Published: Feb 22, 2019 Updated: Feb 8, 2023 by Hilda Sterner | This post may contain affiliate links 80 Comments

Corned Beef Spice Packet Recipe

Name: Corned Beef Spice Packet Recipe
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 3 min
Total time: 6 min
Ingredients: 2 tbsp coriander; 2 tsp peppercorns; 1 tbsp mustard seeds; 1 tsp anise seeds; 4 large bay leaves; 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

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This corned beef spices recipe might come in handy the next time you are making Instant pot corned feef and find that it's missing a spice packet! Or, maybe you just want to add more corned beef seasoning than the little corned beef spice packet contains. Either way, you'll want to keep this recipe handy!

If you've come here to learn how to make spices for corned beef and cabbage, welcome! My corned beef spice mix includes coriander, peppercorns, mustard seeds, and other herbs and spices to add amazing flavor to your corned beef brisket.

So, whether you cook your corned beef in a Dutch oven or a pressure cooker, be sure to use my corned beef seasoning to make it extra delectable! Also, save some of the sliced brisket to make tasty sourdough reuben sandwiches!

🧐 Why This Recipe Works

Making your own corned beef spices couldn't be simpler! Out of my frustration of never having enough spices for my corned beef, I decided to make my own corned beef spice packet blend instead.

Now, I generously season my corned beef with these home-made corned beef spices and you can do the same!

🛒 What You Need For This Recipe

🔖 Recipe Ingredients & Substitutions

Coriander Seeds: Be sure to use coriander seeds and not coriander powder.
Peppercorns: Peppercorns come in various colors, I used black peppercorns.
Mustard Seeds: You'll need mustard seeds, don't substitute mustard powder.
Anise Seeds: Anise can be bought whole in the form of star anise or as anise seeds. For this recipe, you'll need anise seeds.
Crushed Red Pepper: Crushed red pepper adds a little spice to the mix. It can be left out if you prefer mild flavors.
Bay Leaves: Bay leaves come crushed and whole. I used whole leaves and ground them in my spice mill with the other spices. If you decide to use crushed bay leaves, just add them to the ground spices.

🫙 How do you make a corned beef spice packet?

So what spices are included in those elusive corned beef spice packets, and why are they so stingy with them? It depends on who you ask. For this reason, I decided to do my own investigating!

Upon a quick examination of the spices in the packet, I identified the following spices: crushed bay leaves, coriander, crushed red pepper, peppercorns, anise seeds, and mustard seeds.

Now doesn't that sound simple enough? The next thing I had to figure out was the correct proportions of each of the ingredients. I think I nailed it!

🧂Steps to making your own homemade corned been spice blend

Step 1: Toast coriander, peppercorns, anise, and mustard seeds in a hot cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 2 - 3 minutes, or until fragrant.

Step 2: Add bay leaves and red pepper flakes in the last 30 seconds. You are basically just trying to wake up their flavors.

corned beef seasoning in a pan being toasted

Pro Tip: Be extra careful not to burn the spices!

Step 3: Pour the contents of the pan into a spice mill or grinder or a Ninja blender. Pulse a few times, just enough to release the flavors.

Pro Tip: Don't over-blend. You should still be able to distinguish between the various ingredients.

Step 4: Store the corned beef spice mix in an airtight container until needed. Use as much of the spice mix as you'd like to season your corned beef before cooking.

a jar of spices on a checkered red and white cloth

Be sure to use some of the corned beef seasoning to make my smoked corned beef brisket recipe! I promise you will love it!

Corned Beef Spice Options

Besides the spices listed in the recipe, there are other spices that you can add to your corned beef seasoning if you're feeling a little adventurous. Consider adding any of the following:

whole cloves
allspice berries
cardamom pods
cinnamon sticks
fennel seeds
juniper berries
mace

If you do decide to add the spices mentioned above, I would caution you to go easy at first. This is one of those cases where less is more.

These spices all have intense flavors, so start off with small amounts and adjust the quantity if necessary. I would start with no more than a ¼ teaspoon of each.

If all else fails and you don't have the spices mentioned above, you can use pickling spices to season your corned beef brisket! Just promise me you'll come back and make this corned beef seasoning recipe at some point. You won't regret it!

corned beef spices spilled on the counter

🤷🏻‍♀️ FAQs

What is corned beef seasoning made of?

Corned beef seasoning is made of a mixture of spices including crushed bay leaf, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, peppercorns, and anise seeds. Red pepper flakes can also be added to give the corned beef seasoning a spicy kick.

What if corned beef didn’t come with spice packet?

You can easily make your own corned beef spice packet by combining any of the following spices: black peppercorns, crushed bay leaves, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, dill seed, cloves, and crushed red pepper flakes.

If you don’t have all these spices, you can also use pickling spices which already has most of these spices already!

What do you put in the water when cooking corned beef?

Most store-bough corned beef comes either pre-seasoned or with a tiny spice packet. If it comes pre-seasoned, you don’t need to add anything else to the water.

If it comes with a spice packet, use the seasoning in the packet to either season the corned beef or sprinkle it into the cooking liquid. If your corned beef did not come with a spice packet, all you have to do is add some pickling spices which contain many of the same ingredients used to season corned beef.

What happens if you don't rinse corned beef before cooking?

If you don’t rinse corned beef before you cook it, it will taste very salty due to the salty brine used to “corn” the brisket. For this reason, it’s better to rinse the corned beef with cold water before cooking it. This will result in a less salty and a much tastier corned beef brisket.

🔪 Helpful Tools

cast-iron skillet
spice grinder
spice jar
funnel

👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips

This recipe makes enough corned beef seasoning to fill a regular-sized spice jar. You will not use the entire amount to season your corned beef recipe.
Store leftover corned beef spices in an air-tight spice jar.
If you decide to make extra corned beef seasoning, you can freeze what you don't plan on using right away.
If you prefer milder recipes, you can reduce the amount of red pepper flakes, or leave it out entirely.

If you enjoy making your own spices and seasonings, you may be interested in learning how to make your own biryani spice, pork rub, and shawarma spice recipe.

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