Tender Glazed Corned Beef

Carving the glazed corned beef on a cutting board.

Cooking corned beef in the oven is easy with this hands off braising method. A simple brown sugar, mustard and horseradish blend makes a sweet, tangy spicy lacquer for the best glazed corned beef. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day celebrating or anytime you’re craving a hearty braised corned beef with vegetables. It’s SO good!

A brined corned beef in the package.

Braised corned beef is more than a once-a-year Irish treat on St. Patrick’s Day — or, it SHOULD be.

I’m such a fan that I make my own brisket brine for corned beef to enjoy it braised with traditional cabbage and potato sides.

Leftovers go into this breakfast hash with shaved brussels sprouts or this more traditional corned beef hash. And you MUST try one of my favorite Reuben sandwiches.

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You don’t have to brine your brisket from scratch, though. Pick up a package of corned beef with the pickling spice and use it to make a traditional glazed corned beef in the oven with just a handful of ingredients.

Ingredients for glazed corned beef:

  • Corned Beef – beef brisket brined in a salt solution with Prague powder (pink curing salt).
  • Carrots – traditional for a boiled dinner.
  • Onions – I recommend using yellow onions.
  • Pickling Spice – usually comes with the corned beef.
  • Water – for braising the beef brisket.
  • Dijon Mustard – for the glaze.
  • Whole Grain (Pommery) Mustard – for the corned beef glaze.
  • Brown Sugar – adds sweetness to the glaze.
  • Horseradish – for a spicy kick to the glaze corned beef.
Ingredients for braising the corned beef recipe.

What is braising?

Braising is a method of cooking that uses both dry and moist heat cooking at the same time. It’s typically used with tougher cuts (like briskets) to break down the tough fibers and leave you with a tender, juicy cut.

There are multiple ways to braise proteins like a corned beef. I like to use a Dutch oven as they’re heavy enameled cast iron which maintains a very even temperature and seals in the moisture and steam.

Another method is to use a roasting pan with high sides (to hold in the liquid) and a tight wrap of aluminum foil to braise your corned beef in the oven, which is what I did for this one, because my Dutch oven was otherwise occupied at the time.

Preparing the corned beef for braising in the oven.

How to braise corned beef in the oven

  1. Remove the corned beef from the package and pat dry with paper towels. Transfer the beef brisket to a roasting pan.
  2. Add carrots and onions to the pan, then add water until it reaches about halfway up the sides.
  3. Sprinkle the pickling spice packet into the water (not on the meat itself) and cover the pan very tightly with aluminum foil.
  4. Transfer the corned beef to the oven (set at 325° F) and braise for 3-4 hours or until the meat is very tender.
adding the pickling spice to the water.

While the corned beef is braising in the oven, assemble the simple, but flavorful glaze.

How to glaze the corned beef

  1. In a small saucepan, combine the horseradish, dijon mustard, whole grain mustard and brown sugar.
  2. Heat the ingredients over medium high heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves in the glaze.
  3. Remove the braised corned beef from the oven and turn up the temperature to 375°F.
  4. Once the brisket is cooked, transfer the meat, carrots and onions to a shallow roasting pan.
  5. Score the fat cap on the brisket with a sharp knife and spread the glaze liberally over the corned beef and vegetables.
  6. Cook the glazed corned beef in the hot oven for about 15 minutes to lacquer the surface.
  7. Slice into ¼” thick slices and serve with carrots and onions on the side.
ingredients for the glaze.

Other ways to braise corned beef

If you’d rather use another method to braise the beef instead of the oven, here are some options. Keep in mind, that you’ll still want to use the oven to set the glaze on the beef and vegetables.

Slow-Cooker

Slow cookers (a.k.a. Crock Pots) are wonderful for braising and you can certainly use one to braise your corned beef for this recipe. Just follow the same basic instructions for braising and set your slow cooker to low. Braise the corned beef for about 8 hours until tender.

Instant Pot

To braise the corned beef in the Instant Pot, use about 4 cups of water and cook on high pressure for about 85 minutes with a 20 minute natural release.

Stove-Top

For cooking corned beef on the stovetop, I strongly recommend a Dutch Oven. Assemble the dish as instructed and cover tightly with the lid. Bring the liquid to a boil, then turn the heat down to a low simmer (medium-low heat) and simmer for 3-4 hours until the meat is tender.

the corned beef after glazing and cooking in the oven.

