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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Hi Jenn, Thank you for doing what you do! Your site is my first go-to for recipes. And I return over and over again.
My question is if I am using a smaller piece of meat — 2.5 pounds instead of 4 — should cooking time be adjusted down, and if so, by how much?
Hi Andrea, It may take a bit less time but you’ll have to keep an eye on it. I’d start checking for doneness around 2-2.5 hours. Hope that helps!
My stove is old and the burners simply do not hold a simmer well. So, I am grateful for an alternate way to cook corned beef. (I’ve also used a slow cooker in past, but sometimes the piece of meat is too big for my cooker.) I roasted some corned beef today for Easter dinner. Served it with your asparagus/peas risotto. Delicious! Four stars because I didn’t make the whole recipe as written.
I recently made this corned beef recipe. I loved the way the vegetables were prepared. They had flavor and weren’t all weepy. The corned beef came out moist and tasty.
I made this for St. Patrick’s Day (no surprise there!) it was a great recipe. I added a little more horseradish than it calls for when making the veggies and sauce, as I wanted a little extra punch of flavor. If you aren’t big on strong flavors, the recommended amount would be perfect. Roasting the corned beef really gave it a nice, robust flavor, but kept it very moist. I like the addition of flavor by adding some of the sauce to it. This will be my go to recipe each year…. and maybe a few other times besides the holiday :). The horseradish butter will definitely be making an appearance on some veggies in the future!
Wow Wee! What a wonderful way to cook corned beef . So used to the boring slow cooker corned beef , which will remain only in the past! From now on this is my only corned beef recipe. The corned beef was so flavorful and juicy and the vegetables were perfectly seasoned. I did add rutabagas to the other veggies . Thank you for a perfect recipe!
I have made corned beef in the crockpot, but never again. This is the best corned beef ever! I followed the recipe exactly the first time I made it. The second time, I made more veggies than the recipe called for, because they are so delicious. Definitely make the whole small cabbage! The horseradish sauce is delicious. Another winner from Jenn!
This recipe was delicious even without the horseradish sauce, which my husband loved. Will definitely make this again.
This recipe is worth it just for the vegetables! They were seriously so good. My only complaint is that the cabbage shrinks a ton when it roasts, and it was so good there was not nearly enough. Next time I will do a pan of carrots and potatoes, and a separate pan of cabbage. The meat was fine, but I really didn’t notice a big difference between this one and the traditional boiled method. But again, those veggies were sooooo good!
I absolutely loved the butter horseradish roasted vegetables. I plan on using that all year round. Also the sour cream horseradish sauce for the corned beef was excellent and I used it as a dip for a snack. I shared with my neighbors in the apartment building I live in. The corned beef was tender and cooked to perfection. I love the recipes on this website because they turn out exactly as Jenn says they will. I have made several things now and I come back to this website when I’m looking for new recipes.
This was absolutely the best corned beef dinner I’ve ever made. My husband who is not a big fan of corned beef loved it. It was also a big hit with the rest of my family. The horseradish sauce put it over the top. Thanks for sharing!