Corned Beef and Cabbage with Horseradish Cream Sauce
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Take your corned beef and cabbage to a whole new level by swapping the traditional boiling method for oven roasting—it’s a total game changer!
A beloved St. Patrick’s Day tradition, corned beef and cabbage is a cherished Irish-American dish, typically featuring corned beef—a brisket cured with salt and spices—and assorted vegetables like cabbage, potatoes, and carrots. While traditionally these components are boiled together in a big pot, I’ve found that slow-roasting the meat and vegetables separately yields a far more delicious outcome. My personal twist? Adding a horseradish-spiked butter sauce to the vegetables before roasting—it makes all the difference!
No corned beef and cabbage meal would be complete without a creamy horseradish cream sauce. Its cool, tangy, and slightly spicy flavor beautifully complements the rich, salty taste of the beef. To round off this traditional Irish-American meal, serve the corned beef and cabbage with my cheddar soda bread.
Table of Contents
“My goodness this corned beef and cabbage with horseradish cream sauce is definitely taking it up a notch! I will never boil corned beef again!”
What You’ll Need To Make Corned Beef & Cabbage
For the Corned Beef and Vegetables
- Corned Beef with Seasoning Packet: Named for the large “corns” or grains of salt used for curing, corned beef has a distinctive salty and savory flavor. Opt for a flat-cut brisket for even cooking and slicing. To ensure juiciness, do not trim the fat before cooking; it’s best to remove it after. Most corned beef packages come with a seasoning packet—essential for adding flavor with spices like peppercorns, bay leaves, and mustard seeds. If missing, refer to FAQs for a homemade substitute.
- Butter: The base of the roasting mixture, butter adds richness while assisting in the browning and caramelization of the vegetables in the oven.
- Prepared Horseradish: Combined with butter, this condiment adds a sharp, tangy flavor to the roasted vegetables. This spicy condiment is made from grated horseradish root mixed with vinegar and salt, and can typically be found in the refrigerated section of the supermarket.
- Carrots, Small Gold Potatoes, and Green Cabbage: Roasted together in the butter and horseradish mixture, these vegetables contribute variety of textures and flavors. The carrots introduce sweetness and color; the potatoes, a creamy texture; and the cabbage, a crunchy and slightly bitter balance.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
For the Horseradish Cream Sauce
- Sour Cream: Forms the creamy base of the sauce, offering a rich texture and a slight tanginess.
- Prepared Horseradish: Provides the sauce’s signature spicy, pungent flavor. Start with a recommended amount and adjust according to taste for more of a kick.
- Dijon Mustard: Adds depth and a mild heat, enhancing the complexity of the sauce while meshing well with the horseradish.
- White Wine Vinegar: Introduces a bright acidity, balancing the creaminess of the sour cream and the spiciness of the horseradish.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by rinsing the meat under cold running water. This will rid the meat of some of the saltiness. Place the corned beef fat side up in a large roasting pan.
Pour about 1/8 inch water around the corned beef. Sprinkle the contents of the seasoning packet into the water around the meat. Cover the pan tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil and roast on the middle rack for 3 hours.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the melted butter, horseradish, salt, and pepper.
Mix well.
Place the carrots, potatoes and cabbage side by side on a rimmed baking sheet (do not line the pan with foil; the potatoes will stick). Drizzle the horseradish-butter mixture over the veggies.
Toss with a spatula to coat all of the vegetables evenly, keeping the vegetables separate. Turn the potatoes so that they are cut side down (they’ll get much crispier that way).
After the corned beef has roasted for 1 hour and 30 minutes, place the pan of vegetables on the bottom rack of the oven. Roast the vegetables and continue cooking the corned beef for 1 hour and 30 minutes more, until both the meat and vegetables are tender. Check on the veggies occasionally to be sure they are browning evenly.
Remove the meat from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Let cool slightly, until cool enough to handle.
Cut off the layer of fat on top of the corned beef and discard. Slice the meat against, or perpendicular to, the grain into 1/4-inch slices.
Simply combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl, and season to taste.
Arrange the meat and roasted vegetables on a platter and sprinkle with parsley, if desired. Serve with the horseradish cream sauce on the side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can create your own seasoning mix for the corned beef. Combine equal parts of mustard seeds, coriander seeds, and allspice berries to make about one teaspoon in total. I would also include a bay leaf for added flavor. Feel free to adjust the mix based on the spices you have available.
The corned beef can be roasted up to 3 days ahead of time and reheated. However, for best results, roast the vegetables just before serving to maintain their crispiness. The horseradish cream sauce can be prepared up to two days in advance and stored in the fridge.
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Corned Beef and Cabbage with Horseradish Cream Sauce
Take your corned beef and cabbage to a whole new level by swapping the traditional boiling method for oven roasting—it’s a total game changer!
Ingredients
For the Corned Beef and Vegetables
- 1 (4-lb) flat-cut corned beef with seasoning packet (do not trim the fat)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 medium carrots, cut into 2-in chunks
- 1¼ lb small gold potatoes (about 2.5" in diameter), halved
- 1 very small green cabbage, cored and cut into ½-inch-thick slices (see note)
- 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley, for garnish (optional)
For the Horseradish Cream Sauce
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven the 325°F. Set one oven rack in the middle position and another in the bottom position.
- Rinse the corned beef several times under running cold water. (No need to dry it.)
