If you are looking to change the game this St. Patrick's Day, look no further. Cooking sous vide creates a juicy, tender corned beef like you have never had before. So go ahead and kiss goodbye to dry, chewy corned beef forever.
In this recipe we keep it simple by picking up a pre-brined corned beef with a pickling spice packet included (we have included a simple pickling spice mix just incase). This is the definition of an easy cook with incredible results. Now you can celebrate St. Paddy's Day the right way with easy, delicious corned beef and a couple pints of Guinness. Enjoy.
Time and Temperature
Through loads of experimentation, we’ve found that cooking the corned beef at 180F for 10 hours is the perfect combo. Leaving the beef in for 10 hours breaks down the connective tissue (collagen), which results in an extremely tender meat. Also, cooking the corned beef at a temperature of 180F is the sweet spot for that perfect, sliceable texture.
Just make sure you have a reliable sous vide that accurately regulates the temperature of the bath or your results may vary (check out the Anova or Joule). For other time and temperature options, check out our cooking guide here.
Special Equipment
Sous Vide Machine – This one is obvious. To cook sous vide, you’re going to need a device to precisely regulate the temperature of the bath water. The two best sous vide machines in the game right now are the Anova Precision Cooker and the Breville Joule.
12-quart Container – Although you can use a basic stockpot for your sous vide cooking needs, I highly recommend buying a large plastic container. They are inexpensive and spacious, so you won’t have to worry about cooking a big roast in a small pot. I recommend a 12 quart Rubbermaid container, as it is BPA free, sturdy, and large enough for just about anything you will be cooking.
Container Lid – If you are going to buy a plastic container, I highly suggest buying a compatible lid for it. When you sous vide for a long duration, the heat of the water causes evaporation. With a lid, it eliminates a majority of the evaporation so you can cook for 72 hours care-free.
Cast Iron Skillet – If you are looking to take your searing game to the next level, we recommend investing in a cast iron skillet. By using a cast iron in this recipe, you’ll achieve a deep sear on the protein. Cast irons are also extremely handy for searing just about any and all sous vide meat. Lodge offers the best quality and price, which is why it is our favorite cast iron brand.
Next Level Sous Vide –Looking to take your sous vide skills to the next level? The Next Level Sous Vide eCookbook will push your culinary boundaries with 65 delicious recipes that are equally approachable and tasty. With pro tips and a detailed explanation of the sous vide process, you will be on your way to maximize your sous vide skills.
Check out our full list of recommended gear here.
Notes- If your corned beef brisket didn’t come with a pickling spice packet, you can easily make your own using mustard seeds, coriander, peppercorns, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes.
Sous Vide Corned Beef
Ingredients
- 3 lbs corned beef brisket, pre-brined, with pickling spice packet If your corned beef brisket didn’t come with a pickling spice packet, you can easily make your own using mustard seeds, coriander, peppercorns, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes.
- 1 cup beef stock
Instructions
Preparation
Set sous vide machine to 82C/180F.
Rub pickling spice packet on the fat side of the corned beef.
Pickling Spice (if your brisket doesn’t include a packet):
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves, crushed
Put the corned beef and beef broth in a freezer bag, and remove the air using a vacuum sealer or the displacement method. Drop bag in the bath for 10 hours.
Finishing
To finish the corned beef, heat up skillet on medium high and sear all sides. Alternatively, place the corned beef under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes. Make sure to watch closely to ensure the meat does not get burned.
Serve with cabbage and potatoes, and enjoy the juiciest corned beef ever!
I am curious about why you add broth in the sous vide bag? Is it necessary?
Hi Evelyn! I don't believe it is necessary to add the beef broth, however, the broth makes the corned beef a little bit more juicy and adds some extra flavor so I would recommend it. Hope this helps!
Hi Jason, I am excited to try your sous vide corned beef recipe! I want to make 2 3 lb corned beef roasts. Should I follow same cooking time?
