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Skip the deli meat and make these simple reuben sliders using slow cooked corned beef. All the classic ingredients of a reuben but with freshly sliced corned beef brisket, these corned beef sliders are the perfect appetizer for the big game and more!
This post is sponsored by the Ohio Beef Council, all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting beef farmers!
Sliders are one of my favorite apps. Always packed with lots of flavor, meat and cheese and easy to grab and eat on the go. With March Madness on its way, we are all about game day recipes!
So excited to bring you this new Reuben Slider recipe in partnership with Ohio Beef Council! Beef is a regular part of our diet and some of my favorite recipes on the site include beef. You will want to check out this Crock Pot Shredded Beef, Parmesan Crusted Steak Sheet Pan Dinner and this Ground Beef Pasta Skillet to name a few.
In Ohio, more than 17,000 families own and operate beef farms, and beef cattle can be found in every county across the state. In fact, 97% of beef farms are family owned and operated.
You can learn a bit more about Ohio’s beef farmers who may just live in your community at www.OhioBeef.org
Why You Will Love These Reuben Sliders:
- Delicious, slow cooked corned beef for the best sliders! The reuben sandwich almost singlehandedly paid for my college tuition as I served thousands of them at the diner I waitressed. So I know my reubens. The sandwiches from the mom and pop diner used deli meat, but I will tell you NOTHING beats freshly cooked and sliced corned beef. NOTHING.
- Minimal ingredients. You will only need a handful of ingredients. Corned beef comes with everything you need including the spice packet so it’s all there when you buy the meat. From there, grab some slider or Hawaiian rolls, sauerkraut, cheese and Russian dressing. Done!
- So easy to whip up. Aside from waiting for the corned beef to slow cook, these sliders require nothing more than stacking everything on top of the sandwiches and baking. Don’t be fooled by the “slow cooker” aspect. These corned beef sliders are so easy to make.
- A perfect party dish–classic reuben flavor with a fun twist. A classic reuben does not make for easy to serve party food. But if you shift things a bit and top everything on some slider rolls and bake, you have got yourself some amazing party food. And add some French Dip Sliders into the mix to keep the crowd happy!
Recipe Ingredients:
- corned beef brisket: corned beef is probably one of the easiest cuts of meat to slow cook. It comes ready to go with the seasoning packet so all you have to do is add it to the slow cooker and add the broth and seasoning packet. While you could certainly use deli sliced corned beef for this recipe, NOTHING will beat the freshly cooked corned beef brisket in this recipe.
- beef broth: I prefer a low sodium beef broth. Water could be used or even a bit of beer to adjust the flavor of the meat.
- Hawaiian rolls: The way Hawaiian rolls come packaged make for easy assembly of these reuben sliders. Any slider buns will work, you can just put the rolls close together if they are separated already.
- swiss cheese: swiss cheese is nice and mild and makes for a perfect balance to these sliders. You could use provolone, gruyere or another white cheese that is good for melting.
- sauerkraut: a key ingredient in any reuben sandwich. Make sure to drain the liquid so your sandwiches don’t get soggy.
- dressing: Russian dressing is the classic sauce on a reuben, but I actually often make them with Thousand Island a lot. Each has its own flavor profile, use what you prefer. I love both and they both are so similar in color.
- butter: top the rolls with melted butter for the perfect buttery top on your baked corned beef sliders.
What Exactly is Corned Beef?
Corned beef is meat that is cured in a salt solution. Years before refrigeration was accessible, it was a way to preserve the meat. The “corned” part most likely comes from large granular “corns” of salt.
Today, corned beef is most often beef brisket and we see it made into reuben sandwiches or served up with cabbage for St. Patrick’s Day. Since it is made often with brisket, slow cooking on low heat is the ideal cooking method for juicy, tender and flavorful corned beef.
How To Make these Corned Beef Sliders:
The key to the best corned beef is cooking it super slow and on low to help it become super moist and tender.
Place the corned beef brisket, fat side up, into your crock pot. Pour over beef broth and then cover with spice packet included in the beef packet.
Slow cook on low for about 8-10 hours or until the meat is fork tender. While you can safely eat it once it has reached an internal temperature of 145°F, cooking it longer will ensure that it is nice and tender.
Undercooking your meat will result in tough meat, so low and slow is key.
When the meat is ready, remove from the slow cooker and allow to rest for about 5 minutes. Remove extra fat and slice about 1/4 inch (give or take) slices. You can pull pieces apart to slightly shred it as well.
Once the meat is sliced, slice the Hawaiian rolls sliced in half but still connected. Spray the bottom of a baking pan or line a sheet pan with parchment and place the rolls inside the pan.
Top with the freshly sliced corned beef. I often do a layer or about 2 slices but you can do more if desired.
Top the beef with sauerkraut. Make sure to drain excess liquid from the kraut so that the reuben sliders don’t get super soggy.
Add bottom half of rolls. 
Top with corned beef. 
