These easy Reuben sliders are loaded with melty Swiss cheese, tangy sauerkraut and corned beef aka pastrami—topped with Everything But the Bagel seasoning for a crunchy twist. Perfect for make-ahead lunches, appetizers, or an easy weeknight dinner.
Why You Will Love This Reuben Sliders Recipe
I’ve been making Hawaiian roll sliders for years, like these Funeral sandwiches—family parties, game days, you name it. And Reuben sliders have been a regular in the rotation.
What makes them stand out? That Everything But the Bagel seasoning on top. It adds a toasted, savory crunch.
You can use leftover corned beef (thin-sliced is best—my baked corned beef is great for this), but we make these with deli-sliced corned beef or pastrami all the time. While different preparations of beef, the flavors will be great!
They’re also super make-ahead friendly. Assemble them hours in advance—or even the night before—and just pop them in the oven when you’re ready. They reheat well too, so they’re great for lunches or leftovers. And if you like Reuben flavors, check out this easy Reuben Casserole for another dinner option.
Slider Success Tips
- Slice the bottom half of the rolls a little thicker than the tops to hold all the fillings better and avoid soggy bottoms.
- Layer cheese on both the top and bottom buns to prevent sogginess.
- Don’t skimp on the buttery sauce—it’s what gives sliders that crispy, caramelized bottom.
- If sauerkraut’s a tough sell, skip it or sub in coleslaw for a crunchier twist.
- Doesn’t matter if you spell it Reuben or Rueben — both are acceptable.
Simple Ingredients for Reuben Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls
- Rolls: King’s Hawaiian Sweet Rolls are the perfect slider rolls. If you can find King’s Preztel Rolls or mini Rye rolls even better!
- Corned beef: Thinly sliced deli corned beef or pastrami will both work!
- Cheese: I use thinly sliced Swiss cheese, which melts quickly and provides a barrier for the juicy sauerkraut. But provolone, cheddar or your favorite cheese works well too.
- Sauerkraut: It wouldn’t be a Reuben without the sauerkraut! Remember to drain and squeeze excess liquid. I like to purchase fresh sauerkraut in the refrigerator or deli section of the grocery store.
- Dressing: Thousand Island dressing is another staple ingredient for a traditional Reuben. I like Lighthouse, which is found in the refrigerator section. You may also use Russian dressing.
- Butter: I used salted butter; if using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt.
- Mustard: Spicy brown mustard, is my favorite but yellow or Dijon will also work.
- Worcestershire sauce: Add’s just the right punch of flavor.
- Garlic and onion: Add garlic and onion powder to boost the butter sauce.
- Seasoning: One of my favorite things is the Everything Bagel Seasoning on the tops of the rolls.
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
How to Make Easy Pastrami Sliders
Step 1 – Preheat and prep
Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper or spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place sauerkraut in a sieve and drain, pressing with paper towels to get out as much moisture as possible.
Slice the rolls in half lengthwise (slicing the bottom rolls a little thicker than the top), while keeping the individual rolls together. Place the bottoms in the pan.
Step 2 – Assemble Rueben Sliders
Start by placing one layer of cheese over the bottom buns to prevent soggy rolls. Next, place the pastrami in an even layer on top of the cheese, followed by the drained and squeezed sauerkraut.
Sauerkraut Tip
- Use paper towels to really squeeze out the moisture from the sauerkraut!
Then, drizzle the dressing and layer with more slices of Swiss cheese, finishing by replacing the top buns.
Step 3 – Add butter topping
Combine the melted butter, garlic powder, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and onion powder in a small bowl, stirring well.
Pour the butter mixture over the rolls and use a silicone brush to cover the sides and crevices. Then, sprinkle the Everything but the Bagel seasoning on top.
Fresh Tips
- As I tested this slider recipe, I discovered that a layer of cheese on the top and bottom of the stack keeps the moisture from seeping into the rolls.
- Don’t lay the meat flat on the rolls. Instead, style it so it’s ruffled, like on a deli sandwich. Use as much or as little as you like.
Step 4 | Bake, slice, and dig in!
Cover with foil and bake for 10 to 20 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake for a few more minutes until the tops are golden brown and slightly crisp and the cheese is melted.
