... but when I made it myself at home... YUCK! (sorry Adam)

    I look forward to making this on St Patrick's Day this year! Thanks so much!!
    Blessings, ~Mrs. R

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  12. Anonymous3/12/2012

    I absolutely love my slow cooker as well, thanks for sharing so many great ideas with me! anne
    www.anniebakes.net

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  13. @bookladydivina - I add the cabbage 1/2 hour to 45 minutes from done so that it is barely soft vs fully cooked and slimey.

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  14. Leprechauns have been visiting our house for the past week thanks to my Kindergartner's homework of looking for signs of Leprechauns. So far we (I mean they) have turned the milk and oj green, left fake coins all over the house, used green crepe paper across the bedroom doors, and on Saturday morning the kids will find hair mascara in green and gold and tiny St. Patrick's themed rubber ducks. No glitter, I too am allergic to it!

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  15. I may have to try to make this one. Looks delicious.

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  16. OMG this receipe looks delish, I love slow cooking, I think I am to print this off and see if the hubby thinks this looks good and if so im going to make this!

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  17. This was delicious. The vegetables added to a 3.5 pound corned beef were 1 onion, 2 potatoes, 2 carrots and 1/3 head of cabbage. Put them on top of the corned beef and they steamed to tenderize. Did cut the cloves to 5, but other than that - no changes. Will be doing this again. Thanks for the recipe.

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  18. reader3/16/2012

    I made this as my first ever attempt to make a crockpot meal (what can I say, I aim high). 3lbs of beef with 4 big carrots, 4 diced red potatoes and some cabbage.

    I really overdid it with the carrots and shouldn't have done more than two. The sheer volume of veggies kept half the meat out of the liquid during cooking, so it ended up tougher than expected. Nothing a bit more cooking wasn't able to handle.

    The bottom half though, was AMAZING. I'm going to snatch up some leftover corned beef after the holiday, and experiment with an overnight "marinade" of sorts with your rub mixture before cooking.

    Oh, and next week I am attempting your chicken adobo recipe. :D

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  19. Got my ingredients and going to give it a shot tomorrow!

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  20. This was one of the easiest and most tasty Corned Beefs I have ever made (and the 2nd slab of meat I bought is just waiting in the fridge for me to decide if I want to freeze raw or cooked) - YUM, thanks

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  21. Thanks Stephanie for the great recipe. I made this tonight. It was excellent!! So much better than boiled corned beef that I've been making for over 15 years. This recipe is a keeper and I know I'll be making it again.

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  22. Anonymous3/18/2012

    I decided to try this recipe as a change from the traditional corned beef for St Pat's and the response was YUM!!!! I took the seasoning packets and used them (I cooked two small corned beef) in the water I used for the cabbage, potatoes & carrots rather than trying to stuff all the veggies in the crock pot. I found the flavor of the meat a bit sweet for my taste but it got rave reviews from everyone else. Since I do not limit my corned beef to the holiday I'll certainly be doing this again ;-) Thanks!!!

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  23. I made this on Saturday! Super Yummy! The family and I give it 5 stars! It is now a family favorite! =)

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  24. Hi, I made this today and it came out REALLY salty...I did not use the seasoning packet... or anything else than what you mentioned above... Is there any chance you might know what went wrong?

    Thanks!

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  25. Hi @sweetflamingocake--- I don't think you did anything wrong. Corned Beef is a salty piece of meat-- it's been cured that way. If you don't typically eat a lot of salt, it'll taste overwhelmingly salty to you.
    If you'd like to try corned beef again, and would like the salt flavor diminished, you can bring it to a boil, then discard the water before putting the meat into the slow cooker to cook thoroughly and tenderize.

    I'm sorry you had this experience--
    have a great day, steph

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  26. Thanks for the quick reply. Ya, I have made corned beef before... BUT always the boiled method.....that might be why it never was salty to me before! I will definitely give this another go!

    Thanks again!!!

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  27. Thanks Stephanie,

    You totally inspired me to try corned bee a new way this St. Patrick's day. My mom always did the boiled thing, which I like. But this was so much better. I used a special brown sugar ginger mustard I had in the pantry along with a couple of pinches of cloves and little more brown sugar. It was a winner.

    Thanks for the great recipe.

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  28. This was one of the easiest and most tasty Corned Beefs I have ever made (and the 2nd slab of meat I bought is just waiting in the fridge for me to decide if I want to freeze raw or cooked

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  29. While we always wear green on 3/17, I've never before actually cooked an Irish meal for the day. I decided I would try it out this year, and I used this recipe. I think I'm joining you on the "thanks, I'll pass" crew, but the kid loved it. He was less thrilled with those roasted veggies (I added baby carrots since I had a bunch) but life's all about mixing what you have to do with what you want to do, and so was his dinner. :)

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  30. I have this in the slow cooker right now! The sauce ingredients smell amazing!!! I can't wait for it to be done. Thanks for sharing :)

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  31. Briana4/30/2012

    i was wondering if i used regular mustard if it would mess up the recipe?

