Corned beef and cabbage nachos on a green plate.

I love turning traditional dishes into something new. Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional Irish meal that is often eaten by Americans every March 17 for St. Patrick’s Day. In the past, I’ve taken corned beef and cabbage and turned it into a fabulous grilled cheese sandwich. This year I’m turning it into nachos. It makes perfect sense really. Meat, some veggies, and a white cheese sauce makes perfect sense on top of a huge pile of tortilla chips. Corned beef has so much flavor that it can really shine through with the milder flavors of the cabbage and cheese sauce. This is a great meal in lieu of the traditional, or as a clever use for leftovers. Either way you’ll have a plate of nachos you can dive right into.

 
Close up of Corned beef and cabbage nachos on a green plate.
 

How To Cook Corned Beef

Corned Beef brisket roasts generally come with a spice packet included, or already rubbed with spices. If the roast you purchase comes with a spice packet, you’ll want to rub those spices over the roast before proceeding with any of the following cooking methods. Boiling is the traditional method, but other methods can be used as well.

Boiled Corned Beef

Place the roast, including spices, into a heavy pot, preferably a dutch oven, and fill with water until roast is completely covered by 1/2 to 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and let it simmer for 2 to 3 hours. Don’t even lift the lid until the time is up. Once the meat is fork-tender, remove the roast from the water, slice, and serve as desired. You can add other items to the cooking water as well, including onions, carrots, potatoes, and cabbage. You can also substitute beef broth for the water.

Baked Corned Beef

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the roast in a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Yes, you need to boil the roast before you bake it. Let it boil while the oven preheats. Once the oven is preheated, remove the roast from the water and place it in a shallow baking dish, fat side up. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 2 to 3 hours. Before putting the meat in the oven you can rub the top with mustard or brown sugar for additional flavoring.

Slow Cooker Corned Beef

Place the corned beef into a slow cooker. Cover with water. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. If desired you can substitute beef broth in place of the water, or add other items to the slow cooker as well including onions, carrots, potatoes, and cabbage.