Boiled corned beef often ends up stringy and dry. Cooking it sous vide keeps it tender and sliceable, with a deep rosy colour from the cure. It’s a project — about a week of curing and two days in the water bath — but most of that time is hands-off, and the result is worth it.
Cure a trimmed brisket in a spiced brine containing Prague Powder #1 for 5–7 days in the fridge, rinse, vacuum seal and cook at 140°F (60°C) for about 48 hours. Chill or serve, sliced across the grain.
Recipe card
Sous Vide Corned Beef
Ingredients
- 1 beef brisket (7–8 lb / 3.2–3.6 kg), trimmed
- 3 quarts (2.8 litres) cold water, divided
- 1 cup (about 145 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or about ½ cup table salt)
- ½ cup (100 g) brown or coconut sugar
- 19 g (about 3¼ tsp) Prague Powder #1 (pink curing salt #1), weighed
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tbsp green cardamom pods
- 1½ tsp each whole cloves, allspice berries and black peppercorns
- 1½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 bay leaves
Method
- In a saucepan, bring 2 cups of the water to a simmer with the salt, sugar, curing salt and spices, stirring until dissolved. Remove from the heat.
- Stir the spiced mixture into the remaining cold water and chill until completely cold.
- Submerge the brisket in the brine in a non-reactive container or large brining bag. Weigh it down so it stays covered. Refrigerate for 5–7 days, turning every day or two.
- Preheat your sous vide water bath to 140°F (60°C). Use a lid or insulating balls to limit evaporation on a long cook.
- Remove the brisket from the brine, rinse well and pat dry. Cut into 2–3 pieces if needed to fit your bags.
- Vacuum seal (double-seal the bags for a long cook) and cook for about 48 hours.
- Remove, slice across the grain and serve — or chill in ice water and refrigerate to slice cold for sandwiches.
- For colour, you can sear the slices briefly in a hot pan.
Notes
- Use only Prague Powder #1 (sodium nitrite cure) — not #2, which is for long dry-cured products. Measure it by weight and follow the manufacturer’s directions.
- Prefer it falling-apart tender? Cook at 155°F (68°C) for 24–36 hours.
About curing salt
Curing salt is essential for colour, flavour and safety in corned beef, but it’s toxic in large amounts. Keep it clearly labelled and away from table salt, weigh it accurately and never exceed the quantity recommended on its packaging. A widely used ratio for brines is about 25 g of Prague Powder #1 per gallon (3.8 litres) of water, which is what this recipe scales from.
Freezing and storing
Cooked corned beef keeps 3–4 days in the fridge. Vacuum seal sliced portions and freeze for 2–3 months for the best quality — they reheat well in a 140°F bath or a steamer.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use store-bought corned beef?
Yes. Rinse a pre-brined corned beef brisket well, then seal and cook at 140°F for 48 hours (or 155°F for 24–36 hours) — no curing step needed.
Why does a long sous vide cook need double seals?
Two or more days in hot water puts seals under sustained stress. A second seal line reduces the risk of a bag opening and flooding.