Cover with sauerkraut.
Top the sauerkraut with 6-8 slices of Swiss cheese and then spread the dressing on the top half of the rolls and place the rolls on top of the cheese.
Brush the tops of the Hawaiian rolls with melted butter generously. Cover the corned beef sandwiches with foil and bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted. You can remove the foil and brown the tops of the rolls slightly in the last few minutes.
Remove from the sliders from the oven and allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with extra dressing for dipping.
Add Swiss cheese. 
Add dressing to rolls and top with butter.
Chef’s Tips:
- You can prep the meat a day in advance. If you want to make the corned beef the day before you make these sliders, you certainly can. Once the meat is cooked, wrap it tight in heavy duty aluminum foil and refrigerate until you are ready to prep the reuben sliders. Slice the meat before adding to your sandwiches.
- Layer the sandwiches as directed to avoid soggy sliders. Arranging these corned beef sliders as directed will keep the buns from getting to wet and falling apart. Adding the cheese on top of the sauerkraut is strongly suggested to keep the kraut from touching any of the bread.
- You can use any slider rolls. While I say Hawaiian rolls many times in this recipe, there are other sliders and similar rolls that can certainly be used. If the rolls are already separated and sliced, just arrange them close together or you can stack each slider individually before baking.
- Have toothpicks handy! Once you slice these sliders after baking, pop a toothpick in each one to help them stay intact. The melty cheese and the dressing will cause the tops to slide right off if not!
What to Serve With These Reuben Sliders:
These reuben sliders are the perfect addition to any party spread. Whatever the gathering, the upcoming basketball tournament, a birthday party and more, these will be a hit!
I love making some Potato Wedges to go along with these sliders when it’s more like a meal.
For a party spread, then we go all out with some nachos, caprese skewers, chips and dip and maybe even some puff pastry bites.
And as for something to drink, if you are looking to pair the perfect beer with this game day recipe, this guide will help! A general rule-of-thumb is the beefier flavor the dish, the more robust or flavorful beverage you’ll want.
Visit www.OhioBeef.org, and follow the Ohio Beef Council on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for beef nutrition facts, cooking tips, recipes and to meet Ohio’s beef farming families. Use #OhioBeef to share photos of the delicious beef meals you’re planning for March Madness.
Other Beef Recipes:
- Zucchini Beef Meatballs
- Air Fried Steak Bites with Lemon Garlic Butter
- Simple Beef Pot Pie
- Air Fryer Hamburgers
- Mediterranean Steak Bites
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Slow Cooker Reuben Sliders
Ingredients
For the Corned Beef:
- 3 lb corned beef with spice packet
- 1½ c beef broth
For the Reuben Sliders:
- 12 Hawaiian rolls, or slider rolls
- 6-8 slices cheese
- 2 c sauerkraut, excess liquid drained
- 1/3 c Thousand Island or Russian Dressing
- 2 T butter
Instructions
Slow Cooker Corned Beef:
- Add the corned beef brisket to your crock pot, fat side up. Pour the broth over top. Cover the meat with spices included in spice packet. Cook on low for about 8-10 hours or until fork tender and easily slices or shreds with a fork.
- Remove the cooked meat from the slow cooker and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Slice thin, about 1/4 inch thickness give or take and set aside for slider assembly.
Assembling the Sliders:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 inch pan or large baking dish with oil or line a sheet pan with parchment. Slice rolls in half separating top from bottom. Place the bottom layer of the rolls in the baking dish. Top with sliced corned beef. ( You likely won't use all of the corned beef unless you want to.)
- Top the beef with sauerkraut that has been squeezed and drained of excess liquid. Layer the cheese on top. Spread the dressing onto the inside of the top layer of the rolls and place it on top of the cheese. Brush the tops of the rolls with the melted butter.
- Cover the pan with foil and bake for about 25 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the tops of the rolls are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool several minutes before slicing and serving. Place a toothpick in each slider to help keep them together.
Notes
- You can prep the meat a day in advance. If you want to make the corned beef the day before you make these sliders, you certainly can. Once the meat is cooked, wrap it tight in heavy duty aluminum foil and refrigerate until you are ready to prep the reuben sliders. Slice the meat before adding to your sandwiches.
- Layer the sandwiches as directed to avoid soggy sliders. Arranging these corned beef sliders as directed will keep the buns from getting to wet and falling apart. Adding the cheese on top of the sauerkraut is strongly suggested to keep the kraut from touching any of the bread.
- You can use any slider rolls. While I say Hawaiian rolls many times in this recipe, there are other sliders and similar rolls that can certainly be used. If the rolls are already separated and sliced, just arrange them close together or you can stack each slider individually before baking.
- Have toothpicks handy! Once you slice these sliders after baking, pop a toothpick in each one to help them stay intact. The melty cheese and the dressing will cause the tops to slide right off if not!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This looks wonderful, plan on making this. Thank you so much for the recipes.