Reuben Sandwich
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The iconic Reuben sandwich—crispy, melty, and oh-so-delicious. It’s comfort food at its deli best!
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. You’ll come across this iconic sandwich in many diners and sandwich shops, but when I think of a true Reuben, my heart and mind go straight to a traditional Jewish deli—where the scent of matzo ball soup mingles with fresh-baked rye, deli men shout out orders behind a glass counter brimming with cured meats, and waiters navigate with trays of sandwiches stacked so high, you wonder how you’ll ever tackle that first bite.
While some attribute the Reuben’s origins to New York City’s Reuben’s Deli, others assert it was birthed by Reuben Kulakofsky in Omaha, Nebraska, circa 1925. Up for a twist? In my book, even more delicious than the Reuben is the Reuben’s sibling, the Rachel (pictured above), which swaps pastrami for corned beef and coleslaw for sauerkraut.
Table of Contents
“I made this recipe for the first time tonight for my husband and three college-age sons…It was phenomenal–so much so that two of my sons played rock, paper, scissors to see who got the last portion!”
What You’ll Need To Make The Reuben Sandwich (or the Rachel)
Bread: The key to a good Reuben (or Rachel) is to start with a bakery-style unsliced rye (or marble rye) bread. You’ll need to slice it about one inch thick so it stands up to the substantial fillings; pre-sliced packaged rye bread is simply too thin and will fall apart/get mushy when grilled.
Corned Beef/Pastrami: Originally created as a way to preserve meat before refrigeration, corned beef is salt-cured beef brisket. It does not involve corn. Rather, the term “corning” comes from the large-grained rock salt, also called “corns” of salt, used to make the brine. Pastrami is also cured in brine, but after brining it gets coated in a spice mixture, which gives it its blackened appearance.
Cheese: Swiss cheese is sweet, mild, and nutty, and it melts easily. Be sure to use a good quality brand, such as Boar’s Head Gold Medal. It should be thinly sliced so that it melts quickly.
Sauerkraut/Coleslaw: Sauerkraut typically comes in a bag with a lot of liquid, so make sure to thoroughly drain it before including it in the sandwich or your sandwiches will be soggy. If you’re using coleslaw, store-bought is perfectly fine.
Dressing: Russian dressing is a tangy, slightly spicy sauce made from mayonnaise, ketchup, sour cream, prepared horseradish and dill relish. It’s easy to whip up, and homemade is so much better than store-bought.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter, then flip over and spread 1-1/2 tablespoons of Russian dressing evenly over the other side of each slice.
Layer 4 slices of the bread with 2 slices of cheese, 1/4 pound corned beef (or pastrami), 3 tablespoons sauerkraut (or coleslaw), and 2 more slices of cheese.
Top with the other 4 slices of bread, buttered sides up.
Place 2 of the sandwiches in a cast iron or nonstick skillet and cook over medium heat, covered, until the first side is golden brown and the cheese is starting to melt, 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully flip the sandwiches and cook until the cheese is fully melted and the bread is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes more. (Reduce the heat a bit if you notice the bread is getting too browned before the cheese is fully melted.)
Place the sandwiches on a cutting board and cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining two sandwiches. Let cool slightly, then slice the sandwiches in half and serve.
Video Tutorial
Frequently Asked Questions
The Reuben’s association with Jewish delis largely stems from its use of corned beef, a beloved ingredient in many Jewish eateries. However, combining meat and cheese does step outside of kosher boundaries. Many Jewish delis are “kosher-style” which do not require following strict kosher guidelines.
Some theories suggest that it’s a playful take on the Reuben name, choosing another traditionally Jewish name to continue the theme.
Sure! Both dressings are quite similar and share many ingredients, including mayonnaise and ketchup or chili sauce. The primary differences are that Russian dressing is spicier and might include ingredients like horseradish and hot sauce, while Thousand Island dressing is slightly sweeter and often contains finely chopped ingredients like pickles, onions, and sometimes hard-boiled eggs.
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The Reuben Sandwich (and the Rachel)
The iconic Reuben sandwich—crispy, melty, and oh-so-delicious. It’s comfort food at its deli best!
Ingredients
- 1 loaf unseeded and unsliced good-quality rye bread, sliced 1-inch-thick (you'll need 8 slices)
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 pound corned beef (or pastrami), sliced medium thick
- 1 cup sauerkraut, well drained (or coleslaw)
- 16 thin slices Swiss cheese, best quality such as Boar’s Head Gold Label
- About ¾ cup Russian dressing
Instructions
- Heat a large nonstick or cast iron pan over medium heat.
- Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter, then flip over and spread 1½ tablespoons of Russian dressing evenly over the other side of each slice. Layer 4 slices of the bread with 2 slices of cheese, ¼ pound corned beef (or pastrami), 3 tablespoons sauerkraut (or coleslaw), and 2 more slices of cheese. Top with the other 4 slices of bread, buttered sides up.
- Place 2 of the sandwiches in the skillet and cook, covered, until the first side is golden brown and the cheese is starting to melt, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Carefully flip the sandwiches and cook until the cheese is fully melted and the bread is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes more. (Reduce the heat a bit if you notice the bread is getting too browned before the cheese is fully melted.) Place the sandwiches on a cutting board and cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining two sandwiches. Let cool slightly, then slice the sandwiches in half and serve.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 822
- Fat: 67 g
- Saturated fat: 31 g
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Sugar: 10 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Sodium: 2,065 mg
- Cholesterol: 179 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Can use leftover corned beef brisket for this sandwich?
Sure!
I made these for St. Patrick’s Day and they were crazy good! Your Russian dressing was so much better than store bought. Thank you!
Why the name Rachel? We learned a song in school, “Reuben and Rachel”, which I can sing to this day.
Hi Diane, I didn’t know for sure where the name Rachel came from, so I just looked it up and it’s speculated that it may have come from the 1870’s song Reuben and Rachel — I’m assuming the same one you know. Funny! 😊
I made mine with pastrami and coleslaw on marbled rye. Insta-hit! This one’s a keeper for sure.
I’m curious, Jenn, or anyone, for that matter, why you like the corned beef versus the pastrami. I always wonder which to order. I’m not sure I’d taste the difference in a Reuben. I
know that pastrami has spices added to it and corned beef does not.
Hi Elizabeth, I like both! When it comes to this sandwich, corned beef is traditional but my personal preference is the “Rachel” version with pastrami and coleslaw. Pastrami has a lot more flavor because of the spices, and I just love coleslaw on a sandwich.
I made these last night for St. Patrick’s Day. They were a real crowd pleaser! I agree, the homemade Russian dressing was so much better than store bought.
A Ruben is corned beef OR pastrami, sauerkraut, thousand Islands or French and swiss(I recommend Thousand Island as do most restaurants)
The Rachel however is made with Turkey!
I make a Ruben sandwich or casserole a wk(yes I have a problem)! I also live in NY, you all for a Ruben, then specify corned beef, pastrami,or both, or a Rachel & your getting Turkey! Also more sauerkraut! You can squeeze, then use paper towels to remove the rest of the liquid, you’ll never have a soggy sandwich!
Okay now I need to insta cart corned beef, Lorraine Swiss & sauerkraut 🤣
I have always wondered what House (Greg House, the brilliant tv doc) ate. Now I know 🙂 Sounds delicious, I have to try it!
Love GOOD Reuben sandwiches but they are hard to find.
I just made this tonight and we both loved it.
Another one of your winners.
Thank you for the detailed instructions, so useful for ambitious amateurs.
I made this recipe for the first time tonight for my husband and 3 college-age sons (and myself). It was phenomenal–so much so that two of my sons played rock, paper, scissors to see who got the last portion! (And the one who lost was really disappointed). Thanks for so many terrific recipes!
The family agreed it should get 10 stars!! I used Seasoned Turkey Pastrami from the local deli and had them shave it instead of slicing. It simply melted in your mouth!!! The Russian Dressing was a perfect blend of flavors! I did not have enough sliced Swiss and had to finish the sandwiches off with shredded Swiss……no matter, they were still amazing! Thank you, Jenn, for your amazing recipes and clear instructions!!!!
This got rave reviews! The only thing that went wrong was that I bought a loaf of uncut rye bread but when it got delivered I noticed that the bakery had sliced it! Boo! I didn’t want to waste it though so I doubled up on the bread and put a little cheese in between the slices to get them to hold together. Worked like a charm! Ill definitely be making this again. Thanks for another great recipe Jenn!
Very good! Love the Russian dressing…I made one with ketchup and the other with chili sauce…we all liked the one with ketchup more…I think the extra sweetness from the ketchup with the dill relish and horseradish (I use lots of horseradish 🙂 helped balance everything. Thank you again Jenn for all of your great recipes and hard work.
If you buy presliced rye. Lightly toast it. Russian dressing, I used make by the gallon, never heard of horseradish in it. Sounds like an improvement. I will try that.
Yum! I made the Rachel with sauerkraut and it was divine.
Curious on where to get a loaf of rye bread in the DMV area?
Hi Liz, Most delis and Whole Foods sell loaves of rye bread. You should also be able to find it in the bakery of some supermarkets – I believe Wegman’s carries a seeded and marble rye. Hope that helps!
thanks
Looks amazing, but simple! Can’t wait to try, the trick will be getting the right bread….thanks, Jenn!