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Ruben Sliders are buttery, savory appetizer-sized Reuben sandwiches, on Hawaiian roll dinner rolls, and filled with corned beef, sauerkraut, and Russian (or Thousand Island) dressing, and topped with melted butter.
These hand-held Reuben Sliders are perfect party-sized appetizers for any type of party you are planning.
These Reuben Sandwich Sliders make a great little Appetizer Recipe for game day, New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, Super Bowl, St Patrick’s Day, or any time of year. They can even be the main course for an easy weeknight dinner.
If you loved our Ham and Swiss Sliders and Instant Pot Corned Beef Recipe, then you’ll love these Reuben Sliders.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love These Reuben Sliders
- Taste. Tastes similar to classic Reuben Sandwiches, with sauerkraut, corned beef, and Russian dressing, yet in a small hand-held appetizer size.
- Easy to Make. Really, it is a matter of layering the ingredients of the sandwich, brushing butter over the top of the rolls, and baking. That's it.
- Party Perfect. These Reuben sliders are the perfect sized handheld food for a party.
- Easy St Patrick’s Day Recipe. Made with corned beef, these sliders scream St Patrick’s Day. While traditionally served on Reuben bread, to miniaturize these sandwiches into sliders, we use Hawaiian rolls instead of rye bread.
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy Recipe. While it looks complicated, it is really a matter of making a sandwich by layering ingredients and brushing melted butter on top and baking. See, these sliders are easy to make.
- Step by Step Instructions with photos. I've included step by step instructions with photos to help make the instructions as clear as possible to help ensure excellent results.
- Tried and True Recipe. This is a recipe that has been made over and over for many years. So you can trust that the recipe works.
What You’ll Need To Make Reuben Sliders
Equipment
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Ingredient Notes
Below, I discuss the ingredients and possible substitutions if you don't have a specific ingredient. However, if you are looking for the specific measurements of each ingredient, scroll down to the bottom of this article, just above the comments, for the printable recipe card, which includes all the ingredients and the specific amounts of each one.
What’s On A Reuben Sandwich?
Have you ever wanted to know what was on a Reuben Sandwich? You’re in luck because below I break down the different components of these Reuben Sliders which are small Reuben Sandwiches so you will know exactly what is in them and what makes them taste so good.
What Kind of Bread Is Used for The Reuben Rolls
Classic Reuben Sandwiches are made using rye bread. That is one of the star ingredients of Reubens.
However, since I needed smaller-sized sandwiches, and I could not find any small rye bread dinner rolls, I used Hawaiian bread dinner rolls instead.
What Kind of Meat Is On These Reuben Sliders
Traditionally, corned beef is used on Reuben sandwiches, or as some people call this version, New York Reubens. However, see the other options under Recipe Variations below. See how you can use turkey, pastrami, roast beef, and more!
What Is Reuben Dressing AKA Reuben Sauce?
What Goes On A Reuben?
- Sauerkraut. It is not a Reuben if there is no sauerkraut. I used canned sauerkraut and drained it.
- Russian dressing. I used Russian dressing since that is what is used in a traditional Reuben sandwich, but Thousand Island Dressing would work as well as it is often used too on Reubens. Use whichever dressing you prefer for your Reuben sauce.
- Caraway Seeds. (optional) The caraway seeds add a little flavor that you would get from a classic reuben. A reuben sandwich slider is traditionally served on rye bread which is typically made with caraway. This is definitely an acquired taste so that is why I say the seeds are optional in this recipe. If you don't like rye bread, just leave the seeds out, no need to replace them with anything else.
- Hawaiian Rolls. As mentioned above, traditionally, Reuben Sandwiches use rye bread, which has caraway seeds. However, since I can’t find a rye bread version of slider rolls, I’m using Hawaiian rolls instead and adding caraway seeds and poppyseeds to make it as similar as I can to the original Reuben.
- Swiss Cheese. Two slices of Swiss cheese are used on each slider. It is so cheesy, we may need to change the name to cheese sliders.
- Corned Beef. I used thinly sliced deli corned beef. If you don’t have that, you could also use pastrami.
- Butter. I used unsalted butter and melted it. I recommend using real butter instead of margarine. I think real butter has better flavor.
- Dried Onion Soup Mix.
- Poppy seeds.
- Fresh Parsley. (Optional) Use fresh chopped parsley for garnish.
How To Make Reuben Sliders
Instructions
See the printable recipe card at the bottom of this article, just above the comments, for detailed instructions.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Drain the sauerkraut well and squeeze it dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels, you want to get as much liquid out of the sauerkraut as possible.
