Deli-Worthy Reuben Sandwich Recipe

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Not all sandwiches are worth getting excited about, but when a recipe stands out from the rest, it warrants celebration, as is the case with recipe developer Patterson Watkins' deli-worthy Reuben sandwich. Considering a Reuben sandwich is a pretty classic concoction despite its murky origins, Watkins sticks to perfecting the execution rather than adding novel twists. Though she says, "The ingredients did most of the work." 

Her version contains the traditional Reuben ingredients: corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing on rye bread. However, depending on where you live and the season, it might take a little work to source corned beef, a St. Patrick's Day and New Year's Day staple. "Call around to local shops, key in on shops that cater to your local Kosher community, and check out online options," Watkins says. If you're up for a little cooking project, you can always make it yourself using raw beef brisket, though the corning process takes a few days. 

Regardless, this recipe will be worth the effort. "We have some pretty epic delis and diners here in the Philly area, but after making this homemade version, those restaurants might be taking a backseat," Watkins says.

Before you get started, you'll have to round up the ingredients. For the corned beef, you'll need raw corned beef brisket with its seasoning packet and beef broth. To make the dressing, gather mayonnaise, ketchup, yellow onion, prepared horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and sweet paprika. Finally, to assemble the sandwiches, you'll need a can of sauerkraut, salted butter, dark rye bread, and slices of Swiss cheese.

Add the corned beef to the pot of a slow cooker.

Sprinkle the corned beef with the seasoning packet.

Pour in the beef broth. Cover with a lid and slow cook on low for 8 hours.

Meanwhile, to start the dressing, in a medium bowl, add the mayonnaise, ketchup, onion, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and paprika.

Whisk to combine the dressing. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Once the corned beef is cooked, transfer it out of the pot and set it aside to rest for 30 minutes.

Reserve ½ cup beef broth from the pot.

As the corned beef finishes resting, warm the sauerkraut and reserved broth in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Once the corned beef is rested, cut it into thin slices and set aside.

Melt a portion of the butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.

Once the butter is melted, lay as many bread slices as could lie flat on the pan and toast on both sides until crisp. Remove from the skillet and repeat with the remaining butter and bread slices.

To start assembling the sandwiches, spread approximately 1 tablespoon of dressing over each slice of toast.

Divide the corned beef slices between 4 of the toasts, stacking the beef as high as you'd like.

Top the corned beef with sauerkraut.

Place 2 slices of cheese over the sauerkraut.

Cap the sandwiches with the remaining 4 toasts.

Secure the sandwiches with toothpicks before slicing in half. Serve with extra dressing on the side.

• Classic Creamy Potato Leek Soup Recipe
• Italian Deli Grinder Salad Recipe
• Spicy, Creamy Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe
• Baked Garlic Parmesan Fries Recipe
• Peach And Raspberry Bourbon Smash Recipe
• Bakery-Worthy Blueberry Pie Recipe

Slow cookers are a great hands-off option for cooking food over a long period of time. However, slow cooking the corned beef for this recipe takes eight hours. If you don't have that much time before dinner, Watkins recommends placing the meat with the broth and seasoning in a roasting pan or Dutch oven. Then, cook it in the oven between 325 F and 350 F for three to four hours. An alternative option is the stovetop method, in which you'll slow-simmer the corned beef in broth in a large pot or Dutch oven for three hours. However, the corned beef must be submerged in broth. 

Regardless of the method you use to cook the meat, Watkins emphasizes the importance of letting the meat rest for 30 minutes. It'll allow the muscle fiber to relax further and the meat to reabsorb moisture as the juices redistribute throughout, both of which result in a more tender corned beef. "This resting time makes it easier for you to thinly slice your corned beef," she says. "If your corned beef becomes super fork tender, don't fret. Those shreds taste just as good as the sliced stuff." And who doesn't want super fork-tender meat piled in their sandwich?

A classic Reuben sandwich speaks for itself without enhancements. Nevertheless, if you're looking for a fun twist to serve this sandwich, there are plenty of ways to tweak the recipe. Starting with the condiments, Watkins says, "I went in the traditional direction with the dressing — Russian dressing — and made it using minced onion." However, she says you can make Thousand Island dressing instead if preferred. All you need to do is replace one tablespoon of onions with minced sweet cucumber pickles. You can even get rid of the onions altogether if you're big on sweet pickles.

And, if you're not a big fan of tangy sauerkraut, Watkins recommends converting this Reuben to a Rachel by using a creamy coleslaw as the topping instead. You can also switch up the type of bread you use; marble rye bread is one option. For those who prefer simplifying the dish, it's entirely possible. "If you're a corned beef purist, there's no shame in making this recipe a traditional corned beef sandwich with just the sliced beef, mustard, and rye," Watkins says.

• Passover Braised Brisket Recipe
• Traditional Beef Wellington Recipe
• Loaded Ground Beef Gyros Recipe
• Philly Cheesesteak-Style Sliders Recipe
• Classic Salisbury Steak Recipe
• Herb-Roasted Beef Tenderloin Recipe