Yes! The same time and temp will be perfect.
Hi Jason. I want to cook corned beef for my 85 year old mum. She needs super tender meat. I wish to use my thermy, can I do it in smaller portions to fit?
Hi Vicki, thanks for reaching out! Yes you can do it in smaller portions. Depending how small of a portion you may not need to do the full 10 hours, but regardless the meat should come out very tender for your mum.
Great recipe. Excited to make this for my family for St. Paddy's day!
Made without broth and didn’t bother searing. Turned out PERFECT. Easy peasy, will make again.
What might be the shrinkage?
Thank you
Hi Bruce, a corned beef can shrink by as much as 1/3 when cooked sous vide.
I was in the pool!!! I was in the pool!!!
Lol. About to try the recipe tomorrow. Love the reference tho! 🤣
😂🤣😂
lol now I get it. Seinfeld. I was like wtf
Looks great...I am going to add Irish beer (Harp) rather than broth.....
Sounds dang good! Let me know how it turns out
I have tried the Anova corned beef recipe with dark porter beer, I was not impressed and will not try again with beer.... On the other hand, my dog loved it!
a lager or golden ale would be much better than a porter or stout in this case - as the grains used for porters and stouts can, as a marinade in sous vide - bring out bitter flavors. Fwiw.
I have used Michelob Ultra for years (low carb) doing it in a pressure cooker and it is outstanding. No off flavors. Would highly recommend. Will try this year in my sous vide for sure.
Can you leave in longer than 10 hours in the sous vide? What would you say the longest it can be in there? Thinking of cooking overnight but won’t eat until lunch time or later.
Hi Jeremy, since this cook is at a high temp (180F) I wouldn't leave it in longer than 12 hours. What you could do is take it out in the morning around 10-12 hours, refrigerate it until it is ready to be served, then reheat in a pan or oven.
I am in love with my sous vide!! I can't wait to try your corned beef recipe this week. Right now, I have a sirloin tip roast marinating in the frig to sous vide tomorrow. I use appx 1 cup of worcestshire sauce, appx 1/2 cup soy sauce, dry mustard (2 tsp), and whole seed mustard (appx 1 tbls) for my marinade. It's quite yummy. And also a good marinade for pork tenderloin!
Hi Karen, so glad to hear you are lovin' your sous vide! That marinade sounds incredible and right up my alley, I will have to give it a try. Let me know when you try the corned beef recipe, excited to hear how you like it.
One of my favorite marinades is equal parts Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and sorghum syrup. It’s kind of a Caribbean jerk. I add some other spices for fun maybe some hot pepper.
Does the weight of meat affect the length of time necessary to cook completely. My brisket is just over 7lbs.
Hi Eric, with a brisket that large I'd recommend adding an additional 2 hours to the cook (12 hours total).
What about a 4lb corned beef?
I've seen cooking time from 10 hours to 48 hours. Yours says 10 hours. Is this long enough to make the meat tender? Is the cooking time due to the higher heat?
It certainly is! I've tested several times and temps and found that 48 hours at a lower temp almost had no difference then 10 hours at 180F.
Folks. PLEASE do not add the beef broth to your vaccum bag as it will most likely short out your vaccum sealer! I should have known better and it fried mine.
When a recipe calls for liquid I freeze it. It doesn't take much time to thaw, so I don't add to the cook time.
100% this! I have been freezing marinade, brines and any sous vide liquid...formerly my best sous vide secret ;)
great idea... do the brines freeze with all the salt in them?
Yes they will freeze. The salt doesn't greatly reduce the freezing point of water. Sea water freezes around 28.4 degrees Fahrenheit and your freezer should be set to around 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
Brilliant! Freeze the liquid and add it to the vacuum seal bag!
Who would have thunk?
Thanks for the suggestion!
This! Mine didn't get fried, but it pumped out all that broth all over the cabinet. The freezing idea below sounds good but it should be mentioned in the recipe!
