These Reuben Fritters are a fun way to turn leftover corned beef into tasty appetizers! Crispy fried on the outside with a creamy, cheesy center!
Got leftover Corned Beef? We feel you, check out these Irish Nachos for appetizers or dinner! Or you can try this for a whole different meal!
A Leftover Corned Beef Recipe
BUT…you don’t HAVE to have leftover corned beef. So as much as we love making these Reuben Fritters after St. Patrick’s Day with our leftover corned beef, you can always grab some right from the deli counter.
That’s something new to me, so I thought I’d mention it. I always seem to get the same stuff at the deli counter, ham, turkey, cheese. The basics. Then one day I realized they have things like sliced pork, teriyaki flank steak and yep – corned beef.
So don’t wait until after your St. Patrick’s Day party to make these delicious, crispy fritters. Make them whenever you want!
What Are The Ingredients For These Reuben Fritters?
All you’ll need is a few basic ingredients and some oil for frying!
Leftover Corned Beef or corned beef from the deli: You’ll need about 3/4 of a pound of corned beef for these fritters.
Cream Cheese: Make sure you bring the cream cheese to room temperature so that it blends well with the rest of the filling.
Sauerkraut: You can buy sauerkraut right at the deli counter or in the produce department at your grocery store.
Mozzarella Cheese: You can also use Swiss cheese, or Gruyere but mozzarella is a more mild flavor.
Bread Crumbs: Panko bread crumbs make these fritters extra crispy!
Oil for Frying: Use vegetable or canola oil for the best frying results.
Thousand Island Dressing:Store bought or homemade, whichever you prefer!
How Do You Make Reuben Fritters?
All you need to do is mix together the corned beef, cream cheese, sauerkraut and seasonings and form them into balls like you see below. Then start the breading process by dipping the balls in flour, egg and lastly bread crumbs.
Drop your fritters into a large pot of canola oil that’s at about 350º. If you don’t have a thermometer you can stick the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil and if bubbles form all around it you’re at about 350º.
Fry up these Reuben Fritters for 4 minutes until they’re golden brown then remove to a paper towel lined plate to cool. Season them with salt while they’re still hot so that the seasoning sticks to the fritters.
One way is to make the fritters up until the point of frying them and then stash them in your refrigerator until you’re ready to fry them. Then just fry and serve.
Another way to do it is to cook the fritters through to the end, let them cool completely and then freeze them in a single layer in a freezer bag or container. Bake the fritters from frozen at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes and then serve.
Now it’s time to eat! Serve these Rueben Fritters while they’re still hot, you can keep them warm in the oven until you’re ready for up to an hour beforehand. Serve with Thousand Island dressing for dipping and it’s time to party.
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.3 from 7 reviews
Author:Dan
Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:20 minutes
Total Time:30 minutes
Yield:30 1x
Print Recipe
These delicious, crispy fried fritters are an awesome way to use up leftover corned beef! No corned beef? Head to your deli counter and grab some!
Scale
Ingredients
3/4 lb. corned beef, chopped (you can use leftover corned beef or get it at the deli)
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
2 c. sauerkraut, rinsed
6 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. salt, plus extra for seasoning the fritters
1 T. dijon mustard
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. panko bread crumbs
vegetable or canola oil for frying
thousand island dressing for dipping
Instructions
Set a large pot filled half way with canola or vegetable oil over medium heat. You’re looking for the oil to get to about 350º. If you have a thermometer that works best but a good way to check is to put the end of a wooden spoon in the oil, if it bubbles you’re good.
Combine the corned beef, mozzarella cheese, sauerkraut, cream cheese, garlic powder, salt and dijon in a large bowl.
Beat together with a hand mixer until well combined.
Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop, portion out the filling into balls.
Set up a breading station with three bowls, one for the flour, one for the eggs and another for the panko.
Dip each ball into the flour first, then the egg and last the panko.
Repeat until all the fritters are breaded.
Once your oil reaches temperature, carefully drop about 6-8 fritters at a time into your oil and fry for 4-5 minutes until golden brown.
Remove to a paper towel lined plate to cool and season with kosher salt.
Repeat until all the fritters are fried and serve with the thousand island dressing for dipping.
Both feature corned beef and sauerkraut on rye bread, but where a corned beef sandwich keeps it simple with mustard and relish, the reuben takes things an extra step further by adding Russian dressing and melty cheese.
You could also opt for pastrami in place of the corned beef, which isn't the traditional meat in a Reuben, but it still tastes damned good. Typically at delis, the meat will be steamed whole, then carved by hand while it's still hot.
