Baked Corned beef and cabbage + horseradish sauce

Name: Best Oven-Baked Corned Beef and Cabbage with Horseradish Cream Sauce
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 270 min
Ingredients: 3.5 pound flat-cut corned beef brisket with seasoning packet; 2 tablespoons dijon mustard; 1 tablespoon brown sugar; 1 yellow onion, (thickly sliced (about ½-inch thick slices)); 3 cloves garlic, (minced); 1 cup water; 1 cup Irish stout, (such as Guinness); 1.5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, (quartered); 4 medium carrots, (cut into 2-inch chunks); 1 small head green cabbage (cored and cut into 6-8 thick slices); 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, (melted); 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish, (drained); Salt and freshly ground black pepper, (to taste); 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional, for garnish); 1 cup sour cream; 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish; 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard; 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, (optional); 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white wine vine; Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste); Chopped fresh chives or parsley (for garnish (optional))

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This oven-baked corned beef and cabbage with horseradish sauce will transform your St. Patrick’s Day dinner. The secret? Moving it from stovetop to oven. The mustard-brown sugar glaze caramelizes while vegetables absorb the rich braising liquid. This recipe delivers extraordinary flavor with minimal effort—and the horseradish sauce takes it to the next level. Best part? Leftovers make incredible corned beef sliders that everyone will rave about!

A platter of sliced corned beef, cooked cabbage, carrots, and potatoes, garnished with herbs. A small bowl of creamy white sauce is on the side. The dish is served on a white plate with a gray napkin and a gold spoon nearby.

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Difficulty: Totally doable! (3/5) – If you can turn on an oven and set a timer, you’ve got this!

Time: 4.5 hours (but only 30 minutes of actual work) – Perfect for those Sunday afternoons when you’re folding laundry, helping with homework, or watching that show everyone’s talking about.

How do you make the best corned beef and cabbage?

You bake it, beautiful people! Throw out that boiling pot and grab your Dutch oven. The magic happens at 325°F with a mustard-brown sugar glaze kissing that corned beef while it bathes in Irish stout. The real genius? You’ll cook the meat alone for 2.5 hours, then add those vegetables for another hour. No more watching a pot boil. This creates fork-tender meat AND perfectly cooked vegetables that’ll make your kitchen smell like heaven.

Quick Takeaways

Oven-baking crushes boiling: That 325°F transforms tough brisket into melt-in-your-mouth meat with zero pot-watching required.
Two-stage cooking = genius: Meat first, veggies later means everything’s perfectly done.
Pink is perfect: Yes, your corned beef will still be pink when done—that’s the curing, not undercooking! Trust your fork and thermometer.
Slice against the grain. I cover this technique in detail in my Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas recipe, too. It’s the difference between tender bites and tougher chew for ANY meat!

Ingredients for Irish Stout-Braised Corned Beef

A marble countertop displays ingredients for a corned beef dish: a slab of corned beef, a head of cabbage, carrots, an onion, garlic, potatoes, butter, brown sugar, mustard, horseradish, Guinness beer, and seasonings.

Flat-cut corned beef brisket – The flat-cut offers consistent thickness for even cooking and beautiful slices.
Dijon mustard and brown sugar – The tangy mustard cuts through the richness while the sugar adds a subtle sweetness and helps with browning.
Water and Irish stout – Adds those malty, toasty notes. Not a beer person? No worries! Apple juice or beef broth work beautifully too.
Yukon gold potatoes – These buttery, waxy potatoes maintain their shape during the long cooking process.
Carrots – Their natural sweetness intensifies in the oven, providing a perfect counterpoint to the savory corned beef.
Green cabbage – The traditional partner to corned beef, green cabbage wedges become tender when carefully cooked in the oven, absorbing the rich flavors of the cooking liquid.
Butter and prepared horseradish – This combination coats the vegetables with rich flavor while promoting beautiful browning.
Fresh parsley – An optional finishing touch that adds color, freshness, and a bright contrast to the rich, slow-cooked flavors.

How To Make the Best Oven-Baked Corned Beef and Cabbage

A bowl of brown sauce with a whisk on a marble surface. Surrounding vegetables include carrots, onions, garlic, potatoes, and a cabbage.

A piece of pork on a white plate, coated with a mustard marinade. Surrounding it are carrots, potatoes, cabbage, an onion, and garlic on a marble countertop.

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Rinse the corned beef under cold water (this helps remove some of the excess salt) and pat it dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, mix together the Dijon mustard and brown sugar until well combined.

Step 2: Spread this mixture evenly over the fat cap (the top side) of the corned beef.

Let’s Talk About That Smell: When you first unwrap your corned beef, you might get a whiff that raises an eyebrow. It’s totally normal! It’s just the curing process, not spoilage. A quick rinse, and that funky smell disappears completely during cooking. Promise!

A piece of corned beef coated with mustard sits on a bed of chopped onions in an oval roasting pan. Surrounding the pan are whole potatoes and a cabbage on a marble surface.

A piece of corned beef covered with mustard and brown sugar glaze in a roasting pan, resting on chunks of onions. Surrounding the pan are ingredients like cabbage and small potatoes on a marble countertop.

Step 3: Place the corned beef on top of the quartered onion in the bottom of a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed roasting pan—these will create a flavorful “rack” for your beef to rest on. Position the corned beef brisket on top of the onions, with the fat cap facing up.

Step 4: Sprinkle the minced garlic over and around the meat, then add the contents of the seasoning packet.

Pro Mom Hack: No spice packet? Grab some McCormick’s pickling spice.

A glazed corned beef brisket in a roasting pan is topped with minced garlic. It's surrounded by onions in a dark broth. A hand is pouring liquid from a measuring cup into the pan. There are small potatoes and a cabbage nearby.