- Place the corned beef fat side up in a large roasting pan (you'll trim the fat after the meat is cooked). Pour about ⅛ inch water around the meat. Sprinkle the contents of the seasoning packet into the water around the corned beef. Cover the pan tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil and roast on the middle rack for 3 hours.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the melted butter, horseradish, salt and pepper.
- Place the carrots, potatoes and cabbage side by side on a rimmed baking sheet (do not line the pan with foil; the potatoes will stick). Drizzle the horseradish-butter mixture over the veggies and toss with a spatula to coat all of the vegetables evenly, keeping the vegetables separate. Turn the potatoes so that they are cut side down (they'll get crispier that way).
- After the corned beef has roasted for 1 hour and 30 minutes, place the pan of vegetables on the bottom rack of the oven. Roast the vegetables and continue cooking the corned beef for 1 hour and 30 minutes more, until both the meat and vegetables are tender. Check on the veggies occasionally to be sure they are browning evenly. (The cabbage will brown first, so give it a toss when the bottom pieces look golden. The potatoes and carrots may need to be turned, but only if they are nicely browned on the bottom before the cook time is up.)
- Transfer the corned beef to a cutting board and let sit until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes. Cut off the layer of fat on top of the corned beef and discard. Slice the meat against (or perpendicular to) the grain into ¼-inch slices. Arrange the meat on a platter with the roasted vegetables and sprinkle with parsley, if desired. Serve with the horseradish cream sauce.
For the Horseradish Cream Sauce
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more horseradish to taste, if desired.
- Note: You won't use the whole head of cabbage; just use enough to cover ⅓ of the sheet pan.
- Note: The nutritional information does not include the horseradish cream sauce.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 577
- Fat: 40 g
- Saturated fat: 14 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Sodium: 2813 mg
- Cholesterol: 138 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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We really enjoyed the roasted veggies and the sour cream sauce. I did use less than half the salt the recipe called for and it was just right. Next time I’d skip the cabbage and go with Brussels sprouts. We didn’t enjoy the corned beef. It was too salty to eat (and I rinsed very thoroughly). I’m hoping it will be OK in corned beef hash. Next time I’ll go with the boiled corn beef and the roasted veggies.
how hot the oven?
Hi Virginia, The oven should be set to 325°F/165°C. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you so much, Jenn! Yet another fail-proof delicious recipe. I’ve been following your blog since 2009-2010, so pretty much learned to cook from it. And every single dish has been a success/added to rotation. Congratulations on the book! As a fellow DC resident, looking forward to your culinary school in the area one day, maybe. 🙂
❤️
Dear Jenn, I have two questions about roasting the corned beef. If using salted butter, by how much should the salt be reduced? Is there any advantage or disadvantage to using broth instead of water in the roasting pan?
Hi Mary, One stick of salted butter has about 1/4 tsp salt so I’d reduce it by 1/8 tsp. If you’d like to use broth, be sure to use one that is unsalted. Corned beef is very salty and broth would make it saltier. Hope that helps!
This is such a good and easy recipe. I used water, per your reply. I had already bought small red potatoes and they were fine substitutes for yellow. I did put the roast atop thin onion slices. My friends said it was the best meal they’ve had in weeks. Thank you for making me look good.
Hi Jenn,
Our local supermarkets are advertising point cuts, flat cuts, and rounds of corned beef. Does it make a difference??
Hi Mary, I’m not familiar with a round cut of corned beef, but the point cut has more fat/marbling. I definitely prefer the flat cut as it’s leaner but still plenty tender. Hope that helps!
Hi Jen! Love all your recipes! I am having friends over for corned beef on Saturday night. We have an 8lb flat cut piece. Do you suggest 4 hours or 5 hours for cooking?
Hi Paula, so glad you like the recipes! For an 8-pound brisket, I cut it into two 4-pound pieces and roast them side-by-side for the amount of time specified in the recipe. Hope everyone enjoys!
S*U*C*C*E*S*S! This was THE BEST! Thank you! I roasted the carrots and the cabbage separately and they came out GREAT! And I made your white sangria for a friend who loves Sangria! Hands down and a five-high! It was a great dinner and everyone enjoyed!
I made this last night for dinner. I agree….the horseradish butter takes it over the top! I am not a fan of cooked carrots, but I kept eating these! I am thinking I might make just the carrots as a side dish on Easter. Thanks for the new twist on corned beef and cabbage.
Recently discovered your site and love your recipes. I want to make this corned beef and cabbage (which I’ve never done before). Because of time constraints, if I want to roast the corned beef the day before, how would I go about heating it up the next day. I envision letting it cool, removing the fat as per your recipe. Then would I slice it cold? How would I then reheat it? In the roasting liquid? Or what do you suggest? Thanks so much for your wonderful instructions and pictures. They are so helpful.
Hi Ruth, Yes, remove the fat and slice it cold, then reheat in the roasting liquid, covered, in a 325°F oven. Hope you enjoy it!
Amazing! Now in the regular rotation. This is the best corned beef recipe I’ve ever had. Veggies are cooked exactly as I like them and the beef is seasoned perfectly. The horseradish sauce goes great on all of it as well.
I’ve been waiting for corned beef to become available at Costco so I could make this again. Best method I’ve found so far, it comes out moist and tender! I made one small change. I’ve been using Brussels sprouts instead of cabbage (the same only different?) I can buy just the amount of sprouts that we need and don’t waste the rest of the cabbage which I usually fail to use.
This is such a good tip about using brussel sprouts! Otherwise, when I buy a whole cabbage, I have to it with my parents who live 1 hour away! 🙂