Forget all the past ways you have cooked corned beef, because this SMOKED CORNED BEEF is about to knock your socks off.
Back in March, when I first got my Traeger Pro my youngest daughter was having her 5th birthday party. We were inviting a lot of people but wanted something a little different that hot dogs and burgers for the crowd we were about to feed. My husband suggested corned beef, and since her birthday is around St. Patricks Day, I knew we would not have any problem finding the beef in stores.
(sidenote: because corned beef usually only comes out in March, I hoard the shiz outta it so we can have it all year long and I don’t have to go to multiple stores to try to find it)
I was a bit nervous to smoke something I have never done before and for a crowd, but I’m up for the challenge. I like to smoke my food at a low temperature first, to really get that smoky flavor to penetrate the meat. If you use a lighter flavored pellets like apple, maple, cherry, or pecan, the corned beef won’t taste as barbeque-ie; if that makes sense. Mesquite and Hickory tend to have a stronger flavor. So just keep that in mind when cooking it. You can choose whatever pellet you’d like, it will all turn out delicious.
This recipe makes for some pretty unbelievable leftovers. You can make it into a hash with a poached egg, slice it real thin and make sandwiches, make it into a salad. So many choices!
If you do not have a meat thermometer I highly highly suggest it. Cuts of meat like this do better knowing the final internal temp rather than just going completely by time.
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds corned beef brisket or round
- 1 head of cabbage, sliced into wedges
- 1 lb fingerling potatoes
- 2 cups baby carrots
- 3 tbl dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup water or broth.
Instructions
- Turn your smoker to 250 degrees F.
- Remove the corned beef from the packaging and set the seasoning pack it comes with aside. You will use it later.
- Once your smoker has come to temperature, place the corned beef, fat side up directly onto the grill. You may need to trim a bit of fat off if there is a lot or if its very thick. You want a thin layer of fat on the top. Let smoke for 2 hours.
- During that 2 hours you can optionally spritz the meat with equal parts apple cider and water every 45 minutes.
- While the corned beef is smoking you are going to make a mixture to pour over the top. Mix together the seasoning packet, dijon mustard, and water or broth in a bowl. Get your veggies ready by dicing and cutting them up.
- After 2 hours, remove the corned beef and place in an aluminum pan. Pour the dijon mustard mixture over the top of the corned beef. Place your carrots,potatoes, and cabbage around the beef and cover with aluminum foil.
- Turn the temperature up to 325 degrees after you removed the beef. Once it hits 325 degrees, place the aluminum pan onto the grate.
- If you have a probe you may stick it in to the thickest part of the meat. Close the smoker and cook until the internal temperature hits about 203 degrees.
- Remove from the smoker once it hits 203 degrees and let rest for 10 minutes lightly covered
- Enjoy with a side of stone ground mustard.
My husband asks for this multiple times a week. And I’m not even kidding. Make it, enjoy it, and LOVE it!
Whole30: yes
Paleo: yes, sub with sweet potatoes
Do you have a ballpark on about how long it would take to come up to 203 degrees so I know about how long before I can plan on serving? Is it like an hour or maybe closer to two?
Probably more like 2 hours. It really depends on how big the piece of meat is, but average is around 2ish hours!
Hi Jen – ballpark 2 hours to get to 203 degrees from after we put the foil on the pan and place it back at 325?
So the whole recipe would take a total of ballpark 4ish hours, once you count the initial 2 hours of smoking at 250? Thanks! Can’t wait to try this!
Yes. It really depends on how big it is…but I’d say around 4 1/2-6 hours is how long it takes total!
I usually let my husband take over when it comes to the smoker but I saw this recipe and we followed this recipe step by step. OMG everything came out perfect. I did soak the cornbeef in cold water for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours before we put it on the smoker because I was concerned about how much salt was in the cornbeef. The meat was tender and the vegetables came out beautifully. I truly recommend this recipe. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers.
I usually let my husband take over when it comes to the smoker but I saw this recipe and we followed this recipe step by step. OMG everything came out perfect. I did soak the cornbeef in cold water for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours before we put it on the smoker because I was concerned about how much salt was in the cornbeef. The meat was tender and the vegetables came out beautifully. I truly recommend this recipe. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers. Everything took about 4 1/2 hours to get the meat to 203 temperature.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. It is one of our absolute favorites!!
Getting ready for a saint Patrick’s day party in a few weeks. For the single gal here who only owns a grill, can I follow the same steps/temperature guidelines on a grill/oven? Any other alternative ways to cook it that you would recommend? I know I’ll be missing out on the smoked flavor.