Finally, slice the corned beef and cheese sliders and serve hot and fresh with a side of Thousand Island dressing for dipping– Enjoy!
Variations & Substitutions
- Toppings: Instead of Everything but the Bagel seasoning, sprinkle the butter-brushed sliders with poppy seeds, caraway seeds, finely minced garlic, chopped parsley, and parmesan or sesame seeds on top of the bun.
- Leftover Corned Beef: Use thinly sliced leftover corned beef, try my crockpot corned beef.
- Load it up! Make a NYC Reuben sandwich and load this baby up! Purchase as much thinly sliced pastrami as desired, adding extra layers to your Reuben sliders.
- Dressings: Some prefer Russian dressing on their Reuben sandwiches.
- Buns: Any slider buns are great for this recipe. Use mini hamburger buns or dinner rolls, but something is amazing about sweet Hawaiian rolls.
- Sauerkraut: Sauerkraut is an acquired taste, feel free to warm on the stovetop and serve on the side for those who dislike it. Try adding this apple coleslaw after baking for a yummy alternative.
- Rachel Sandwich: Instead of using pastrami or corned beef brisket, purchase deli turkey or turkey pastrami instead!
Recommended Tools
- I am obsessed with these easy-to-clean Staub baking dishes!
FAQs for Rueben Sliders
You must thoroughly drain the excess liquid from the sauerkraut before adding it to the sandwich. Then, I added cheese slices to both the sliders’ bottom and tops to protect the rolls from absorbing too much moisture.
A Reuben is a corned beef sandwich, but not all corned beef sandwiches are Reubens. In other words, there are many kinds of sandwiches with corned beef, but there is only one Reuben sandwich. A corned beef sandwich usually doesn’t have sauerkraut with it.
A Reuben sandwich is an American creation inspired by Irish flavors. It consists of corned beef, sauerkraut, swiss cheese, and dressing on rye bread. They are sold throughout the United States, originating in New York City. It was probably my dad’s favorite sandwich!
Both are made from beef brisket; pastrami is made from point brisket, which has more marbling and fat, whereas corned beef is made with leaner beef brisket.
Storage Tips
Refrigerate – Cover the sliders with foil or place them in an airtight container to store in the fridge for three to five days.
How to Freeze – If you want to store the mini Reubens for longer, place them in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to three months. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking to reheat when ready to serve them again.
Reheating: Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C). Then, place the sandwiches in a baking dish, cover them with foil, and bake them until heated. About 15-20 minutes.
Make-Ahead Reuben Sliders
These sliders can be made ahead of time with some modifications.
- Assemble the sliders without sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing, cover tightly with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 2 days.
- Drain sauerkraut and keep covered in the fridge until ready to bake.
- Make butter topping, cover and refrigerate, warm for 20-30 seconds in microwave before brushing on top of sliders.
- Cover sliders and refrigerate until ready to bake, then add sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing.
- While oven preheats, remove ingredients from the fridge, pat sauerkraut dry with paper towels just before adding to sliders, add Thousand Island dressing, replace tops of rolls, and brush tops with butter mixture. Bake as directed.
What to Serve with Reuben Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls
Keep it simple and serve with potato chips and dill pickles for a classic sandwich! Just like the deli! Or try Air Fryer Steak Fries, Bacon Macaroni Salad or this Tropical Fruit Salad.
Best Desserts for Reuben Sliders Recipe
Don’t end your St. Patrick’s Day fun at dinner—keep the party going with dessert! Try my Chocolate Guinness Cake with Irish Buttercream, Mint Chocolate Brownies with a festive bright green center, or Milk Stout Fudge Brownies with Irish Cream Buttercream—delish!
Best Drinks to Serve with Reuben Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls
Wash down that St. Patrick’s Day meal or any party sliders with this Irish Mule or my Irish Coffee Recipe or be different and serve this Cherry Cocktail.
More Easy Hawaiian Roll Sliders Recipes
- Roast Beef Sliders
- Shredded Pork Sliders
- Philly Cheesesteak Sliders
- Pizza Sliders Recipe
- Our famous Hammy Sammies!