I definitely will be trying the freezing idea and seeing how it works! For now, I'd recommend performing the displacement method rather than vacuum sealing when using a marinade/liquids in the bag.
I agree. As well as quantity. I'll try Bettern than Boullion beef broth paste this time.
Celine-how? Your meat and broth are enclosed in a freezer bag sitting in a water bath with the Sous vide machine. Did u get a hole in the bag somehow?
Our vacuum sealer has a moist setting that allows a manual seal activation. Requires attention but it works very well for achieving a good enough vacuum for quick marinading or sous-vide cooking. Love the recipe,. Dvided a full 14 lb brisket for a smoked brisket and 2 weeks later for a home corned beef brisket cooked with this sous-vide recioe.
My family calls me Mcgyver , as that if there is a short cut I will find it.
So after I started my first SV cooking project, l quickly came to see what a pain in the brain, trying to vacuum seal a bag with ANY amount of liquid in it. So after a few failures it dawned on me how unnecessary the vacuum part is! Just squeeze out as much air as is reasonable and seal. There might be a small percentage of flavor loss, NOT MUCH!!!! But as a corned beef lover, a vacuum sealed bag is not necessary for a GREAT BRISKET!
I made two separate batches at 10 hour cooks and will cook today at a lesser time as that I want a little more firmness from the meat.
Cooking today at 180 degrees for 8 hours, 1 cup of broth 1 1/2 tablespoons of pickling spices..
Agreed. Put beer in mine and tried to vacuum seal. Epic fail. Ended up just sealing. However, my son used this recipe last weekend, and it was fabulous. Trying the 180 degrees for 10 hours myself today, with beer, no beef broth.
You need to use a vacuum sealer that allows you to control the vacuum which will allow you to stop and hold the vacuum while pressing the seal button, this will prevent sucking liquid into machine. It also works great when packaging delicate food items so you don't crush them. Anova makes a great machine that has this feature.
If you use a hand pump instead of the electric kind it won't be a problem...
Having read the cautionary tales (and too late to freeze the broth) I wound up double Zip-Lok bagging the brisket WITH broth (because the single one was leaking after a few minutes in the SV) and THEN vacuum bagging. Working great thus far.
Maybe if I had Zip-Lok-ed AND sealed immediately before SV'g I could have gotten away with a single ZL bag per brisket. But as a note of caution: Zip-Lok bags are VERY iffy. But at least now the house has a nice beef broth aroma.
Also, in order to speed up the temperature process, I boiled hot tap water on the stove and then made that my SV bath.
My vacuum sealer has setting for wet or . If you use wet, it won’t short out.
Thanks for the recipe Jason! Fired up my Sous Vide a few minutes ago for a nice St. Patty's day dinner. We have a 4lb slab. Should any time be added or is 10 hrs still the magic number?
Awesome, Nick! Excited for you. 10 hours for a 4 lber will be perfect. Cheers
Thanks pal! cheers
If I put the beef in the fridge after the 10 hours, how can I properly reheat without overcooking? I want to broil with some mustard to finish, but not sure how to best reheat through the center. Thanks!
I would brush the corned beef with mustard, stick it in the oven at 325F for 30 mins, then for the final few minutes turn on the broiler to let it get a nice finish. Cheers and happy St. Paddy's Day.
Thanks so much!!
I underestimated the time it would take the water to heat up to 180 and now my corned beef won't be done in time for dinner. Can the cooking time be shortened?
Hi Kristen, the great thing about the sous vide is it is very forgiving. As long as you can still cook it for 7-8 hours the corned beef will come out just fine. The beef will be fully cooked after a couple hours, all additional time after that is just aimed at breaking down the meat to make it more tender.
My kids and husband named this the best corned beef ever, so I'd say that is definitely deserving of a 5 star rating. Thank you Chef Jason!
Made this for an early Christmas dinner and it was a huge hit! Will definitely make it again! Thanks for the recipe!
