Featured Recipe

Twisted Corned Beef Hash

Name: Twisted Corned Beef Hash
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1 medium yellow onion chopped; 1 small poblano pepper seeded and diced; 1 1/2 cups diced sweet potatoes; 1 cup diced rutabaga; 7 ounces canned corned beef cubed or shredded; 1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage; 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro; Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

By Kate

Created on 28 January 2026

A riff on classic corned beef hash using sweet potatoes and rutabaga instead of regular spuds and carrots. Swap bell pepper for poblano adding subtle heat. Technique focuses on color and texture; avoid sogginess by properly drying veggies before frying. Add cabbage late for slight crunch. Adjust salt cautiously—corned beef can vary. Cook low and slow during browning for crisp bits, vital flavor layer.

Prep: 20 min

Cook: 50 min

Total: 70 min

Serves: 4 servings

dinner quick meal hash corned beef

Introduction

Crackling skillet, that popping sound means you’re getting close. You want that sweet onion transparency before flavor jumps. Forget mushy potatoes and bland beef—dry cubes, steady heat, and the patience to let browning happen make or break hash. Sweet potatoes bring natural sugars subtle enough to avoid overpowering. Poblano pepper replacing bell adds edge; not spicy but smoky grassy. Toss in cabbage right near the end to keep its snap. Toss cilantro in at the end for punch of freshness, brightness. Corned beef saltiness varies wildly—taste often. Some use beef left over, fine but dry beef needs extra fat thrown in. Always dry your veggies so getting that crisp crust working. Bottom layer of brown bits? Don’t scrape off! You’re building flavor layers here, that’s one step some overlook. No helicopter stirring–let browning lock in. Cabbage too early? Fades into mush. Fang your way through this approach and your hash sings.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 medium yellow onion chopped

1 small poblano pepper seeded and diced

1 1/2 cups diced sweet potatoes

1 cup diced rutabaga

7 ounces canned corned beef cubed or shredded

1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

About the ingredients

Sweet potatoes absorb less fat than russets but have their own softness. Cut evenly for uniform cooking. Rutabaga holds shape better than carrot for the root component; undercooked rutabaga tastes woody, overcooked turns mushy so keep tines checking. Poblano brings moderate smokiness and slip of heat; if you can’t find it, Anaheim pepper is decent alternative—or stick with bell but toss in smoked paprika to compensate. Fresh cabbage adds crunch and cuts heaviness; sub kale if preferred, but cook slightly longer. Corned beef canned or leftover; cubed uniform for even browning. Use fresh chopped cilantro for brightness but flat-leaf parsley also good to tone down herbal punch. Butter helps color so don’t skip if you want golden pieces. Olive oil handles heat and smoke points better than butter alone. Salt cautiously—corned beef is tricky; better to under season and finish end of cooking.

Method

Dry skillet heated to medium. Add oil then butter quick melt; foam should settle but not brown. Butter adds flavor and helps color develop evenly.

Toss in onion. Cook 4-6 minutes, stirring so edges soften translucent but avoid browning yet. Onion sweetness’ll balance hearty beef.

Drop poblano in next; they’re firmer than bell but less sweet. Stir often. Wait till skin softens—a hint of char spots showing is good—about 6-9 minutes. Smell shifts from raw bitterness to smoky aroma.

In go sweet potatoes and rutabaga. Important to incorporate dry or slightly flour-dusted cubes to avoid mush. Stir well; season now with modest salt, plenty of pepper. Cook stirring gently 12-18 minutes, aiming for tender-with-bite texture. You want outer edges to crisp but centers to yield under fork pressure.

Stir in cubed corned beef. Listen for sizzle, immediate release of fat. Stir frequently but carefully to score thin browned crust forming. This step is flavor’s backbone, can’t rush. Approximately 10-15 minutes until rich brown bits patch skillet bottom. If you spot moisture pooling, turn heat down instead of pressing pan—it steams, won’t crisp.

Throw shredded cabbage in last. Folding it through helps preserve faint crunch and bright green color. Let cook 4-6 minutes on medium-low, just until cabbage wilts slightly but stays crisp. Overcooking cabbage kills all textural contrast here.

Off heat. Stir in cilantro. Fresh herb finish brightens, cuts through meatiness. Taste for salt and pepper one last time. Serve immediately—hash loses its charm as it sits. If reheating later, re-crisp on pan, don’t microwave.

Common swap: use leftover roasted potatoes and charred bell peppers if short on time. Rutabaga can be replaced with turnip or parsnip; keeps root-chewy factor. Butter can go fully if you’re dairy-free; more oil but watch browning.

If corned beef is too salty, blanch briefly before dicing; drains excess salt and softens texture but also washes off some flavor, so season carefully later.

Technique Tips

Butter and oil combo vital. Oil prevents butter burning, butter adds flavor and helps color develop evenly. Wait for butter to foam and then recede—signal for perfect temp. Onion first so its natural sugars bloom before other veggies crowd pan. Poblano pepper cooks slower than regular bell—look for soft skin with small charring spots. This lets sugars caramelize, enhances complexity. Vegetables must be dry so they sear and crisp rather than steam; toss cubes in kitchen towel or paper towels first. Stir but not obsessively; let bottom brown before stirring to build flavor crust. Corned beef releases fat; keep pan medium heat to avoid steaming. If it steams, reduce heat, tilt pan to drain liquid—no soggy hash. Add cabbage last to preserve texture, just enough heat to wilt but not collapse leaves. Fresh herbs off heat prevent bitterness that cooking green herbs can trigger. Serve immediately—hash resists reheating well, best enjoyed fresh. If reheating, do on stove top, high heat, quick toss to re-crisp. Avoid microwave which will turn it dull and soggy.

Chef's Notes

💡 Dry those veggies well. Moisture leads to steaming instead of crisping. Use a towel to pat them down. Use flour lightly if they’re too wet.
💡 Cooking technique matters—medium heat, lots of patience. Listen for that sizzle when you add corned beef. It’s all about building flavor layers.
💡 Watch onion closely. Fresh, sweet, translucent but no browning. That’s key. Timing means everything—don’t crowd the pan or lose texture.
💡 Keep spices simple. Corned beef varies in saltiness, taste often. Better to under-season. Finish with salt at the end for best results.
💡 Cabbage last. Preserve crunch; overcooking ruins it. Just a few minutes, so it wilts but doesn’t collapse. You want that bright green color.