Beef brisket is soaked in a salty seasoned brine to make home-cured corned beef and nitrate-free corned beef.
Home-cured corned beef tastes much better than store bought and it’s easy to make at home. All it takes is a little bit of planning ahead and some extra room in your refrigerator.
Recipe Highlights
- It’s healthier than packaged corned beef; home-cured corned beef is lower in salt and free of sodium nitrate.
- It tastes better!
Here is what you will need
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- Flat cut beef brisket
- Sea salt (¾ cup)
- Coconut Sugar (½ cup)
- Garlic (7 cloves)
- Fresh grated ginger (1 teaspoon)
- Pickling spices (5 ½ tablespoons)
- Bay leaves (2)
- Crushed ice (1 cup)
- Water
- Large pot
- Covered glass or ceramic dish or a bag like this stasher bag to hold the corned beef while it’s marinating.
Here is how to make it
Place the brine ingredients into a pot
Cook the mixture until the sugar and salt have dissolved, and add crushed ice to the brine mixture, and allow it to cool.
Pour the brine over the meat
Store the fully submerged beef brisket in the brine in a glass or ceramic dish for up to 7 days in the refrigerator.
Drain and rinse the beef off and place the meat into a slow cooker or a large pot and cover it with water. Sprinkle it with garlic and pickle spice and cook.
Total Estimated Time to Make This Recipe: 4 hours plus 5 to 7 days to brine the meat.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your corned beef with a side of steamed cabbage, and potatoes. We like to serve it with simple boiled potatoes with butter and parsley or oven-roasted like these smashed baby potatoes.
Storing and Using Leftovers
Store leftover cooked corned beef in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing leftover corned beef is not recommended since we have not tried it.
Use leftover corned beef to make a sandwich, a Reuben sandwich with homemade sauerkraut or corned beef hash: cut the meat into cubes and fry it with onions and potato cubes until crispy.
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Ingredients
- 1 3 to 4-pound flat-cut beef brisket
- ¾ cup sea salt
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 7 cloves garlic smashed (5 for brine & 2 for cooking)
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 5 ½ tablespoons pickling spices ( 4 ½ for brine & 1 for cooking)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup crushed ice
- Water to cover the meat (about 1 to 2 cups)
Instructions
- BRINE THE MEAT: Add ¾ cup sea salt, ½ cup coconut sugar, 5 cloves of smashed garlic, 1 teaspoon grated ginger, 4 ½ 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, pour it into a glass or ceramic casserole dish that has a cover,
- Add the meat to the brine in the casserole dish, make sure that the meat is completely covered with the brine. Cover the dish and place it in the refrigerator for five to seven days.
- Flip the meat over after 2 ½ days.
- COOK THE MEAT: After the meat has gone through the brining process, rinse it off and place it into a slow cooker. Add 2 cloves smashed garlic and 1 tablespoon pickling spice and enough water to cover the meat.
- Place the cover on the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours.
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I love that this meal is nitrate free! And delicious!
i absolutely love that you created your own corned beef! I had done this years ago and loved it! Your recipe is so easy and delicious! I love how much healthier your recipe is than a store made corned beef! My family will love this healthier version!
I’ve never even thought about making corned beef, but I love this healthy alternative!! Sounds wonderful, thanks for sharing!!
I’ve never made corned beef at home but that all changes now. Thanks for the amazing recipe and happy St. Patrick’s day!
This is a “must make.” I try to stay away from nitrates, but I’m a sucker for corned beef. I can’t wait to give this a try.
Love corned beef! I didn’t know it was this easy in the IP! Definitely need to make this for St. Patty’s Day.
Thanks Jean, but it’s actually cooked in a slow cooker. I will have to give it a try in an instant pot
This brining method is genius! Really takes the meat to the next level!
Thanks Joni!
Loooove all the garlic! Haha. I’ve never made my own corned beef (or even bought it, actually). But my hubby loves it, so I need to give this a go.
I always say that you can never have too much garlic Raia.
I always wondered how to make my own…this made it So easy and it was delicious!
I’m excited to make this alternative with coconut sugar! Thank you! SO looking forward to this dinner!
Huh. I never knew it was this easy to make corned beef from scratch. It takes a bit of time but with so little effort. Thanks for the tutorial!
You are welcome! and it tastes so much better too!
I’ve never made truly homemade corned beef. This looks simple! Just in time for St. Paddy’s Day. 🙂
Annemarie it really is simple and tastes great!
I have never made corned beef before – thank you for the easy to follow tutorial!
Thank you so much for this healthy, nitrate-free, corned beef recipe! My family is so looking forward to *finally* eating the corned beef tomorrow.
I love corned beef and would love to make the brine myself. So excited to see there are organic pickling spices. Can’t wait to try it!
I love corned beef but don’t eat it enough! Thanks for your easy to follow instructions, this was cooked perfectly and will definitely be making it again!
I have to give this a try! I’ve never done this brining method, but you’ve outlined the steps so well. What a healthy and delicious meal!
This is awesome! I have always wondered how to make corned beef at home. So glad to read your instructions. So much details. I didn’t have enough days to brine the beef for this St. Patrick’s day, but I will try this next time!
Oh and pinned for later!