Reuben Sandwich
intro
A classic grilled American deli sandwich stacked with salty corned beef, tangy sauerkraut, melted Swiss, and creamy Russian dressing on crispy buttered rye bread.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep the sauerkraut
Place 240g of sauerkraut on a clean kitchen towel or stack of paper towels. Gather the towel edges and squeeze firmly over the sink to remove all excess brine, which prevents soggy sandwiches. Fluff the dried sauerkraut lightly with a fork and set aside.
Assemble sandwich layers
Lay all 8 rye bread slices on a clean cutting board. Spread 15ml (1 tablespoon) of Russian dressing evenly across one side of every slice. Layer 1 slice of Swiss cheese, 112g of corned beef, 60g of squeezed sauerkraut, and a second Swiss slice on 4 of the bread slices. Top with the remaining bread slices, dressing-side facing the filling.
Butter bread exteriors
Spread 7.5g (1.5 teaspoons) of softened unsalted butter evenly across the outer top surface of each assembled sandwich, covering the bread all the way to the edges to ensure uniform golden toasting.
Preheat cooking surface
Place a large cast iron skillet or flat griddle over medium-low heat (160°C/325°F) and preheat for 3 minutes. Do not use higher heat, as this will burn the bread crust before the cheese melts and the filling warms through.
Grill first sandwich side
Place 2 sandwiches butter-side down on the preheated skillet, working in batches to avoid crowding the pan. Cook for 4–5 minutes, until the bottom bread is deep golden and crisp, and the lower cheese layer begins to melt at the edges. While cooking, spread the remaining 7.5g of butter per sandwich on the upward-facing unbuttered bread side.
Flip and finish cooking
Use a thin flexible spatula to carefully flip each sandwich. Cook for an additional 3–4 minutes on the second side, until the bread is evenly golden, the Swiss cheese is fully melted and stringy, and the filling reaches an internal temperature of 74°C/165°F. Transfer cooked sandwiches to a cutting board and repeat with the remaining 2 sandwiches.
Slice and serve hot
Let cooked sandwiches rest for 1 minute to allow the cheese to set, then slice each diagonally into two triangular halves. Serve immediately, with extra Russian dressing on the side for dipping if desired.
Tips
2.Resist the urge to turn the heat up to speed up cooking: medium-low heat ensures the bread toasts evenly without burning, while giving the cold deli filling time to warm through and the cheese to melt fully.
3.Let sandwiches rest for 1 full minute after cooking before slicing: this short rest lets the melted cheese set slightly, so it does not ooze out the sides when you cut into the sandwich.
OMG this Reuben is SO good! I’ve been intimidated to make Reubens at home forever because I thought they’d never stack up to the diner version downtown, but this was so easy even my teen who hates everything asked for a second sandwich. Used rye from our local bakery and tossed a side of dill pickles with it, total game changer for our weekly Friday sandwich night. 10/10 will make again!
Solid Reuben recipe, super straightforward. Cook time was spot on at 20 minutes, perfect for a quick lunch when I was working from home this week. Only swap I did was use pastrami instead of corned beef because that’s what I had in the fridge, and it still slapped. Will be adding this to my regular meal prep rotation.
Made these for my kid’s soccer team potluck last weekend and every last sandwich was gone! I was worried the sauerkraut would be too tangy for the kids but it mellowed out perfectly when grilled, and even the coaches asked for the recipe. Only question: do you have a hack for keeping the bread from getting too soggy if I prep the sandwiches a couple hours ahead for our next camping trip?