Corned Beef Round vs. Brisket - Eat Like No One Else

Learn all about the differences between cooking corned beef round versus corned beef brisket. Which is better for that St. Patrick's Day meal?

Vacuum sealed packages of USDA Choice corned beef round and corned beef brisket from Sprouts are next to each other.

I originally figured that all corned beef was made with brisket.

Then I was in California around St. Patrick's Day and noticed that stores including Costco were carrying corned beef round. I didn't think that round cut could be as good as brisket but decided to give it a try.

I cooked them both at the same time via sous vide for 24 hours. I will share with you the results.

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🐄 Brisket vs. Round
👅 Taste Difference
☘️ Corned Beef Posts

A raw corned beef brisket with a string underneath it on a piece of maroon color butcher paper. — Raw Corned Beef Brisket

🐄 Brisket vs. Round

Before we get into taste, I want to talk about the differences between the cuts of beef. Brisket comes from the bottom part of the cow. It's what made Texas BBQ famous. It's tough and needs time to break down connective tissue in the meat for it to be finger licking good.

A whole brisket is made up of two cuts, the flat end and the point end. The point end is fatter.

A raw corned beef round with a string underneath it on a piece of maroon color butcher paper. — Raw Corned Beef Round

Round comes from the back (or the butt!) of the cow. It's also a tough cut of meat. The main difference is that it's leaner than brisket.

When it comes to price, both cuts are very economical and are some of the cheapest parts of the cow you can buy. It was the same price per pound at Sprouts market for corned beef brisket and corned beef round.

💡 Cooking Tip - If you don't like your corned beef too salty, you can soak in a large bowl of cold water for about 3 hours before cooking. Place in the fridge while it soaks. This will remove excess salt.

Cooked slice of cooked beef round on a cutting board next to slices of cooked corned beef brisket.

👅 Taste Difference

🏆 Our pick for the best cut for corned beef - Brisket

I cooked each cut bought from the same grocery store...

Seasoned with the same brine solution.
At the same time.
For the same amount of time.
Cooked to the same temperature.

I thought sous vide would be best as I could perfectly control the environment for both would be at the same internal temperature. The round I cooked was larger in size but I think with the low heat and slow cooking method that wouldn't play into factor for the final result.

Both were delicious. Round did have a stronger beefy flavor, so I can see how someone would prefer it. However, the brisket was juicier and more tender. The texture was way better. Even thought it wasn't quite as beefy, it was the favorite of my whole family.

Brisket has more intermuscular fat, which is why it come out juicier. It was the best leftover as well. The sandwiches were amazing because the meat was still very moist.

Find out more about the two different types of brisket - Flat Cut vs. Point Cut