We love St. Patrick's Day (week!). Our favorite tradition has to be the slow-roasted mustard-rubbed corned beef we make every year. The delicious taste of juicy corned beef with zesty mustard and aromatic spices, slow roasted over onions. It's so flavorful and tender that it's impossible to resist!
What a fun day celebrating St. Patrick's Day
I know we aren't Irish; well, I'm not. Amy says she is, but I think it's primarily Irish Whiskey and her love for Guinness. When Amy graduated from college, we went on vacation to Greece for a graduation gift. The final few days of vacation were spent in London, where she tasted a real Guinness for the first time. In 3 days, we went to 21 pubs; the girl can put some beer away!!! It was funny when we returned to the US, and she got a bottled Guinness. It was a huge disappointment for her; it tasted nothing like what she had in London. And yes, she really wants to go to Ireland next.
What is the best way to cook Corned Beef?
Boiling Corned Beef
When we moved to Maine, we discovered "real" Corned Beef. Before moving, the only corned beef we had was from a can. 🤷🏻♀️ . The first time we made homemade corned beef, we boiled it with potatoes, carrots, and cabbage - the more "traditional" way. The next year, we added a rutabaga to give it a little extra something. Rutabagas were everywhere in Maine (well, in all the grocery stores!). For some reason, I can't find a rutabaga here.
Smoking Corned Beef
We love the boiled version of corned beef but wanted to experiment with additional spices and a different cooking method. So, we decided to smoke the corned beef on the grill, similar to how we cook a pork shoulder. The result was delicious, but it turned out to be quite salty. We realized we forgot to follow our trick of boiling the brisket for a few minutes beforehand to remove some of the saltiness. Additionally, smoking corned beef requires more time and attention, as one needs to monitor the grill temperature and ensure the heat is consistent throughout the process.
My new favorite- Slow Roasted Corned Beef
Now that we have tried two different methods to cook corned beef- boiling and smoking, it was time to roast it. Roasting is more complex than boiling but not as time-consuming as smoking. The result is a juicy and flavorful corned beef that is simply irresistible. We have found that slow-roasting is the best way to cook corned beef, and it is the only way we prepare it now. With the roasting method, you only need to boil the beef for 3-4 minutes, season it, wrap it in foil, and place it in the oven. Thats it.
How we came up with this recipe
At first, we were a little concerned about roasting because we weren't exactly sure how it would turn out, and we really did like the boiling method. But we love to try new cooking methods, so we jumped right in. After talking it over, we finally decided to use a wet rub concoction that we put together using flavors we love.
When we create a new recipe, we start by combining spices and flavors that we enjoy together. Then, we conduct a trial to see how it tastes. If necessary, we make a few adjustments to it. For this particular recipe, we began with the seasoning packet that comes with the corned beef and then added mustard, knowing that it pairs well with beef and pork. We then added thyme, garlic powder, and onion powder, which we believed would complement the mustard. After preparing it for the first time, we were amazed at how delicious the Roasted Corned Beef tasted! We made a few modifications to the recipe, and now it's one of our favorites!
Making Slow Roasted Mustard Rubbed Corned Beef
Check out how easy this is. The first step is to place the corned beef in a pan of boiling water. Boil for 4 to 5 minutes. This removes the salty flavor that is so often in corned beef and is the reason corned beef can get a bad name! While the meat is boiling. Place a large sheet of foil in a large casserole dish. Slice an onion. We like using purple onions, but any onion will work. Line the onions on the bottom of the foil/casserole dish. In a bowl, mix the mustard and spices together. Once the beef has boiled for 4 to 5 minutes, remove it from the boiling water and let it cool for a few minutes so it's easy to touch. Then, rub the entire beef with the mustard mixture. Place the meat on top of the sliced onions in the casserole dish. Wrap the foil around the beef, place it in a 350-degree oven, and forget about it for four hours.
After the corned beef is finished, remove it from the foil and slice.
Corned Beef Leftovers
This Roasted Corned Beef was absolutely amazing! The tangy mustard, aromatic spices, and onions combine to make a juicy, tender, and flavorful dish.
If there is any left, we like making Reuben sandwiches, corned beef hash, poached eggs, a corned beef and egg breakfast sandwich, and more!
Are you searching for more recipe options? We have a few suggestions that you might enjoy:
- Homemade Reuben Sandwiches: Easy homemade Reubens with homemade dressing
- Air Fryer Corned Beef Hash: Crispy, Crunchy Corned Beef Hash right out of the air fryer. Add a poached egg for a quick and easy brunch or weekday breakfast.
