- Air fryer (Ninja Combi, Ninja Foodi, or any air fryer)
- Cutting board
- Chef's knife
- Large mixing or serving bowl
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Silicone spatula or tongs
- fine mesh strainer
- Small bowl for melting butter
I have made so many different versions of this salad, and this one is absolutely my favorite. This Reuben salad takes everything you love about the classic deli sandwich, the corned beef, the Swiss cheese, the sauerkraut, and the Thousand Island dressing, and turns it into a bright, crunchy salad that is perfect for lunch. If you want the sandwich form, my Reuben Sandwich is made in the Ninja Foodi and it is so good. The rye croutons are what make it a true Reuben salad, and they are so easy to make in the air fryer.
What I love most about this one is the timing. The croutons air fry for 10 minutes, and in those same 10 minutes you assemble the entire salad. As soon as the timer goes off, you are ready to eat. It scales beautifully too, so you can cut it down to 2 servings or double it for a crowd without changing anything about the method.
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I changed this recipe around quite a few times during testing before I landed here. The biggest discovery was tossing the cabbage with the Thousand Island dressing first, almost like a coleslaw, instead of pouring dressing over the top at the end. It softens the cabbage just slightly and flavors everything all the way through. Trust me on this one, it changes the whole salad.
Suggested Kitchen Tools for Reuben Salad
- Air fryer (I use the Ninja Combi, but any air fryer works)
- Cutting board
- Chef's knife
- Large mixing or serving bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Silicone spatula or tongs for tossing
- Fine mesh strainer (for draining the sauerkraut)
- Small bowl for melting the butter
Ingredients & Substitutions
This Reuben salad comes together with deli counter staples and a few things you probably already keep on hand. Let's take a closer look at each one.
Rye Bread
Used in Recipe: 4 cups of rye bread, cut into 1½ to 2-inch cubes for the croutons.
What it Does: The rye is what makes this a true Reuben salad instead of just a corned beef salad. Air frying the cubes in butter gives you croutons that are crunchy on the outside and a little soft in the middle, which is exactly the texture you want against the crisp cabbage.
Substitutions: Pumpernickel is delicious here and I actually like it just as much. A store-bought loaf is perfectly fine, and so is packaged sliced rye. If you use sliced rye, cube it the same way and reduce your air fry time by a few minutes because the pieces are thinner.
Salted Butter
Used in Recipe: ½ cup of melted salted butter, poured over the bread cubes before they go into the air fryer.
What it Does: Butter is what a Reuben is built on, so it belongs in the croutons too. It carries flavor into the bread and helps the outside crisp up in the air fryer.
Substitutions: Unsalted butter works, just add about ¼ teaspoon of fine grain sea salt along with it. If the croutons look dry at the halfway toss, a spritz of avocado oil or a little more melted butter brings them right back.
Coleslaw Mix and Romaine Lettuce
Used in Recipe: 2 cups of pre-made coleslaw mix and 4 to 5 leaves of romaine, roughly chopped into bite-sized pieces.
What it Does: The raw cabbage is the part that changes everything. It stands up to the dressing and gives the salad its structure, while the romaine keeps it feeling like a salad rather than a coleslaw. The slaw mix also brings in the purple cabbage and the carrot, and those colors make the finished bowl beautiful.
Substitutions: Shredded green cabbage on its own is perfectly fine, you will just have less color in the bowl. Any crisp lettuce can stand in for the romaine. If you skip the lettuce entirely you have a Reuben coleslaw, which is also delicious.
Thousand Island Dressing
Used in Recipe: ½ cup, tossed with the cabbage before anything else goes into the bowl.
What it Does: Tossing the dressing with the raw cabbage first is the most important step in this recipe. It softens the cabbage slightly and seasons it through, so every bite carries the flavor instead of the dressing sliding to the bottom of the bowl.
Substitutions: Russian dressing works well if that is what you keep on hand. I make my Thousand Island from scratch and it only takes about 5 minutes, but a good store-bought bottle is perfectly fine.
