Craving the ultimate deli-style comfort food you can make right at home? Look no further! My Tastiest Pastrami Reuben Sandwich recipe is loaded with flavor, stacked high with juicy pastrami, tangy sauerkraut, melty Swiss cheese, and creamy Russian dressing. All grilled to golden perfection on buttery rye bread. Whether you’re hosting a game day feast or just treating yourself to a seriously satisfying lunch, this tasty Reuben sandwich is guaranteed to hit the spot. Ready to bite into deli heaven? Let’s get cooking!
Preparation Time
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 20 mins
Servings and Yield
Servings: 4
Yield: 4 sandwiches
Ingredients You Will Need for the Pastrami Reuben Sandwich
8 slices marbled rye bread – Any rye breadworks, I just happened to like how it looks!
½ cup Thousand Island dressing – Any will do but I personally like the Whole Foods 1000s island brand
8 slices Swiss cheese – Use your favorite brand!
½ pound of slices deli sliced Pastrami – I like to get mine fresh from the deli next door
1 cup sauerkraut, drained – For me, Bavarian Style Sauerkraut From Germany taste best
4-8 tablespoons butter, softened
Pastrami Reuben Sandwich Recipe Directions
Step 1. Preparing the Ingredients and preheat a skillet over medium heat
Step 2. Coat one side of the bread slices with a generous layer of Thousand Island dressing.
Step 3. Let’s assemble that glorious Reuben!
Grab the rest of your ingredients and let the stacking begin.
- Lay the Foundation: On your bottom slice of bread, place a slice of Swiss cheese.
- Pile It High: Add two generous slices of pastrami and a forkful of that zesty sauerkraut.
- The Cheesy Blanket: Top it all with one more slice of Swiss.
- The Grand Finale: Place the final piece of bread on top (make sure the dressing gets to kiss the sauerkraut!) and butter the outside for that perfect, golden-brown crunch.
Step 4. Add a Generous slab of Butter on that Pan!
By now, your pan should be ready to go. So just add some butter to the pan and watch that butter sizzle!
I personally want to make sure it has plenty of butter to add that extra buttery goodness to the bread and for that extra crispiness.
By the way, yes, I use a square frying pan and they are awesome in the kitchen for grilling sandwiches. I can make 4 grilled cheese sandwiches at once on that bad boy!
I recommend getting the Rachael Ray Cucina square pan one from Amazon which my sister uses. It’s much better than mine.
(yes, I get a commission when you click on those links and buy the tools and ingredients. Helps to keep this website alive!)
Step 5. Grill them Reuben Pastrami Sandwiches to a Golden-Brown Color!
Let the sizzle begin! Lay your sandwiches butter-side down onto the preheated griddle. Slather the remaining butter on top. Grill for about 5 minutes per side, flipping once, until both sides are a beautiful golden brown.
Step 6. Eat and Enjoy
About my Pastrami Reuben Sandwich Recipe
At the time of making this recipe, I was living in Costa Rica and after having tried it at a restaurant, my family wanted to have it at home. Unfortunately, , it was very difficult to find “Corned Beef” in Costa Rica. We were only able to find canned corned beef which just isn’t the same thing in terms of look and texture.
So, instead, I decided to use pastrami as it is the closest thing I could think of as a replacement and available in Costa Rica. The first attempt was good but not great. So after a lot of Reuben Sandwich recipe tweaking, this is what I ended up with. Hope you enjoy it as much as my family did!
Fun Fact About the Reuben Sandwich
A Tale of Two Cities: The Contested Origins of the Reuben
The history of the Reuben sandwich is a subject of passionate debate, with two primary origin stories, one rooted in Omaha, Nebraska, and the other in New York City.
Omaha, Nebraska: A Poker Night Creation
The most widely documented claim hails from Omaha, where the sandwich is said to have been invented for Reuben Kulakofsky, a Lithuanian-born Jewish grocer. The story goes that during a weekly late-night poker game at the Blackstone Hotel in the 1920s, Kulakofsky requested a sandwich with corned beef and sauerkraut. The hotel’s owner, Charles Schimmel, had his son, Bernard, who was a European-trained chef, prepare the sandwich. Bernard added Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing to the rye bread, creating the now-classic combination.
The sandwich’s local fame grew after Charles Schimmel put it on the hotel’s menu. Evidence supporting this claim includes a 1934 menu from the Blackstone Hotel listing the “Reuben Sandwich.”
New York City: The Deli Genius
The competing narrative credits Arnold Reuben, the German-Jewish owner of the famed “Reuben’s Restaurant and Delicatessen” in New York City, with the sandwich’s creation. This account places the invention earlier, around 1914. According to this legend, a famous actress, Annette Seelos, came into the delicatessen late at night and asked for a substantial sandwich. Reuben, using the ingredients he had on hand, crafted a unique creation for her. While the original ingredients in this story are sometimes debated, with some accounts mentioning ham and coleslaw instead of corned beef and sauerkraut, the “Reuben’s Special” became a fixture at his establishment.
The Rise to National Prominence
Regardless of its precise birthplace, the Reuben sandwich remained a regional favorite for several decades. Its ascent to national popularity was significantly propelled by a single event in 1956.
A former waitress from the Blackstone Hotel in Omaha, Fern Snider, entered the hotel’s Reuben sandwich recipe into the first-ever National Sandwich Idea Contest. The savory and unique combination impressed the judges, and it was crowned the winner. This national recognition was a pivotal moment, introducing the Reuben to a much broader audience.
Following the contest, the recipe was published and promoted, leading to its inclusion on menus in restaurants and delicatessens across the United States. By the 1960s and 70s, the Reuben had solidified its place as a beloved American classic, a testament to its delicious and enduring combination of flavors. Today, it remains a cornerstone of deli culture and a sandwich enjoyed by people nationwide.
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Tastes great. Love the extreme use of butter!
