This low carb 4-ingredient corned beef and cabbage is the kind of cozy, old-fashioned dinner my dad waits all year for. It’s the classic St. Patrick’s Day-style corned beef brisket, simmered low and slow until it practically falls apart, with buttery cabbage that soaks up all those savory juices. With just a brisket, the seasoning packet, cabbage, and butter, you get that melt-in-your-mouth, fork-tender roast and soft, silky wedges of cabbage that feel like Sunday dinner without a lot of fuss. It’s perfect for busy families who want something special but don’t want to juggle a long ingredient list.
Serve the sliced corned beef and cabbage hot on a big platter, spooning some of the cooking broth over the top so everything glistens. For low carb eaters, this is lovely with a simple green salad or roasted green beans. If you’ve got kids or carb-lovers at the table, set out a basket of crusty bread or a side of mashed cauliflower or potatoes so they can soak up the juices. Leftovers are wonderful piled into lettuce wraps or reheated in a skillet until the edges of the corned beef get a little crispy.
Low Carb 4-Ingredient Corned Beef and CabbageServings: 6
Ingredients
3–4 pound corned beef brisket, flat cut, with seasoning packet
4 cups water (or enough to just cover the brisket in your pot)
1 medium head green cabbage, cut into 6–8 wedges, core left in to hold wedges together
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Directions
Unwrap the corned beef brisket and rinse it briefly under cold water to remove excess brine. Pat it dry with paper towels and place it, fat side up, in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven.
Sprinkle the seasoning packet that came with the corned beef evenly over the top of the brisket. Pour in enough water to just cover the meat, about 4 cups depending on your pot size.
Bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer gently for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours, or until the corned beef is very tender when pierced with a fork. Check occasionally and skim off any foam from the surface if needed.
About 30 minutes before you expect the corned beef to be done, carefully lift it out of the pot and transfer it to a plate. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Skim any excess fat from the top of the cooking liquid if you like.
Add the cabbage wedges to the hot cooking liquid, arranging them so they are mostly submerged. Cover the pot again and simmer over medium-low heat for 20–25 minutes, or until the cabbage is very soft and tender but still holding its wedge shape.
While the cabbage cooks, preheat your oven broiler on high (optional, but great for a darker crust). Place the corned beef on a foil-lined baking sheet, fat side up. Spoon a little of the hot cooking liquid over the top to keep it moist. Broil for 3–5 minutes, watching closely, just until the top forms a darker, lightly crisped spice crust. Remove and let rest 10 minutes.
Once the cabbage is tender, use a slotted spoon to transfer the wedges to a serving platter or individual plates. Immediately dot the hot cabbage with the butter pieces so they melt over the wedges. Spoon a bit of the hot cooking broth over the top to help the butter melt and to give the cabbage extra flavor.
Place the rested corned beef on a cutting board and slice it against the grain into thick slices, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, so it stays tender and doesn’t fall apart. Arrange the slices next to the buttery cabbage on the platter or plates.
Ladle a small amount of the savory cooking broth over the sliced corned beef so it glistens and stays juicy. Serve right away while everything is hot and tender.
Variations & Tips
For extra richness, stir 1–2 additional tablespoons of butter into the hot cooking liquid before spooning it over the meat and cabbage. If your family likes a little spice, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the pot with the seasoning packet at the beginning. For kids who are unsure about cabbage, slice a few of the cooked wedges into thinner strips and mix with extra melted butter and a pinch of salt; it feels more like buttery noodles and is often an easier sell. You can also make this in a slow cooker: place the brisket and seasoning in the crock, add just enough water to cover, and cook on low for 8–9 hours or until very tender, then transfer the hot broth to a pot on the stove to simmer the cabbage wedges for 20–25 minutes. For pressure cooker users, cook the brisket with the seasoning and water on high pressure for about 90 minutes with a natural release, then cook the cabbage in the strained broth on the stovetop or using the sauté function until tender. If you’re serving both low carb and non–low carb eaters, you can toss a few baby potatoes into a separate small pot of salted water to boil while the cabbage cooks, keeping the main dish itself just four ingredients and low carb.