The Reuben Sandwich is an American classic made with savory corned beef piled on our favorite marble rye bread and topped with plenty of baby swiss cheese, crunchy, tangy sauerkraut, and zippy Russian dressing, then griddled to perfection until the cheese melts and the bread is toasted.
I heated both the sauerkraut and the corned beef as some advised. Here's a tip that works for all grilled sandwiches—instead of butter, spread the outside of the bread with a thin layer of mayonnaise.
Marbled rye bread filled with freshly sliced corned beef, melty Swiss Cheese, tangy sauerkraut and creamy Thousand Island dressing. This is a Reuben sandwich inspired by the New York standard.
Be sure to drain off as much liquid as possible from the sauerkraut before piling it onto your Reuben sandwich to prevent any sogginess. It's also best to serve Reubens soon after griddling to keep the toasted bread nice and crisp.
In some parts of the United States, especially Michigan, this turkey variant is known as a "Georgia Reuben" or "California Reuben", and it may also call for barbecue sauce or French dressing instead of Russian dressing. The name may have originated from the 1871 song "Reuben and Rachel".
Perhaps owing to its absence of an exact origin story, the Rachel is certainly more of a pliable sandwich than the classic Reuben as far as ingredients are concerned. The first major difference is that the Rachel swaps brisket-based corned beef for pastrami, which comes from a comparatively leaner cut of the cow.
A Reuben sandwich is typically made with corned beef. It would taste great with pastrami too, it just wouldn't be a classic Reuben! Bottom line: You can't go wrong with either of these flavor-packed deli meats.
According to Regina Sexton, food and culinary historian and programme manager, Postgraduate Diploma in Irish Food Culture, University College Cork, corned beef and cabbage is not a dish much known in Ireland. What the Irish actually eat is bacon and cabbage. "A traditional dinner is bacon, potatoes, and cabbage.
The Rachel sandwich is one of several variations on the famous sandwich. Instead of the classic corned beef and sauerkraut, the Rachel is usually made with turkey or pastrami and coleslaw. Both sandwiches are made with Swiss cheese and rye bread.
To make a reuben sandwich without sauerkraut, start by toasting two slices of rye bread. Spread one side of each slice with Thousand Island dressing, then add a layer of corned beef, Swiss cheese, and a handful of thinly sliced pickles.
Unfortunately, this traditional sandwich is NOT one that I consider "heart healthy" as it provides approximately 800 calories, 50 grams fat, 20 grams of the artery-clogging saturated fat, 40 grams carbohydrates, 36 grams protein, and a whopping 3200 mg.
This is our version of the classic New York Reuben sandwich — dark rye bread layered thick with silverside, sauerkraut, Russian dressing, and Swiss cheese.
Place each of the slices of bread with dressing, buttered-side out on top of the slices of bread topped with corned beef. Place the sandwiches in the skillet and cook until golden and toasted, about 5 minutes, using a spatula to press down a few times.
Swiss cheese: Swiss cheese is generally used for a Reuben Sandwich because of its mild flavor. You may also try mozzarella or provolone cheese, two more mild-tasting kinds of cheese.
While the Reuben sandwich itself doesn't have Irish roots (it was thought to be created in Omaha, Nebraska mid-poker game) the meat inside it – corned beef, does. Well, it kind of does. The Irish-corned beef relationship is considered to be much more Irish-American than it is purely Irish.
If you're not prepared to marinate and roast a brisket, canned corn beef is pretty useful. You can slice it up for sandwiches or shred it for casseroles, or use it to make a variety of international dishes, like Filipino cornsilog, Jamaican bully beef, and Puerto Rican carne bif.
Some of the fancier, more nuanced seasonings, like peppercorns or coriander, don't make it into the canned version, but otherwise, it's pretty much the same from an ingredients standpoint. The process for making canned corned beef is different than the made-from-scratch kind.
Basically you just put a simple dry rub on a corned beef brisket (bought from the store already corned) and then smoke it. It turns out that this makes some really tasty cheater pastrami!
Although the two brisket cuts can often be used interchangeably, the flat cut is most often used in braises that are sliced, like those popular on Jewish holidays and for corned beef. The fattier point cut, meanwhile, is preferred for pulled beef, beef sandwiches and smoked barbecued brisket.
Introduction: My name is Annamae Dooley, I am a witty, quaint, lovely, clever, rich, sparkling, powerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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