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Home » Recipes & Tips » Easy Tuna Melt Recipe

Easy Tuna Melt Recipe

02/27/18 | 30 Minutes or Less, Main Dish, Recipes & Tips

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This easy tuna melt recipe is so simple to throw together and makes the perfect lunch. Filling, flavorful, and great to make ahead - toss some tuna melts together and you're a few minutes away from a delicious meal! #lunch #easylunch #quicklunch #quickmeal #tunamelt #tuna #tunasandwich #tunameltrecipeThis easy tuna melt recipe is so simple to throw together and makes the perfect lunch. Filling, flavorful, and great to make ahead - toss some tuna melts together and you're a few minutes away from a delicious meal! #lunch #easylunch #quicklunch #quickmeal #tunamelt #tuna #tunasandwich #tunameltrecipeThis easy tuna melt recipe is so simple to throw together and makes the perfect lunch. Filling, flavorful, and great to make ahead - toss some tuna melts together and you're a few minutes away from a delicious meal! #lunch #easylunch #quicklunch #quickmeal #tunamelt #tuna #tunasandwich #tunameltrecipe

A classic tuna melt is an easy recipe that is as nostalgic as it is classic. This sandwich is truly delicious, made with toasted bread, melted cheese, and a simple tuna salad filling.

Even if you’re serving a crowd, this recipe will work. The sandwiches are toasted in the oven all at the same time so everything comes together at once.

Stack of two tuna melt sandwiches on a brown paper with two pickles.

What is a Melt?

A “melt” sandwich is a hot sandwich similar to a grilled cheese but with added fillings that are usually made with a mayo or mustard base. In our case, we have a mayo-based tuna filling. These sandwiches can be served open-faced or closed face (meaning with or without a top slice of bread). 

Classic Tuna Melt Ingredients

For the Tuna Filling, you will need:

  • Canned tuna
  • Mayonnaise
  • Green onion
  • Pickle juice
  • Salt
  • Pepper

For the Sandwiches, you will need:

  • Hamburger buns
  • Sliced cheese
  • For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.
Chopped pickle, chopped, red pepper, and chopped green onion on a white cutting board for easy tuna melt recipe.
Adding mayo to the mix for easy tuna melt recipe.
Pouring pickle juice into the tuna melt recipe tuna mix.

How to Make a Tuna Melt

  • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Prepare the tuna filling by mixing together all of the ingredients until well combined.
  • Place a bottom hamburger bun piece onto a piece of foil and then top the bun with about ¼ cup of tuna filling.
  • Top with a slice of cheese and the top hamburger bun.
  • Bring the sides of the foil up and wrap the sandwich completely.
  • Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
  • Serve and enjoy! 
Spoon putting easy tuna melt recipe on a bottom hamburger bun.
A bun topped with easy tuna melt recipe being topped with two slices of Monterey jack cheese.

Tuna Melt Variations

  • Use homemade pickles. I like to make my own pickles using my friend Melissa’s Quick Pickled Cucumbers Recipe. It’s fast and simple if you need a jar of pickles but don’t want to make a trip to the store. It’s also insanely delicious!
  • Different Cheeses. I like Monterey Jack cheese on this tuna melt recipe, but just use whatever cheese floats your boat. No hard and fast rules here.

Farmstead Recipe Tips for Classic Tuna Melts

  • You can really use any veggies that you want, but I really like the slight sweetness of the pickles with the pepper and the mild flavor of the green onions.
  • Adding in a tablespoon of pickle juice really helps to change up this filling for the better.
Top view of a stack of two tuna melt sandwiches on a brown paper with two pickles.

What to Serve With Tuna Melts

  • Homemade Mac and Cheese
  • Frozen Carrots and Peas
  • Crispy Potato Wedges
  • Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
  • Pastina
  • Spinach Salad
  • Cherry Tomato Salad
  • Macaroni Salad Recipe
  • Best Twice Baked Potatoes
  • Oven Roasted Cauliflower
What cheese should I use for a tuna melt?

You can use just about any cheese your heart desires, but some of the most common pairings to go with tuna include cheddar, Monterey jack, asiago cheese, Colby jack cheese, and swiss. Even a jalapeno jack cheese would be nice if you want a subtle kick of heat in every bite.

What is the best tuna for a tuna melt?

I recommend sticking with any canned tuna (the kind that is in water, not oil). You will drain the water before using the tuna. Fresh tuna will not do well in these sandwiches, and the oil tuna is usually pretty greasy and can change the consistency of the filling as well.

Are tuna melts healthy?

Tuna melts are reasonably healthy. As always, food doesn’t have morals and isn’t good or bad. If you’d like to eat a tuna melt, eat one.

Two whole tuna melt sandwiches stacked with a half of a tuna melt sandwich on the top.
Stack of two tuna melt sandwiches on a brown paper with two pickles.
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Easy Tuna Melt Recipe

This easy tuna melt recipe is so simple to throw together and makes the perfect lunch. Filling, flavorful, and great to make ahead – toss some tuna melts together and you’re a few minutes away from a delicious meal!
Prevent your screen from going dark
Course lunch, Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword easy tuna melt, tuna melt recipe, tuna melt sandwich
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 6 sandwiches
Calories 309kcal
Author Alli
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Equipment

  • Redmond Real Salt

Ingredients

For the Tuna Filling

  • 10 ounces tuna two small cans, drained
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons dill pickles chopped
  • 1/3 cup red pepper chopped, about half of a pepper
  • 2 tablespoons green onion chopped
  • 1 tablespoon pickle juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper or to taste

For the Sandwiches

  • 6 hamburger buns
  • 6 slices cheese Monterey jack, or your favorite
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

For the Tuna Filling

  • Combine all ingredients except cheese. Mix well. 

To Assemble

  • On a piece of aluminum foil, place about 1/4 cup of the filling onto the bottom hamburger bun. 
  • Top with cheese and the top hamburger bun. 
  • Wrap in the aluminum foil. 
  • Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. 

Video

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Nutrition

Calories: 309kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 831mg | Potassium: 190mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 600IU | Vitamin C: 11.5mg | Calcium: 287mg | Iron: 2.5mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @longbournfarm or tag #longbournfarm!

Comments | 1 comment

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Comments

  1. Alli says

    March 14, 2018 at 10:04 AM

    5 stars
    Such a delicious and easy meal!

    Reply

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Hi, Friend!


Alli Kelley is an Agriculture focused entrepreneur. She runs a successful food blog, a consulting and coaching business, and all the social media connected with an online presence.

She also owns and operates a small, diversified farmstead where she enjoys home improvement projects, experimenting in the garden, creating profitable mini businesses on the farm, and of course, riding her big grey horse, Zane.
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