The Georgia Reuben is a turkey version of the classic reuben sandwich, invented and made famous by Zingerman's Deli in Ann Arbor, Michigan. If you're not lucky enough to live near Ann Arbor, this turkey reuben sandwich recipe will delight you as much as the original.

Turkey Reuben sandwich cut in half on a black plate, with chips piled behind the sandwich, and text overlay reading Georgia Reuben (Turkey Reuben)

It's the first Monday of the month, and that means it's time for the Taste Creations Blog Hop, and this month, our theme is Sandwiches. Sandwiches are a perfect summer meal, with minimal cooking and easy customization for everyone eating. I decided to recreate the absolutely AMAZING Georgia Reuben sandwich from Zingerman's Deli. Now that I live nearly 4,000 miles away from Zingerman's, I can't exactly pop by for my turkey reuben fix. But I can, with the same careful attention to quality of ingredients as Zingerman's, make a very close approximation.

Closeup of a Georgia Reuben sandwich, made with turkey and coleslaw, on a black plate with chips.

What is a Georgia Reuben?

A Georgia Reuben is a sandwich made with turkey, coleslaw, Emmental cheese, and Russian dressing on toasted sourdough rye bread. A classic reuben is very similar, but is made with corned beef and sauerkraut instead of the turkey and coleslaw. The Georgia Reuben was invented by Ari Weinzweig, the co-founder of Zingerman's Deli in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Ingredients for a Turkey Reuben sandwich on a white marble surface.

Turkey Reuben Sandwich Ingredients:

Sourdough rye bread
butter
thinly sliced, roasted turkey breast
Emmental cheese slices
coleslaw
homemade russian dressing

Sourdough rye loaf of bread with five slices cut off on a wooden cutting board. The slices of bread are being buttered.

How to Make a Georgia Reuben Sandwich:

Thinly slice the sourdough rye bread. Coat one side of each piece of bread generously with butter.

Slices of sourdough rye bread being toasted on a griddle for a Georgia Reuben Sandwich.

Toast the buttered side of the bread on a griddle or in a large frying pan, until the buttered side of the bread is golden brown. Place slices of Emmental cheese on the bread as it's toasting so it gets melted and warm.

Slice of sourdough rye stacked with thinly sliced turkey breast, and drizzled with homemade russian dressing. A Georgia Reuben Sandwich in the process of being made. Another slice of bread with melted Emmental cheese sits behind the first slice, and a bowl of coleslaw is behind that.

Place the toasted side of one piece of bread facing down on the plate. Slather the bread with Russian Dressing. It's easy to make homemade Russian dressing, and SO worth it to make a truly great sandwich!

Stack with thinly sliced, roasted turkey breast. Avoid lunch meats. Roast a turkey breast yourself. It's easy to do in the oven and is SO much better than anything you can buy pre-cooked and sliced. Or smoked turkey breast would be absolutely amazing if you have a smoker! Drizzle more Russian dressing on top of the turkey.

Georgia Reuben Turkey Sandwich cut in half, with one half facing the camera, so you can see the layers of turkey breast, coleslaw, and Emmental cheese. The sandwich is surrounded by chips, and sits on a black plate.

Add a generous heap of homemade coleslaw on top of the turkey, and then top with the toasted bread and cheese slice.

Yes, the Georgia Reuben is a bit messy and difficult to eat. But oh my goodness, it's worth every bit of effort and every lick of the fingers. If you haven't tried this turkey twist on a Reuben sandwich, you're in for a treat.

Collage of sandwich images with text overlay reading "4 spectacular sandwiches."