With just the right amount of crunch, melty cheddar cheese, and a couple good slices of tomato, you might even convert a tuna hater with this tuna melt recipe. The key to this sandwich is that the tuna salad is not your bog-standard, bland tuna salad. I packed this sandwich full of celery, pickles, red onion, and pepper flakes to make a flavorful salad that tastes just as good by itself as it does in this sandwich. The pinnacle of comfort food, this is the perfect lunch sandwich to shake up your routine, or to rely on as an easy late-night meal. Keep reading on for all of my top tips on how to perfect it.
What People Are Saying:
"I never liked tuna melts until I tried this recipe! WOW it was phenomenal. One of the best sandwiches I've had in a long time. Will definitely be making this again, and soon!" - GreenCloud
"This is hands down, the absolute best tuna sandwich I have ever made and eaten. Genius!" - OrangeBottleOpener
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- Yields:
- 4 serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 15 mins
- Total Time:
- 30 mins
- Cal/Serv:
- 1313
Ingredients
- 1/3 c.
mayonnaise
Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 tsp.
crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2
(6-oz.) cans tuna
- 1
ribs celery, finely chopped
- 2
dill pickles, finely chopped
- 1/4 c.
finely choppedred onion
- 2 Tbsp.
freshly chopped parsley
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
- 8
slices bread, such as sourdough
- 4 Tbsp.
butter
- 1
tomato, sliced
- 8
slices cheddar
Directions
- Step1Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes (if using).
- Step2Drain tuna then add to mayonnaise mixture. Use a fork to break up tuna into flakes. Add celery, pickles, red onion, and parsley and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
- Step3Butter one side of each breadslice. Top an unbuttered side with approximately 1/2 cup oftuna salad, 2 to 3 slices tomato, and 2 slices of cheese. Top with another slice of bread, buttered side facing up. Repeat with remaining ingredients and place on a large baking sheet. Bake until cheese is melty, 5 to 8 minutes.
How To Make A Tuna Melt
Ingredients
• Mayo: Sorry, mayo haters—nothing ties our tuna and mix-ins together like creamy, tangy mayo. Use your favorite mayo brand here, or go the extra mile and make homemade paleo mayo instead.
• Lemon Juice: Fresh (!) lemon juice adds that welcome brightness, and thins out the mayo.
• Red Pepper Flakes: Add as much or as little here as you like. If you’re really not a fan of heat, you can leave these out entirely.
• Canned Tuna: Just like in our tuna salad, I prefer unsalted, chunk white tuna for my tuna melt. My top tuna tip? Drain your tuna very, very well to prevent a watery tuna mixture.
• Celery: Celery gives that added crunch to the filling to break up the creamy tuna mixture.
• Pickles: Finely chopped dill pickles not only add another texture boost, but give a brightness and tang to this sandwich.
• Red Onion: Finely chopped red onion also aids the pickles in adding a welcome tang and zingy bite.
• Parsley: Freshly chopped parsley is my favorite fresh herb to use in this sandwich, but feel free to get creative with your favorites (some chopped dill would be very welcome).
• Kosher Salt: Here at Delish, we use kosher salt, which might mean that you’ll want to use slightly less if you’re using a different kind. However, in this recipe, you’re adding salt to taste, so add however much you please.
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper: Add however much freshly ground pepper you please, and adjust to taste.
• Bread: Sourdough bread is a classic choice here, and takes oh so well to toasting. That said, there’s no need to make this complicated—use your favorite sandwich bread here!
• Butter: Buttering your bread for toasting not only results in the perfect toasty bite, but gives so much flavor to your sandwich.
• Tomato: I love to add on a couple of slices of tomato to complete this sandwich, but you can also add butter lettuce, or even more pickles.
• Cheese: For the "melt" aspect of this sandwich you can use any sort of cheese, just as long as it's melty. Things like American cheese, Monterey jack or Swiss cheese are all great, butIe love the sharp bite of cheddar.
Step-By-Step Instructions
You can choose to prep your mayo mixture ahead of time, or add it directly to your tuna bowl mixture. Here, I like to prep my mix-ins and drain my tuna (very, very well!), then add my mayo, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes (if using), giving it all a good mix.
After everything is mixed together, now is the time to add salt and pepper to taste. Make sure to taste and adjust!
Generously butter one side of each bread, then pile on a portion of your tuna salad, tomato, and cheese. If you prefer any other toppings, now is the time to add them! Top with the other piece of bread, with the buttered side facing up.
Once all your melts are assembled, place them on a baking sheet, and bake until the cheese is melty and the bread is perfectly toasted. Slice to see that iconic cheese pull, and dig in!
Tuna Melt Variations
We packed this sandwich full of celery, pickles, and red onion, but just like our classic tuna salad, feel free to switch up the toppings with capers or shallots. Vegetarian? Checkout our chickpea “tuna” salad. Looking to go low-carb? Try out these bell pepper tuna melts.
Storage
If you have leftover tuna mixture and want to save it for future you, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days, then create a tuna melt or plain sandwich as you please.
What To Serve With A Tuna Melt
Air Fryer French Fries
Classic Potato Salad
Coleslaw
Made This?
Let us know how it went in the comments below!
