Name: Gluten-Free Reuben Sandwich
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp fresh horseradish, grated, or; 2 tsp horseradish cream; 1 tbsp shallot, finely chopped; 100 ml mayonnaise; 2 tbsp tomato sauce or ketchup; 2 tbsp sweet pickles, chopped finely; 1 tsp tabasco sauce; 1 tsp gluten-free Worcestershire sauce or Tamari/gluten-free soy sauce; ¼ tsp unsmoked sweet paprika powder; Salt and white pepper, to taste; 12 slices store-bought or gluten-free mock rye bread; 2 tbsp butter, at room temperature; 6 tbsp homemade Reuben mayonnaise; 18 slices corned beef, thinly sliced; 240 g Sauerkraut, well drained; 6 slices Emmental or Gruyère cheese; 18 slices cucumber pickles

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The main photo for the gluten-free reuben sandwich recipe

Gluten-Free Reuben Sandwich – the champion of all toasted sandwiches!

This Reuben sandwich is the perfect excuse to use up leftover corned beef and assemble this classic New York creation. Grilling the Reuben brings all the tangy, pickled and salty flavours into a melting masterpiece.

About the ingredients

Gluten-Free Mock Rye Bread

Rye bread is the traditional bread used for Reuben sandwiches. As rye is a gluten grain, using either a store-bought gluten-free brown rye-like bread or my homemade gluten-free mock rye bread recipe will give good results for that classic texture and flavour.

Corned Beef

In some countries, finding a corned brisket of beef together with the pickling spices to cook at home is straightforward. In other countries, like Austria, I have never been able to find one already-brined. I resorted to brining a beef brisket over 5 days with a homemade pickling spice mix and roasted it for our Sunday dinner. It tasted authentic and melted in our mouths. The only ingredient missing was the pink curing salt that is needed to get that distinctive “pink” corned beef colour, which explains why my corned beef in the photo looks more like roast beef!

It is important to stack at least three layers of thinly sliced corned beef in the sandwich, otherwise, if your corned beef is very tender, shredding it works well too.

A display of all the ingredients needed to make gluten-free reuben sandwiches

Sauerkraut

This vital ingredient is available in every supermarket in Austria, so I had no trouble finding sauerkraut, in fact, there is quite a range of different sauerkrauts. I choose an organic, plain one. Make sure to drain the sauerkraut before assembling the sandwiches, otherwise, the bread will become soggy from the brine.

Should you have trouble finding sauerkraut, you could substitute coleslaw and lessen the Reuben mayonnaise. It isn’t a classic Reuben sandwich with this substitute, but it will still taste amazing with the other condiments.

Otherwise, fry some shredded green cabbage until soft and add a few dashes of white vinegar and water with some salt.

Swiss Cheese

Using a strong Swiss cheese such as Emmental or Gruyère gives the Reuben sandwich that strong, nutty and salty flavour. If you prefer a milder cheese, add a mild Cheddar or Gouda instead.

Pickles

Any cucumber pickles either sliced lengthways or in thin rounds will suit these Reuben sandwiches.

Reuben Mayonnaise

This mayonnaise is supposed to be tangy and slightly sweet & spicy. If you prefer to buy a ready-made mixture, select Thousand Island dressing for a similar, but less spicy flavour.

One gluten-free reuben sandwich before being grilled

How are the Reuben sandwiches cooked?

The best method to cook Reuben sandwiches is in a frying pan, griddle pan or preferably, a cast-iron pan.

As the outer sides of the mock rye bread are buttered, the medium heat toasts the bread nicely. Covering the pan with a lid for the first 5 to 7 minutes generates enough heat to start melting the cheese and warming up the corned beef.

Once the sandwiches are flipped over to grill the other side, keep the lid off and grill for another 3 minutes, pressing down slightly with a spatula.

My second favourite grilling option is using an oven grill or broiler. Keep the tops of the sandwich 10 cm away from the grill and have the temperature on medium.

The panini maker is not a good option for this large sandwich as the lid ends up pressing the contents out, especially the melting cheese between the bread.