Nothing Beats This Classic Tuna Melt Recipe (2024)

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Fish
Tuna

This cheesy, toasty sandwich makes for the ultimate lunch or light dinner.

Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

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Updated September 26, 2023

11 Ratings

Nothing Beats This Classic Tuna Melt Recipe (3)

In This Recipe

How to Make Tuna Melts

Nothing Beats This Classic Tuna Melt Recipe (4)

The Best Tuna for Tuna Melts

Solid tuna canned in extra virgin olive oil makes the best tuna sandwich, melted or classic. The olive oil intensifies the tuna's flavor. If you don't like the taste of the oil the tuna is canned in, drain the oil and add your own extra virgin olive oil.

Likewise, if you can only find tuna canned in water, drain the liquid from the tuna and add a tablespoon or so of extra virgin olive oil. Chunk light tuna can make a mushy tuna salad, so look for solid tuna.

The brands of canned tuna we most often use are Wild Planet Albacore Solid Wild Tuna in Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Genova Yellowfin Tuna in Olive Oil. You can also find good options at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. It might take some experimenting before you find a brand you like.

The Best Bread for Tuna Melts

To ensure everything stays together when griddles, choose a fairly sturdy bread. We like a loaf of sliced French or Italian bread, though a sliced sourdough or country loaf is also a great choice.

The Secret to a Toasty Tuna Melt

A tuna melt is more or less a deluxe grilled cheese. Spread the outside of the bread with butter so it gets golden-brown and toasty in the skillet.

The other secret? Don't rush it! We all know how disappointing it is to burn a sandwich. Take it easy and use medium heat, which will get that bread nice and toasty—and melt that cheese—without burning the bread.

Swaps & Substitutions

Use fresh or dried dill instead of the tarragon.
Use Swiss, Havarti, provolone, muenster, or orange cheddar instead of the white cheddar cheese.
Use a minced shallot or sliced chives instead of the green onion.
Add some diced celery or water chestnuts for crunch.
Use sturdy rye or whole wheat bread.
Add a chopped hard boiled egg to the tuna salad.

More Easy Tuna Recipes

Tuna Macaroni Salad
Tuna Burgers with Dill Olive Mayo
Tuna Noodle Casserole from Scratch
Tuna Patties
Best Ever Tuna Salad

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

The Best-Ever Tuna Melt

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time8 mins

Total Time18 mins

Servings4 servings

Yield4 sandwiches

Ingredients

1 thinly sliced green onion, including the greens
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves, or 2 teaspoons dried tarragon, crumbled
Zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 (6-ounce) cans solid white tuna, well drained and flaked
8 slices French or Italian loaf bread (or your favorite bread), sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 thinly sliced tomato (8 slices)
4 ounces grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons softened butter

Method

Make the tuna mixture:
Mix the green onion, parsley, tarragon, lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, black pepper, and mayonnaise in a medium sized bowl. Add the drained tuna, mixing with a fork to break up the flakes.
Prepare the tuna melts for the griddle:
Lay out four slices of bread. Divide the tuna mixture evenly onto the slices. Top each bread slice with tomato slices and grated cheese. Spread one side of the remaining four bread slices with butter. Place bread slices, buttered side up, on top of the cheese.
Cook tuna melts on the first side:
Heat a large griddle on medium heat (or a couple of cast iron skillets). Place the sandwiches, buttered side down, onto the hot griddle. Gently spread butter on top of the bread slices. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until nicely browned on one side.
Flip and cook the other side:
Use a metal spatula to lift up the sandwiches and carefully turn them to the other side. Cook for another 3 minutes or so, until the second side is browned.
Serve immediately.
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Tuna
Kid-Friendly
Cheddar Cheese

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
563	Calories
33g	Fat
32g	Carbs
33g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	563
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 33g	43%
Saturated Fat 12g	61%
Cholesterol 87mg	29%
Sodium 989mg	43%
Total Carbohydrate 32g	12%
Dietary Fiber 3g	9%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 33g
Vitamin C 13mg	65%
Calcium 318mg	24%
Iron 4mg	20%
Potassium 416mg	9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.