I’ve fixed a lot of corned beef over the years and have been cooking sous vide for some time. I haven’t until now done corned beef sous vide. I altered your recipe a little by using Heffivisson beer instead off broth. I usually use Gueness stout but tried a lighter beer. I soak the corned beef for some time in cold water to reduce the saltiness. I definitely don’t use the spice packet. We love Costco corned beef because it’s a superior product. Last year it was Wygu beef.
Ten hours later it was absolutely the best ever. Tender, so flavorful, just like the best NY deli Rubin .
Seeing that this recipe is for a brisket, does anyone have advice for adjusting the cook for the corned beefs from Costco, which are beef rounds? Since they are leaner, and likely with less connective tissue, I would assume that the sous vide time is much less, but I was wondering if anyone had specific knowledge about the cook times of the round vs, brisket?
I made this with 4.5 lb round from Costco. I went with the recipe recommendation for 180° for 10 hours and it was delicious!
Rounds, called point cuts, are much fattier than flats. They are not what you envision for your typical sliced corned beef dinner, but are good for shredding. Keep in mind if shredding, the beef is stringy with fat deposits in between the shreds. Rounds also are less expensive than the flat cut. That’s how I learned which cut to buy.
I used this recipe last year and it was amazing! Although I've had my Anova for a couple of years I have only used it 3 times (learning curve I guess). Question? Have you ever cooked 2 in the same bath? I have the large covered container.
Hi Tara, cooking two in the same bath shouldn't be a problem as long as the container is large enough! Enjoy :)
Hello - looking forward to trying this. How do you prepare the cabbage, carrots, and potatoes?
Hi Peter, excited for you to try! I typically roast the veggies in the oven. Last year I cooked the cabbage, carrots and potatoes following this recipe and it was awesome. Enjoy!
Try this with the corned beef. I really lived it!! https://www.smalltownwoman.com/traditional-irish-colcannon-potatoes-and-cabbage/
Hi Jason - I have a small corned beef - 2 lbs - as I'm cooking for one... Same cooking time or is less more appropriate?
Thanks, Tom
Hi Tom, I'd still cook the 2 lb corned beef for 10 hours! Enjoy!
How much longer or temp would you recommend for a 6lb brisket?!
Hi Brittany, I'd sous vide a 6 lb brisket for 14-16 hours. Enjoy!
I found your site and the recipe worked like a charm! I ended up straining the beef broth from an onion soup can.
OMG. I have been making corn beef for many many years by simmering in a pot on top of the stove. This year I made two corn beef‘s in my sous vide and two in a pot on top of the stove. (I was a little skeptical about the sous vide method so wanted to make sure that my corned beef would be good)! I have to say this was the best corned beef that I have ever made. I was able to add broth because I sealed the beef and broth in a Ziploc bag and then resealed them in a regular sealed bag. No worries. Liquid stayed in the bag. I did place under the broiler for about 5 minutes. Slicing the meat was a breeze. Will always sous vide my corned beef from now on. Thank you for this recipe!!
Planning on a post st paddy's day meal...cooking 3-4 500g pkts at 82C for 10 hours should be ok, correct? Won't add the liquid to the packets, but will add the seasoning...thoughts?
Delicious! Couldn’t be more happy with how it came out. I finished it though on my Weber with applewood smoke and it was perfection (prechilled in an ice soak first). It wasn’t very sliceable but it was so tender it made for a great dinner entree. I have some leftovers that I’m going to try to make a Reuben with. Great recipe. 180 F for 10 hours was great.
My son and daughter in law gave me a sous vive for xmas, kept putting off using it because didn't know what i wanted to experiment on. Bought corn beef brisket for Costco, 6.7lb, after searching different recipes i came acroos this one, and the reviews were really what made me want to try it, so thanks fto all the people for taking the time to write a review. This is my first time doing a review, soo, I followed the recipe exactly , and it was the best I've ever had, tender, juicy and tasty, my family loved it, my husband couldn't stop eating it. There were only 4 of us and there was little left over. Made my first experience using the sous vide a very pleasant one Than you. Today I'm trying pork sirloin roast!!!
