Corned Beef Recipe (Tender, Juicy Silverside With Creamy Parsley Sauce)

Some dinners make the whole house smell like comfort. This corned beef recipe is one of them. A pot gently bubbles on the stove, the kitchen fills with peppercorns, bay leaves and cloves, and the beef turns meltingly tender without ever boiling. It’s the kind of meal that calls people to the table, needs only a few sides, and tastes even better the next day in sandwiches.

Across Australia we often call it silverside, and we usually serve it with potatoes, carrots and a creamy parsley or mustard sauce. This guide gives you everything you need: easy-to-follow instructions, three cooking methods (stovetop, slow cooker and pressure cooker), a foolproof parsley–mustard sauce, and a leftover plan that makes weekday lunches a treat. I’ll also answer the questions I’m asked most: what’s the best way to prepare corned beef, how long must corned beef cook, and what sauce for corned beef works with Aussie sides.

Whether you’re new to the dish or you grew up with a traditional australian corned beef recipe pencilled into a family cookbook, this version is balanced, steady and reliably tender. It’s also flexible: buy a ready-corned brisket or silverside from the butcher, or use the homemade brine notes here when you want to plan ahead for a true homemade corned beef recipe.

What Is Corned Beef (And Why We Love It)

Corned beef is beef that’s been cured in a seasoned salt brine, historically with large “corns” (grains) of salt. The cure seasons the meat through to the centre, changes its colour to a rosy hue, and helps it stay juicy during long, gentle cooking. In Australia the cut sold as corned beef is usually silverside (from the round), but brisket is increasingly available and produces a slightly richer result. Either cut works with this corned beef recipe.

At its best, corned beef tastes savoury and aromatic with a hint of sweetness; it slices neatly across the grain and pulls into tender shreds when nudged with a fork. The trick is low heat, patience, and enough liquid to surround the meat without drowning the flavour.

Cuts, Buying Tips and Salt Levels

Use one of these cuts, 1.2–1.8 kg for a family dinner:

• Silverside: leaner, slices beautifully, classic Aussie texture.
• Brisket (flat): more fat and connective tissue; yields a silkier mouthfeel and shreddier edges.
• Point-end brisket: fattier again and very juicy; less common for corning but wonderful.

When buying pre-corned beef, ask the butcher how salty the cure is. Some packs are stronger than others. If you’re salt-sensitive, soak the meat in cold water for 30 minutes, drain, then proceed. If you’re corning beef at home, control salt by tasting a cooled teaspoon of the brine; it should taste pleasantly salty like the sea, not aggressively briny.

Flavour Builders: Aromatics and Spices

Aromatic liquid turns good meat into memorable dinner. For this corned beef recipe, I use:

• Brown onion, quartered
• Garlic, lightly crushed
• Carrots and celery, roughly chopped
• Whole peppercorns
• Mustard seeds and coriander seeds
• Bay leaves
• Cloves (a few, not a handful)
• A piece of orange peel or lemon peel
• Malt vinegar or apple cider vinegar, a small splash
• Brown sugar or a spoon of golden syrup to round the savoury edges

These aren’t precious: use what you have. The point is a balanced, fragrant pot, not a spice shop.

The Best Way To Prepare Corned Beef

Here is the answer in one line: keep the water just below a simmer, around 85–90°C, for long enough to dissolve connective tissue but never so hot that the proteins seize. That gentle heat is the best way to prepare corned beef because it preserves juiciness. Boiling expels moisture and can make the meat stringy or dry around the edges.

I bring the pot to a bare simmer, skim any foam, then slide the heat down until the surface ripples lazily. Lid on, but slightly ajar. The meat will relax into tenderness without losing shape.

How Long Must Corned Beef Cook?

Time depends on weight and cut as well as your method. Use these practical guides, then confirm with a fork test (it should slide in with little resistance) and by checking that the internal temperature sits around 92–96°C, where collagen has softened.

• Stovetop: 30–40 minutes per 500 g once the pot is at a gentle simmer (a 1.5 kg piece takes about 1 hour 45 minutes).
• Slow cooker: 8–10 hours on low, 5–6 hours on high.
• Pressure cooker/Instant Pot: 75–90 minutes at high pressure for 1.3–1.8 kg, natural release 15 minutes.

Rest the meat on a board, tented with foil, for 10–15 minutes before slicing. Always cut across the grain for neat slices that don’t fall apart.

My Family Story

When I was little, Dad called corned beef the “Sunday sweater” dinner because the whole house wore the smell all afternoon. Nan simmered silverside with an onion, a bay leaf, a few peppercorns and her secret ,a spoon of golden syrup. She’d let me stir the white sauce while she mashed the potatoes with too much butter. At the table, Dad would carve thick slices, point at the first one with his knife, and say “That’s the cook’s.” He gave it to Nan. I’m not sure whether I learned patience from that tradition or just the importance of a good sauce, but every time I make this corned beef recipe I hear the murmur of those Sunday conversations in the kitchen.

