This Slow Cooker Corned Beef Silverside recipe is a simple, reliable way to create tender, fall-apart corned beef at home. Cooked gently in the slow cooker, the silverside becomes beautifully tender and full of flavour with very little effort.
It’s a classic family dinner that has been enjoyed in my kitchen for years.
Originally published April 3, 2020. Updated March 10, 2026.
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Why Corned Beef is Perfect for Slow Cooking
Corned beef silverside is perfect for the slow cooker because the long cooking time allows the meat to become incredibly soft and flavourful. With just a few simple ingredients and the slow cooker doing most of the work, this recipe is perfect for busy days when you want a hearty, satisfying meal.
Corned beef is best cooked low and slow, which makes the slow cooker perfect for this recipe. You can also cook it in an Instant Pot or multi cooker, and I’ve included those instructions below as well.
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!
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 – falling apart!
How to make corned beef in the slow cooker
There are so many variations of making corned beef, everything from the basic version I share to using ginger ale, to adding vegetables and more! I like to keep things as simple as possible. My method still creates a lovely outcome and I always have these ingredients on hand.
Corned Beef is best cooked over a low heat for a long time, ideally for around 9 hours., I would not recommend cooking on high in the slow cooker if you have the time to do it on low – however you can of course, the timing would be 4-6 hours on high.
All I use is a little brown sugar, a splash of malt vinegar and enough water to almost cover the meat.
I always rinse the corned beef well before adding it to the slow cooker. This helps reduce the saltiness of the final dish. 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 – try it – its a delicacy!
Why This Slow Cooker Corned Beef Works So Well
- Extremely tender, fall-apart corned beef
- Very little preparation required
- Perfect for an easy family dinner
- Leftovers are perfect for sandwiches the next day
- Slow cooker does most of the work
If you’re unsure about cooking times for different cuts of meat, my Slow Cooker Cooking Times Chart is a helpful reference for getting perfect results every time.
Slow Cooker Corned Beef Recipe
Here is my simple slow cooker corned beef method that creates beautifully tender meat every time.
Easy Slow Cooker Corned Beef Silverside
Easy Slow Cooker Corned Beef Silverside is a simple dinner recipe using corned beef silverside, malt vinegar, brown sugar and water to create tender, flavourful meat.
Ingredients
- 1.5kg Corned Beef Silverside
- 2 teaspoons Brown Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Malt Vinegar
- Water to almost cover beef
Instructions
- Rinse the corned beef well to remove all of the salty brine
- Add this beef to the slow cooker, then add the brown sugar, vinegar
- Pour over the water until it almost covers the meat
- Cover with the slow cooker lid and cook for 7-9 hours on LOW or 4-6 hours on HIGH until the meat is tender and easy to pull apart at the edges
- Carefully remove from the slow cooker onto a plate, leaving behind the liquid.
- Slice and serve
- Enjoy!
- Store leftovers in the fridge for delicious sandwiches the next day.
Notes
Multi Cooker - Instant Pot Corned Beef
Follow the same method as above, cover and turn to pressure cook - cook for 1 hour 45 minutes, allow the steam to escape through vent and carefully remove, serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 634Total Fat: 48gSaturated Fat: 16gUnsaturated Fat: 32gCholesterol: 245mgSodium: 2420mgCarbohydrates: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 46g
This nutrition calculation for Just Slow Cooker Recipes has been automated, please use your discretion with the calculation and use your own if unsure.
I hope you enjoy this lovely easy recipe, no need for fussy techniques to create delicious flavoursome corned beef!
More Slow Cooker Dinner Recipes
If you enjoy using your slow cooker for hearty main meals, be sure to try these family favourites too.
Roast Pork with Honey Garlic Butter Sauce
I hope you love this recipe for corned beef as much as we do. It’s such a lovely comforting dish for cooler days and one I come back to again and again.
If you try it, I’d love to hear how it turned out for you in the comments below.
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Thank you so much for visiting and taking the time to try this recipe. I hope you find plenty of slow cooker inspiration here on my blog.
