The Best Tuna Melt Recipe
The best tuna melt isn’t a sandwich at your local diner or deli, but this version you can make at home! Featuring perfectly flavored tuna salad, thinly sliced sourdough bread and melty Havarti cheese, you’ll never need to order this comforting sandwich out again.
My household loves a good tuna melt.
A crusty piece of bread, perfectly toasted, well seasoned tuna salad, and melted cheese.
What’s not to love?
And there’s no need to wait until your next trip to your local deli or diner to have one.
This is one of our favorite easy lunches and dinners.
What is a tuna melt made of?
A tuna melt is basically a grilled cheese sandwich with a flavored tuna mix added to it.
It’s a diner and deli classic!
Ingredients
To make it you’ll need a set of ingredients for the tuna and another for assembling the melts.
To make the tuna you’ll need:
- Albacore tuna– Canned albacore tuna has a milder less fishy taste than regular chunk tuna. Make sure you get the kind packed in water and drain the can.
- Tuna– A small can of tuna packed in water, drained.
- Dijon– Creates the base for the dressing.
- Seasonings– Minced garlic, fresh chopped Italian parsley, fresh chopped chives, dried tarragon, and salt and pepper
- Lemon– Both the juice and zest
To assemble the tuna melts you’ll need:
- Bread– Sourdough
- Cheese– I recommend Havarti for its mild flavor and butteriness. But you could substitute cheddar or Swiss if you prefer.
- Butter– Melted for toasting the bread.
How to Make
There’s a reason why tuna melts are one of our go to easy meals!
They are just so easy!
To make them, start by mixing together all the ingredients for the tuna in a mixing bowl until evenly combined.
Set the tuna mixture aside.
Then brush the bread evenly with melted butter on one side.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat until it is nice and hot.
When it’s hot, add two slices of bread to the skillet, buttered side down.
Top the slices of bread with 1/4 of the tuna mixture, spreading it out to to cover the bread.
Then top the the tuna mixture with two slices of cheese to cover it totally.
Close the sandwiches with the another slice of bread on each, buttered side out.
Flip the tuna melts when the first side is golden brown and continue cooking until the second side is golden and the cheese has melted.
Transfer the cooked tuna melts to a waiting plate and repeat with the other two sandwiches.
Serve and enjoy!
What can I use in a tuna melt instead of mayo?
This recipe uses absolutely no mayo so it’s a bit lighter than some others.
Instead of mayo, it uses zippy dijon mustard.
What to Serve with Tuna Melts
At a deli or diner, tuna melts often come with a side of fries or potato chips.
We often serve it with fries or a side salad for some veggie action.
What cheese goes with tuna?
This recipe use havarti cheese which is similar to Monterey jack.
But other cheese that pairs well with tuna and tastes yummy in tuna melts includes:
- cheddar
- provolone
- Swiss
Storing Leftovers
I don’t recommend storing leftover assembled tuna melts.
They will get soggy in the fridge.
If you know you aren’t going to make 4 sandwiches, I recommend storing the tuna mixture in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Tips and Tricks
- The bread and cheese are my recommendations. You can substitute the type of each for whatever you like or have on hand.
- Sometimes, especially in the summer when I have tons of fresh tomatoes, I add slices of fresh tomatoes on top of the tuna and under the cheese.
- You can adjust the seasoning in the tuna to suit your tastes.
Other Tuna Melt Recipes
The best tuna melt is a classic diner and deli favorite that you can make right at home.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other ways to enjoy tuna melt flavors in different dishes?
Try these:
If you’ve tried this THE BEST TUNA MELT, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
The Ultimate Tuna Melt
Ingredients
- 1 12 oz can albacore tuna in water drained
- 1 5 oz can tuna in water drained
- 2 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 packed tbsp minced garlic
- 2 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1 1/2 tbsp chopped chives
- 2 tsp dried tarragon
- 2 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- pinch lemon zest
- salt & pepper to taste
- 8 slices Havarti cheese
- 8 slices sour dough bread thinly sliced from a fresh loaf
- 2 tbsp melted butter for toasting
Instructions
- Add the tuna and all seasonings to a mixing bowl. Stir together until the fish is broken up and everything's evenly combined. Set aside.
- Baste the outsides of the bread evenly with melted butter.
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once hot place two slices of the bread buttered side down in the center of the skillet.
- Top each bread with 1/4 of the tuna mixture, spreading it out gently to cover. Add two slices of cheese to cover each.
- Top with the additional slice of bread facing buttered side out. Cook just until golden brown and the cheese is melted, then carefully flip and repeat.
- Transfer to a waiting plate, and repeat until all the sandwiches are cooked.
- Slice in half and serve warm.
Notes
- The bread and cheese are my recommendations. You can substitute the type of each for whatever you like or have on hand.
- Sometimes, especially in the summer when I have tons of fresh tomatoes, I add slices of fresh tomatoes on top of the tuna and under the cheese.
- You can adjust the seasoning in the tuna to suit your tastes.