Why 180? Everyone else does it at 135-140 24-48 hrs.
Hi Mark, I've done a lot of experimenting with times and temps for corned beef and I believe that 180F for 10 hours produces the most tender, juicy corned beef. So far I've got a ton of positive feedback using this time/temp!
Hi, I was thinking the same - most other recipes say that temperature over 140°F (60°C) will make the steak dry. And that is supported by a serious science on how proteins denaturation during cooking.
However, silverside or corned beef is a different case - the meat has been soaked through with salt which affects how the muscle fibers behave when cooked. I also didn't believe this recipe, but it turned out great.
Would you make any adjustments if doing a 1.5 lb brisket?
Hi Chris, I would keep everything the same! You could slightly reduce the cook time by an hour or two, but I would still recommend 10 hours.
Can you cook in the shrink wrapped package the corned beef comes in?
I wouldn't recommend it. Typically these plastics can't withstand the heat of sous vide, so I always recommend taking it out and putting it in a SV-safe bag, like FoodSaver or Ziploc Freezer bags.
BBQ Corned beef: a friend gave me this recipe 50 years ago.
After SV cooking, place corned beef on heavy-duty foil as a drip pan.
Make a sauce of:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
3 Tablespoons (TS) yellow mustard
Dash of salt
Mix ingredients and bring to a boil
Boil for several minutes
Put two TS of sauce in 1 cup of sour cream.
Place meat on a hot grill and brush with sauce.
Brush frequently and cook until sauce browns slightly.
Slice corned beef and spoon sour cream over the slices.
This sounds fantastic, thank you for sharing! I'll have to try it next month for St. Patty's day.
Unless you're celebrating St. Patricia's Day, it's not "St. Patty's Day." It's St. Paddy's Day. Paddy is the Irish nickname for Patrick. When you call it "St. Patty's Day," every Irishman wants to punch you.
Oh wow I had no idea, thanks for letting me know. I changed the spelling in the recipe.
I feel sooo stupid. I just realize that my brisket has been cooking at 183. I did put it in while frozen, I hope that is alright, and then somehow the temp got bumped up to 183 for 5 hours now. I have now put it back down to 180. Did I ruin it?
If I had the temp @ 183 now for 5 hours will that hurt the outcome.
Hi Cecelia, the sous vide is quite forgiving, so cooking it at 3 degrees more shouldn't impact the meat too much. Hoping it still comes out great. Enjoy!
How can you vacuum seal with one cup of broth in the bag?
You can use the displacement method if your vacuum sealer isn't capable of sealing liquid. Find the method here! https://sousvideways.com/displacement-method/. Enjoy
I’ve gotta watch my salt, I’m thinking of soaking my corned beef in water for a couple hours before cooking. What do you think?
I think that is a good plan to make it less salty.
I've been cooking for sixty years, and never liked my own corned beef. This recipe was PERFECT. So tender I could slice it with a table knife, flavorful and not at all stringy. Bravo, Jason!
Should you wash the beef to avoid saltiness? Could you just keep it in the sealed packet from the grocery store and cook it? Of course you wouldn't be able to add the spices. Thanks!
Hi John, you definitely can wash the beef to make it slightly less salty. I personally don't but it's whatever you prefer! And you must remove it from the sealed packet. The bags they use to package will break in the sous vide and ruin the meat.
I am cooking for a crowd. I have 7 - 3.5 pound flat cuts. Can I sous vide them in separate bags all at the same time in a cooler?
Hi Bonnie, absolutely. That is how I would recommend cooking them. Just make sure not to overcrowd the cooler. Enjoy!
Can you speak to which cut (point or flat) you would recommend for this recipe?