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Happy cooking!
Anna
I cook my Corned Beef in an oven bag in the slow cooker.
Just wash it off put into oven bag and tie up. Put it into slow cooker and add water about 1/4 full. Put lid on and set on low for 8 hours.
Take out and cut up. Delicious.
Wonderful and easy clean up!
Good hint ..not tried that
I also add cloves ,pepper corns,bay leaf,onion and a lemon. Delicious 😋
Great ideas
Hi do you put the extra ingredients in the water or in the oven bag? Thanks.
Hi can you give me your recipe for slow cooked corned beef using ginger ale please I will be trying your recipe above as well thanks Michelle
Just add ginger ale in place of the water 🙂
Hi everyone.
Pur favourite Corned Beef recipe for the slow cooker is:
1.5 litres Ginger Ale/Ginger Beer
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon ground Ginger
Pat the meat dry. Put into the slow cooker and pour over the Ginger Ale or Ginger Beer.
Add the honey and ground Ginger (it will fizz a little)
If the meat isn’t covered by the liquid, add a little boiling water to just cover the meat.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours until tender.
We use some of the cooking liquid to make a sauce for the meat.
If you have any leftover, ensure you pour some of the cooking liquid into the container you are storing the meat in.
The ginger means the meat doesn’t dry out and the meat will stay moist for several days and makes for lovely sandwiches.
Enjoy 😀
Sounds like a lovely alternative, thank you.
Sounds delish! Do you have a revere for your mustard sauce too, please?
This is from the Edmonds Cook Book
INGREDIENTS
​1 egg
2 Tbsp white sugar
1 Tbsp standard flour
2 tsp mustard powder
1 cup water or corned beef cooking liquid
¼ cup malt vinegar
Salt and pepper
METHOD
1. Beat the egg and sugar together and put into a saucepan.
2. Whisk in the flour and mustard, then gradually add the water and vinegar.
3. Cook over a low heat until the sauce thickens, then season with salt and pepper to taste, adding more sugar if you wish. ​
how long do u leave it in the salty brine before cooking it…thanks
It comes packaged in a salty brine. I rinse this off just before I add it to the slow cooker. Then I add the other ingredients.
I’m going to use the ginger ale/beer suggestion. I haven’t cooked corned beef for ages so appreciated the recipes…
Margaret Ann
Do I use hot or cold water to cover the corned beef? cheers
I just use cold tap water, but can use warm then it will come to temperature quicker
What do you use if you don’t have brown sugar??
Just use white if you have no brown sugar on hand. Still adds a little sweetness to balance the flavour.
What if you don’t have malt vinegar what else can I use instead ?
Any sugar will do
Hi Anna, the question above is what also have. An alternative to malt vinegar please? (Not sugar alternative) if you have one?
Any form of vinegar will be good, apple cider vinegar, white or red wine vinegar. Just something to balance the flavours.
I have a 1kg piece of silverside. How long would I cook that on low? Is it still 7-9 hours?
Thanks, Sue
Yes, that will be fine. I like it super soft and tender.
I just love with finding a simple recipe that really works, then others like to throw their own versions in.
Well other versions, start your own recipe web page and stay off this.
Simple is always best.
Well, with regard to Corned Beef being the brisket cut, not here in Australia. My mother would always ask the butcher for Corned Beef and added Not Brisket! I can hear her now 50 years on!
I think our butcher used to corn (salt) pieces of Blade or Topside. Mum certainly didn’t like brisket.
With regard to cooking, Mum cooked the usual way (then) by adding peppercorns, a few cloves, brown sugar and vinegar, but recently my local butcher said to just use beer. I empty a bottle over the meat in the saucepan then re-fill the bottle with water adding enough to cover the meat, then bring to boil, and simmer for the required time. Beautiful taste, however for an hour or two the house smells like a brewery!
2nd time cooking a silverside in a slow cooker and it turned out really well. One of the best I’ve had in a while