If you are looking for the best way to cook corned beef, you need to try my sous vide corned beef recipe. No longer do you need to wonder how long to boil corned beef or hope it is going to be the texture you love.
Be sure to check out my recipe for sous vide pork chops or egg yolk croquette both are easy sous vide recipes. Be sure to check out my complete collection of sous vide recipes.
Sous Vide Corned Beef Recipe
I walk you through how to make the corned beef brine and use the sous vide cooking technique to make the best homemade corned beef.
New to sous vide? I explain in simple terms everything I know about sous vide cooking.
Corned Beef Brine Recipe Ingredients:
*This recipe is a variation of the Alton Brown corned beef recipe. He adds a few other ingredients that were hard for me to find, so I left them out.
Corned Beef Brine Method
- Place the water into a large 6 to 8-quart stockpot along with salt, sugar, cinnamon stick, mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, bay leaves, and ginger.
- Cook over high heat until the salt and sugar have dissolved.
- Remove from the heat and add the ice. Stir until the ice has melted. If necessary, place the brine into the refrigerator until it reaches a temperature of 45 degrees F.
- Once it has cooled, place the brisket in a zip-top bag or an airtight container and add the brine. Seal and lay flat inside a container, cover, and place in the refrigerator for 10 days. (yes, I said 10 days)
- Check daily to make sure the beef is completely submerged and shake the bag or container at least once a day.
- After 10 days, remove from the brine and rinse well under cool water.
Sous Vide Time and Temperature
Here is where the Sous Vide community will get up in arms. Time and temperature. Sigh. I see it as a personal thing. Learn what you like and do that.
Do you want a longer cook at a lower temp? Do that. Want a shorter cook at a higher temp? Do that.
I did a 180F cook for 10 hours. There, I said it. It worked for me and the corned beef was not mushy, sliced lovely and had amazing flavor. Perfect for my taste.
How to Sous Vide Corned Beef
Here is where using sous vide to cook your corned beef is different from boiling corned beef.
- Set your sous vide to 180F.
- After rinsing off the brine, place the beef in a vacuum bag. It is optional but I lay on some of the extra spices from the brine. I want to get out EVERY piece of goodness out of those spices.
- Vacuum and seal the corned beef. Cook at 180F for 10 hours.
- Once you have finished the cook, remove the corned beef from the water and plunge into an ice water bath to stop the cooking.
- Trim the fat off of the corned beef. (optional but encouraged)
- Slice across the grain meaning, across the short width, in this case.
What to serve with corned beef
- sous vide potatoes
- Braised cabbage
- Biscuits
How to trim corned beef before slicing.
You might not do this BUT I am not a fan of fat. I trimmed the fat off of the corned beef. Scrape and trim and it fell right off. Feel free to leave some on if that is what you like.
How to slice corned beef
Slice across the grain meaning, across the short width, in this case.
What to make with leftover corned beef:
- Reuben tater tots
- More recipes that use leftover corned beef
Don’t you just want to pick up a piece or make a sandwich?
Pin to Pinterest:
Sous Vide Corned Beef Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 quarts water
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick broken into several pieces
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 8 whole cloves
- 8 whole allspice berries
- 4 bay leaves crumbled
- 1 inch fresh ginger grated
- 2 pounds ice
- 1 medium beef brisket trimmed
Instructions
Sous Vide Corned Beef Technique
- After rinsing off the brine, place the beef in a vacuum bag. It is optional but I lay on some of the extra spices from the brine. I want to get out EVERY piece of goodness out of those spices.
Sous Vide Time and Temperature
- I did a 180F cook for 10 hours.
- It worked for me and the corned beef was not mushy, sliced lovely and had amazing flavor. Perfect for my taste.
- Once you have finished the cook, remove the corned beef from the water and plunge into a ice water bath to stop the cooking.
Video
Notes
Corned Beef Brine
- Place the water into a large 6 to 8 quart stockpot along with salt, sugar, cinnamon stick, mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, bay leaves and ginger.
- Cook over high heat until the salt and sugar have dissolved.
- Remove from the heat and add the ice. Stir until the ice has melted. If necessary, place the brine into the refrigerator until it reaches a temperature of 45 degrees F.
- Once it has cooled, place the brisket in a zip top bag or a air tight container and add the brine. Seal and lay flat inside a container, cover and place in the refrigerator for 10 days. (yes, I said 10 days)
- Check daily to make sure the beef is completely submerged and shake the bag or container at least once a day.
- After 10 days, remove from the brine and rinse well under cool water.
Here is where using sous vide to cook your corned beef is different from boiling corned beef.
- Set your sous vide to 180F.
- After rinsing off the brine, place the beef in a vacuum bag. It is optional but I lay on some of the extra spices from the brine. I want to get out EVERY piece of goodness out of those spices.
- Vacum and seal the corned beef. Cook at 180F for 10 hours.
- Once you have finished the cook, remove the corned beef from the water and plunge into an ice water bath to stop the cooking.
- Trim the fat off of the corned beef. (optional but encouraged)
- Slice across the grain meaning, across the short width, in this case.
Nutrition
published July 2018
Sarah Mock
CEO/Owner/Founder/Culinary Blogger
Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 12 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.
Jenn says
Sous vide is probably my new favorite cooking technique for meat! Holy cow it’s delicious!
Sues says
I love my sous vide, but have never made corned beef in it before, so I’m so thankful for this great tutorial! Corned beef is my husband’s absolute favorite, so he’s even more thankful :)
Sarah says
It is my favorite!! Love sous vide. It is so versatile!
Sarah says
I hope your husband loves it as much as I do!!
Kim - Today's Creative Life says
I had no idea how you did this! Great tips, thank you!
Emily Hill says
My husband loves cooking with his sous vide! I bet he’d love this recipe!
Heather Seeley says
I need to try this! I am still new to the sous vide method. Looks great!
Liz says
This Corned Beef look incredible! So much great information too! I would have never thought about brining it for 10 days! Wow!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
This is seriously making me hungry! Definitely must try this home made corned beef!