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  32. Eileen9/11/2012

    If you haven't made this, you must!
    I will never cook corned beef another way again...ever. (Well, unless Steph comes up with another idea....)
    It's truly that worthy.
    Thank you once again, Steph, for all your trials and tribulations.
    Five Stars * * * * *

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  33. I would like to try this for St. Pat's this year, but I am nervous about the brown sugar and honey. Is it VERY sweet, or does the mustard kind of balance that out? I'm curious to hear from anyone who has tried this...I've never tried corned beef with anything sweet. Thanks!

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  34. I made this last year and am looking forward to making it again. I suggest trying to find a reduced sodium cut as sodium won't leech out as it night if it were boiled in the traditional method. I used a normal cut last year and it was soooooooo salty it was almost not enjoyable.

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  35. So... I don't need to add ANY liquid to the crockpot? That seems so counterintuitive!

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  36. Hi Steph-big fan, here I meant to leave a comment last year after I cooked this for my St. Patty's Day bunco group. It was amazing! Tender, not slimy at all and so tasty. I omitted the cloves(I know I know, I just can't stand cloves) and added a garlic clove or two. I cooked my veggies separate in a smaller crock for my one friend who is vegetarian. My 6 lb corned beef was gobbled up by everyone. I bought 2 this year and am getting them in the crocks right now!

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  37. LOVE how the meat falls apart when you make it in the crockpot! We buy extra corned beef and freeze it and can't wait to have this again!

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  38. can't believe you don't use any liquid.

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  39. This was the best our family has ever had! I made it the day before. Next day I sliced it before warming in the oven wrapped in foil. Saved the juices also. Removed grease and made gravy the next day. Yummy and loved by guests and family! Thank you! Catherine

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  40. We love corned beef as well, but heart disease has hubby on a low salt diet. Can we soak the salt out without completely ruining the recipe? Any other suggestions?

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  41. Hi Nancy, I do rinse my corned beef under cold water but it still tastes pretty salty --- I'm not a dietician or nutritionist, so I can't really say if doing a rinse or a soak will do enough to remove the sodium enough.

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  42. I was confused at first because there was an ad overlaying your photo of ingredients and the style of the ad made it look like you included Peeps with your corned beef. Mmmm, Peeps and corned beef!

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  43. Thanks for sharing your different idea about Corned Beef. However I made Corned Beef last night with the cabbage cut in wedges, small red potatoes and carrots. it was absolutely delicious. JUST A NOTE that if you think it is soggy like you stated for your switch in cooking methods, it was NOT! Delicious and healthy are the descriptive words and we would have it no other way. If yours turned out soggy, it must be that it was over cooked. I like the idea of your recipe for sandwiches only but never would I use dijon mustard to spoil the delicious corned beef taste. Me thinks that you really don't like corned beef and want to mask the wonderful flavor of it.

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  44. Every St Patrick's Day I say that I am going to make corned beef and cabbage. I look up recipes, read through them and then the day comes and it doesn't get made. I have received this very recipe for the past two years, since signing up for your blog. Again I have read through it again and again, yet something in me this year finally said I was going to take a chance and make. OMG, OMG, OMG. Stephanie, this sure is a winner, winner. I rinsed it off per your directions, cut the excess fat, plopped it in my slow cooker and put the sauce on it. I cooked it for 9 hours on low and let it switch to warm. I took it out a couple hours later. My entire family enjoyed it. My daughter's only complaint was that there wasn't more. I made a little more of the sauce to put over the meat. It was just that delicious. This will be on my menu every March 17th from now on. Thank you so much.

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  45. Allison Friedrich3/16/2021

    I have been making this recipe for years! We love it at our house, and I think my kids would most likely be disappointed by traditional corned beef because they like this version so much. Has anyone made this in the instant pot? I’m trying it that way tonight!

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  46. Results: Winner, winner, Dijon Corned Beef dinner! This is THE BEST corned beef I have ever eaten in my 49 years! Five Stars!!!

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  47. I've served corned beef every year for nearly 55 years and always had good results. This year it was so salty, that, I, the queen of salt couldn't eat it...I was so bummed, especially since I had another one in the fridge to freeze. Yikes. I did some reading and the solution seems to be soaking for 30 min per pound. I always take the meat out, spread on a little mustard and sprinkle some brown sugar and continue cooking for a little while, so I'm excited to try this version, after a long soak. Next year, who knows?

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  48. Laura K3/09/2024

    12 years later and this is still my go-to recipe every March!

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