Sauerkraut
Used in Recipe: ½ cup, drained and squeezed dry before it goes in.
What it Does: The sauerkraut brings the tang that makes this taste like a Reuben. Squeezing it dry matters, because wet sauerkraut waters down the dressing and turns the salad soggy, especially if you are making it a few hours ahead of time.
Substitutions: Look for sauerkraut in a bag in the refrigerated section or in a jar. I do not recommend canned sauerkraut for this recipe at all. I tried it during testing and both the texture and the flavor were disappointing.
Corned Beef and Swiss Cheese
Used in Recipe: 4 ounces of shaved corned beef and 2 ounces of Swiss cheese cut into bite-sized cubes.
What it Does: These two are the heart of a Reuben. Shaved corned beef separates and distributes through the salad so you get some in every forkful, and cubed Swiss gives you little pockets of that mild, nutty flavor.
Substitutions: If you have corned beef that you cooked yourself, cube it up and it works beautifully. At the deli counter, ask for it shaved rather than sliced thick, because thick slices do not distribute the same way. Pastrami makes a lovely Rachel style version.
How to Make Reuben Salad
From start to finish this Reuben salad takes about 25 minutes, and 10 of those minutes are hands off while the croutons are in the air fryer. Here is everything you need to know!
Prep the Ingredients
This salad moves quickly once the croutons go into the air fryer, so do your prep first. Here is everything to have ready before you start:
- Melt ½ cup of salted butter.
- Drain ½ cup of sauerkraut and squeeze it dry.
- Measure out 2 cups of coleslaw mix and ½ cup of Thousand Island dressing.
- Cut 2 ounces of Swiss cheese into bite-sized cubes and have 4 ounces of shaved corned beef ready.
- Roughly chop 4 to 5 leaves of romaine into bite-sized pieces.
Prepare the Rye Bread for Croutons
- Cube the bread into 1-2" cubes.
- Put the cubes in the bottom of the Ninja Combi Pan
- Pour the melted butter over top and toss to coat the bread cubes in the butter
Air Fry the Croutons
There is no need to preheat. Set the air fryer to 375℉/190℃ and cook for 10 minutes. At the 5 minute mark, pull the basket out and toss the cubes around. This is also when you decide whether they need any extra oil. If they look dry, spritz with a little avocado oil or add a bit more melted butter. Mine usually look great and need nothing at all. Return them to the air fryer for the last 5 minutes.
Quick Tip
Leave the rack out of your air fryer for these croutons. Sitting right on the bottom of the basket or pot, the bread cubes get better contact with the hot air and they crisp up faster and more evenly. If you are using a drawer style air fryer with a smaller base, just toss them more often than every 5 minutes.
Make the Reuben Slaw
While the croutons are cooking, put 2 cups of coleslaw mix into a large bowl and add ½ cup of Thousand Island dressing. Toss until the cabbage is coated, then set it aside while you prep everything else. You are basically making a coleslaw with the Thousand Island, and those few minutes of sitting are what break the cabbage down just a little and carry the flavor all the way through.
Quick Tip
Do not skip the step of dressing the cabbage first. Pouring the dressing over the top at the end is how I started out with this recipe, and it is not nearly as good. Tossing the raw cabbage in the Thousand Island and letting it sit is the change that made this salad work.
Chop the Romaine and Add It to the Slaw
Roughly chop 4 to 5 leaves of romaine into bite-sized pieces and add them to the bowl of dressed slaw. When you chop it, take a little of the stem out but not all of it, because that crunch is lovely in the salad.
Add the Corned Beef, Swiss, and Sauerkraut
Add the cubed Swiss cheese, then the shaved corned beef. Lay the corned beef in as separated pieces rather than chopping it up. It will break apart on its own as you toss, and you want to be able to see it in the finished salad. Last, add ½ cup of sauerkraut that has been drained and squeezed dry.