A large dish covered with foil rests on a marble countertop, partially surrounded by a green cabbage and small brown potatoes.

Step 5: Pour the water and Irish stout around (not over) the corned beef.

Step 6: Cover the Dutch oven tightly with its lid (or use heavy-duty aluminum foil if using a roasting pan). Place in the preheated oven and let it simmer undisturbed for 2.5 hours. This low-and-slow cooking is what transforms tough brisket into tender, succulent corned beef.

A glass bowl containing chopped potatoes and carrot sticks mixed with seasoning. A white spatula with a black handle is resting inside the bowl on a marble surface.

A roasting pan contains a seasoned roast surrounded by wedges of cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and onions. The dish sits on a marble countertop, and the vegetables are arranged neatly around the meat.

Step 7: While the beef is cooking, prep your vegetables. In a large bowl, toss the quartered potatoes and carrot chunks with the melted butter and horseradish mixture. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Step 8: After the beef has cooked for 2.5 hours, carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Arrange the potatoes and carrots around the corned beef, then add the cabbage wedges on top of the vegetables and around the sides of the meat.

A baked dish in an oval pan with sliced cabbage, potatoes, and carrots surrounding a seasoned meat roast. The vegetables are arranged around the meat, and the composition is set on a marble surface.

Sliced corned beef brisket arranged on a wooden cutting board, with visible pinkish interior and brown crust. The meat is thinly sliced and neatly organized on a marble surface.

Step 9: Cover the pot again and return it to the oven for another 1 hour.

To check if it’s done, perform the fork test: insert a fork into the thickest part of the meat—it should slide in with almost no resistance, like it’s going into softened butter. If you have a meat thermometer, look for 195-200°F.

Step 10: Remove beef from pot and, using a sharp knife, slice the corned beef against the grain into thin slices. Cutting against the grain is essential for tenderness—look for the lines in the meat and cut perpendicular to them.

Why It’s Still Pink (and Totally Fine): Your corned beef will remain pink even when perfectly cooked! This is because of the curing process with sodium nitrite, it’s not raw, I promise! This is why corned beef has that signature rosy color. Trust your fork test.

A plate of sliced corned beef, boiled cabbage wedges, carrots, and potatoes. A small bowl of creamy chive sauce is on the side. The dish is on a white plate, with a gray napkin and spoon nearby, set on a marble surface.

Step 11: Arrange the sliced corned beef on a platter with the vegetables surrounding it. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley for a pop of color and freshness. Serve with the horseradish cream sauce (see recipe below and in recipe card) on the side.

Horseradish Sauce for Corned Beef and Cabbage

While the traditional way to serve corned beef is with vegetables and cooking juices, I highly recommend making this creamy horseradish-mustard sauce to serve alongside it. It’s a perfect complement to the meat’s rich, salty notes.

Ingredients for the Horseradish Sauce:

A glass bowl on a marble surface contains a dollop of sour cream, mustard, grated horseradish, and a few whole peeled shrimp. A small sprinkle of chopped herbs is near the bowl.

Sour cream – Creates that cool, creamy base that balances the heat of the horseradish.
Prepared horseradish – The star that cuts through the rich beef.
Dijon mustard – Adds depth and tangy complexity beyond just heat.
Mayonnaise (optional) – Brings extra creaminess and silky richness.
Lemon juice or vinegar – That bright acid makes all the flavors pop.
Salt and pepper – Balances and enhances everything else.
Fresh herbs – Adds color and fresh contrast to the richness.

Instructions:

In a mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, prepared horseradish, Dijon mustard, and mayonnaise (if using).
Add the lemon juice or vinegar and stir until the mixture is smooth and well-blended.
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
For best flavor, cover and refrigerate the horseradish sauce for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
Before serving, give the sauce a final stir and garnish with chopped fresh chives or parsley, if desired.

This sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept refrigerated in an airtight container. It makes a wonderful accompaniment not just for this corned beef, but also for leftover sandwiches!

A glass bowl filled with creamy horseradish cream sauce, topped with chopped chives, sits on a marble surface. Small bits of chives are scattered around the bowl.

Great Ways to Use Leftovers:

Corned Beef Hash: Dice leftover corned beef and potatoes, then pan-fry with onions until crispy. Top with a fried egg for the perfect breakfast.
Reuben Sandwiches: Layer corned beef with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing on rye bread, then grill until golden and melty.
Corned Beef Breakfast Tacos: Fill warm tortillas with diced corned beef, scrambled eggs, and shredded cheese for a hearty breakfast.
Corned Beef Stuffed Baked Potatoes: Split baked potatoes and fill with chopped corned beef, cheese, and a dollop of sour cream.

Storage and Reheating Tips

Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Reheat: For best results, reheat slices of corned beef with a bit of the braising liquid in a covered skillet over low heat. This prevents the meat from drying out.
Freeze: You can freeze cooked corned beef for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

FAQ’s

My corned beef came without a seasoning packet. What should I use?

Buy some pickling seasoning, which you can also use on my corned beef sliders.

Is corned beef actually Irish?

While associated with Irish-American culture, especially on St. Patrick’s Day, traditional Irish cuisine more commonly featured bacon with cabbage. Corned beef and cabbage became popular as Irish immigrants in America adapted to new ingredients and cooking styles.

Why is it called “corned” beef when there’s no corn?

The term “corned” refers to the large grains of salt (called “corns” historically) used in the curing process.

My corned beef seems tough. What went wrong?

It likely needed more cooking time. Corned beef needs to reach 190-200°F to become properly tender. Return it to the oven for 30-minute increments until it’s fork-tender.