Three Methods for Corned Beef Recipe: Stovetop, Slow Cooker, Pressure Cooker

Choose the method that suits your day. The flavour is excellent across all three as long as you keep the heat gentle.

Stovetop (my default)

1. Rinse corned beef briefly under cold water. Place in a large pot and cover with cold water by 2–3 cm.
2. Add onion, garlic, carrots, celery, peppercorns, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, bay leaves, cloves, orange peel, vinegar and sugar.
3. Bring to a gentle simmer. Skim foam. Reduce heat so the surface barely trembles. Cover partially and cook for 30–40 minutes per 500 g.
4. Turn the meat once or twice. Top up with hot water if needed.
5. Lift out and rest 10–15 minutes before slicing.

Slow cooker (set and forget)

Add beef and aromatics to the slow cooker, cover with hot water, and cook 8–10 hours on low. If your unit runs cool, switch to high for the last hour. For a brighter flavour at the end, splash in a little vinegar while the meat rests.

Pressure cooker

Add beef and aromatics, cover with water to the max fill line, and cook 75–90 minutes at high pressure (depending on weight and cut). Natural release 15 minutes, then quick-release the rest. The pressure cooker is perfect when you want a weeknight corned beef recipe without planning your afternoon around the pot.

What Sauce For Corned Beef?

Australia loves creamy parsley sauce with corned beef. A seeded mustard cream is great too, and horseradish cream works if you like heat. Below, you’ll find my parsley–mustard white sauce: smooth, mild, and designed to flatter the meat instead of smothering it.

Sides That Work Every Time

• Buttered potatoes or mash
• Steamed carrots and green beans
• Cabbage wedges steamed in a ladle of the cooking liquid
• Peas with a little butter and mint
• Soft dinner rolls if sandwiches are the plan

Leftovers Plan

Make extra on purpose. Leftover corned beef is incredible in:

• Reuben toasties: rye bread, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Russian dressing
• Corned beef hash with onion, potatoes and a fried egg
• Bubble and squeak with leftover veg
• Fritters with sweetcorn and chives
• Chopped through a creamy pasta with mustard and peas

Homemade Brine (Optional)

If you want the full homemade corned beef recipe experience:

• 2 litres water
• 200 g coarse salt
• 120 g brown sugar
• 1 tsp pink curing salt (Prague Powder #1), optional for colour and flavour
• 2 tsp peppercorns, 2 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 6 cloves, 3 bay leaves, 1 cinnamon stick, strips of orange peel

Bring 1 litre of the water to a simmer with the salt and sugar until dissolved. Add spices, then the remaining cold water. Cool completely. Submerge a 1.5–2 kg brisket or silverside (in a non-reactive container) for 5–7 days in the fridge, flipping daily. Rinse, soak 30 minutes in cold water, then cook using one of the methods above. If you skip pink curing salt, the meat won’t be as rosy but will still be delicious.

Troubleshooting and Pro Tips

• Too salty: replace some of the cooking water halfway through with fresh hot water; serve with extra vegetables and an acidic sauce to balance.
• Too tough: the heat was too high or the meat needs longer. Keep the pot at a gentle simmer and cook until a fork slides in easily. Time, not temperature alone, unlocks tenderness.
• Dry edges: boiling is usually the culprit. Lower the heat and make sure the meat is submerged.
• Dull flavour: finish with a splash of the vinegar and a pinch of sugar to brighten the broth; salt cautiously only after tasting.
• Stringy slices: cut across the grain. If in doubt, take a thin slice and check the direction of the fibres before proceeding.

Nutrition, Storage and Safety

A 150–180 g serving of cooked beef with vegetables and sauce sits around 500–550 calories, varying with cut and fat. Keep leftovers covered in the fridge and reheat until piping hot. Broth should be cooled quickly and refrigerated within two hours; bring to a boil before using again. Freeze portions in small containers for fast dinners.

Why This Corned Beef Recipe Works for Busy Weeks

This recipe ticks all the boxes of an easy Corned Beef: short hands-on time, forgiving timing, three cooking methods, and a sauce that takes five minutes. It’s a classic example of an easy australian recipe that tastes like you fussed all afternoon but leaves you free to set the table and mash the potatoes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

A pot of gently simmering beef, a platter of buttered vegetables and a jug of creamy parsley sauce are proof that simple food still wins. If you follow the gentle-heat rule, slice across the grain and balance the flavours with a little acid, this corned beef recipe delivers every time.

Use the stovetop on a Sunday, the slow cooker on a workday, or the pressure cooker when the clock’s against you. Either way, you’ll get tender slices, rich broth and a plate that tastes like home.

Thanks for cooking with me. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it went and which sauce your family chooses.