Toss, Plate, and Top with Croutons
Toss everything together until the dressing is distributed all the way through. Because it is mixed rather than layered, you get a little bit of everything in every serving instead of all the good parts settling to the bottom. Plate it up and top each serving with as many of the warm rye croutons as you like. They crisp up a little more as they sit, so there is no need to put them on a cooling rack. Serve right away.
Reuben Salad
Equipment
- Air fryer (Ninja Combi, Ninja Foodi, or any air fryer)
- Cutting board
- Chef's knife
- Large mixing or serving bowl
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Silicone spatula or tongs
- fine mesh strainer
- Small bowl for melting butter
Ingredients
Rye Croutons
- 4 cups rye bread, cut into cubes 1½ to 2-inch cubes; pumpernickel works beautifully too
- ½ cup salted butter, melted unsalted butter can be used, see the salt below
- ¼ teaspoon fine grain sea salt optional; only if you are using unsalted butter or an unsalted loaf
Reuben Slaw
- 2 cups coleslaw mix or shredded green cabbage
- ½ cup Thousand Island dressing homemade or store-bought
Salad
- 4 to 5 leaves romaine lettuce, roughly chopped about 3 cups once chopped
- ½ cup sauerkraut, drained and squeezed dry from a bag or a jar, not canned
- 4 oz corned beef, shaved deli shaved is best; cubed homemade corned beef also works
- 2 oz Swiss cheese, cubed from a block, cut into bite-sized cubes
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Instructions
- Cut the rye bread into 1½ to 2-inch cubes until you have 4 cups. Bite-sized is the goal. Larger cubes work, they just take a little longer to crisp and can be cumbersome in the salad. If you are using thin sliced rye, cube it the same way and reduce the air fry time a few minutes.
- Put the bread cubes directly into the air fryer basket or pot. If your air fryer came with a rack, leave it out. The croutons air fry more evenly and more quickly sitting right on the bottom. Pour the melted salted butter over the cubes and spread it around. If you are using unsalted butter or an unsalted loaf, add ¼ teaspoon of fine grain sea salt now.
- Toss the bread cubes until they are lightly coated with the butter. You do not want them fully saturated at this point, just coated. There is no need to preheat the air fryer.
- Air fry at 375℉/190℃ for 10 minutes total. At the 5 minute mark, pull the basket and toss the cubes around. If they look dry, spritz with a little avocado oil or add a bit more melted butter. Return them for the last 5 minutes.
- While the croutons cook, make the slaw. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of coleslaw mix with ½ cup of Thousand Island dressing and toss until the cabbage is coated. Set it aside while you prep everything else. The dressing softens the cabbage slightly and flavors it all the way through.
- Roughly chop 4 to 5 leaves of romaine into bite-sized pieces. Take a little of the stem out, but not all of it, since that crunch is lovely in the salad. Add the romaine to the bowl.
- Cut the Swiss cheese into bite-sized cubes and add it to the bowl. Add the shaved corned beef, separating the slices as you add them rather than chopping them up. It will break apart as you toss, and you want to be able to see the corned beef in the finished salad.
- Add ½ cup of sauerkraut that has been drained and squeezed dry. Wet sauerkraut will water down the salad, especially if you are making it ahead.
- Toss everything together until the dressing is distributed through the salad. Plate it up, then top each serving with as many of the warm rye croutons as you like. The croutons crisp up a little more as they sit, so there is no need for a cooling rack. Serve right away.
Notes
• Drain the sauerkraut and then squeeze it dry with your hands or press it in a fine mesh strainer. This is the single biggest thing you can do to keep the salad from going watery.
• Ask the deli to shave the corned beef rather than slicing it thick. Thick slices do not distribute through a salad the same way.
• Cube the Swiss cheese and the bread to about the same bite-sized scale so every forkful is balanced.
• Fresh bread is perfectly fine here. There is no need to leave the cubes out to stale first because the air fryer dries them out for you. COOKING TIPS
• Skip the rack in your air fryer and put the bread cubes right in the basket or pot. They crisp faster and more evenly with full contact.