- Or these classic turkey sliders with cranberry!
I hope you loved this Reuben Sandwich Sliders recipe. If you did, would you share your creation on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest? And be sure to comment below!
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Ingredients
- 12 King’s Hawaiian Sweet Rolls 12 rolls or similar, or use pretzel rolls or even rye bread for a more authentic flavor
- 1 pound deli corned beef or pastrami, thinly sliced (I like uncured, no nitrates or nitrites.)
- 6 – 12 slices Swiss cheese thinly sliced
- 8 ounce sauerkraut drained and squeezed as much moisture. I used fresh sauerkraut found in the deli
- ¼ – ½ cup Thousand Island dressing I like Lighthouse in the refrigerator section
- 4 tablespoons butter melted (I use salted butter, if using unsalted, add a bit of salt)
- ½ tablespoon spicy brown mustard other mustards may be used
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- Everything Bagel Seasoning or try sesame seeds, poppy seeds or leave them plain
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C) a 9×13 inch baking dish or line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment, aluminum foil or spray with cooking spray.
- Place sauerkraut in sieve and drain well, then squeeze out any additional moisture using paper towels, you want it as dry as possible.8 ounce sauerkraut
- Slice the Hawaiian rolls (12 pack) in half lengthwise, with the bottoms slightly thicker than the tops while keeping the rolls together. Place the bottom half in the prepared pan.12 King’s Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
- Place one layer of the cheese (6 slices) over the bottom buns (this helps the rolls from getting too soggy from the sauerkraut).6 – 12 slices Swiss cheese
- On top of the cheese, place the corned beef/pastrami evenly on top of each roll (roughly).1 pound deli corned beef
- Evenly spread the drained and squeezed sauerkraut over the top of the pastrami.
- Drizzle the Thousand Island dressing (¼ -½ cup) evenly over the top of the sauerkraut then layer with more cheese (6 slices) before placing the tops of the buns on top.¼ – ½ cup Thousand Island dressing
- In a small bowl, combine the melted butter (4 TBL), spicy brown mustard (½ TBL), garlic powder (½ tsp), onion powder (¼ tsp), and Worcestershire sauce (2 tsp). Stir well, then pour the sauce over the tops of the sandwiches, using a silicone brush to brush the sides and crevices with the sauce. Sprinkle the tops with a little Everything but the Bagel seasoning, if desired.4 tablespoons butter, ½ tablespoon spicy brown mustard, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, Everything Bagel Seasoning
- Cover loosely with foil and bake for 10-20 minutes; remove foil and continue baking until cheese is melted and tops are golden and slightly crisp, another 5 minutes or so.
- Cut into individual servings and serve immediately with a side of Thousand Island.
Notes
- Purchase fresh sauerkraut for the best flavor; you can typically purchase in the Deli or refrigerated section of the store. This recipe has not been tested with canned sauerkraut, but of course it may be used, make sure you drain well and squeeze it dry.
- During testing due to the moisture content in sauerkraut and the Thousand Island dressing, we loved them best when there was cheese on both sides, creating a barrier for the buns.
- Don’t lay the meat flat on the rolls, style it so it’s “ruffled’ more like you would see on a deli sandwich.
- Refrigerate – Cover the sliders with foil or place them in an airtight container to store in the fridge for three to five days.
- How to Freeze – If you want to store the mini Reubens for longer, place them in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to three months. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking to reheat when ready to serve them again.
- Reheating: Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C). Then, place the sandwiches in a baking dish, cover them with foil, and bake them until heated. About 15-20 minutes.
Make-Ahead Reuben Sliders
These sliders can be made ahead of time with some modifications.- Assemble the sliders without sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing, cover tightly with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 2 days.
- Drain sauerkraut and keep covered in the fridge until ready to bake.
- Make butter topping, cover and refrigerate, warm for 20-30 seconds in the microwave before brushing on top of sliders.
- Cover sliders and refrigerate until ready to bake, then add sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing.
- While oven preheats, remove ingredients from the fridge, pat sauerkraut dry with paper towels just before adding to sliders, add Thousand Island dressing, replace tops of rolls, and brush tops with butter mixture. Bake as directed.
Nutrition
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