Deli-worthy reuben sandwiches at home complete with rye bread, Russian dressing, melted Swiss cheese, and plenty of corned beef! The air fryer helps get the bread extra crispy but stovetop cooking directions are also provided. Get ready because these sandwiches are generously sized and SO GOOD!
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time8 minutesmins
Total Time23 minutesmins
Course: 30-Minute Meals
Cuisine: American
Keyword: classic reuben sandwich, homemade reuben sandwich, reuben sandwich pastrami, reuben sandwich sauce, what to serve with reuben sandwiches, what's on a reuben sandwich
Servings: 4
Calories: 1099kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
Russian Dressing (Thousand Island Dressing may be substituted)
¼cupmayonnaise
¼cupsour cream
2 to 3tablespoonsketchupspicy ketchup, sriracha, or chili garlic sauce (use the spicier options if you want it to read spicier)
1tablespoonwhite onionfinely minced
1 to 3teaspoonshorseradishor to taste
1teaspoonWorcestershire sauce
¼teaspoonsweet paprika
Saltto taste
Pepperto taste
Rueben Sandwiches
8slicesmarbled rye breador rye bread
2 to 3tablespoonsolive oilor melted butter, divided
Russian dressing from aboveor Thousand Island dressing, as desired; divided
8 to 16slicesthin-sliced Swiss cheeseas desired; divided
1poundthin-sliced del corned beefor pastrami, divided
½cupfresh or shelf-stableor homemade sauerkraut, drained (rinse it to remove the bite if desired)
Instructions
Preheat XL air fryer to 390F.* (See Notes for Stovetop Cooking)
Russian Dressing - To a medium bowl, add all ingredients, and whisk to combine. Taste, and make any necessary flavor adjustments; set aside momentarily. If you're using store bought Thousand Island, Ken's Steakhouse brand or Kraft are both good and readily available.
Evenly drizzle or brush one side of each of the 8 slices of bread with olive oil or melted butter.
Place two of the slices, greased sides down, in the air fryer.
Spread a layer of Russian dressing over the tops, as desired.
Add 1 or 2 slices of cheese to each piece of bread. Note - Based on the size of both the cheese and the bread, and how cheesy you want your sandwiches, you may only use 1 slice per slice of bread, but I use two.
Generously mound the corned beef on each piece. Note - You've got 1 pound of meat and the recipe makes 4 sandwiches total, so evenly divide the meat into 4 portions.
Top the corned beef with horseradish, as desired.
Optionally, drizzle each with additional Russian dressing or Thousand Island, as desired. Note - You may not use all of the Russian dressing you mixed up but better to have a little extra than not quite enough.
Top each with a slice of bread, greased sides up, and press lightly to "seal" the sandwiches.
Close the air fryer basket and fry for 8 minutes total, stopping to check and flip at the 4 minute mark. Tips - Based on your exact model of air fryer, how thick your sandwiches are, etc. cooking time will vary so start checking for doneness a couple minutes early. Although don't be afraid to cook longer than 8 minutes total if your sandwiches aren't looking done at that point.
Remove the two sandwiches from the air fryer.
Repeat steps 2 through 12 to make two more sandwiches.
Slice and serve. Reubens are best warm and fresh although will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
Air Fryers - I am able to fit and make two sandwiches at one time in my Cosori XL Air Fryer with 5.8-quart basket. It’s a Generation II model. There is also now the Cosori XL Air Fryer with 6.8-quart basket. And double basket models.Stovetop Cooking in a Skillet - Follow the same general instructions for air fryer cooking except rather than cook them in an air fryer, add the sandwiches to a large, nonstick skillet, and cook over medium heat for about 6 to 8 minutes, flipping once midway through. Tips - If sandwiches are burning on the outside or darkening too quickly before the cheese is melting, reduce the heat to medium-low. If cheese is resitant to melting, cover the skillet with a lid for the last minute or two.