So, you just made some Corned Beef for St. Patrick's Day and you've got leftovers in the fridge. Those leftovers need a dinner idea. One that is delicious, exciting and anything but ordinary. So, why not combine two of our favorite foods - tacos and reuben sandwiches! That's right, win the leftover battle with super 15 Minute corned beef Reuben Tacos!
What are Reuben Tacos?
Do you like Reuben Sandwiches? You know, that simple but delicious goodness of corned beef, sauerkraut and swiss cheese, hit with thousand island or dill mayo and pressed between rye bread? Yeah, that bit of heaven. This is that same concept, just we're subbing bread for flour taco shells. YOU HEARD ME!
Why I love Reuben Tacos
Aside from the fact that this combines two of my absolute favorite guilty pleasure foods, this is a hella-effective leftover recipe. Simply dice the leftover corned beef you have in your fridge, layer it with freshly grated swiss and sauerkraut, and heat it in a pan. A complete reinvention of that leftover corned beef from start to finish in 15 minutes!
When to make Reuben Tacos
March 18. I mean, that's what comes to mind because that's when I most often have a lot of leftover corned beef in the fridge that needs a home. But, obviously you could really make this anytime you just want to make a creative play on a favorite sandwich. It's especially good when you're looking to make something delicious and super-fast!
Reuben Tacos Tips and Tricks
- If you don't have any leftover corned beef, don't fret. Simply go and pick up some high quality corned beef from the deli counter at your local grocer. Here in the southeast US, Publix even offers online ordering for their deli counter. You can use that to skip the lines. A medium thickness on your cut is ideal.
- I really like the street taco approach to this, so look for the tortillas labeled as such in your grocery store's international food aisle. If you can't find it, go for the smallest shells they have.
- I always recommend getting a block of cheese - Swiss in this case - and taking a couple of minutes to grate it yourself. Home grated cheese melts smoothly, and doesn't contain added preservatives. It simply tastes better!
Let's make Reuben Tacos!
Prep
Prep here is super simple. Using a large knife, cut your corned beef into ¼ inch slices, then cross cut each slice into a small dice. Place back into the container it came it to save yourself a dirty dish.
Next, unpackage your swiss cheese and run it through a cheese grater until the amount you need is fully grated. Grate into a bowl. If doing ahead, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.
In another small bowl, mix together mayo and dill until well combined. Again, place in fridge if making ahead. Open and drain sauerkraut and set aside.
Assemble and Saute
Heat a large frying pan (affiliate) over medium heat. Grease with a 1 tbsp of butter, spreading it around the pan for even coverage. Meanwhile, set oven to a high broil and move the rack to the second slot from the top.
To assemble the taco, first spoon a small ½ tbsp of dill mayo into the middle and lightly spread it around with the backside of the spoon. Place the taco in the frying pan (affiliate) so that the mayo side faces up. You can do multiple tacos at once, so long as each can lay fully flat in the pan. I was able to do three in at a time in mind.
On top of the mayo, spread a small pinch of swiss cheese, being careful not to drop/waste any in the hot pan. Next, grab a healthy pinch of corned beef and lay it on top of the cheese. Top with sauerkraut and another small pinch of swiss cheese. Saute for about 3 minutes, or until the bottom of the taco begins to lightly brown. Remove each tortilla to a baking pan.
Broil and Finish!
When your baking pan is full, place it under the broiler in the your oven and watch carefully. Cook until cheese has melted and outside of tortilla barely begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Watch them carefully though, as they can burn quickly under a broiler! Cook them in batches if necessary. I was able to do mine six at a time, so I made all 12 in two batches. Serve immediately.
What to serve with Reuben Tacos?
Since we're often serving this as a quick dinner, quick sides are a key here. I like mine with either a quick salad kit, like a Ceasar. Or, you can channel your inner Irishmen and throw some tater tots in the air fryer (affiliate) for about 10 minutes. Toss them with olive oil before throwing them in, then with some garlic, grated parmesan and dried parsley on the way out if you want to be all fancy.
What to do with leftover Reuben Tacos?
These actually keep and microwave pretty well for a couple of days. Simple seal them in a Ziploc-type bag and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. To re-heat, simply pop in the microwave for about a minute.
Print
Corned Beef Reuben Tacos
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 people 1x
Description
Aside from the fact that this combines two of my absolute favorite guilty pleasure foods, this is a hella-effective leftover recipe. Simply dice the leftover corned beef you have in your fridge, layer it with freshly grated swiss and sauerkraut, and heat it in a pan. A complete reinvention of that leftover corned beef from start to finish in 15 minutes!
Ingredients
- 12 street taco flour tortillas
- 1 lb corned beef (cooked and diced)
- 8 oz swiss cheese
- 11 oz sauerkraut
- ¼ cup mayonaise
- 1 tsp dill weed
Instructions
- In small bowl, mix together mayo and dill until well combined. Again, place in fridge if making ahead.
- Heat a large frying pan (affiliate) over medium heat. Grease with a 1 tbsp of butter, spreading it around the pan for even coverage. Meanwhile, set oven to a high broil and move the rack to the second slot from the top.
- To assemble the taco, first spoon a small ½ tbsp of dill mayo into the middle and lightly spread it around with the backside of the spoon. Place the taco in the frying pan (affiliate) so that the mayo side faces up. You can do multiple tacos at once, so long as each can lay fully flat in the pan.
- On top of the mayo, spread a small pinch of swiss cheese, being careful not to drop/waste any in the hot pan. Next, grab a healthy pinch of corned beef and lay it on top of the cheese. Top with sauerkraut and another small pinch of swiss cheese. Saute for about 3 minutes, or until the bottom of the taco begins to lightly brown. Remove each tortilla to a baking pan.
- When your baking pan is full, place it under the broiler in the your oven and watch carefully. Cook until cheese has melted and outside of tortilla barely begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you don't have any leftover corned beef, don't fret. Simply go and pick up some high quality corned beef from the deli counter at your local grocer. Here in the southeast US, Publix even offers online ordering for their deli counter. You can use that to skip the lines. A medium thickness on your cut is ideal.
- I really like the street taco approach to this, so look for the tortillas labeled as such in your grocery store's international food aisle. If you can't find it, go for the smallest shells they have.
- I always recommend getting a block of cheese - Swiss in this case - and taking a couple of minutes to grate it yourself. Home grated cheese melts smoothly, and doesn't contain added preservatives. It simply tastes better!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Irish, St. Patrick's Day
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 tacos
- Calories: 489
- Sugar: 2.1g
- Sodium: 1865mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 31g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 36g
- Cholesterol: 106mg
Keywords: Irish Food, Tacos, Corned Beef