• No preheating needed. Put them in cold and start the 10 minutes.
• If you are using a drawer style air fryer with a smaller base, toss the cubes more often than every 5 minutes so they brown evenly.
• Thin sliced rye cubes cook faster than cubes from a thick loaf. Start checking at 6 to 7 minutes. CROUTON TIPS
• This makes more croutons than 4 servings of salad needs, and that is on purpose. They are delicious and they keep well.
• A light coating of butter is all you want at the start. Fully saturated cubes go greasy instead of crisp.
• At the halfway toss, decide whether they need help. If they look dry, spritz with avocado oil or add a little more melted butter.
• Ten minutes gives you croutons that are crunchy outside and a little soft in the middle, which is the texture that works best in this salad. Go longer if you like them crunchy all the way through.
• They crisp up a bit more as they sit, so there is no need to cool them on a rack. VARIATIONS
• Use pumpernickel bread in place of rye for the croutons. It is delicious and gives you a darker, richer crouton.
• Swap the Thousand Island dressing for Russian dressing if that is what you keep on hand.
• Use pastrami in place of the corned beef for a Rachel style twist.
• Skip the romaine and leave it as cabbage only. At that point it is a Reuben coleslaw rather than a salad, and it is still delicious.
• Use shredded green cabbage instead of the coleslaw mix. The mix is there mostly for the color the purple cabbage and carrot bring. SERVING SUGGESTIONS
• Add the croutons at the table rather than tossing them in, so everyone can take as many as they want.
• This is a beautiful salad for a luncheon. It holds its color and it scales up or down easily.
• If you like a wetter salad, add a little more Thousand Island dressing right before serving.
• Serve with extra sauerkraut on the side for anyone who wants more tang. STORAGE
• Make ahead: Toss the coleslaw mix with the dressing up to a few hours ahead and refrigerate it. Add the romaine, corned beef, Swiss, and sauerkraut just before serving for the best texture.
• Refrigerator: Store leftover dressed salad in an airtight container for up to 2 days. The lettuce softens after that.
• Croutons: Store cooled croutons in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Keep them separate from the salad so they stay crisp.
• Freezer: This salad does not freeze well. The cabbage and lettuce release too much water when thawed. NUTRITIONAL DISCLAIMER
Nutritional information provided is an estimate based on typical ingredient values and standard portion sizes. Actual nutritional content may vary significantly depending on specific brands used, ingredient substitutions, preparation methods, portion sizes, and individual cooking techniques. For precise nutritional information tailored to your specific ingredients and preparation, please consult with a registered dietitian or use laboratory analysis. This information should not be used for medical nutrition therapy or to manage medical conditions without professional guidance.
Nutrition
Alternate Cooking Instructions
- Ninja Foodi with the Air Crisp function: Put the buttered bread cubes in the basket, set Air Crisp to 375℉/190℃, and cook for 10 minutes, tossing at the 5 minute mark. The times are the same as the Combi.
- Drawer style air fryer: These work well, the base is just smaller. Cook at 375℉/190℃ for 10 to 12 minutes and shake the drawer every 3 to 4 minutes so the cubes brown evenly.
- Oven: Spread the buttered cubes on a sheet pan in a single layer and bake at 375℉/190℃ for 15 to 18 minutes, stirring once about halfway through.
- Stovetop skillet: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add the bread cubes, and toast for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often. You will get a slightly softer crouton with more color on the flat sides.
- Store-bought croutons: If you are short on time, rye or pumpernickel croutons from the store will do the job. The homemade ones are worth the 10 minutes though.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
How to Store Leftover Reuben Salad
Keep the croutons separate from the salad and everything holds up nicely.
- Refrigerator: Store leftover dressed salad in an airtight container for up to 2 days. The lettuce softens after that, though the cabbage is still perfectly good.
- Croutons: Store cooled croutons in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Keep them out of the salad so they stay crisp.
- Make Ahead: Toss the coleslaw mix with the dressing up to a few hours ahead and refrigerate just that part. Add everything else right before serving.
