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Sandwiches and Burgers · Seafood

Wild Cod Fish Reuben Sandwich with 30 Second Russian Dressing

Take a reuben sandwich to the next level with this unique twist. My Wild Cod Fish Reuben Sandwich swaps delicious and healthy white fish for the corned beef. Stack it on rye bread with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and homemade Russian…

  • Prep10 minutes
  • Cook25 minutes
  • Total35 minutes
  • Serves2
  • Calories520 kcal
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Wild Cod Fish Reuben Sandwich with 30 Second Russian Dressing

Take a reuben sandwich to the next level with this unique twist. My Wild Cod Fish Reuben Sandwich swaps delicious and healthy white fish for the corned beef. Stack it on rye bread with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and homemade Russian dressing. It's crisped up to crunchy goodness. This Irish inspired sandwich is SO DELICIOUS!

A fish reuben sandwich cut in half.

Welcome to March and all things St. Patrick's Day. With an Irish husband, the whole month is a green infused celebration.

I'll be making holiday favorites ~ Irish soda bread, this fun reuben casserole, and a pan of decadent mint brownies. I'm excited to share my latest Irish inspired recipe. A trip to Florida to escape the blustery winter of the Jersey shore sparked my creation of a Wild Cod Fish Reuben Sandwich.

A cod fish reuben sandwich with a bowl of dressing.

A couple weeks ago, the warm temps of Florida was the perfect respite from our deary weather. Days spent lounging on beach and included a stop at the beachside restaurant for an amazing grouper fish reuben sandwich. I knew I had to recreate the sandwich at home.

With the buttery toasted rye bread overstuffed with perfectly seasoned fish, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and creamy tart Russian dressing, I found my new favorite reuben sandwich.

I'm so excited to share this fish sandwich recipe with all of you!

Wild cod, rye bread, mayonnaise, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut on a wood counter.

ingredients and substitutions

Check the recipe card below for the quantities of each ingredient.

  • wild cod ~ Almost any fish can stand in for the wild cod. Try grouper, mahi mahi, salmon, halibut or haddock.
  • olive oil
  • Old Bay seasoning
  • mayonnaise
  • ketchup
  • sweet pickle relish
  • horseradish
  • rye bread ~ There's many varieties of rye bread. Each is delicious. Experiment with caraway seeded, unseeded, marble (a combo of light and dark rye) and pumpernickel.
  • salted butter
  • sauerkraut
  • Swiss cheese ~ Swiss is the traditional cheese used in a reuben. Some substitutes are also tasty. Try mozzarella, Gruyere, Munster

the recipe details

It all starts with the fish. Get the freshest cod available. Drizzle it with olive oil and generously sprinkle with Old Bay seasoning.

With its mixture of celery salt, garlic, paprika, cayenne pepper and dry mustard, it's my go to spice blend for seafood. Bake the cod until just cooked through. Keep a digital thermometer handy. A reading of 145 degrees F is what you're after.

Wild cod with Old Bay seasoning.
Mixing ingredients for Russian dressing in a small bowl.

While the fish is in the oven, make a quick homemade Russian dressing. It literally takes 30 seconds to make. A store bought one works too. There's some great ones available. Mine includes mayonnaise, ketchup, sweet pickle relish and horseradish.

Buttered bread, sauerkraut, shredded cheese for fish reubens.
A cooked piece of cod on a slice of bread.

Now's the fun part of assembling the sandwiches. Butter one side of a couple slices of rye bread. With or without caraway seeds. Whatever is your fave. Slather on the Russian dressing and top with the tender cooked cod.

Next add the sour and salty sauerkraut and a heaping handful of grated Swiss cheese. Slices of cheese work too, but freshly grated cheese seems to melt to a gooey goodness. Top with another slice of buttered rye.

Sauerkraut on a open faced reuben sandwich with cod.
A fish reuben on a panini press.

Time to get the fish sandwich all toasty. I love my panini press as there's no need to flip the sandwich. But a cast iron skillet or large sauté pan are good alternatives.

After a few minutes this big, messy and delicious reuben sandwich is ready to eat. If you're a sandwich dipper like me, serve it with the extra Russian dressing.

suggestions and recipe tips

  1. There's some liquid after cooking the cod. Drain as much off so the sandwich isn't soggy.
  2. Ditto for the sauerkraut. Drain off the liquid that it's packed in.
  3. Freshly grated cheese is my go to in recipes. It melts the best. But you can substitute deli sliced cheese too.
  4. The buttery crispy rye is so delicious. I love my panini press to toast both sides of the sandwich at once. A cast iron skillet or large sauté pan are great stand-ins for achieving that golden brown crusted reuben sandwich.
3 halves of a fish reuben sandwich.
2 halves of a fish reuben sandwich.

just one more thing

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Wild Cod Fish Reuben Sandwich with 30 Second Russian Dressing

Take a reuben sandwich to the next level with this unique twist. My Wild Cod Fish Reuben Sandwich swaps delicious and healthy white fish for corned beef. Stack it on rye bread with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and homemade Russian dressing. It's crisped up to crunchy goodness. This Irish inspired sandwich is SO DELICIOUS!

Ingredients

  • 2 pieces of cod (about 6 ounces each)
  • olive oil
  • Old Bay seasoning
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
  • 1 teaspoon horseradish
  • 4 slices rye bread
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter
  • ½ cup sauerkraut (drained)
  • 4 ounces Swiss cheese (shredded)

Instructions

  1. 1

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  2. 2

    Place the cod on the sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with Old Bay seasoning.

  3. 3

    Bake the cod for 12 to 15 minutes or until the internal temperature is 145 degrees F on a digital thermometer.

  4. 4

    While the fish is baking, make the Russian dressing. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, sweet pickle relish and horseradish. Set aside.

  5. 5

    Remove the fish from the oven. Set aside.

  6. 6

    Butter one side of each of the slices of bread. Place 2 slices buttered side down on a cutting board. Generously spread some of the Russian dressing on bread. Place a piece of fish on top of each slice of bread. Top the fish with sauerkraut, some of the Swiss cheese, and the remaining slices of bread, butter side up.

  7. 7

    Heat a cast iron skillet, large sauté pan or a panini press. Cook the sandwiches for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until the cheese is melted and the bread is crispy and golden brown.

  8. 8

    Remove the sandwiches from the pan, cut in half and serve with the remainder of the Russian dressing.

Notes

Almost any fish can stand in for the wild cod. Try grouper, mahi mahi, salmon, halibut or haddock. There's some cooking liquid after the cod comes out of the oven. Drain as much off so it doesn't make for a soggy sandwich. Ditto for the sauerkraut. Drain off the liquid that it's packed in. The buttery crispy rye is so delicious. I love my panini press to toast both sides of the sandwich at once. A cast iron skillet or large sauté pan are great stand-ins for achieving that golden brown crusted reuben sandwich.

Nutrition

  • Serving1 sandwich
  • Calories520 kcal
  • Carbohydrates20.7 g
  • Protein36.3 g
  • Fat33 g
  • Saturated Fat18.4 g
  • Cholesterol167 mg
  • Sodium1138 mg
  • Fiber2 g
  • Sugar8 g

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