Reuben Sandwich Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

Lori Penner

I find it makes for a less mushy sandwich if you cook the sauerkraut separately in a small frypan prior to putting on the sandwich. This way rhe sauerkraut is already hot and dry, and the sandwich will not get soggy.

EW

Can’t the sandwich just be enjoyed for the sheer goodness of it? Does there always have to be something “beneficial“ about what we eat? Maybe we can just eat cold sauerkraut another time to get those beneficial bacteria

John

Russian dressing MUST include horseradish. That is the main thing that distinguishes it from Thousand Island. And it is essential to the Reuben. Why? The reason the Reuben is a great sandwich is because it contains, among its various ingredients, a good balance of all the basic flavors (sweet, sour, salt, bitter, umami). Without the horseradish the bitter is missing, and the sandwich just isn't the sublime creation it can and should be.

Mike S

Very tasty, but one note. Restaurant owner is Arnold Reuben, not Arthur. I went to grade school with his grandson Arnold III and ate lunch at his granddads restaurant many Saturdays followed by Broadway matinees.

Steve Hanegan

This is one of my favorite sandwiches! I regularly make my own corned beef and/or pastrami just to make these. There is, however, a MUCH better recipe for Russian Dressing:3/4 cups mayonnaise1/4 cup plus 2 to 3 tablespoons chili sauce2 tablespoons sour cream2 teaspoons chopped curly parsley leaves1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced Spanish onion1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced dill pickle1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice1/2 teaspoon grated horseradish1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

Jeff

Yeah, but cold sauerkraut on a warm sandwich = bummer.

Christina

Health is not the purpose of this sandwich. Drink some kefir or kombucha with it if that makes you feel better about it. :-)

Emily

Black pastrami Reubens on dark pumpernickel with Hengenstengs Bavarian sauerkraut, baby Swiss & homemade Russian dressing topped with celery salt & ground pepper, butter liberally & make in cast iron skillet. Each side crunchy, buttery, luscious goodness my favorite sandwich & I live Kansas who woulda thunk it?

Madeline

Hope nobody swoons as I confess I use bottled Thousand Island dressing on my Reuben sandwiches instead of homemade Russian. Also, be very careful as you flip this baby or it will deconstruct in mid-air.

Ed Shalkey

Pastrami Reubens are just as good, maybe better. Prepare an 8 ounce container of sauerkraut by adding 1/4 cup chopped sweet onion, 1-1/2 tablespoons of sugar, simmer in just enough kraut juice to cover until onions become soft. Good with corned beef, or pastrami.

Susie

I've learned recently when I made my first pattymelt, that grilled sandwiches really are better with mayo on the bread rather than butter (on the grilled side/outside). We have tried it with Reubens--delicious. I recommend it!

David Estroff

Russian Dressing:3/4 cups mayonnaise1/4 cup plus 2 to 3 tablespoons chili sauce2 tablespoons sour cream2 teaspoons chopped curly parsley leaves1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced Spanish onion1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced dill pickle1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice1/2 teaspoon grated horseradish1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

david

i don't think my kids ever caught onto the fact that one weekend i made reubens with home-cured corned beef, homemade sauerkraut, rye bread and russian dressing. i made everything but the swiss cheese. and this year i celebrated st. patrick's day with reubens.

jeanne lese

Hold the dressing on mine -- I like my sandwich grilled with just the corned beef, swiss, and extra sauerkraut.

nancy c

I use a german brand of sauerkraut. Often the one in wine. I like it better, not as sour like the U.S. brands. I have also used Gruyere cheese on occasion.

PNW via Montreal, P.Q.

Wonderfull. Easy. Made with home made sauerkraut, mayonnaise and ketchup (tomato paste, brown sugar, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce) for the Russian dressing. Don't forget the horseradish in the Russian dressing! The amount of dressing added to the bread seemed like a lot, but it tempered the pan heat from burning the bread, added lots of flavor as well as a nice reddish color to the top slice of bread. I don't think of this as a sandwich. I eat it with a knife and fork.

mmkay

I made this with a little less meat (pastrami), a little less cheese, a little less dressing and I should have stopped after eating half the sandwich. But I didn’t and I wish that I had. Less was still more. Hefty food guilt!

vivian y.

Just lightly toasted the bread in toaster, no butter and no messing around with a skillet. Also used sourdough bread because I dislike rye. I added a teaspoon of wasabi to the dressing (didn’t have regular horseradish like others suggested) and it brightened up the sauce nicely. Didn’t need to cook the sauerkraut, I just shook off extra juices. Zapped the sandwich in microwave to warm it. Delicious and quick.

cat

I now make the best Reuben sandwich I’ve ever had. The ratios of ingredients are perfect. I used pastrami and found it helps to use paper towels to squeeze the liquid out of the sauerkraut before adding it.

Josie

7-30-23 Very good! The Russian dressing is excellent!

Sarah

This sammich is lovely, I agree with the needed horseradish. Want to make it non-meat or try something different? Use canned beats instead of corned beef, marinate them with their can juices plus a small amount of vinegar and general corned beef spices for an hour or so, then slap them on with everything else. Tastier than you would expect. Must have the swiss and Russian though, no compromise there.

Kathi Bailey-Allen

A much easier (and less messy/soggy) method is to cook one sandwich at a time, starting with both pieces of bread buttered side down in your pan. Put the cheese on one side and build the other side as it melts. Meat (we prefer pastrami), sauerkraut that has been drained & warmed (if colder than room temperature), and dressing on top of the sauerkraut. When the cheese is melty and both slices of bread are crispy and browned, top the meat side with the cheese bread and serve!