- Freezer: This salad does not freeze well. The cabbage and the lettuce release too much water when thawed.
Quick Tip
If you know you are making this ahead, dress the cabbage and refrigerate just that part. Add the romaine, corned beef, Swiss, and sauerkraut right before you serve. The slaw only gets better sitting in the dressing, but the lettuce is happiest going in last.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. I baked the loaf in the video only because a whole loaf of rye is hard to find where I shop. A store-bought loaf is perfectly fine, and so is packaged sliced rye. If you are using sliced rye, cube it the same way and reduce your air fry time by a few minutes since the pieces are thinner.
I tested this recipe with canned sauerkraut and both the texture and the flavor were disappointing. Look for sauerkraut in a bag in the refrigerated section or in a jar instead. It tastes fresher and more flavorful, and that makes a real difference in a salad where the sauerkraut is never cooked.
No, and I actually recommend that you leave it out. The bread cubes air fry more evenly and more quickly sitting right on the bottom of the basket or pot. If you are using a drawer style air fryer with a smaller base, toss the cubes more often than every 5 minutes so they brown evenly.
Yes, with one adjustment. Toss the coleslaw mix with the Thousand Island dressing and refrigerate that part up to a few hours ahead. Add the romaine, corned beef, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut just before serving. That gives you the best texture. Make sure the sauerkraut is squeezed dry either way, because wet sauerkraut will water the salad down as it sits.
This is the change that made the recipe for me. Tossing the raw cabbage with the dressing first is essentially making a quick coleslaw. The dressing softens the cabbage a little and seasons it all the way through, so the flavor is in every bite. Pouring dressing over the top at the end is how I started out, and it is not nearly as good.
Shaved, and it is worth asking for it at the deli counter. Thick slices do not distribute through a salad the same way. Add the shaved corned beef in separated pieces rather than chopping it up, because it will break apart on its own as you toss and you want to be able to see it. If you have corned beef that you cooked yourself, cube it up and it works beautifully.
Variations
- Pumpernickel croutons: Use pumpernickel in place of the rye. It gives you a darker, richer crouton and I like it just as much.
- Russian dressing: Swap the Thousand Island for Russian dressing if that is what you keep on hand. It is tangier and a little more peppery.
- Rachel style: Use pastrami in place of the corned beef for a peppery twist on the same salad.
- Reuben coleslaw: Skip the romaine and leave it as cabbage only. At that point it is a Reuben coleslaw rather than a salad, and it is still delicious.
- Homemade Thousand Island: Make the dressing from scratch. It only takes about 5 minutes and my recipe for it is here on the website.
- Use your own corned beef: If you cook corned beef at home, cube up the leftovers instead of using deli shaved. It works beautifully and it is a lovely way to use up the last of it. My Braised Corned Beef and Cabbage makes wonderful leftovers for this salad.
Easy Salads to Make for Lunch
Salads like this one have become my go-to lunch, especially when I want something that eats like a real meal instead of a side dish. Each of these comes together without much fuss, and they all hold up beautifully if you like to make your lunch ahead of time. Here are a few more easy salads from The Salted Pepper that are just as delicious!
About the Recipe Author, Louise Long
Louise is a full-time recipe creator and food blogger @ The Salted Pepper. She has over 30 years of experience with cooking and recipe development. She owned a restaurant for several years and was a full-time RN until retiring to blog full-time.
She published her first cookbook in the Fall of 2018 and is very interested in writing several more.
Louise is also the creator of an online Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooking Course with over 100 instructional step-by-step videos. People absolutely rave about the course and all the value they have received from it.
Louise has several very active Facebook groups that help people with the basics of cooking and learning more about the appliances they love.
Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker & Air Crisper 101
Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill & Smoker
Louise is also a YouTube creator and you can find most of her recipes in video format on The Salted Pepper YouTube channel.
She is very responsive to messages and eager to help in any way she can. Get more Information about Louise & contact information
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