Smoked Corned Beef

Smoked Corned Beef is one of the best ways to make corned beef recipes for St. Patrick’s Day! Smoked Corned Beef Brisket is cooked slow and low to develop a perfectly seasoned crust and tender interior. Perfect for a Reuben sandwich.

Serve corned beef brisket with horseradish aioli or horseradish sauce for prime rib for added flavor.

acquaintance smoking recipes: Smoked Tri Tip, Smoked Picanha Smoked prime riband Smoked beef fillet.

Smoked Corned Beef Brisket

As with our Sous Vide Corned Beef and Instant Pot Corned Beef, this tender corned beef recipe uses store-bought, pre-dried corned beef (salt-dried beef); the one that contains a pickle spice pack.

Corned Beef Seasoning

Making homemade corned beef from brisket? Do not worry! It’s easy to snag a spice mix off Amazon or put together a homemade corned beef spice packet. Recipe coming soon!

temperature

For food safety, the internal temperature of corned beef must reach 145°F, but the collagen is just beginning to break down 160-180°F. For optimal texture, we recommend cooking until the internal temperature reaches 190-205°F.

time

It takes about 4-5 hours to cook corned beef on the smoker. The first round of smoking takes about 2.5 to 3 hours, while the second round takes about 2 hours.

It’s difficult to give an accurate estimate as there are many factors to consider including the shape of the meat, the size of the meat, and even the outdoor weather.

Corned beef on smoker

There are two steps to cooking corned beef on the smoker: the first cook, where the roast sits directly on the grill, and the second cook, where the roast sits in beef broth to retain moisture.

Smoking Corned Beef

This corned beef recipe can be made on a charcoal or electric smoker. See the recipe card below for detailed instructions for both methods. For beginners, here’s a quick cheat sheet for each type of grill:

charcoal

Using charcoal or wood is a bit more “manual” than using an electric smoker. This is the method we prefer simply because we like handling the grill.

To prepare a charcoal grill, preheat the coals until just awash. Pour it on the other side (either left or right) of your grill and open the vents 25%. Create smoke by placing pieces of wood directly on the preheated coals. You want to keep the temperature between 225 – 250°F.

Pellet/Electric smokers

Pellet smokers are great for maintaining smoke and temperature without much effort. Her popularity has exploded in recent years. Pellet smokers are great for beginners and advanced smokers. Traeger Corned Beef should be on your list.

To prepare, preheat your grill to 250°F. Follow the manufacturer’s directions to get an even smoke.

gas grill

Unlike most other smoking recipes published on Foodie and Wine, we do not recommend using a gas grill to prepare this recipe due to the very long cooking time.

wood recommendations

Stick to a light wood or fruit wood like pecan when smoking corned beef. cherry wood and apple wood to avoid competing tastes.

deliveries

• energy source – Make sure to stock up on your chosen energy source: charcoal, pelletsEtc.
• smoking wood – hunk, crisps or pellets.
• clinical thermometer – Always use a thermometer. Our go-to digital thermometer is this Thermaworks point.

How to cut corned beef

As with most meats, you want to cut into thin strips (about 1/8 – 1/4″) against the grain.

Prepare corned beef

Store-bought corned beef is extremely salty. Therefore, you need to soak it in cold water to help desalination. Soak in cold water for two hours, changing the water every 30 minutes. Of course, if you like it very salty, you don’t have to soak!

recipe tips

• Try to use an evenly thick corned beef for even cooking.
• Corned beef goes well with beer! Instead of using beef broth (Instant Pot Bone Broth), you can use a cup of flavorful beer like Guinness.
• Corned beef can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Always use a thermometer. You want to cook by temperature, not time. Our go-to digital thermometer is this Thermaworks point.

Smoked Corned Beef and Cabbage

Interested in making a plate of the classics? Simply add chopped cabbage, quartered potatoes, and diced carrots as you add the beef broth to the pan. Make sure there is enough broth to cover all of the vegetables.

Side dish ideas

Carrots and potatoes are the key side dishes when preparing traditional corned beef, but you can always use Jiffy Corn Casserole, air fry baby potatoes, or garlic mashed potatoes.

Pastrami versus corned beef

Pastrami and corned beef are very similar in flavor and texture. The key difference is the cooking method. Pastrami is smoked and steamed brisket. Corned beef is brisket that has been pickled in brine and then smoked.

Recommendations for wine accompaniment

Red wine: Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, Grenache or Zinfandel.

White wine: Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewürztraminer or Grüner Veltliner.

For more popular Irish recipes, click here:

Steak and Ale Pie
Instant Pot Potato Soup
Shepard’s Pie

Smoked Corned Beef recipe