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Reuben Sandwich with Homemade Russian Dressing

Juicy homemade Reuben Sandwich Recipe. Slices of rye bread piled with corned beef, cheese and loaded with sauerkraut and a homemade tangy Russian dressing. This Reuben is everything a grilled sandwich should be.

Homemade Reuben Sandwich stacked with a side of chips.

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Hey, hey! Valentina with Valentina’s Corner sharing the BEST Reuben Sandwich Recipe!

What is a Reuben Sandwich?

A classic Reuben is a sandwich consisting of corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, Russian dressing between slices of rye bread that is grilled until the bread is crispy and the cheese melts.

Though the sandwich may be enjoyed hot or cold, we love serving it HOT. The meat is heated and cheese melts and the tangy dressing penetrates into the sauerkraut creating an irresistible grilled sandwich.

All of the needed ingredients for a Reuben arranged on a board.

What Ingredients go on a Reuben Sandwich?

  • MEAT- Corned beef that’s store-bought (deli dept), or use leftover homemade corned beef.
  • SAUERKRAUT- Homemade Sauerkraut or storebought will work great.
  • DRESSING- Tangy homemade Russian dressing.
  • CHEESE-  Swiss cheese is the classic cheese used.

How to Make a Reuben Sandwich?

  1. Prepare the Russian dressing – just stir it together.
  2. Butter one side of each slice of bread.
  3. Add the dressing, corned beef, sauerkraut and cheese to the bread and close to create a sandwich.
  4. Cook both sides of the bread slices as a grilled cheese until the cheese melts and bread slices are crispy.

Detailed step-by-step collage how to make a traditional Reuben Sandwich recipe.

How to Make Russian Dressing?

Though you can purchase Russian dressing or even substitute with Thousand Island dressing instead, the homemade dressing is SO GOOD and really easy to make.

  • In a bowl, whisk together the mayo, chili garlic sauce, lemon juice, creamy horseradish, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, onion, paprika, salt and pepper until creamy.

TIPS for Making a Reuben-

  • Bread- You want to make sure to use a good quality rye bread as it adds so much flavor to the sandwich.
  • Sauerkraut- Be sure to drain as much liquid from the sauerkraut as you can or the sandwich will be soggy. TIP- If you don’t like sauerkraut, you can use Coleslaw instead.
  • Garlic butter- If you really like garlic, sprinkle some garlic powder over the butter spread on the bread slices before cooking the sandwich.
  • Meat- Though corned beef is the classic meat used in a Reuben, you can substitute for pastrami.
  • Panini- You can use a panini press or a griddle to cook the sandwich instead of a skillet if you have one.
  • Dressing- The dressing does have some heat in it from the chili garlic sauce. If you don’t like spicy food, add the sauce to taste.

Classic Reuben on a plate with pickles and chips.

This Reuben Sandwich is not only great for a hearty lunch, but it’s also just as good for a quick dinner served with Baked Potato Wedges!

More Sandwich Recipes:

Classic Reuben Sandwich Recipe

5 from 168 votes
Author: Valentina Ablaev
Reuben Sandwich Stacked and loaded with meat, coleslaw and Russian dressing
Once you try this homemade Classic Reuben Sandwich Recipe, you'll never order it at a restaurant again. Slices of rye bread with corned beef, sauerkraut, Russian dressing, and cheese - grilled until crispy!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 3 servings

Sandwich-

  • 1/2 lb corned beef
  • ½ tsp olive oil
  • 6 slices rye bread
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
  • 1/2 cup sauerkraut, drained
  • 6 slices Swiss cheese

Russian Dressing-

Instructions

  • In a bowl combine all the ingredients for the Russian Dressing, set aside.
  • In a skillet, over medium heat, add oil. Once hot, add the meat and cook just until heated.
  • Lightly butter one side of each slice of bread. Place the bread (butter side down) on a plate.
  • Add the toppings to each sandwich: Spread the dressing, top with the meat, cheese and sour kraut. Close bread slices to create a sandwich.
  • In a hot skillet, cook sandwiches over medium heat 4-6 minutes, flipping once. Cook until cheese melts and the bread is crispy.

Nutrition Per Serving

3g Serving746kcal Calories38g Carbs32g Protein51g Fat21g Saturated Fat120mg Cholesterol414mg Potassium5g Fiber6g Sugar739IU Vitamin A25mg Vitamin C502mg Calcium4mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Classic Reuben Sandwich Recipe
Serving Size
 
3 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
746
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
51
g
78
%
Saturated Fat
 
21
g
131
%
Cholesterol
 
120
mg
40
%
Potassium
 
414
mg
12
%
Carbohydrates
 
38
g
13
%
Fiber
 
5
g
21
%
Sugar
 
6
g
7
%
Protein
 
32
g
64
%
Vitamin A
 
739
IU
15
%
Vitamin C
 
25
mg
30
%
Calcium
 
502
mg
50
%
Iron
 
4
mg
22
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: reuben sandwich
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $
Calories: 746
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen

Valentina Ablaev

I am Valentina, the creator behind the food blog Valentina’s Corner where I share our family’s favorite recipes. When I am not in the kitchen, I enjoy spending quality time with my husband and 5 children. We invite you to join us on our blogging journey!

Read more posts by Valentina

5 from 168 votes (112 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Norm
    July 30, 2024

    Just prepared the sauce utilizing your recipe.
    Very flavorful!!! My wife absolutely loves it as well.
    Better than any restaurant sauce, including NYC
    Thank you for sharing your recipe.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 30, 2024

      You’re very welcome! I’m glad it was enjoyed.

      Reply

  • Janet Carter
    July 15, 2024

    My new favorite Reuben sandwich!!! Love the dressing and using the marbled rye.

    Reply

  • Lena
    June 27, 2024

    This was GREAT!! I made my own corned beef from scratch and baked marbled rye the day before. The combination of ingredients, the sauce and the technique made a DELICIOUS dinner!!!

    Reply

  • Mary
    April 30, 2024

    This turned out perfect – better than any Reuben I have had in a restaurant!

    Reply

  • Tressa
    April 21, 2024

    We made grouper reubens tonight. Had them several times in FL. Used your recipe and subbed the grouper for the corned beef. Used liberal amounts of the Russian dressing -so good! I used avocado mayo as the base and found i had to increase the amount of the other ingredients to overcome the avo mayo taste. This recipe is great!!

    Reply

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