Corned beef is a staple of Irish cuisine thanks to Ireland’s role in producing corned beef for trade purposes centuries ago. (Fun fact: the word “corned” comes not from using corn in the process but from using large rock salt crystals, or corns, that are used to cure the meat.) While the Irish themselves didn’t traditionally eat corned beef in Ireland (it was cost-prohibitive to do so), the Irish that came to America ended up eating it because, as it turns out, corned beef was one of the salted meat products that they could afford.
Every year around St. Patrick’s Day, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a store or Irish pub that isn’t serving up a heaping plate of salt-cured meat. Great on its own (if you’re a fan of salt), corned beef really shines when paired with vegetables that help balance the rich flavor of the meat.
More than likely, if you’re being served corned beef, it’s going to come with potatoes, cabbage, and maybe even carrots, but this year, we suggest switching it up and making a hash with your corned beef. The best part? Corned beef hash can be made in an abundance of ways, which is why The Manual has collected five amazing recipes to satisfy that craving for salt and meat this St. Patrick’s Day.
Finally, remember to use high-quality ingredients. While corned beef used to be a processed food prized for its shelf life, companies today are creating top-notch corned beef that you can easily order online. You can also check out our picks for the best meat services online if you’re thinking about shopping around.
The Dead Rabbit’s corned beef hash
This particular recipe comes from Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry, the proprietors of New York City’s famous bar The Dead Rabbit. Blending all ingredients together (and taking out the cabbage) produces a breakfast fit for a king — especially when served with eggs and hollandaise sauce.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 3o minutes
Yield: 2-3
Ingredients:
- 3 cups corned beef, cooked and ground or finely chopped
- 1/2 small onion, small diced & sweated
- 2 plum tomato, small diced
- 5 red bliss potatoes, skin on, boiled, and grated on a box grater using biggest holes
- 1 cup tomato juice
- 2 tbsp chopped herbs (thyme, parsley)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp salad oil
Method:
- Sauté in salad oil the corned beef, onion, red bliss potato till golden brown in a nonstick pan.
- Then add diced tomato and tomato juice and cook all together till almost dry.
- Finish with herbs and salt & pepper to taste.
- Serve with warm Irish soda bread, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce.
Corned beef hash
This recipe from Elise Bauer of Simply Recipes is supremely elegant in its straightforward focus. Featuring simple yet delicious corned beef that’s accented with onions and potatoes, this recipe is the pure essence of corned beef hash.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4-6
Ingredients:
- 2 to 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 to 3 cups finely chopped, cooked corned beef
- 2 to 3 cups chopped cooked potatoes, preferably Yukon gold
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Chopped fresh parsley
Method:
- Heat butter in a large skillet (preferably cast iron) on medium heat. Add the onion and cook a few minutes, until translucent.
- Mix in the chopped corned beef and potatoes. Spread out evenly over the pan. Increase the heat to high or medium-high and press down on the mixture with a metal spatula.
- Do not stir the potatoes and corned beef, but let them brown. If you hear them sizzling, this is good. Use a metal spatula to peek underneath and see if they are browning. If nicely browned, use the spatula to flip sections over in the pan so that they brown on the other side. Press down again with the spatula. If there is too much sticking, you can add a little more butter to the pan. Continue to cook in this manner until the potatoes and the corned beef are nicely browned.
- Remove from heat, stir in chopped parsley. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper, and add salt to taste. Serve with fried or poached eggs for breakfast.
Corned beef hash with cabbage and carrots
This recipe courtesy of Diana Rattray of The Spruce Eats is packed with classic corned beef vegetables — cabbage and carrots. The addition of these vegetables gives this corned beef hash a lighter flavor, a great balance to the hearty meat, salt, and fat of a typical hash.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 33 minutes
Yield: 6
Ingredients:
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- .75 cup chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic, pressed
- 3 cups leftover potatoes, diced
- 2 cups leftover corned beef, chopped
- 1 cup leftover cabbage, diced, optional
- .5 cup leftover carrots, diced, optional
- .5 tsp dried leaf thyme
- 1 to 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- .25 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- Kosher salt, to taste
Method:
- Gather the ingredients.
- In a large, heavy skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.
- When the butter is hot, add the chopped onion. Sauté the onion, stirring, until it is translucent and softened.
- Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer.
- Add the diced potatoes, chopped corned beef, cabbage, and carrots, if using.
- Stir in the thyme, parsley, and pepper.
- Taste the hash and add salt, as needed. Stir to blend ingredients.
- Pat the mixture down in the skillet and let brown for about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Turn and brown the other side.
- Serve and enjoy.
Easy corned beef hash with horseradish
This recipe from Amy of Bellyfull is all about simple and tasty. With only 20 minutes of total prep and cooking time, this quick corned beef hash is great for busy and hungry cooks looking for a great breakfast.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 small sweet onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 large clove garlic, finely minced
- 2 cups diced cooked corned beef
- 2 cups (3/4 to 1-inch cubes) cooked Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1 tbsp horseradish
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- Kosher salt to taste
- Fried or poached egg, for serving, optional
Method:
- In a large cast-iron skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in the cooked potatoes and corned beef; gently mix together, spread out evenly in the skillet, then press down with a spatula.
- Let everything cook without stirring, allowing to brown, for about 3 minutes (use the spatula to take a quick peek underneath to make sure they’re browning, but also not burning.) Once browned, flip sections over to brown on the other side, pressing down again; cook for another 3 minutes. (If you notice sticking, add a little bit more butter to the skillet.)
- Add in the horseradish, parsley, pepper, and salt and gently stir until combined.
- Serve hot portions with a fried or poached egg, if desired.
Corned beef hash patties
While corned beef hash is tasty, sometimes a hash might not be what you’re looking for. Enter this ingenious patty recipe from Susan Palmer of Girl in the Little Red Kitchen. Using the classic ingredients of corned beef hash, this recipe forms them into patties instead. The result? A plate of savory patties that’s crispy on the outside and fork-tender on the inside.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs Idaho potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 cups leftover corned beef, cubed
- 2 scallions, chopped green and white parts
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1.5 tsp black pepper
- Vegetable oil for frying
Method:
- Put the potatoes in a large pot, add 2 tablespoons of salt, fill with cold water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 20 minutes, drain well, and place the potatoes back into the pot to cool for about 10 minutes.
- Using a potato ricer or grater, rice the potatoes into a large bowl – you should have about 4 cups of riced potatoes. Add the cubed corned beef, chopped scallions, milk, and egg to the potatoes and stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat with about 1/4 cup of vegetable or avocado oil and form 1/2 cup of potato mix into a round patty. Fry for about 3-4 minutes per side or until it’s a nice medium gold color on each side. Make sure you place no more than 3-4 potato patties at a time in the frying pan.
- Once finished, transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain any excess oil and season with more salt.
- Keep the cooked patties warm in a 200 degree Fahrenheit heated oven. Serve the patties hot and if desired with a fried or poached egg on the side.
