Fried Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe – Ready In 30 Minutes!

Fried corned beef and cabbage is a delicious and easy to make meal that will keep you feeling full and satisfied. It is a very popular recipe to make this time of the year as it is considered a classic Irish-American dish that is often made as part of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

In fact, it is one of the easiest and quickest meals to make. From start to finish, you will have dinner on the table in under 30 minutes!

It all starts with a couple pieces of bacon that are cooked in a skillet until they become nice and crispy. Then shreds of cabbage are sautéed in the residual bacon grease and butter until they become soft and tender, yet crispy and brown.

Once the cabbage wilts, chunks of corned beef are added to the pan. When the corned beef is heated and crispy on the edges it is time to top the mixture with crumbled bacon and enjoy a delicious and hearty meal for two.

It doesn’t get any easier than that! Especially when you use canned corned beef.

However it is also a tasty way to use up leftover corned beef after a St. Patrick’s Day feast. And frying it along with leftover cabbage is a great way to turn those leftovers into another delicious meal.

Ingredients Required to Make Fried Corned Beef and Cabbage

1. Bacon

Although there are many types of products that use the term bacon, let me clarify what type of bacon that you need for this recipe. Here I am talking about the traditional bacon that is common in America and known as smoked and cured bacon.

The bacon serves two purposes here. First, once the bacon is cooked, the grease is used to help saute the cabbage.

Then when the meal is complete, the crispy bacon is broke into crumbles and sprinkled on top. This adds not only another layer of smoky and salty flavor, it also adds a crunchy texture.

However, the type of bacon that you use does matter. For a traditional taste it is best to stick with a natural hardwood smoked bacon.

However, if you want to add a little extra flavor feel free to use applewood or hickory smoked bacon. Both flavors will compliment the other flavors in the dish.

Although you could use turkey bacon to add a little extra crunch to the meal, you will need to make a little modification to the recipe below. Because turkey bacon is so lean and won’t produce the grease that pork bacon does, you will need to add a tablespoon or two of olive oil to the pan before adding the cabbage.

2. Butter

Once the bacon has been taken out of the skillet and is still warm, butter is added to the residual grease left over in the pan. The combination of the bacon grease and butter will not only help the cabbage shreds to saute, it will also add additional flavor.

However, it is best to use unsalted butter when making fried corned beef and cabbage. You will get enough salt from both the bacon and corned beef and you can always add more if you need to.

3. Cabbage

It is standard that when making any type of corned beef and cabbage recipe to use green cabbage. Green cabbage is a compact and round with smooth, tightly wrapped inner leaves.

The cabbage leaves are sturdy and can hold up well to sautéing which makes it a great choice for this dish. In addition the mild taste of the cabbage complements the saltiness of the corned beef and bacon.

However, because this is a recipe for two a small to medium size cabbage is the perfect size to purchase. Then you can save the other half of the cabbage to make Cabbage Roll In A Bowl.

4. Corned Beef

When it comes to what type of corned beef to use, you have a few options.

Canned Corned Beef – Canned corned beef is a great option to use when you are cooking for two. It is the perfect amount to make 2-4 servings and is more economical than the other types of corned beef.

You can find most often find canned corned beef in the canned meat aisle at the grocery. However, be sure not to purchase the more popular cans of corned beef hash.

You are looking strictly for canned corned beef. Look for a square can that may even have the key to open the can attached on the side.

Deli Corned Beef – Another great option is to purchase deli style corned beef. However, I recommend purchasing a chunk of corned beef rather than deli slices.

A half pound chunk of meat can be then diced into smaller pieces. This will allow some structure to your fried corned beef and cabbage rather than using strips of thin deli slices.

Leftover Corned Beef – If you are planning on making Slow Cooker Corned Beef after St. Patrick’s Day, or you know someone that is, you can definitely use leftover corned beef to make this recipe.

To substitute, use 2 cups of chopped cooked corned beef in place of the canned corned beef.

Possible Recipe Additions

Although this recipe is hearty and delicious as written, you can also add a few other ingredients to customize it to your liking. Below I have listed some common recipe additions.

• cooked diced potatoes
• shredded carrots
• diced onions
• hot pepper flakes, to taste

Fried Corned Beef and Cabbage Skillet Recipe

*A printable recipe card is located at the bottom of this article which contains the specific measurements, temperatures and cook times. However, continue reading below to learn about more helpful tips about this specific recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 slices bacon
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 medium head green cabbage, cored & thinly sliced
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 (7 ounce) can corned beef

INSTRUCTIONS

In a deep skillet cook the bacon until crispy over medium heat. Remove the bacon from the skillet and let it drain on a paper towel lined plate. Once it is cool enough to handle crumble it into small pieces and set aside.

Keep the bacon grease in the skillet and adjust the heat to medium low. Add the butter and once melted add the shredded cabbage. Toss the cabbage pieces to coat the strands in the butter/grease.

Add the black pepper to the cabbage and toss to coat. Then pour the water in the skillet and cover. Increase the heat to medium and let it simmer for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Open the can of corned beef and place it on a cutting board. Cut it into rough chunks, as it will break up more when it heats in the skillet.

Once the cabbage has been simmering for 10 minutes, add the chunks of corned beef to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.

Serve the corned beef & cabbage warm and top with the bacon bits.

Enjoy! Mary

Follow My Facebook Page For Great Recipes For Two! I Cook For Two Facebook Page

To receive FREE recipes delivered directly to your email, be sure to sign up for the iCookfortwo newsletter. A sign up form is located in the middle of this article. If you have any questions, comments, or want to submit an idea for a recipe for two, feel free to email at mary@icookfortwo.com