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This tuna melt recipe is so delicious, savory and quick to throw together for the ultimate tasty lunch. Drained tuna, diced celery, red onion, mayonnaise, mustard and more are sandwiched with melted colby jack to create the most delicious and quick sandwich.
I am a lover of all sandwiches; I love everything from French Dip Sandwiches, Grinder Sandwich to this Jerk Chicken Sandwich. Last year, I created a Sandwich Series on Instagram this tuna melt was one of the most engaged with videos. Why? Because everyone loves a tuna melt!
Ingredients You’ll Need for a Tuna Melt
- Tuna. I love pole-caught canned tuna in water (vs. olive oil). I find it a bit lighter in flavor. Olive oil-packed tuna is a bit too rich for me!
- Mayonnaise. I love mayonnaise because it adds the perfect amount of creaminess.
- Celery. We need crunch and texture.
- Fresh herbs. Dill is the herb of choice for a tuna melt.
- Lemon. This adds the ideal amount of acidity and freshness.
- Red Onion. Adds the perfect bite.
- Tomato. Some people don’t believe in adding sliced tomato to their tuna melts. I do!
- Softened butter. This gives our bread the perfect crust and savoriness.
For the rest of the ingredients, please see the recipe index card below!
How to Make a Tuna Melt
- In a large bowl, add in the tuna, diced celery, red onion, dill, mayonnaise, mustard and salt and black pepper.
- Mix everything together until thoroughly combined.
3. Place the tomatoes on a bed of paper towels. And sprinkle with salt. I find that this makes them release some of their moisture.
4. Smother the outside of the bread with the softened butter.
5. Build the sandwich. Flip the bread slices over and add a few scoops of tuna to one slice of bread. Top with two slices of tomato, two slices of cheese and add the second half of bread on top.
6. Place a pan on medium heat and add the sandwich to the pan.
7. Cook on both sides for 2 to 3 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the outside of the bread is golden brown.
Recipe Tip
Olive oil vs. water packed tuna. You can absolutely use either. I find that when I use olive oil packed tuna, it’s a bit too rich for me to also use mayonnaise. Feel free to leave out the mayonnaise and add the rest of the ingredients. Or add half the mayonnaise!
Recipe FAQs
I think sourdough is ideal. Other good options would be white pullman bread or a seeded wheat sourdough.
Absolutely. I would probably add a bit of olive oil and a bit more lemon juice to ensure that it doesn’t taste dry.
Yep! I think pepper jack, cheddar and gouda would all be delicious options.
More Sandwich Recipes You’ll Love
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Tuna Melt
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tomato, sliced and salted (put it on a paper towel so it drains a bit of its liquid)
- 2 ribs celery, finely diced
- 1/4 red onion, peeled and finely minced
- 3 tablespoons minced dill
- 1 can tuna
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- Freshly ground pepper
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Bread of choice, (I used a sourdough)
- 2 slices colby jack, (or cheese of choice)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature (for the bread)
Instructions
- On a few sheets of paper towel, add the tomato slices. Sprinkle with salt and allow to sit until their moisture has been release, just until youโre done with making the tuna salad.
- In a medium bowl, combine the celery, red onion, dill, tuna, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, lots of black pepper and a pinch of salt.
- Mix together and adjust the salt to your liking. Butter two slices of bread and then flip them over. Add the tuna to one half of the bread, top with a few slices of tomato and two slices of cheese.
- Add the other half of bread and transfer to a pan set over medium heat. Cook until the bread is toasted and golden brown; flip and cook on the opposite side for an additional minute or so. Repeat with the second sandwich. Slice both in half and enjoy.
Notes
- Olive oil vs. water packed tuna. You can absolutely use either. I find that when I use olive oil packed tuna, it’s a bit too rich for me to also use mayonnaise. Feel free to leave out the mayonnaise and add the rest of the ingredients. Or add half the mayonnaise!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
*This post was originally posted on July 22nd, 2013 but has since been updated with a new recipe, photos and copy.
I love adding some canned Ortega diced green chiles to my tuna. I also just discovered Layโs Truffle & Sea Salt potato chips. Perfect on top.
My favorite tuna salad recipe. I tried it before assembling the sandwich and it was AMAZING.
Speed up your onion caramelization by adding a bit of sugar!
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2013/03/french-onion-tart-uk-cookbook-release/ (check out the response to Marina’s post)
I have always loved potato chips on my sandwiches, especially P.B & J……but not the vinegar ones. (shiver) That being said, my husband loved these tuna melts and he has always been of the opinion that you can’t improve on basic tuna, celery and mayo on a sandwich. Trust me, I’ve tried tuna casseroles and other tuna melts. THIS one made him come back for seconds, hooray! P.S. I loved it, too.
Oh! Hooray! This makes me so happy. So glad he loved it. And glad you loved it too! x
Best recipe name ever, right there. I’m also wondering why I never put salt and vinegar chips on my tuna melts!
This sounds sooooo good! Apple? Caramelized onions? Hell yes. And tuna is totally on my Healthy List.
You are so cute — I was the kid eating my “disgusting” egg salad sandwich on whole wheat and desparately coveting a Lunchable, a pudding cup, a soda. Our moms did us some pretty good favors back then, even though it sucked at the time! ๐
I recently found out that crushed up potato chips are ESSENTIAL for a Colombian hot dog. I had had chips on sandwiches as a kid, but I thought that was just a silly thing that kids did. I am happy to know that there are adults who still do this and even HAPPIER to know that an entire country knows what’s up when it comes to crushed up chips as a condiment for street food. YUM!