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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I will never boil corned beef again! This recipe is easy and so tasty! I did not have horseradish so I added wasabi oil to the melted butter for the roasted vegetables. However, I do like my cabbage boiled so instead of roasting it with the other veggies, I added it to the corned beef liquid during the last half hour of cooking. Will definitely use this recipe from now on. Thanks!
I did the same with my cabbage! I discovered it was overcooking and drying out otherwise!
Jenn thank you so much for this! In the past, corned beef was something I tolerated on an annual basis…because in all honesty does anybody ever actually crave boiled meats or vegetables?? Husband was skeptical of the non-traditional preparation when I suggested it – but I have no leftovers at all (unlike in prior years) so I think this is what we’ll be doing going forward. 🙂
Oh! Forgot to mention that we poured a Guinness in the roasting pan with the water for the corned beef for a bit of extra flavor. Also, for the traditionalists who like the boiled cabbage- I think you could throw the extra in with the roast and voila!
I’m with you on the boiled meat and vegetables, Christina! And great suggestion for the extra cabbage. Thanks!
Our St Pattys meal was delicious! I always add the veggies in the same pan as the beef. My husband and I loved the roasted veggies. They weren’t salty from soaking up the juices from the beef. The meal made a great presentation. I also made the cheddar Irish soda bread. Yummy!
Hi Jenn…I just made the best St Patrick’s Day dinner for my adult children. The lamb stew was so delicious along side the cheddar soda bread AND corned beef with cabbage. I literally have been making your recipes every Sunday for months now. Eager each week to try something new…never have you disappointed. Will be ordering your cookbook so I can impress my family even more. You rock!
I was so happy to see this recipe for a new way to try making my traditional recipe (beer/crockpot…blah). This was so fun to make and so good! Even my husband who complains every year about corned beef and cabbage, loved it! I also love that the corned beef was so lean and so NOT DRY! YAYE!!
OMG!!!! My first corned beef and cabbage and this was absolutely fantastic!!! That horseradish cream sauce is the BOMB!!! Yesterday, I made your delicious pan seared turkey burgers (for the 1000th time) and today this. Yummmm!!!! I await your cookbook! You are the BEST Jenn!!! Thank you for your gifts!! :o)
Don’t be fooled by the delicious looking photos. As I discovered, there is a reason to boil, not roast, cabbage. When roasted, cabbage becomes so tough, it is barely edible. Steaming the corn beef is basically the same as boiling it, except it takes longer. The horseradish sauce is mediocre. Sorry to be so negative, I just want to prevent others from wasting 3 hours making this recipe.
I am a big fan of your recipes. . . . but this one did not rise to the excellence I have come to expect. I love roasted vegetables, but think cabbage may be an exception. I loved the horseradish/butter combination, but the amount specified did not really suffice. The potatoes were great, the carrots were good, the cabbage not so much. Nor did the vegetables cook in a timely fashion. I added some water to the pan to help the cabbage along. I will keep the horseradish/butter in mind for other veggie roasts. I keep wondering if there was something I missed but rereading the recipe, I can’t spot it.
So sorry this one was not a hit for you – I appreciate your feedback!
So sorry you had trouble, Karen. Roasted cabbage should be quite tender, and it should taste almost like roasted Brussels sprouts. It’s important to cut it properly – if the slices are too thick, they won’t cook through.
Exactly!
Made this for my family and we all loved it! My sons have multiple food allergies and I was able to successfully substitute our margarine for the butter and Tofutti sour cream for dairy sour cream. Thank your for all your wonderful recipes!
This was SO delicious! I followed the recipe exactly as written and wouldn’t change a thing!!
Jen,
I started with a corned beef brisket from Costco and didn’t notice it weighed 6 lbs., but it only took 4 hours to get really tender. I cooked the meat with the water plus a bottle of beer and it was delicious. I followed your directions for the vegies, but added 4 medium yellow onions quartered. I also cut the cabbage in 8 wedges and placed them sitting up and they browned nicely. Very tasty. And the cream sauce was wonderful on the meat as well as the potatoes.
This morning I used some of the leftovers to make a corn beef hash. I cut some of the potatoes into 3/4″ chunks, cut up a few onions & carrots, and fried until brown, then added a nice helping of diced corned beef. I cooked poached eggs to place on top. Delicious!
This is a meal that keeps on giving. Had myself a corned beef sandwich on home made sour dough bread with mustard for lunch.
Will your cookbook be available in pdf instead of hard copy?
Glad you enjoyed it, Pam! And yes, the book will be available in e-book format.