What the tasters said

My tasters loved this tender brisket. It’s firm enough to still have a good chew without completely falling apart and the double mustard, brown sugar and horseradish glaze gives it a tangy, spicy, sweet flavor that kept them coming back for another bite.

I added a little of the leftover glaze to the carrots and onions (’cause, why not?) and it was delicious.

slicing the corned beef brisket.

FAQ’s

How do I reheat leftovers?

Wrap the glazed corned beef in foil and heat in a 350° oven for 10-15 minutes.

Can I freeze the corned beef?

Yes. Wrap it well in in freezer paper. Defrost and reheat to enjoy.

What can I do with leftover braised corned beef?

Make a corned beef hash with eggs or slice the glazed corned beef thinly for sandwiches.

Serving braised corned beef with carrots and onions on a serving platter.

What to serve with glazed corned beef

Any of these easy traditional sides would be welcome with the mustard and brown sugar glazed corned beef.

Because this braised corned beef is such a simple, homey recipe, an effortless side dish like boiled potatoes with butter and parsley works well and let’s the flavors of the brisket shine. Another uncomplicated go-with would be lightly buttered egg noodles or the traditional Irish boiled cabbage and potatoes.

For something a bit more interesting, try some of these easy side dish recipes:

Using a serving fork to pick up a slice of corned beef.

More St. Patrick’s Day recipes you’ll love:

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glazed corned beef cooked in the oven with carrots and onions.
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4.25 from 4 votes

Glazed Corned Beef

It’s easy to make a tender glazed corned beef brisket in the oven ( or in a slow cooker, Instant Pot or on the stovetop) with this simple recipe. You’ll love the tangy, sweet and slightly spicy brown sugar, mustard and horseradish glaze with this classic corned beef. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
Author: Lisa Lotts
Course Main Course
Cuisine Irish
Keyword corned beef
Dietary Restrictions Dairy-Free, Egg Free, Gluten-Free
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings 6

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:

  • Roasting pan

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 pound corned beef
  • 4 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1″ to 2″ pieces
  • 1 medium onion sliced into wedges
  • 2 teaspoons pickling spice (usually there’s a package included in the corned beef)
  • water

FOR THE GLAZE:

  • cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon whole grain pommery mustard
  • 1 tablespoon hot prepared horseradish

DIRECTIONS:

  • Preheat the oven to 325°.
  • Remove the corned beef from the packet and dry it with paper towels. Place the corned beef fat side up in a roasting pan with 2″ high sides.
  • Add the carrots and onions around the corned beef. Add enough water to the pan to come half way up the sides of the beef. Add the pickling spice packet into the water (not on top of the meat).
  • Tightly cover the corned beef with tin foil and transfer it to the oven. Cook for 3-4 hours or until the meat is very tender.

MAKE THE GLAZE:

  • While the beef is cooking, assemble the glaze. In a small saucepan combine the brown sugar, dijon mustard, whole grain mustard and horseradish. Whisk to combine. Heat over medium high heat, whisking constantly until the sugar melts and it’s the consistency of a glaze. Set aside.

FINISH THE CORNED BEEF:

  • When the corned beef is cooked, remove it from the oven. Turn the oven temperature up to 375°.
  • Transfer the onions and carrots to a bowl.
  • Use a sharp knife to score the fat cap on the corned beef. Brush liberally with the horseradish glaze.
  • Return the corned beef to the oven and roast for 15 minutes or until the glaze is bubbly.
  • Transfer the beef to a cutting board and slice against the grain in 1/4″ slices.

RECIPE VIDEO:

YouTube video

NUTRITION:

Calories: 677kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 3808mg | Potassium: 1095mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 6803IU | Vitamin C: 86mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 6mg

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5 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Best corned beef recipe! I love the glaze and the meat turned out so tender.

  2. Kathy Riley says:

    Would like to make this in the Instapot.
    Just put it in w how much water? And cook for how long?

    1. I mentioned this in the post: To braise the corned beef in the Instant Pot, use about 4 cups of water and cook on high pressure for about 85 minutes with a 20 minute natural release.

  3. Aren’t the carrots very mushy after cooking for such a long time?

    1. Yes, the carrots are soft. If you wanted firmer ones you could roast them separately.