Healthy Nitrate-Free Corned Beef Recipe: Make it at Home
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Making corned beef at home is easier than you might think, and it lets you control exactly what goes into it. With a simple beef brisket and a handful of pantry ingredients, you can cure your own tender, flavorful corned beef without the preservatives found in most store-bought versions. If you enjoy real, homemade food and want a cleaner option for St. Patrick’s Day (or anytime a corned beef craving hits), this method makes it simple.
This post has been refreshed in March 2026 with clearer steps, updated tips, and a few small tweaks to make this recipe easier and more reliable.
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Recipe Highlights
Prep Time: 10 Minutes + 5 to 7 Days Curing Time
Cook Time: 20 Minutes or until salt and sugar dissolve
Makes: 1 2 to 3-pound beef brisket
Note: This homemade corned beef uses a simple salt-and-spice brine, so you can skip the unhealthy additives found in many store-bought versions and cure it yourself.
- Brisket is fully submerged and cured in a brine for 5 – 7 days.
- After curing, drain and rinse the meal, then cook it using your favorite corned beef recipe.
Ingredient List
- Flat-cut beef brisket or beef bottom round
- Sea salt or kosher salt
- Sugar or honey
- Fresh garlic (crushed or minced) or garlic powder
- Freshly grated ginger or ground ginger
- Pickling spices – store bought or homemade
Missing an ingredient? Find a substitute with the ingredient swap assistant!
How to Make Homemade Nitrate-free Corned Beef
- Make the Brine: Add the brine ingredients to a saucepan. Heat on medium, stirring, until the salt and sugar dissolve.
- Chill the Brine: Add crushed ice, and let the brine cool to room temperature then transfer it to a glass jar or dish. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until it is fully chilled.
- Brine the Beef: Place the beef in a glass or Pyrex container (9X13 or 4 quart casserole dish), then pour the cold brine over the beef until the meat is completely submerged.
- Refrigerate: Cover, and place the meat in brine into the fridge for 5 days, turning it daily to ensure even brining and that the meat stays fully submerged (a small plate on top will help keep it submerged).
- Drain and Rinse: Drain, give and the meat a quick cold rinse, then cook it using your favorite recipe. I like to place it in the slow cooker with water and pickling spice and let it cook for hours.
Tips
- If you don’t like the brownish-gray color, add 1/4 cup of beet juice to the brine for a pinker corned beef.
- Make sure the top of the beef is submerged throughout the brining process for even brining.
- To avoid the growth of bacteria, make sure the brine is completely chilled before adding the meat to it.
- To keep the meat fully submerged, place a weighted object such as a small plate on top of the meat.
What to Serve with Corned Beef
Serve home-cured corned beef with steamed cabbage, then add one or two easy sides.
Potato options
- Simple boiled potatoes with butter and parsley
- Smashed baby potatoes
- Air fryer baby potatoes
- Mashed potatoes
Veggie sides
Something fresh
St. Patrick’s Day dinner is not complete without Irish Soda Bread.
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftover cooked corned beef in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Easy ways to use leftover corned beef
- Simple sandwich: Slice it thin and pile it on bread with mustard.
- Reuben: Add Swiss cheese and homemade sauerkraut.
- Quick corned beef hash: Cube the meat, then pan-fry it with diced onions and potato cubes until crispy.
Home Cured Corned Beef Frequently Asked Questions
Honey does have a different flavor than sugar, but it will not be noticed in this brine recipe.
Because warm brine can put the meat into the temperature danger zone where bacteria multiply fast. Chill the brine completely (at least 2 hours in the fridge) before adding the brisket.
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Click on serving size to scale this recipe
Home Cured Nitrate Free Corned Beef
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 3 to 4- pound flat-cut beef brisket
- 3/4 cup sea salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 7 cloves garlic 5 for brine
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger or ground
- 5 1/2 tablespoons pickling spices 4 1/2 for brine & 1 for cooking
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup crushed ice
- Water to cover the meat about 1 to 2 cups
Instructions
- Add 3/4 cup sea salt, 1/2 cup sugar, 5 cloves of smashed garlic, 1 teaspoon grated ginger, 4 1/2 tablespoons pickling spices, and 2 bay leaves and 4 cups water to a saucepan and heat it over medium heat. Cook the mixture until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
- Turn the heat off and add 1 cup of crushed ice to cool the brine off.
- Once the brine has cooled to room temperature, place it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
- Pour the cold brine into a glass or ceramic dish and add the meat to the brine in the casserole dish. Make sure that the meat is completely covered with the brine. Use a plate or something heavy weigh it down if needed. Cover and place it the meat in the refrigerator for five days. Each day flip the meat over.
- After 5 days (and up to 7) drain and rinse the brine and cook it using your favorite corned beef recipe.
Notes
- If you don’t like the brownish-gray color, add 1/4 cup of beet juice to the brine for a pinker corned beef.
- Make sure the top of the beef is submerged throughout the brining process for even brining.
- To avoid the growth of bacteria, make sure the brine is completely chilled before adding the meat to it.
- To keep the meat fully submerged, place a weighted object such as a small plate on top of the meat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used
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