Slow Roasted Corned Beef with Mustard Rub
A Few Things We Use
Ingredients
- 4 Pounds Corned Beef Brisket (makes enough for a 3 - 5 pound Corned Beef Brisket)
- 1 Large Onion
- ⅓ Cup Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Thyme
- Spice packet included with the Corned Beef
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Bring water to a boil in a large stock pot. Place corned beef in the boiling water. Boil for four minutes.
- Remove corned beef from water. Let cool for 3 or 4 minutes.4 Pounds Corned Beef Brisket
- Put enough foil in a casserole dish to wrap around the corned beef.
- Slice onions and place on the foil in the casserole dish1 Large Onion
- Mix together the mustard, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, and the contents of the seasoning package included with the corned beef package.⅓ Cup Dijon Mustard, 1 teaspoon Black Pepper, 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder, 1 teaspoon Thyme, 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- Rub mustard mixture over the corned beef.
- Place corned beef on top of the sliced onions.
- Wrap foil around the corned beef to seal. Bake for 4 hours in 350° oven.
- Let cool for a few minutes. Slice!!!
- Enjoy!! Make sure to check out some of our recipes for using corned beef.
Nutrition
Other ideas for St. Patrick's Day
Lucky Charm Balls - Popcorn balls are made with white chocolate melted through, with a yummy fun fete cake batter mixed in and some lucky charms for a fun treat. Click here for the recipe at PureJoyLiving .
Corned Beef and Cabbage slowly simmered corned beef, root vegetables, and cabbage. Juicy Corned beef is paired with perfectly cooked veggies. Click here for the recipe at Cranberrywalk
Laura says
I just popped this in the oven! Not sure why you don't have more reviews! I'll be sharing this on FB. Even my mom said your recipe looks incredible!
Amy says
Hi Thank you so much! You just made our day!! Let us know how the recipe turned out. Thank you again!!
Amy says
Hi Thank you so much! You just made our day!! Let us know how the recipe turned out. Thank you again!!!
Laura says
OMG! This was off the hook! Best corned beef I have ever had!!!! I won’t make it any other way ever again!
Kym says
What ingredients are in the seasoning package included with the corned beef? In Australia the silverside is usually alone.
Amy says
Hi!! The seasoning packet is usually a blend of peppercorn, mustard seed, dill seed, coriander seeds, crushed red pepper flakes, and crushed bay leaf, similar to a pickling mix. I'm not sure of the amounts in the packet but the whole packet only holds about 1 TBS of spices total. If you can't find everything, I wouldn't worry about it the mustard and herb mix in the recipe is going to add a lot of flavor as it is. The big thing is making sure to boil the corned beef before baking to take out the salt flavor that can be overwhelming sometimes. I hope this helps.
Toni J Smith says
This was sooo good! The mustard rub is delicious. The onions soaked up all that seasoning. I bet those little yukon gold potatoes would be good cooked in it. I will be making this regularly. Thanks!
Amy says
Awesome! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! I'm so glad you liked it!!!!!
Veronica Sylvia says
Hi. I am going to make this on Friday. I was wondering, what if it were to be boiled in a combo of beef broth and Guinness, then roasted? And I was thinking of using the boiling liquid for the veggies, potatoes, carrots and cabbage. Which would season the veggies a bit. Thoughts?
Amy says
Hi!!!! The corned beef only boils for a few minutes so I don't know that it would get that much flavor into it. It might be neat to try two and boil them both, pull one out to roast with mustard and leave one in with veggies for a stew style. The Guinness sounds like a great idea, I love all things Guinness! 😀. Please let us know how you end up doing the beef. I'm sure it will be delish!!!
KC says
Question: if I’m making two 4 lb roasts, how will the bake time be affected, if at all? Thanks
Sue says
HI!!! It could depend on your oven but it should be the same amount of time. However, you will need to double the ingredients (spices/mustard). I might do them in two separate pans if they don't fit flat in one pan.
Colleen says
Ok note to self don’t trim all the fat…it was good but too dry. Do you add the mustard to the fat side?
Amy says
Hi. Yes, the mustard gets added to all sides.
Denise says
Absolutely making this on the 17th. It sounds amazing. I think I will make a horseradish cream to go with it. Thank you for the recipe. Happy St. Patty's 🍀
Lauren W says
This recipe is my go to since last year! LOVE IT!☘🍀