Grilled Reuben Sandwiches

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To me, any grilled sandwich recipe is a winner. For whatever reason, I detest a cold sandwich! That said, Grilled Reuben Sandwiches are by far and away my favorite! Delicious pastrami corned beef, pumpernickle bread, Swiss cheese, seasoned sauerkraut and the special Reuben dressing.

My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Grilled Reuben Sandwiches Recipe

Howdy! Chef Alli Here. Let’s Get You Cookin’….Shall We?? 🙂

So are you a corned beef fan like I am? My husband is Irish (yep, he’s a red head born on St. Paddy’s Day so of course his Mamma had to name him PAT.) so I love making him corned beef for his birthday every year.

We always seem to have some of that tender, shredded corned beef leftover and that’s when I get to make something else I adore: Grilled Reubens!!

I like to make my corned beef in the oven as well as my Instant Pot. Instant Pot Tender Corned Beef with Irish Potatoes is super fast and easy and the corned beef comes out SO TENDER and DELICIOUS – absolutely mouth-watering.

Besides making grilled sandwiches with the leftover corned beef, we have also really come to enjoy making Corned Beef Fritters with Reuben Dipping Sauce and Reuben Egg Rolls. (And the egg rolls can be fried in a skillet or baked in the oven.)

3 good reasons to love this recipe –

1. You get to enjoy CORNED BEEF!!!
2. Grilled sandwiches are WAY better than cold sandwiches since everything is hot, golden brown and melt-y inside.
3. Such awesome flavor combinations here, not to mention good textures.

What ingredients do you need to make Grilled Reuben Sandwiches?

• Leftover cooked and shredded corned beef (or sliced deli corned beef, also known as pastrami)
• Pumpernickle-rye bread (it’s pumper nickle bread with that dark rye swirl in the center of each slice)
• Sliced swiss cheese
• Seasoned sauerkraut
• Reuben dressing

How to Make Grilled Reuben Sandwiches in 3 Easy Steps

1. Preheat a greased griddle or large skillet over medium high heat.
2. Assemble the sandwiches by spreading each slice of bread with mayonnaise. Place the bread mayo-side down into the hot skillet, then build the sandwiches. Spread the Reuben dressing onto the bread; top with a slice of cheese, sauerkraut, and a pile of pastrami corned beef, as desired. Add the second slice of bread on top to finish each sandwich.
3. Grill the sandwiches on both sides until nicely golden brown and hot throughout. Serve at once with extra dressing for dipping, if desired. Divine!

Can I Make Grilled Reuben Sandwiches in My Air Fryer?

You sure can and we do it all the time! Assemble the sandwiches the very same way but instead of using a skillet or grill pan, place them onto the air fryer basket or even directly onto the air fryer tray – either one works great.

Set the air fryer to 350 degrees F. and cook for 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and melt-y in the middle.

We can cook 2 large sandwiches in our air fryer (the Cuisinart TOA-60) or 4 small sandwiches. It works perfectly.

Recipe Tips for Making Grilled Reuben Sandwiches That Are Over-the-Top GOOD –

• First things first. The corned beef is very important. It must be tender and shredded and fully cooked. Or, hit up your favorite deli and grab some thinly sliced pastrami (corned beef). This works great.
• AND, you gotta use pumpernickle-rye bread. No other bread will do.
• The swiss cheese must be sliced (not shredded) so that as it melts, it drips down onto the sides of the sandwiches when being grilled.
• The sauerkraut must be seasoned and really cooked throughout so the moisture has been removed. There is absolutely NOTHING WORSE than SOGGY SAUERKRAUT on a grilled Reuben sandwich since that always makes the bread get soggy, too. YUCK.
• Make the Reuben dressing yourself. It’s easy and so delicious. Don’t use that icky bottled Reuben dressing – so disappointing.
• Using mayonnaise instead of butter for cooking the grilled Reubens is a secret step that provides the ultimate browning and crispy-ness. If you don’t have mayo on hand, you can use butter.

Favorite Salad Recipes for Serving with Grilled Reuben Sandwiches –

• Crunchy Corn Salad 
• Classic Macaroni Salad
• Creamy Chipotle Pasta Salad
• Instant Pot Potato Salad 
• Broccoli Potato Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette 
• BLT Pasta Salad (Bacon Lettuce and Tomato Pasta Salad) 
• Sweet Corn and Baby Pea Salad with Jicama

 

Printable Grilled Reuben Sandwiches Recipe – 

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Let’s Get You Cookin’,
Chef Alli

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