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Instant Pot Corned Beef

Instant Pot Corned Beef — Tender in 90 Minutes Instead of 8 Hours

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 400
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 3–4 lb corned beef brisket with spice packet
  • 1 lb baby potatoes, halved
  • 3 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 medium onion, quartered
  • 4 garlic cloves, smashed
  • ½ head cabbage, cut into wedges
  • 1½ cups beef broth
  • 1 cup Guinness or dark beer (or extra broth)
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp black pepper

Method
 

  1. Set the Instant Pot to SAUTÉ mode. Add a splash of oil and sauté onion and garlic for 2–3 minutes until slightly softened. This optional step builds a deeper flavor base and adds a little extra depth to the cooking liquid. Skip it if you're really short on time — the recipe works without it.
  2. Turn off sauté mode. Add the halved baby potatoes, carrot pieces, and any remaining onion directly into the Instant Pot inner pot. Spread them in an even layer across the bottom. These vegetables will cook beautifully in the pressurized broth and become the perfect side dish without any extra pots.
  3. Rinse the brisket and pat it dry. Place it fat-side up on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle the entire spice packet over the surface of the meat. The vegetables below act as a natural rack keeping the beef slightly elevated, which helps it cook more evenly under pressure.
  4. Pour the beef broth and beer around the sides of the brisket (not over the top). Add apple cider vinegar and brown sugar. The liquid is critical in pressure cooking — the Instant Pot needs adequate liquid to build and maintain pressure. Without enough liquid, you'll get the dreaded BURN warning. The liquid should reach the bottom third of the brisket.
  5. Secure the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to SEALING. Select MANUAL / PRESSURE COOK on HIGH and set the timer for 90 minutes. The pot will take about 15 minutes to come to pressure before the 90-minute countdown begins. Total active time from lid-on to fully cooked: approximately 1 hour 45 minutes.
  6. When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to natural release for 15 minutes before switching the valve to VENTING for a quick release of remaining pressure. Natural release is important for meat — quick releasing immediately can tighten the muscle fibers and undo all that tender work you just did.
  7. Remove the brisket and set aside covered with foil. Add cabbage wedges to the hot broth in the pot. Seal the lid and pressure cook on HIGH for just 3 minutes, then quick release immediately. Three minutes is all the cabbage needs — any more and it turns to complete mush.
  8. Let the brisket rest 5–10 minutes, then slice against the grain. Plate with the vegetables and ladle the flavorful cooking liquid over everything as a light broth. The cooking liquid from Instant Pot corned beef is genuinely one of the best things in it — don't waste a drop.