Every March, the morning after our big corned beef and cabbage dinner, my grandpa would quietly turn the leftovers into the coziest breakfast skillet you’ve ever tasted. This slow cooker 4-ingredient corned beef hash is my busy-day version of his tradition: same salty-savory flavor, but you can toss everything into the crockpot and walk away. It’s perfect for using up cooked corned beef from St. Patrick’s Day, or for those weekends when you want a comforting, diner-style hash without hovering over a hot stove.
Serve this corned beef hash hot, straight from the slow cooker, with fried or poached eggs on top so the yolk runs into all the crispy, savory bits. Toast, English muffins, or a simple buttered baguette make great sides for scooping. A little ketchup or hot sauce on the table lets everyone dress their own bowl, and a simple fruit salad or orange wedges helps balance the richness. Leftovers reheat well in a skillet for quick weekday breakfasts or breakfast-for-dinner nights.
Slow Cooker 4-Ingredient Corned Beef HashServings: 4
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds cooked corned beef, shredded or finely chopped
2 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons salted butter, melted (plus a little extra for crisping, optional)
Directions
Lightly grease the inside of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with a bit of butter or nonstick spray to help with cleanup.
Add the diced potatoes and chopped onion to the slow cooker and toss them together so they’re evenly mixed.
Stir in the shredded or finely chopped cooked corned beef, distributing it as evenly as possible through the potatoes and onions.
Drizzle the melted butter over the mixture and stir again to coat everything lightly. The butter helps the edges brown and adds that classic diner-style flavor.
Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, or on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the onions are soft and translucent. Stir once or twice during cooking, pressing the mixture down gently with the back of a spoon each time to help it compact and develop browned bits along the sides and bottom.
For extra crispy edges like a skillet hash, use a heat-safe spatula to press the hash firmly into an even layer against the bottom and sides of the slow cooker during the last 30 to 45 minutes of cooking on HIGH. Do not stir during this time so the bottom can brown.
Once the potatoes are tender and you see golden-brown, crispy edges throughout the mixture, taste and adjust seasoning if needed (corned beef is usually salty enough, so you may only want a little black pepper).
Spoon the corned beef hash directly from the slow cooker into bowls, making sure to scrape up some of the browned bits from the bottom for maximum flavor. Serve hot, with eggs or toast if you like.
Variations & Tips
If you like a little extra richness, stir in an additional tablespoon of butter during the last 30 minutes of cooking. For a slightly different texture, you can use refrigerated shredded hash brown potatoes instead of fresh diced potatoes; reduce the cook time by about 1 hour and keep an eye on them so they don’t get too soft. To mimic a classic skillet finish, transfer a portion of the cooked hash to a hot, lightly oiled cast-iron pan and press it into a flat layer; cook over medium-high heat for a few minutes without stirring until the bottom is deeply browned and crisp. For a milder onion flavor, sauté the chopped onion in a little butter before adding it to the slow cooker. If you’re planning ahead, you can dice the potatoes and onion and shred the corned beef the night before; store them in separate airtight containers in the fridge so all you have to do in the morning is dump, drizzle with butter, and turn on the slow cooker.
