If you love egg roll in a bowl and Reuben sandwiches, then you’ve got to try this easy Reuben in a Bowl recipe! With diced corned beef, sauerkraut, shredded cabbage, Swiss cheese, and Thousand Island dressing, this easy skillet or griddle dinner has all the makings of your favorite deli sandwich – without the bread!
When I was growing up, a classic Reuben was my all-time favorite sandwich. To the point that anytime we were at a restaurant that served Reubens, I would order it as my meal. Every single time. *I’ve even made a Reuben Burger, which is also great!
But fast forward to adulthood and my slower metabolism, and I find myself making healthy swaps to keep from packing on the pounds. Sometimes its substituting cauliflower rice for regular rice. Sometimes its using Stevia in my coleslaw instead of regular sugar. And sometimes its doing without the bread on my favorite sandwiches… Philly cheesesteaks in a bowl would be fantastic too!
So when I was trying to think up some vegetable-heavy, healthy griddle recipes recently, my mind immediately went to the stir-fry style meat and veggie dishes like egg roll in a bowl.
And I was reminded of another cabbage-heavy (albeit in the form of pickled cabbage) dish, the Reuben sandwich. But to keep my childhood favorite lower in carbs, I decided to try making it “bowl style” with all of the ingredients, and a few new ones, sautéed on the griddle and piled in a bowl instead of served on the traditional rye bread.
This “Reuben in a Bowl” was absolutely fantastic, and it definitely earned a spot in our regular menu rotation. And I didn’t even miss the bread!
Why You’ll Love this Reuben Bowl Recipe
- Low Carb Recipe Loaded with Veggies – This healthy griddle recipe has all of the flavors of a Reuben without the bread, so there’s less carbs.
- One-Pan Meal – Everything cooks on the same surface, minimizing mess and making cleanup easy.
- Great for Leftovers or Meal Prep – The leftovers reheat perfectly in the microwave for easy lunches. Just add a drizzle of Thousand Island dressing to the warmed reuben bowl.
Reuben in a Bowl Video
Ingredients for Reuben in a Bowl
This easy recipe involves very little prep work, because most of the necessary ingredients are already pre-packaged and ready to go. Here’s what you need to make the best Reuben without the bread:
- corned beef and/or pastrami – Yes, Reuben sandwiches are typically made with corned beef, but I love pastrami on my sandwiches as well, so I added both meats to my Reuben bowl. You can use one or the other, or even try making your own homemade smoked pastrami like I did on my other YouTube channel, Pellets and Pits!
- sauerkraut – We prefer the refrigerated varieties at the grocery store, but you can use a shelf-stable canned sauerkraut if you want.
- bagged coleslaw mix – You can shred your own cabbage and carrots if you prefer, but it’s much cheaper to just buy the pre-mixed bag of coleslaw mix from the grocery store.
- Swiss cheese slices – A classic Reuben ingredient – choose your favorite sliced brand.
- Caraway seeds (optional but recommended) – Open a jar of this spice and give it a good sniff, and you’ll swear that you were smelling a slice of rye bread. These seeds are what give rye bread it’s distinct flavor. If you can’t find caraway seeds in the store, then you can omit them.
- Thousand Island dressing – We used our favorite store-bought variety, but you can make your own if you wish.
How to Make Reuben in a Bowl
Like most stir fry recipes, this reuben in a bowl recipe comes together very quickly, especially since the deli meat is already cooked through and only has to be heated up. Just follow these steps:
- Add the diced corned beef and the sliced onions to the griddle or skillet to cook. Cook the onions until slightly translucent, and allow the meat to heat up and get a bit of color. When the meat is done, move it to the cooler side of the griddle or remove it from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the bagged coleslaw mix to the griddle and spread it out in a thin even layer to begin cooking. Sauté the cabbage mix until about 75% tender.
- Add the corned beef and sauerkraut to the cabbage mixture. Toss to combine. Sprinkle on the caraway seeds if using.
- When the cabbage is almost done to your liking, lay slices of Swiss cheese on top of the reuben slaw. Allow the cheese to melt.
Then, transfer the Reuben cabbage slaw to a bowl – it is called “Reuben in a Bowl” after all – and drizzle with your favorite Thousand Island dressing. And that’s all there is to it!
This simple recipe is a low carb twist on a traditional Reuben, all done in one go on the griddle. Seriously one of the easiest griddle recipes that we’ve made in a long time… so easy that my wife could even make this!
Recipe Tips
- Drain the sauerkraut – Use fork or tongs to get the sauerkraut out of the can or jar so that you don’t get the excess moisture. When cooking, spread it out on the griddle to dry it out slightly before adding to the cabbage mixture. This prevents the final dish from becoming soggy.
- Switch up the deli meat – Pastrami is a great alternative if you prefer its peppery, spiced flavor. Even sliced turkey would work well in this recipe.
- Try toasted rye bread or rye croutons – If you still want the bread element, you can add some homemade rye croutons or serve your bowls with toasted rye on the side.
- Use a melting dome if needed – If you find that the cheese is taking too long to melt, you can add a melting dome to the top of the reuben in a bowl mixture to trap some steam and speed up the process.
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Reuben in a Bowl
Ingredients
- 6 oz deli sliced corned beef cut into ¾" squares
- 6 oz deli sliced pastrami cut into ¾" squares
- ½ medium sweet onion thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon high-heat cooking oil
- 2 14 oz bags coleslaw mix *Vegetable mix only, no dressing.
- 1½ cup sauerkraut drained
- ½ tablespoon caraway seeds optional
- 6 slices Swiss cheese
- Thousand Island dressing for drizzling on top
- sliced green onions for garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat the griddle to about 375-400℉. Add about 1 tablespoon of oil to the heated surface and spread it around with your spatula. *Or heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the diced corned beef and pastrami to the griddle to begin cooking. In a different area on the griddle, cook the sliced onions until slightly translucent. When the meat is heated through and has developed a bit of color, add it to the sautéed onions and move to the cooler side of the griddle, or remove it from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the bagged coleslaw mix to the griddle and spread it out in a thin even layer to begin cooking. Sauté the coleslaw mix until about 50% tender. Then add the drained sauerkraut to the coleslaw mix and sauté together.
- When the coleslaw mix is almost done to your liking, add the corned beef, pastrami, and onions. Sprinkle on the caraway seeds if using. Toss to combine.
- Lay slices of Swiss cheese on top of the reuben mixture. Allow the cheese to melt. *If needed, add a melting dome to the top of the reuben in a bowl mixture to trap some steam and speed up the melting process.
- When the cheese has melted, transfer the Reuben mixture to a bowl. Drizzle with Thousand Island dressing, and sprinkle on some sliced green onions for garnish. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Drain the sauerkraut – Use fork or tongs to get the sauerkraut out of the can or jar so that you don’t get the excess moisture. When cooking, spread it out on the griddle to dry it out slightly before adding to the cabbage mixture. This prevents the final dish from becoming soggy.
- Use your favorite deli meat – You can substitute extra corned beef and leave out the pastrami. Or try deli-sliced turkey pastrami in this recipe.
- Caraway seeds – These may be difficult to find, but look in the spice section of your grocery store. The caraway seeds give your reuben in a bowl that distinct rye bread flavor. If you can’t find them, you can omit them or try fennel seeds or celery seeds.
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