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Jewish deli·North American

Griddled Reuben Sandwich

A classic Jewish‑deli hot sandwich: thinly sliced corned beef, tangy sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing on rye, griddled until the bread is crisp and the cheese melts.

Griddled Reuben Sandwich, servedAI image

25 min

start to finish

15 min

hands on

Easy

difficulty

2

servings

2 servings
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Ingredients

For the Russian dressing

Contains gluten, dairy, egg. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.

Roughly, per serving

1180 kcal52g protein50g carbs82g fat

An estimate, not a lab analysis.

Method

  1. Make the Russian dressing: whisk mayonnaise, ketchup, Dijon, horseradish, smoked paprika, lemon juice and black pepper in a small bowl until smooth.

    Taste and add a little more horseradish if you like extra bite.

  2. Drain the sauerkraut: place in a fine mesh sieve or clean towel and press out as much liquid as you can.

    Rinsing briefly under cold water will mellow very sharp sauerkraut, then squeeze dry.

  3. Spread the softened butter evenly on one side of each slice of rye bread.

  4. Preheat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat until hot but not smoking.

    A cast-iron skillet or flat top works best for even browning.

  5. Arrange four buttered-side-down slices on a cutting board to start assembling the sandwiches.

  6. Spread about half of the dressing evenly on each of those four bottom slices (≈2 tbsp dressing per sandwich).

  7. Top the dressed slices with the corned beef, dividing the meat evenly between the two sandwiches (about 170 g per sandwich).

  8. Lay two slices of Swiss cheese on top of the corned beef on each sandwich.

  9. Divide the drained sauerkraut between the two sandwiches and press gently to make an even layer.

  10. Close each sandwich with the remaining buttered bread slices (buttered side up) and transfer one sandwich to the hot skillet or griddle.

  11. Cook the sandwich on the first side until the bread is golden brown and crisp, pressing down occasionally with a spatula and covering the pan to help the cheese melt.

    If you have a lid or a large baking sheet, covering traps heat and melts the cheese faster without burning the bread.

  12. Flip the sandwich and cook the second side until golden and the cheese is fully melted, pressing again as needed.

    If using a panini press, cook until grill marks appear and the cheese is melted, about 4 minutes total.

  13. Repeat cooking with the second sandwich.

  14. Transfer both sandwiches to a cutting board and let them rest 1 minute, then slice each sandwich in half on the diagonal and serve immediately.

Worth knowing

  • For a košher-friendly version, omit the cheese and use an extra-spicy Russian or mustard-based sauce.
  • If you prefer less fat, swap mayonnaise for light mayonnaise or Greek yogurt (note: Greek yogurt changes flavor and adds dairy).
  • Make the dressing a day ahead — flavors meld and it keeps up to 4 days refrigerated.
  • Use a panini press for even heating and short cook time; adjust press time based on your machine.

Make it yours

Cooking without dairy, without an oven, for someone who won't touch chilli, or for six instead of four? Have the recipe rewritten around it — quantities, steps and all.

QuickKid friendly

More Jewish deli cooking

An original Restaurant Pro recipe — our own composition in the idiom of Jewish deli cooking, not any restaurant's recipe.