The Best Way To Make Corned Beef In Buffalo

You've been making corned beef the same way for years.  Thinking about switching it up this year?  I tried the instant pot and the air fryer.  Here's what worked best...

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Why do we celebrate St. Patrick's Day with corned beef and cabbage?

It's a huge American tradition to have corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day.  While it's not really an Irish thing, we do it just about every year.  They believe the tradition started with Irish immigrants who were pinching pennies in their early days here in the United States.  At the time, corned beef and cabbage were affordable, so that's what they would celebrate with.

Looking for a new way to make corned beef?

There are a ton of ways to prepare it. Some people boil it, some people bake it.  Lately, we make it in the crock pot.  That just seems like the easiest way to get it done.  It definitely takes a while to cook, but man does it ever come out tender.  That gives the cabbage, carrots, and potatoes plenty of time to cook too.

But if you're looking for even more new ways to make it, there are a bunch of methods.  I've heard people smoke it.  They can grill it.  The three different methods I tried this year though, are to bake it, put it in the air fryer, and the instant pot.

Which method was best?

Each of the methods had their own benefits.  For example, the Instant Pot method was probably the easiest.  Essentially you put it in the pot, add a couple of things and let it do its thing.  The air fryer was probably the fastest of the three methods I tried this year and it definitely had the most flavor.  But the baked one was full of flavor too!

Here's how you make each:

Corned Beef in the Instant Pot

For the Instant Pot, all you need is the corned beef, the spice packet that comes with it, some water, some garlic, and an onion.  That's it!

1.  Put the corned beef in the pot

2.  Add about 4 cloves of crushed garlic.  (1/2 tsp of minced garlic = about 1 clove)

3. Quarter an onion and add it to the pot

4.  Add 4 cups of water

5.  For a brisket that is around 2 lbs, they suggest cooking it on manual for around 70 minutes then letting it naturally release for about 15.

6.  If you're going to want cabbage and carrots, they suggest you remove around 750 ml of the liquid after the corned beef comes out.  Add the vegetables and cook on manual for around 4-5 minutes.

This method was probably the easiest.  When it came out, it didn't look quite as appealing as the other two, but it was delicious.  Perfect for a Sunday afternoon dinner but not necessarily the best option if you are planning on making it after work for dinner that night.

Corned Beef Baked In The Oven

To bake corned beef in the oven, you will need a corned beef brisket, some tin foil, a baking pan (preferably with tall sides to keep the juices contained, some mustard (I used dijon), and the spice packet that came with the corned beef.

1.  Rinse the corned beef and then pat it try with a paper towel

2.  Put the corned beef on a sheet of aluminum foil and spread the spice packet on the brisket.

3.  Rub about 1/4 cup of mustard on both sides of the brisket

4.  Wrap the brisket tightly and put it on the baking sheet.

5.  Bake for 1 hour per pound.  My brisket was 3.16 lbs so I let it bake for 3 hours and 15 minutes.

This method is very easy.  Once it's prepped and wrapped, all that's left to do is wait.  However, it does feel like it took the longest amount of time.  It went in first and came out last.  However, it was very flavorful and moist.  Of the three methods I tried, this was my second favorite method.

Corned Beef in the Air Fryer

To bake corned beef in the air fryier, you will need a corned beef brisket, some tin foil, an air fryer (obviously), some mustard (I used dijon), and the spice packet that came with the corned beef.

1.   Rinse the corned beef and then pat it try with a paper towel

2.  Put the corned beef on a sheet of aluminum foil and spread the spice packet on the brisket.

3.  Rub about 1/4 cup of mustard on both sides of the brisket

4.  Wrap the brisket tightly and put it in the air fryer at 360 degrees for 1 hour.

5. Remove the brisket and baste it with the juices that are contained in the foil.

6. Re-wrap the brisket (but a little looser this time.  It doesn't have to be wrapped as tightly and begin "air frying" it again at 360 degrees for 40 minutes this time.

7.  Remove the brisket and baste it with the juices that are contained in the foil.

8.  Remove the foil altogether and return to the air fryer.  This time cook it for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.  This really gives it that fried look and taste.

I think of all of the methods I tried, this one was my favorite.  It was definitely the most flavorful.  It had a crispy outside and it kept the brisket juicy on the inside.  It was the fastest of these three methods.  While it still took about 2 hours, it was the most flavorful for the least amount of time.  This one was the clear winner for me.

What is the best method to cook corned beef?

Here's the crazy thing about this whole experience - I probably still prefer the crock pot the most.  It's just the easiest way to do it.  You can put it in the crockpot and let it cook all day while you're at work.  There isn't any basting, or checking on it every couple of minutes, or rubbing of any spices or mustard.  You just put it in the crock pot along with all of the vegetables and let it go.

Which method do YOU like the best?