Easy Reuben Tacos

Easy Reuben Tacos is a super fun spin on the classic corned beef sandwich! Enjoy the corned beef on a rye tortilla topped with fresh cabbage, sauerkraut, Havarti cheese, and a fresh made Dijon horseradish dressing. If that doesn’t make your mouth water

Why Turn a Reuben into a Taco?

Some people like the classic – others like a fresh new spin on things. I’m all for both! If you want the classic, take some corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing and put it between two pieces of rye bread. Done!

My father ordered Reubens all the time. I never liked them growing up. My wife and kids love corned beef, especially corned beef and hash. So I had to find a way to enjoy corned beef myself. And . . . voila! The Reuben Taco!

Easy Reuben Tacos

This recipe is going to blow you away! If you love Rubens, you’re definitely going to love these. All in all, this is an easy recipe. Really, all you’re making is the dressing and the tortillas. Corned beef takes about 3 hours on the stove and 9 hours in the slow cooker. The working time on this is less than 30 minutes. Here’s some helpful tips and info

Corned Beef. I let this cool enough so I can handle it. Then I shred it like pulled pork. It’s not as easy as pulled pork, but brisket (which corned beef is made from) is fibrous. So it does tear apart. I use two sturdy forks to help me out.

Rye Tortilla. The dough for the tortillas take 5 minutes to mix, about 5 minutes to roll, and 10 minutes to cook. You can use flour or corn tortillas, which both taste great with this. But, if you want that rye bread flavor, you have to give these a shot.

Havarti Cheese. Havarti cheese is like a milder Swiss cheese. I love using this instead of Swiss when I want to shnaz things up a bit. It’s creamy and melts better than Swiss. But the taste is extremely similar.

Dijon Horseradish Sauce. The common dressing for a Reuben is Thousand Island Dressing. But, for corned beef it’s horseradish and mustard. So I decided to make my own dressing. I use elements of all three. Ketchup is typically used in Thousand Island Dressing. However, when I added the ketchup, it didn’t have the taste I was looking for. So I ultimate left it out. What I have, though, is amazing!

What Ingredients Are in Easy Reuben Tacos?

• 3 pound Corned Beef
• Green Cabbage
• Red Cabbage
• Sauerkraut
• Havarti Cheese
• Tortilla, flour, corn or rye (recipe included)
• Green Onions

Dijon Horseradish Sauce

• Mayonnaise
• Horseradish
• Dijon Mustard
• Whole Grain Mustard
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Garlic Powder
• Salt and Pepper

Rye Tortillas

• Rye Flour
• White Flour
• Ground Caraway Seeds
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Sugar
• Boiling Water
• Canola Oil Spray, or Canola Oil
• Bowl of Warm Water

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Havarti Cheese – you can substitute Swiss cheese.

Dijon Mustard & Whole Grain Mustard – I always use Maille (pronounced “My”) brand. I love the flavor. If you can’t find whole grain mustard or simply don’t like it, you can sub yellow mustard. That will give you a similar tangy flavor.

Ground Caraway Seeds – you most likely will only find whole caraway seeds. I use a coffee bean grinder or mortar and pestle to grind my own. You can use a kitchen mallet or even a hammer. Place some seeds in a ziptop bag, then place that in another ziptop bag. Fold the bags in half. This will help prevent holes from tearing in the bags. Be sure to wash the mallet or hammer. Now smash the seeds into a coarse powder.

Dijon Horseradish Sauce – you can use Thousand Island or Russian Dressing which are the classic dressings used with a Reuben.

Rye Tortillas – the best alternatives would be corn or flour tortillas.

How Is Easy Reuben Tacos Made?

1. Place the corned beef fat side up in a Dutch Oven or other large pot and over it with water. Add the seasoning packet. Bring the water to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until the meat reads 160°F on an instant read thermometer. Meanwhile, prepare the dressing and tortillas.
2. After the corned beef is finished cooking, remove it from the water and let it sit 20 minutes. Trim off as much fat as you can.
3. Heat the sauerkraut. Mix the green and red cabbage in a bowl.
4. Using your hands and 2 sturdy forks, pull the meat apart into shredded pieces.
5. Place some meat on the tortilla, then some cheese, followed by sauerkraut. The warm meat and sauerkraut should melt the cheese.
6. Top with some shredded cabbage, Dijon horseradish dressing, and green onions.

Dijon Horseradish Sauce

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Place it in the refrigerator while the corned beef is cooking. Remove it from the fridge when you take the corned beef out of the water.

Rye Tortillas

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl with a whisk. Slowly pour in the water and knead the dough until all the ingredients are evenly mixed.
2. If the mix is too wet, add a little rye flour. If it’s too dry and crumbly, add a few drops of water.
3. Shape the dough into a ball and cut it into 8 equal pieces and roll them into balls. Coat a cutting board and rolling pin with flour.
4. Use the rolling pin to roll out the tortillas until they are around 8 inches. Using a fork, poke holes in them in several places to prevent air bubbles from forming. Place the tortillas on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel.
5. Place a nonstick skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Cooking spray works best for this, but, if you don’t have some, pour some canola oil into a small bowl and fold up a paper towel.
6. Spray the skillet with canola oil (or dip the paper towel in the bowl of oil and rub it around the pan). Place one tortilla on the skillet. Lightly spray the side facing up with canola oil (or dab some on using the paper towel).
7. Let the tortilla cook for about 1-2 minutes per side, or until you see some black spots, but not burnt. Remove the tortilla and instantly dip it in the bowl of water. Do this quickly, just in and right out. This step will keep the tortilla plyable.
8. After removing the tortillas from the water, place them on a microwave safe plate and cover with a damp paper towel to prevent them drying out.
9. Repeat this process for all the tortillas. When the meat is finally cooked and you’re ready to serve, you can place the plate in the microwave and heat them for 1 minute. Be sure to keep the damp paper towel on them while in the microwave and after.

What Can I Do with the Leftovers?

The corned beef leftovers will keep nicely in fridge for us to 3-4 days in an airtight container. To reheat, I recommend peeling off the pepperoni and cheese and reheat the chicken breast first. After it has been reheated, add the pepperoni and cheese back on and heat for another 5 minutes.

Can I Freeze Easy Reuben Tacos?

Yes. The corned beef will freeze very well, up to 6 months. You can thaw this on the counter or in the microwave. See the note above to reheat.

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