This quick and easy Homemade Hot Pastrami Sandwich Recipe utilizes store bought ingredients and an (optional) homemade broccoli slaw for a super tasty classic deli sandwich you can whip up in under 20 minutes!
JUMP TO RECIPEWant a classic New York Deli style traditional pastrami sandwich at home? Look no further than this easy Homemade Hot Pastrami Sandwich Recipe! This tasty pastrami sandwich would be a great way to celebrate st. Patrick’s day, or even national hot pastrami sandwich day (yes, that's a real thing).
Crisping the pastrami in a bit of butter before building the sandwiches gives it an extra depth of flavor that perfectly compliments the crisp coleslaw, nutty Swiss cheese, and tangy Russian dressing and pickles- all brought together on perfectly butter-toasted bread.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients
- How to make a pastrami sandwich
- Substitutions and Additions
- Serving the sandwiches
- More delicious sandwich recipes
Ingredients
This easy sandwich recipe comes together quickly and easily with mostly store bought ingredients, for a tasty, crispy sandwich that satisfies! Add homemade broccoli slaw for an extra crisp finish (recipe included in recipe card below!)
- Rye bread. I love a good bakery style Jewish Rye for this recipe, but you can use any Rye bread you like, the sturdier the better. Marble Rye bread is also a great option. Hearty slices of rye bread make this sandwich extra tasty!
- Softened butter. You'll use butter to crisp up the deli Pastrami, as well as for generously buttering the outside of each slice of bread, to ensure a crisp, golden exterior.
- Russian dressing, for spreading on the inside of each slice of Rye bread. My go-to is Ken's.
- Deli sliced Swiss cheese.
- Sliced deli Pastrami. You want to look for a well-crafted and flavored Pastrami which is well brined and smoked. Have the meat sliced the way you like it. I'm a thin-cut girl at the deli, but go for whatever thickness you like. You can also use homemade pastrami!
- Thinly sliced dill pickles, to taste.
- Coleslaw. I love to use homemade broccoli slaw for these sandwiches (full recipe in recipe card below), but you can use any of your favorite coleslaws for this recipe.
How to make a pastrami sandwich
- Butter outsides of each of the slices of bread with softened butter, coating the whole outside of the sandwich. Taking the time to get the bread well coated edge-to-edge will give you a perfect, crisp, buttery exterior.
- Add butter to a large frying pan, and melt over medium-high heat, then add the sliced pastrami in a single layer to get it a bit browned, and add extra flavor!
- While pastrami warms and browns, spread Russian dressing evenly on the inside of one slice of the bread, so it's ready to go when the meat is browned.
- Add warmed and browned pastrami to one side of bread on Russian dressing side, and reduce pan heat to medium-low to get it ready to cook the sandwich. We're going for low and slow to ensure the sandwich is well crisped, and not burned.
- Top pastrami with prepared coleslaw, sliced pickles, and Swiss cheese slices.
- Top with other sliced of bread, with the buttered side facing out.
- Transfer sandwich to the pan and cook over medium-low heat, flipping once until both sides of the bread are golden brown and crispy, and the cheese is fully melted.
- Slice the sandwich, serve hot and enjoy!
Substitutions and Additions
This tasty sandwich recipe is easily customized to your tastes, and what you have on hand. Here are some great substitutions and additions you can make to make this sandwich your own!
| Bread options | Try pumpernickel, marble rye, or sourdough in place of the Rye bread. This sandwich can also be made using gluten-free bread! |
| Sandwich spread swaps | Use Thousand Island dressing, yellow mustard, spicy brown mustard or stone ground mustard in place of the Russian dressing. |
| Meat swaps | Substitute deli sliced corned beef or turkey pastrami from the grocery store deli counter. |
Best Swap Combos
Sourdough bread + Thousand Island + Muenster Cheese
Pumpernickel bread + Stone Ground Mustard + Smoked Gouda
Rye bread + Thousand Island + Tangy Sauerkraut + Swiss = classic Reuben Sandwich
Pastrami Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 slices Rye bread
- 2 tablespoon salted butter, softened (plus more for bread)
- 2 tablespoon Russian dressing
- 2 thick slices deli Swiss cheese
- 6 slices deli pastrami (thin sliced)
- thinly sliced dill pickles, to taste
- ¼ cup coleslaw or broccoli slaw (recipe below)
Instructions
- **If making broccoli slaw (recipe below), make at least 1 hour ahead, and up to 2 days in advance of preparing the sandwich. 1. Butter outsides of each slice of bread with softened butter, coating the whole outside of the sandwich for even browning. 2. Add 2 tablespoon butter to a large frying pan, and melt over medium-high heat. 3. Add pastrami in a single layer, and cook 1 minute a side, until slightly browned. 4. While pastrami warms and browns, spread Russian dressing on the insides of both pieces of bread. 5. Add warmed pastrami to one side of bread on Russian dressing side, and reduce pan heat to medium-low. 6. Top pastrami with coleslaw, pickles, and Swiss cheese. 7. Top with bread, butter side facing out. 8. Transfer sandwich to the pan and cook over medium-low heat until both sides of the bread are golden brown, 4-5 minutes a side. 9. Slice and serve hot! Broccoli slaw: • ½ lb broccoli slaw mix • ¼ cup mayonnaise • ½ tablespoon milk (use what you drink) • ½ tablespoon sugar • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (preferably organic) • ¼ teaspoon celery seeds • ¼ teaspoon poppy seeds • cracked pepper and sea salt, to taste • A dash of cayenne pepper (optional) 1. Add all ingredients to a bowl, and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour prior to serving.
Nutrition
Serving the sandwiches
This pastrami sandwich goes great with potato chips, warm bacon potato salad, pasta salad, or french fries.
Keeping your bread crisp. If making several sandwiches, place them on a wire rack set on a sheet pan to keep the bottom layer of bread from getting soggy. Plate with extra pickles for a true deli-counter feel!
More delicious sandwich recipes
If you love this easy Pastrami Sandwich recipe, you'll love these delicious sandwich recipes, too!
Make my easy Philly Style Slow Cooker South Philly Italian Shredded Pork Sandwiches!
Try my Extra Crispy Fried Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches with homemade blue cheese sauce!
Whip up my Homemade Sloppy Joes recipe for an easy weeknight dinner, ready in 20 minutes!
If you want more Rueben vibes, make a batch of my addictive Reuben Egg Rolls!
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Jen says
I was in the mood for a hot pastrami sandwich and searched for a recipe that used coleslaw and was similar to what I wanted and I found yours. Your photo caught my eye. I had to swap for a few ingredients, which I try not to do the first time and is a no-no for some, however, my sandwich was absolutely delicious! I ended up using sourdough bread, deli coleslaw, Muenster cheese, and thousand islands dressing because that’s what I had. I absolutely will make this again and will try it with pumpernickel rye and Swiss. Thanks for posting this recipe!
Sharon Farnell says
So happy to hear this, Jen!
Greg says
I was looking for a sandwich that I could utilize my home smoked pastrami that was different from the reuban. This was an absolute hit! Everyone loved them!
Sharon says
So happy to hear this, Greg! Home smoked pastrami sounds amazing!