This homemade corned beef seasoning recipe is so much better than the spice packet that comes with your corned beef, essential for cooking with real flavor.
Homemade Corned Beef Spices
Are you looking to make corned beef right now? I have a secret tip that always makes the best corned beef for us - it's the Corned Beef Seasoning Blend.
When you buy a corned beef brisket from the grocery store, it always comes with a corned beef spice packet wrapped inside. That seasoning packet has some great spices in there, but there is never enough.
Plus, it only gets the party started.
What Spices are In Corned Beef?
The typical spice packet that comes with a corned beef brisket contains the following ingredients:
- Mustard Seeds
- Peppercorns
- Coriander
- Bay Leaf
- Dill Seeds
It is essentially a tiny packet of pickling spices used as a seasoning. It's time to skip that tiny little spice packet and make our own blend that not only ups the flavor with a few additional high-impact ingredients, but gives us an amount to make a big flavor difference.
Let's talk about how to make corned beef seasoning, shall we?
Homemade Corned Beef Seasoning Ingredients
- Mustard Seeds. Use yellow or a combination of yellow and brown mustard seeds. Black mustard seeds are great, though usually more potent.
- Black Peppercorns.
- Coriander Seeds.
- Allspice Berries.
- Cardamom Seeds. You can also use pods.
- Celery Seeds.
- Whole Cloves.
- Red Pepper Flakes.
- Ground Ginger.
- Bay Leaves.
How to Make Corned Beef Seasoning - the Recipe Method
Dry Toast the Seeds and Berries. Heat a small pan to medium heat. Add the mustard seeds, black peppercorns, coriander seeds, allspice berries, cardamom seeds, celery seeds, and whole cloves. Lightly toast them in the dry pan for 1 minute, shaking/stirring a bit, to let the spices bloom.
Combine and Blend as Desired. Transfer to a food processor/spice grinder along with the red pepper flakes, ground ginger and bay leaves.
Process to a coarse blend, or to your preferred consistency. Use as desired.
Boom! Done! Your corned beef spices are ready to use. Time to make the corned beef! Let's get cooking!
This recipe makes 3 tablespoons of the lightly ground seasoning blend, much more than the included spice packet.
How to Use the Corned Beef Spice Packet?
Use this spice blend to make corned beef the same way you would use the included spice packet. Simple sprinkle over your corned beef before cooking, regardless of the cooking method.
You can rinse the corned beef, then season as desired. This recipe makes 3 tablespoons, enough to season 1 or 2 average sized briskets of roughly 3-5 pounds.
I use the whole recipe for 1 brisket, but you can use half of the recipe, to your preference.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- It is best to lightly toast any seeds or berries before grinding. Toasting them brings out the flavors, resulting in a superior corned beef spice blend.
- Consider adding other popular pickling spices to make this blend your own, including anise seeds, cinnamon, or dill seeds.
Storage
Homemade corned beef seasoning will last 6 months or longer when kept in a sealed container in a cool, dry place. Spice blends tend to loose potency after 6 months, so it is best to make smaller batches that you will use within that time frame.
Corned Beef Recipes
Ready to make corned beef? Try my following recipes.
Crock Pot Corned Beef. I use this same seasoning blend to cook the corned beef brisket low and slow over a bed of potatoes, carrots, and onions, until it is fork tender.
You can also make a delicious gravy out of the pot liquid for serving. Absolutely delicious and perfect every time.
Pressure Cooker Corned Beef. Perfect for your Instant Pot! Cut the time it takes to make a corned beef drastically with pressure cooking. This is done in only a fraction of the time, and the beef is just as tender.
I think you'll love it.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my favorite corned beef spice blend. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you, and how you changed it up to make it your own.
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Corned Beef Seasonings Recipe (Homemade Corned Beef Spices)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon mustard seeds (Use yellow or a combination of yellow and brown)
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice berries
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Heat a small pan to medium heat. Add the mustard seeds, black peppercorns, coriander seeds, allspice berries, cardamom seeds, celery seeds, and whole cloves. Lightly toast them in the dry pan for 1 minute, shaking/stirring a bit, to let the spices bloom.
- Transfer to a food processor/spice grinder along with the red pepper flakes, ground ginger and bay leaves.
- Process to a coarse blend, or to your preferred consistency. Use as desired.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Dave Thompson says
This makes pressure cooked corned beef something quite special.
I couldn't bear the thought of throwing out the broth left in the cooker, so used it as a soup base, as follows. .
Saute a small chopped onion and a chopped portabello mushroom in a little oil.
Reheat 1.5 cups of broth left from cooking corned beef in microwave and stir in a (1 cup) sachet of beef gravy powder.
Pour into onion and mushroom mix.
Add left over chopped cooked cabbage and basmati rice.
Dilute to desired consistency with half cup, or so, of milk.
This is amazingly flavoursome.
Mike Hultquist says
Great, Dave! I appreciate it. I love that you made a soup from the broth. Perfect way to use it.
Isabel H says
I have always been disappointed in the little seasoning packet that came with my corned beef and would add some pickling spice for more flavor, NO MORE! This seasoning blend was the best! So easy to make (as are all your recipes!) and by far the tastiest. Fresh spices and made to order - what could be better!
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome, Isabel! I love to hear it! VERY happy you enjoyed it, and thanks for sharing this. YOU ROCK!!
Nancy says
so excited to see this post. will be making spice blend asap, St. Patrick's day only a week away. Big shout out for the Guiness gravy! Perfect topping for tender corned beef. Will let you know how it turns out!
Mike Hultquist says
Enjoy, Nancy! The Guinness Gravy is out of this world! YUM!
Catherine Guzovich says
Hi Mike - thank you for this recipe. Please, explain to me the difference between making corned beef and pastrami.
Mike Hultquist says
There are a number of differences between corned beef and pastrami, but the biggest one for me is that corned beef is typically boiled, where pastrami is smoked and steamed.
Michael says
Great Spice Blend. I enjoy your recipes frequently.
It would be fantastic if you could put measurements in Gram Weight as well as volume.
Thank you!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Michael. Hoping to find a good converter.
Damien C. says
This looks great. Looking forward to my next corned beef with this blend. Thank again for another winner.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Damien! I appreciate it.
John says
Easy enough and your correct about the sodium.
Larry Redhage says
Hi Mike, we use to do our corned beef in the crockpot but we found a new way to cook it. We put mustard all over it and put the spices on it then put it in the oven and roast it. We found this way it doesn't lose its flavor in the water. Also do you have a good spice recipe for pastrami. It might be much the same as the one for corn beef because it has some of the same ingredients in it. I take a corn beef and rinse the salt out of it by soaking it several days and changing the water often. Then dry it off and put (purchased rub) on it and smoke it. Turns our ok but I would like to try a homemade pastrami rub. Great information you always provide, Thanks. Larry
Mike Hultquist says
Yes, great method, Larry. I've done it very similarly in the oven (including the mustard rub!), and love it. I do not have a recipe for pastrami rub, but oddly, Patty has been asking me to make some, so I may need to get on this! Yes, the ingredients are very similar. I would probably use this recipe, or close to it.
Elizabeth says
By Corned Beef do you mean I should buy salt-cured beef brisket or just regular brisket of beef. I am anxious to avoid nitrities (Prague powder) and salt-cured might have nitrites. Although I suspect I will not get the lovely pink colour without nitrites. I live in the UK. It may be different in the US>
Mike Hultquist says
Elizabeth, it's the salt cured corned beef usually sold this time of year, at least in the U.S. It's already cured.