Sissy

I make a basic co*cktail sauce that includes ketchup, lemon juice, horseradish and some kind of hot sauce or cayenne and minced onion. Keeps a long time in the freezer. The leftover co*cktail sauce becomes Russian dressing with the addition of mayo/Greek yogurt.

Fish

Made these with leftover corned beef from corned beef and cabbage. Added horseradish sandwich sauce to Russian dressing, warmed meat in microwave, and pan-warmed the kraut to dry it out. Best Reubens I've had.

LCROOKE

I completely riffed on this and it was fabulous. I think I have to call it a Western Reuben. Not a fan of rye bread so I used San Francisco sourdough and hatch chilli pepper cheddar cheese. I also added horse radish to the sauce as others suggested. For grilling, I spread mayo on the bread instead of butter. Yum!

Margarita

Great recipe- loved the Russian dressing. It was a big hit with the family. I kept the left over corned beef in the beer brine so it would dry out.

Abe

Only change used was a "no sugar added" ketchup (figured worth mentioning).Tasted GREAT!

Lisa V

This was perfect! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Serena Kim

This was delicious! I used a multi-grain bread because we couldn't find rye in our area. I also substituted kimchi instead of sauerkraut but otherwise followed the recipe to a T. Very nice!

Izzy

I, too, make these for St. Pat's Day, but with pastrami (which I heat up). I like lots of dressing on mine so I mix some into the kraut before adding--less drippage!

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Reuben Sandwich Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the ingredients in a Reuben sandwich? ›

The classic Reuben sandwich: layers of corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing, tucked between slices of hearty rye bread, grilled to crispy, melty perfection.

How was the original Reuben sandwich made? ›

They often hosted celebrities after a night out at the theater and in 1914, actress Annette Seelos came into the deli. Owner Arnold Reuben prepared her a sandwich with ham, cheese, turkey, coleslaw and dressing. Initially, the sandwich was called the Annette Seelos Special.

How do you make a Reuben sandwich not soggy? ›

Reubens traditionally rely on rye bread, which is dense and can soak up any extra juices — so don't swap it for another variety if you can manage. To further fight sogginess, toast the rye bread so that it holds up to the sauerkraut's texture along with ingredients like the sauce and melted cheese.

Is a Reuben still a Reuben without sauerkraut? ›

You can certainly make a sandwich without sauerkraut, but it won't be a reuben sandwich since one of the ingredients that defines the sandwich as being a reuben is sauerkraut.

Should a Reuben have pastrami or corned beef? ›

A Reuben sandwich is typically made with corned beef. It would taste great with pastrami too, it just wouldn't be a classic Reuben! Bottom line: You can't go wrong with either of these flavor-packed deli meats.

Is Thousand Island dressing the same as Russian dressing? ›

The ingredient that differentiates Russian dressing from Thousand Island is—drumroll, please—horseradish. When you have Russian dressing accenting a hearty sandwich like a Reuben, the horseradish can be hard to detect, especially when you've got the sharp, funky flavors of sauerkraut to contend with.

Is sauerkraut warm or cold on a Reuben? ›

That makes a Reuben—toasted rye bread stuffed with corned beef, a heap of warm sauerkraut, gooey layers of melted swiss cheese, and a generous dose of Russian dressing—pure sacrilege...or, should I say, sacrilege that's purely delicious.

What's the difference between a Rachel and a Reuben? ›

Perhaps owing to its absence of an exact origin story, the Rachel is certainly more of a pliable sandwich than the classic Reuben as far as ingredients are concerned. The first major difference is that the Rachel swaps brisket-based corned beef for pastrami, which comes from a comparatively leaner cut of the cow.

What is the difference between a Cuban and Reuben sandwich? ›

Did you know that although similar, a Reuben sandwich uses pastrami whereas a Cuban uses sliced ham or pork loin?

Should a Reuben be pressed or toasted? ›

The problem here is that a Reuben is, or should be, a melt. A melt is essentially a grilled cheese sandwich with other stuff in the middle. That means the sandwich should be assembled and then pan-fried with butter long enough to toast the bread and heat the fillings.

Do you eat a Reuben hot or cold? ›

A Reuben can be served cold, but it's far better when it is served hot like the recipe calls for. The melted cheese blends all the ingredients together for a messy and delightful sandwich.

What is a good substitute for meat in a Reuben? ›

Tempeh, seitan, vegetables and mushrooms have stood in for the corned beef, but they're not really needed, because outsize quantities of the other traditional elements make a punchy, gooey sandwich on their own. Both sides of the buttered rye get melted Swiss.

Do Jews eat Reuben sandwiches? ›

As a Reuben combines both meat and dairy ingredients in the same meal, it is not kosher. However, it is frequently served at kosher style restaurants. Kosher versions may be made using non-dairy imitation cheese, or substitute vegetarian corned beef, or omitting the meat or the cheese.

What can I substitute for Swiss cheese on a Reuben? ›

Swiss cheese: Swiss cheese is generally used for a Reuben Sandwich because of its mild flavor. You may also try mozzarella or provolone cheese, two more mild-tasting kinds of cheese.

What is a good substitute for sauerkraut? ›

Kimchi: A quintessential Korean side dish, kimchi came to be for similar reasons as sauerkraut – veggie preservation during frigid months. Both share cabbage and fermentation as their foundation, however, their flavor profiles couldn't be more distinct.

Is corned beef and pastrami the same? ›

Corned beef is made from the leaner flat brisket. Pastrami is made with point brisket, which contains more marbling and fat. Pastrami can also be made with other cuts of beef, such as deckle (a lean shoulder cut) or navel (aka beef belly, which comes from the plate, a juicy section just below the ribs).

What kind of meat is corned beef? ›

In the U.S., corned beef is made from beef brisket. You might have seen it at Jewish delis, and that's because the brisket is a traditionally kosher cut of meat that's cured to tenderize it.

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