This baked Reuben Dip recipe offers an ooey, gooey, super cheesy dip that has all the flavors of a Reuben sandwich. Gorgeously creamy and tangy, and loaded with chopped corned beef, this hot appetizer always disappear fast!

My parents taught me about the goodness of a grilled Reuben sandwich at a very young age – and this easy, cheesy hot baked Reuben Dip recipe is undeniably delicious with those very same flavors!
While I no longer have access to the four-gallon crock of fermenting cabbage that Mom once kept in the basement (just like her mom and grandma taught her), there are still great store-bought sauerkraut options these days. There’s simply no good reason not to make this dip!
Why We ❤️ This Hot Reuben Dip Recipe
My friend Meghan shared this recipe with me many years ago. Meghan is Irish through and through, where corned beef and cabbage are commonplace on their family’s table. She brought this hot appetizer recipe into the office around St. Patrick’s Day, every single year. It’s creamy and tangy with Thousand Island dressing, and loaded with chopped corned beef, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese – one of the very best corned beef recipes!
- Simple to make. This reuben dip is the easy kind of party recipe we all need in our back pocket. It’s simply a matter of stirring everything together and baking until it’s gooey and melty.
- Full of flavor. I know that sauerkraut can be a love/hate thing. Its distinctive strong flavor just doesn’t sit well with many people. But I have to say, our daughters are not sauerkraut fans, and they love this dip! The savory corned beef and plentiful cheese balance out the ‘kraut very, very nicely.
- A crowd-pleasing party dip. While Chili Cheese Dip and Spinach Artichoke Dip are always hits, sometimes it’s fun to share a recipe that’s a little more unique. Reuben dip is just that — the kind of appetizer guaranteed to impress. Be prepared to share the recipe!
What You’ll Need
You’ll note the familiar Reuben sandwich ingredients on this list — no surprises here! Check the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredient amounts.
- Corned beef – Dice it up for this recipe, so you get meaty little pieces with every bite.
- Cheese – Use cheese labeled as Swiss or Emmentaler.
- Sauerkraut – Surprisingly, even store-bought cans of sauerkraut are made with a very short ingredients list – typically just cabbage, salt, and water — but I find that the jars and refrigerated pouches taste more like homemade. Sometimes you can find great sauerkraut at farmers markets, so keep an eye out!
- Mayonnaise – Use a good quality mayo. This adds creaminess and tangy flavor.
- Thousand Island dressing – This adds that classic creamy, tangy, slightly sweet flavor that Reuben sandwich lovers crave!
- Black pepper – Freshly ground pepper offers the most flavor.
- Green onion – For a pop of flavor, texture, and color.
How To Make Reuben Dip
This dip is a cinch to make – follow along with the photos and instructions below! Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card lower down.
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Then round up a large, shallow oven-safe serving dish. A 10-inch pie pan or skillet works beautifully!
- Combine. Add all of the ingredients except the green onion to a mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Assemble. Spread the dip into the pan and grind some black pepper over the top.
- Bake. Place the dip in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is browned, the cheese is gooey, and the dip is bubbly.
- Garnish & serve. Let the dip rest for 5 minutes, then garnish with the green onion. Serve with your favorite dippers.
Tips & Variations
This is a super easy recipe, but these tips will help ensure it turns out perfect.
- Drain the sauerkraut well. Place it in a fine mesh strainer and use a wooden spoon to press out as much liquid as you can. This ensures a dip that’s rich and creamy, and not thin and watery.
- Grate your cheese. I prefer to grate my own Swiss cheese for this recipe because it doesn’t contain the anti-caking agents that you find in pre-shredded cheese. This makes the cheese melt more smoothly.
- Try pastrami. While this technically wouldn’t be a Reuben dip, you can pick up some pastrami from your deli counter and swap it for the corned beef, which will give the dip a hint of smoky flavor. (The difference between the two meats is that pastrami is smoked, while corned beef is cured.)
- Make two pans. This recipe makes a good amount of dip. If desired, split the dip in half between two 9″ pie pans. When baking them separately, and the dip is more spread out, there’s more surface area of cheese that gets browned – which is super delicious!
Serving Suggestions
Reuben dip is hearty and substantive — not the kind of dip you can scoop up with lightweight potato chips. Here are some of my go-to pairings:
- Chips. Frito Scoops will stand up to the job, as will pita chips and bagel chips. Kettle potato chips, which are thicker and sturdier, also work really well.
- Bread. Serve the Reuben dip with a spreader so you can slather it onto slices of fresh baguette, sourdough, or rye bread. Cocktail rye is fun too.
- Crackers. Rye crackers or any other sturdy cracker that can be dipped without crumbling.
Proper Storage
- Refrigerator: Store leftover Reuben dip in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To reheat: Place the dip in an oven-safe dish and warm it in the oven at 350°F until the cheese is melted and the dip is heated all the way through.
More Crowd-Pleasing Dip Recipes
Reuben Dip
Ingredients
- 1 pound thinly sliced corned beef, diced
- 8 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
- 1 can (14 ounces) sauerkraut, drained very well – place in strainer & press out liquid
- ¾ cup good quality mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Thousand Island dressing
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus a bit more for over the top
- ¼ cup sliced green onion
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a large bowl, stir together corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, mayonnaise, Thousand Island dressing, and black pepper.
- Transfer mixture to a wide, oven-safe serving dish (a 10" pie pan works great!) and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle a little bit of freshly ground black pepper over the top.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until dip is bubbling and nicely browned.
- Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes, then sprinkle with sliced green onion. Serve hot – with rye crackers, bagel chips, or your favorite sturdy crackers.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Sauerkraut: A Family Tradition
Not only did my mom grow up with fresh homemade sauerkraut, but my dad did too. As a young boy, he would help to bring in the cabbages from the fall garden, and then help prepare them for sauerkraut.
And when my dad would visit his grandparents (my Great Grandpa & Grandma Braun), he was often asked to fetch some fresh sauerkraut from their huge Red Wing crock in the basement.
The crock featured a circular board cover, sized to just fit the inside of the crock, with a small hole cut into it for an easy finger pull. A heavy stone rested on the board, pressing the fermenting cabbage down into the brine.
Armed with a bowl and a large tined meat fork, Dad would scoop out some fresh sauerkraut for his grandma to warm up with their next meal. That menu probably consisted of some kind of sausage or smoked meat, fresh from the farm’s fall butchering.
This post was originally published in 2011, then updated in 2018 and 2025.
Can I just say yum? This was gone in a flash at my house.
A droolworthy dip to make over and over again!!