- Place the sauerkraut in a medium-sized bowl and mix it with the Russian dressing and caraway seeds if using, set aside.
- Cut the Hawaiian rolls in half so you have tops and bottoms. Place the bottom portion of the rolls, cut side up, into an 11×7 baking dish.
- Add 4 slices of the swiss cheese on top of the rolls. Add the corned beef, followed by the sauerkraut mixture. Add another 4 slices of cheese on top. Add the tops of the rolls on top of the filling.
- In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, onion soup mix, and poppy seeds.
- Brush the butter mixture on top of the rolls, use it all!
- Cover with nonstick foil or spray foil with cooking spray. Cover the baking dish with the foil and bake for 25 minutes.
- Take the foil off and bake an additional 5 minutes until toasted and browned. Cut, garnish with optional parsley, and serve with more dressing for dipping, optional.
Pro Recipe Tips
- Drain Well. You want to be sure to drain as much liquid as possible out of the sauerkraut before starting the recipe. Otherwise, you may end up with soggy sliders.
- Foil. Don’t skip the step that covers the sliders with foil. This is important because if you don’t use foil, the tops will get overdone and get too brown or will burn. Covering with foil and then removing it for the last 5 minutes will get that nice light golden brown color on your sliders.
- Have Fun With Substitutions. Substitute the corned beef with pastrami for a fun twist, or do a mix of corned beef and pastrami! You can also use leftover corned beef from your St. Patrick's day meal, shredded or thinly sliced works great! See Recipe Variations below for all the ideas.
Variations of Reuben Sandwiches / Sliders
- Turkey Reuben. Switch out the corned beef with turkey to make a Turkey Reuben, and add some coleslaw and then it becomes a Rachel Sandwich.
- Pastrami Reuben. Switch out the corned beef with Pastrami to create this Pastrami Reuben.
- Grilled Reuben. Basically, turn a Reuben Sandwich Slider into a Grilled Cheese Reuben Sandwich. You may want to switch out the bread from a dinner role to rye bread to make this work.
What To Serve With Reuben Sliders
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- How Many Calories are in a Reuben Sandwich or Slider?
- For this Reuben Sliders recipe, there are 255 calories per slider.
- How Long Will These Sliders Keep in the refrigerator?
- Keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Can I Freeze Reuben Sliders?
- Yes, you can freeze them for up to 3 months.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Chicken Parmesan Sliders
- Meatball Biscuit Sliders
- Turkey Sliders With Cranberry Sauce
- Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup
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Recipe
Ingredients
- 14 ounces sauerkraut
- 2 tablespoons Russian dressing (or Thousand Island, plus more for dipping)
- 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
- 12 Hawaiian dinner rolls
- 8 slices Swiss cheese
- 1/2 pound deli corned beef (thinly sliced)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (melted)
- 1-1/2 teaspoons dried onion soup mix
- 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
Garnish (Optional)
- Fresh chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Drain the sauerkraut well and squeeze it dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. (NOTE: you want to get as much liquid out of the sauerkraut as possible.)
- Place the sauerkraut in a medium-sized bowl and mix it with the Russian dressing and caraway seeds if using, and then set aside.
- Cut the Hawaiian dinner rolls in half so you have tops and bottoms. Place the bottom portion of the rolls, cut side up, into an 11×7 baking dish.
- Add 4 slices of the swiss cheese on top of the rolls. Add the corned beef, followed by the sauerkraut mixture. Add another 4 slices of cheese on top. Add the tops of the rolls on top of the filling.
- In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, onion soup mix, and poppy seeds. Brush the butter mixture on top of the rolls, use it all!
- Cover with nonstick foil or spray foil with cooking spray. Cover the baking dish with the foil and bake for 25 minutes.
- Take the foil off and bake an additional 5 minutes until toasted and browned.
- Cut, garnish with optional parsley, and serve with more dressing for dipping, optional.
Gina says
I LOVE a good reuben! Sliders are a great idea. Hawaiian rolls are so delicious they only amplify the mouthwatering taste of the reuben ingredients!
Katie says
These are delicious! I love how simple they are, and how the flavors of a true reuben are all still there!!
Maike says
These sliders look amazing. I can’t wait for St. Patrick’s Day and give them a try. My family will be more than excited.
Joy says
Don’t wait for St. Patrick’s Day. These are so good any time of the year!
Shadi Hasanzade says
This was amazing and such a treat! Thank you!
Lyle says
I made 24 of the Reuben sliders for a St. Patrick’s day party and they were such a hit and didn’t last long! Thanks for the great idea!