Weight Watchers SmartPoints Recipes of the Day: Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage 3 Ways
Here are 3 slow cooker corned beef recipes for you to consider on St. Patrick's Day or anytime.
For many of us, it wouldn't be St. Patrick's Day without indulging in a plate of corned beef and cabbage. It certainly wouldn't for me. It was a hot topic at my Weight Watchers meeting this week (along with green beer).
Corned beef dinner
While I'm not the least bit interested in green beer... Give me a Guinness thank you very much. It's a whole lot more filling with fewer calories.
How Many Calories and Weight Watchers Points in Guinness Draught?
Did you know that 12 ounces of Guinness Draught has about 125 calories, while the same about of Budweiser has 145 and skim milk, 129? A bottle will cost you 4 SmartPoints, while a bottle of light beer is 3 points and a regular lager 5 points. But I digress 🙂
How Many WW Points in Corned Beef?
According to Weight Watchers a 3-ounce serving of cooked corned beef has 6 Points. This recipe calls for an uncooked corned beef that will shrink quite a bit during the cooking process. Sliced corned beef from the delicatessen has fewer WW Points. A 2-ounce serving of sliced deli corned beef has 2-3 points depending on the brand.
I'm definitely a fan of corned beef:)
Mom always makes her corned beef and cabbage on the stove top, so for many years I carried on the tradition.
But since I'm always looking for ways to make things quicker, easier and simpler, for the past few years I've been experimenting with different slow cooker corned beef and cabbage recipes instead.
I'm so glad I did.
Slow Cooker Corned Beef Recipe #1 (Below)
For the first recipe, I opted for a "light" recipe, making just a few minor adjustments.
St. Patrick's Day corned beef dinner
The original recipe called for only 1 cup of water, so the meat braises instead of boils (think steam room instead of hot tub), leaving it moist and tender, not wet and slimy or dried out.
Slow Cooker Corned Beef Recipe #2 - Beer Braised
The next time, I braised the corned beef in beer for an extra flavor boost.
Slow Cooker Corned Beef Recipe #3 - Mustard Maple Glazed
And most recently I slathered a mustard-maple glaze on the corned beef and skipped the liquid altogether.
I loved them all and would be hard pressed to chose a favorite. So, that's why I've included them all here for you.
Making slow cooker corned beef is incredibly easy and amazingly delicious, so it will be my go-to way of preparing if from now on.
What to Serve with Corned Beef on St. Patrick's Day or Any Day?
For the total Irish experience this St. Patrick's Day, why not bake up a loaf of Irish Soda Bread, Easy Whole Wheat Soda Bread, or Irish Brown Bread to serve alongside? And then serve this light yet decadent Chocolate Stout Cake for Dessert.
How Many Calories and WW Points in this Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe?
According to my calculations, each serving of this Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage has 340 calories and
11 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
11 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
9 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
9 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
Are You Ready To Slow Cook Yourself Slim?
If you've made this Slow Cooked Corned Beef, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Slow Cooker Corned Beef & Cabbage Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 large carrots, cut into chunks
- 1 large onion, cut into thin wedges
- 6 medium red or yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
- ½ medium head of cabbage, cut into wedges
- 1 cup water
- 1 (4-pound) corned beef with the seasoning packet, trimmed of any excess fat
Instructions
- Ideal Slow Cooker Size: 6 to 7-Quart Oval
- Place the carrots, onion, potatoes and cabbage in the slow cooker.
- Pour water over the vegetables.
- Sprinkle the spices from the seasoning packet evenly over the meat and then place the meat on top of the vegetables.
- Cover and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours (or until the meat and vegetables are fork tender.)
- Remove the corned beef from the slow cooker and let rest on a cutting board for 15 minutes. Thinly slice the meat across the grain. Place on a platter. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the vegetables out of the slow cooker and place them on the platter alongside or around the meat. Serve with mustard or horseradish, if desired.
Recipe Notes
Source: Slightly adapted from Fix-It And Forget-It Big Cookbook: 1400 Best Slow Cooker Recipes
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
References: Best & Worst Beers in America (Men's Health Eat This Not That (affiliate link))
Is Guinness Actually Healthy? Here's What a Beer Expert Says (EatingWell (affiliate link))
If You Like Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage You Might Also Like:
- Stovetop Corned Beef and Cabbage (Simple-Nourished-Living)
- Skinny Leftover Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup (Simple-Nourished-Living)
- Corned Beef Hash (Simple-Nourished-Living)
- Corned Beef and Cabbage Strudel (Weight Watchers)
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
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Kristin
I have to be honest, I had low expectations for this recipe, but I wanted the lowest calorie corned beef to get my St. Patty's Day fix. I was stunned how awesome it was. Totally flavorful and amazing. I did a 3.77 lb roast and did it as 8 servings instead of 12 for 266 cals a serving. Amazing. I'll make it again before next year!
Martha McKinnon
So glad this exceeded your expectations, Kristin! I always love when that happens!!
gourmetwantabe
I love most of your recipes but this corned beef did not work at all. After 10 hours it still wasn't done and the cabbage on top was dry and not even partly cooked. I ended up boiling it like I've done for 50 years. Only one bad recipe out of all the great ones is ok:)
Martha McKinnon
Hi Gourmetwantabe, Sorry this recipe didn't work out for you. Which just goes to show there are no perfect recipes for everyone. I've been doing my St. Patrick's Day corned beef and cabbage in the slow cooker for the past few years with great success. However yesterday, because I was making a large amount I opted to cook just the corned beef in the slow cooker (which turned out great) but boil the vegetables, which I totally overcooked to mush!! Next year it's back to the slow cooker for me 🙂 If you've had success with boiling for 50 years, that's definitely the way to go. Glad my other recipes have worked well for you. All the best. - Martha
Karyn
My sister and I never made corn beef and cabbage before. We followed the recipe with maple syrup and mustard rub and it is soooo delicious and tender. Thank you!
Wendy Putonti
I’m just learning to appreciate my slow cooker. This recipe was easy to follow and was delicious.
Debby Werth
I made this for St. Patrick's Day 2019. My husband looked in the crockpot and wasn't too impressed until he took a bite. He asked me to make it again soon. We love cabbage so I'm happy to accommodate him. I was going to use the leftovers to make soup but there weren't any! I appreciate the recipe.