Best Tuna Melt Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (2024)

This tasty, toasted tuna melt sandwich is hot, melty, and stuffed with a perfectly seasoned tuna salad. You’ll love how easy and delicious this tuna sandwich is.

Making tuna melts reminds me of time spent in diners with friends enjoying a meal and many cups of coffee, sometimes late into the night. The tuna melt is a classic American sandwich that you can find in most diner style restaurants and while it’s maybe not the most popular thing on the menu, you’ll never regret ordering one.

Tuna Melts are perfect for lunch at home. Kids love tuna melts as much as adults do and I think it’s because they are an elevated version of a sandwich that they already like. Tuna melts with a Ceasar Salad or a hot bowl of soup create a simple and filling weeknight dinner that the whole family can enjoy.

What Is A Tuna Melt?

If you’ve never had a tuna melt, you are in for a treat! I am sharing a simple tuna melt recipe that uses ingredients that you probably already have at home.

We’re starting with a perfectly seasoned tuna salad with creamy mayo, crunchy vegetables, and the perfect amount of lemon juice to keep the flavors bright. Spread that onto your favorite bread, add some cheddar cheese, and toast up your sandwich until it’s crispy and golden brown.

One thing I love about this tuna melt recipe is that it’s versatile and forgiving. Don’t have cheddar cheese, but you have some American cheese? That’s ok, make the substitution. Out of tomatoes? Leave them out, this sandwich will still be amazing.

Not a fan of tuna? That’s ok. Try this sandwich with canned chicken or canned salmon instead. Or make my Reuben sandwich with Russian dressing, a Classic Patty Melt, or try these delicious Philly cheesesteaks!

Tuna Melt Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make cheesy tuna melts:

• Tuna. One can of chunk tuna in water is plenty to serve four people. Canned tuna is an inexpensive protein. Drain your tuna well.
• Celery. Diced celery adds a needed to crunch to tuna salad.
• Mayonnaise. Traditional, low fat, or vegan mayo can be used to make the tuna salad. Choose your favorite type.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Add a bit of olive oil right into your tuna salad to give it extra moisture and a delectable mouth feel.
• Lemon Juice. Fresh lemon juice is always welcome with any fish dish, so go ahead and add some to your tuna salad.
• Salt and Pepper. To simply season the tuna mixture.
• Bread. I like to use classic white bread for making tuna melts. Any type of bread will work though. Try sourdough, Italian bread, or wheat bread.
• Cheddar Cheese. This is what makes this sandwich a “melt”
• Tomatoes. Thinly sliced tomatoes add another level of flavor to the sandwich and are deliciously nestled in with the melted cheese.

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

How to Make Tuna Melt Sandwiches

1. In a bowl, combine tuna with celery, mayo, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
2. Using a fork, lightly mash the tuna mixture, but don’t over-mash. You want to keep some of the tuna chunks intact.
3. Toast the bread in a pan with a little bit of water or oil until nice and toasty.
4. Make the sandwiches by spreading mayo over the bread, then top with tuna salad, slices of tomato, and slices of cheese.
5. If the cheese needs help to melt, place on a sheet pan and under the broiler for 2-3 minutes or until melted.
6. Close the sandwiches with bread, cut diagonally into triangles, and serve while still warm.
7. Enjoy your Tuna Melt!

Ways to Toast a Tuna Melt

There are two different ways to toast a tuna melt, both are great, and have their own benefits.

Use a Toaster – Before assembling your sandwiches, toast the bread in the toaster until it’s hot and toasty. Quickly add the cheese to the warm toast and then finish assembling the sandwich. Doing it this way creates minimal dishes, and doesn’t require any extra oil to cook.

Use a Frying Pan – This is how a tuna melt is typically served, at least in the diners I’ve eaten at! Put the tuna melt sandwich together and heat in a frying pan over medium heat with a bit of olive oil or butter. Toast each side of the sandwich until it’s golden brown and heated through. I love using a cast iron frying pan to grill sandwiches like this. The even heating surface makes them extra toasty.

Add Ins and Substitutions

• Lower Carbs – Instead of regular bread, use your favorite low carb bread or a low carb tortilla to wrap and then grill the sandwich. You can also serve this sandwich “open-faced” by using one piece of bread instead of 2 and warming under a broiler.
• More Protein – Add a diced hard boiled egg to the tuna salad mixture.
• Extra Flavor – You can spice up your tuna salad any way you like. Try adding dill, paprika, chili powder, or a bit of hot sauce for an extra kick.
• More Crunch – Add in diced onion, sliced dill pickles, or any crunchy vegetables that you like.
• Super Cheesy – Go nuts with the cheese if you want to. Add an extra slice of cheddar for a super cheesy tuna melt. Substitute other types of cheese too. Try pepper jack or swiss.
• Different Bread – The classic version of this sandwich calls for white bread, but anything goes. Try a toasted bagel, pumpernickel rye, or an English muffin.

Make Ahead Options for Tuna Melt Sandwiches

The tuna mixture for this sandwich can be made and stored in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container. Mix up a batch on Sunday night and enjoy fresh tuna melt sandwiches all week long. When you’re ready, just pull out the tuna mixture and make your sandwich as directed in the recipe.

Double the tuna salad recipe if you will be feeding a crowd or want to use it for multiple meals throughout the week.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Classic Sandwich Recipes

• Banana Fluffernutter Sandwich
• Homemade Chick-Fil-A Chicken Sandwich
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

A classic tuna melt sandwich really is one of the simple and delicious things in life. You’re going to love making these for yourself and your family at home. Don’t forget to pin this recipe to Pinterest for others to enjoy!