I personally use a flat cut for this recipe, but either will turn out delicious so whatever you prefer using!
Hi! We are having a big Reuben sandwich party so we are making a very large amount of corn beef. I bought a 16 pound corn beef add a big box store. We plan on cutting it in half putting in two separate seal meal bags and cooking it in our ice chest how many hours would you suggest doing this for, last year we cooked a 8 pound corn beef in our sous vide, and we felt like it was too over cooked or more like lunchmeat the way the fats were broke down
Hi Jeannie, you can increase the time to 12 hours for a corned beef that size. Did you use the time and temperatures listed here last year or use a different recipe?
We used a different recipe and cooked it for the 48 hours and we wondered if that’s why it turned out that way that it was just way too long
Got it, keep me posted what you think of this time and temp. Enjoy and have a great St. Paddy's Day!
This sounds really good - I am thinking about replacing the beef broth with a Guinness beer. Is there any benefit to cooking it longer?
I haven't personally used Guinness, but there shouldn't be a need to extend the cook time. Enjoy!
First timer and your instructions were spot on! Excellent color and consistency, easy to slice for sandwiches! Skipped the seasoning pack but kept all the brine and it was perfect for us.
Thanks!
I made this and it was great! Now I have one ready in my freezer. How much time do I need to add or must I defrost it first?
Glad to hear! You can put it directly from the freezer into the sous vide. Since it's already a long cook time, no need to add any additional time.
New to SV cooking , Would like to do the corned beef , but want to slice for reuben sandwiches.
Severals questions , first will a 10 hr cook leave me with a tender hunk of meat , yet firm enought to slice , I do own a commercial slicer .
Second if the plan is to cook chill over night and slice is searing a waste of time ,
I have always "boiled" till fork tender and than pull and cool.
I forgot to defrost my corned beef. Can I use this recipe with a frozen one? If so, how is the temp/time affected. Thanks!
Hey Barry, no worries! Since this cook is already long, you won't have to change anything. Enjoy!
You need to be careful when using a vacuum sealer with any liquid in the bag, but as long as you're aware of what will happen if you're not watching it (keep your finger ready over the "seal" button), it hasn't been a recurring problem for me. I skip the broiling or searing too. That only dries it out in my opinion. Adding a Guinness sounds fun, but I found it doesn't contribute to the flavor and I much more enjoy just drinking it. I let the meat rest while I'm boiling the veggies and I add the juice from the bag to the veggie water for extra flavor. I like malt vinegar and/or horseradish with mine. (Easy horseradish sauce just half sour cream, half horseradish, and let sit overnight.)
Don't forget the brown bread!
Slainte!
Since corned beef is often boiled in water do you need the bag at all ?
Yes you 100% do.
Trying this tonight! Is it ok if my container has no cover? I have never needed one up until now, could I place a cutting board on top to trap some of the heat?
You should be fine with a 10 hour cook without a cover. I would just take a peak at it around hour 6-7 to make sure there wasn't too much evaporation. A cutting board is a smart idea too.
Hi Jason, If I wanted to smoke the corned beef for two hours prior at 180 degrees, would I still Sous Vide for the whole ten hours?
Thanks!
You could reduce the cook time to 8 hours, but 10 hours definitely would still be fine as well.
8 day brine, 10 hours at 180 = best corned beef I've ever had. Could not have been easier and learned that I grew up on crappy corned beef all these years. Brine was a little sweeter than I'm used to but in a good way. Absolutely will do again and again.
Hi Jason very good recipes
I didn't add the broth and my corned beef was dry. A little warning, once the corned beef starts too cook air bubbles will start to come out of the meat and cause the bag to float. Luckily I had magnets to hold it down, but next time I'll just use a zip lock bag instead of the vacuum sealer.
I cooked the meat at 180 degrees for 10 hours. Did not use broth in bag. Meat was good but could have been a bit more moist.