This Slow Cooker Corned Beef with Ginger Ale is an easy way to prepare tender, flavourful corned beef with very little hands-on time. The slow cooker does the work, making it a great option for a comforting family dinner.
Ginger ale, honey and ginger add a lovely sweetness and warmth as the corned beef slowly cooks, creating a simple meal that is full of flavour.
How should corned beef be cooked?
Every time I share my original version of Slow Cooked Corned Beef with malt vinegar and brown sugar I get asked if I have made the Ginger Ale version and yes I have! So I thought it was time to share that one as well.
Corned beef is best cooked in a long and slow way so a slow cooker is perfect for this. Although, you can now do it in an Instant Pot or multi cooker so I will include that instruction below too.
What is corned beef silverside?
Corned beef is a cut of beef called brisket, it is then taken through a long curing process using a salty brine, which used to be called ‘corning’. If you then cook it long and slow you can create a lovely tender meat. It should really fall apart as you begin to slice it!
How do I know when corned beef is cooked?
It has a distinct pink colour which is caused as the curing process fixes the colour of the meat. So don’t fear that it has not been cooked well by the colour. You will know, as it is lovely and tender and falling apart!
Corned Beef is best cooked over a low heat for a long time, ideally between 7-9 hours. I would not recommend cooking on high in the slow cooker if you have the time to do it on low. However, of course you can do this if you need, the timing would be 4-6 hours on high.
How do I cook corned beef in a pressure cooker?
Alternatively, it is stunning cooked in a pressure cooker which many slow cookers are nowdays as a multi cooker. It takes 1 hour and 45 minutes to cook on high this way, so it is great if you forget to get the meat on earlier in the day. It will be fall apart perfect. Remember to allow the pressure cooker to slow release on its own before opening.
How should I serve slow cooker corned beef?
I always rinse the corned beef well before I add it to the slow cooker. This reduces the salt content of the final product. It is tradition for us to serve this with mashed potatoes, vegetables and a mustard sauce.
My husband is a big fan of corned beef sandwiches. So, enjoying the cold meat the next day on fresh white bread is a delicacy, you should try it!
Other slow cooker meals to try
If you enjoy using your slow cooker for main meals using different cuts of meat be sure to try these family favourites. Click on the title below to go directly to the recipe.
- Beef Stroganoff
- Devilled Sausages
- BBQ Pulled Pork
- Roast Pork with Honey Garlic Butter Sauce
- Easy Lasagne
- Easy Corned Beef
What do you need to make slow cooker corned beef?
There are only 5 ingredients required to make this recipe:
- Corned Beef
- Ginger Ale
- Water
- Honey
- Ginger (fresh or powdered)
How do you make corned beef in the slow cooker?
The method could not be more simple. Always rinse a corned beef well to remove the salty brine and pat dry.
Place the corned beef in the bowl, then add the heated ginger ale. It is best to heat the ginger ale simply so it does not take so long for the liquids to come up to temperature and then there will be more actual cooking time!
I like to use fresh grated ginger, but you can easily use some ground ginger in its place if you have that one on hand. Add some honey for sweetness and top up with some hot water.
You want to just barely cover the corned beef. Then cover with the lid, set it on low and cook slowly for 8-10 hours depending on your slow cooker.
Video: How to make slow cooker corned beef
Slow cooker corned beef with ginger ale recipe
Slow Cooker Corned Beef with Ginger Ale
Slow Cooker Corned Beef with Ginger Ale is an easy, reliable dinner with tender corned beef and a lovely sweetness from ginger ale and honey.
Ingredients
- 1.5 Kg Corned Beef Silverside
- 1.5 Litres of Dry Ginger Ale, heated
- 1 teaspoon Ginger, fresh, peeled & finely grated (or 1 Tablespoon ground)
- 1 Tablespoon Honey
- Warm Water to cover
Instructions
- Rinse the corned beef silverside well to remove the salty brine
- Pat dry and place in the slow cooker
- In a large saucepan or large bowl add the ginger ale and heat until warm either on the stove top or microwave, not boiling
- Pour over the corned beef the warm ginger ale, ginger and honey
- Top it up the with warm water until the liquid only just covers the meat
- Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours depending on your slow cooker
- Remove the meat from the slow cooker once tender all the way through
- I like to scrape off the visible fat before slicing.
- Slice and serve
- Enjoy
Notes
What size is your slow cooker?
My slow cooker is a 6 litre slow cooker. You can use a smaller one, the liquid will reduce.
Multi Cooker - Instant Pot - Pressure Cooker - Corned Beef
Follow the same method as above, cover and turn to pressure cook - cook for 1 hour 45 minutes, allow the steam to naturally escape through vent and carefully remove, serve.
Do I need to add the extra ginger?
No, you can just use the ginger ale and omit the ginger.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 665Total Fat 48gSaturated Fat 16gUnsaturated Fat 32gCholesterol 245mgSodium 2426mgCarbohydrates 11gFiber 0gSugar 10gProtein 46g
JustAMumNZ.com, occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although justamumnz.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
I really hope you enjoy this Slow Cooker Corned Beef with Ginger Ale as much as we do. It’s such an easy way to prepare tender, flavourful corned beef, and one the whole family can enjoy.
If you give this recipe a go, I’d love to hear how it turned out for you in the comments. You can also leave a ⭐ rating in the recipe card above, it really helps others find and enjoy this recipe too.
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Happy baking,
Anna x
Pam Scott says
I add a couple of onions chopped, carrots,. Cloves and golden syrup. I cook on the stove top on very low temp. Yum with lots of mustard sauce.
Kay Carter says
Is your mustard sauce recipe on your site.
My recipe is half cup sugar, half cup vinegar, half tsp dry mustard, half cup meat liquid. 1 egg. Beat together and bring to boil in pot or microwave. Stirring often to stop egg white from congealing.
Mum made this with corn beef or silverside all the time. I still use it.
justamumnz says
Thank you for this recipe! I had tend to use the edmonds recipe but this looks great.
Charmaine Fleming says
Which mustard sauce recipe do you use please
Regards Char
justamumnz says
The Edmonds one
Robyn Hale says
Learning to cook in the 1950’s we would put in onion & meat / half way through we would replace the water with fresh water to make it less salty. I would then put in vinegar, golden syrup, onion, carrots Always cooked long & slow. Served with mashed potatoes & peas. yum,yum yum.