This quick Tuna Melt Sandwich Recipe saves you so much time and tastes delicious. Instead of preparing the tuna filling, then assembling the sandwich and frying it, we're preparing the tuna filling while the bread and cheese are frying (I don't know why more people don't do this as it's such a great time-saving hack!!). The result is a deliciously speedy, easy tuna melt recipe I think you'll love!
Everyone has their own favourite tuna melt filling, so it may not come as a surprise to you that this recipe is my go-to. The filling is made from canned tuna, red onion, pickles, capers, pickled jalapeños, yogurt, mayonnaise, and honey. It's fresh, slightly crunchy, slightly spicy, slightly sweet...it's SO good.
If you're a fan of sandwiches, you'll love my crunchy chicken romesco recipe or my lazy hot honey chicken sandwich or marry me chicken chopped salad sandwich!!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Quick: because we're swapping around the cooking process, we're frying the bread with the cheese inside, while we make the tuna filling. Once the grilled cheese sandwich is cooked, we open up the sandwich and fill it with our crisp fresh tuna filling.
Delicious: you've got the perfect crunch, the perfect level of sweetness, the perfect level of spice and acidity in this recipe. I think you're going to love it.
You can make it healthier: the elements that are deemed not so healthy in this recipe are the mayonnaise and the fact that we're cooking the grilled cheese in butter and a bit of oil. So, to make this tuna melt healthy, simply swap out the mayonnaise for 0% fat yogurt and air fry your tuna melt with a light brushing of olive oil on the outside.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Sourdough bread: I love sourdough bread for a tuna melt. It creates the perfect type of crunch. Feel free to use wholegrain bread or panini too.
Cheese: we're using a combination of grated cheddar and mozzarella. If you want a cheese pull, mozzarella or gruyere are the best options. Other cheeses I love in this recipe are goats cheese or brie.
Canned tuna: canned tuna in spring water is always my go to. You could totally use canned salmon or mackerel for a different flavour and fish option.
Red onion: you want to finely chop these. You could also use shallots.
Pickled gherkins: these add acidity and sweetness. You could alternatively use pickled onions.
Pickled jalapeños: for a bit of spice and acidity. Alternatively, you could use pickled piquillo peppers.
Capers: these add saltiness. Feel free to leave out if you're not a fan.
Mayonnaise: adds fattiness, creaminess, and flavour. Just use yogurt if you'd like a healthier lower-fat option.
Yogurt: we're using low fat yogurt to add creaminess to our tuna melt filling.
Seasonings: paprika, black pepper, and salt based on your preferences.
Honey: this balances out the flavours and adds a touch of sweetness.
See the recipe card below for full list of ingredients.
Step by Step Instructions with Photos
Step 1: Get yourself two slices of sourdough bread and place a combination of grated mozzarella cheese and grated cheddar cheese in-between the slices.
Step 2: Place a frying pan or skillet on medium heat and add in a drizzle of vegetable oil and a spoonful of butter. Once melted, add in the cheese sandwich and fry for 4 minutes on each side (make sure to check the bread doesn't burn - reduce the heat if it's catching).
Step 3: Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the drained canned tuna, finely chopped red onion, finely chopped pickled gherkins, finely chopped pickled jalapeños, chopped capers, mayonnaise, yogurt, paprika, black pepper, and honey. Stir to combine and then taste. Adjust and season based on your preferences.
Step 4: Once your grilled cheese is golden brown on both sides, remove from the pan and pull apart the two pieces of bread - the cheese pull should be amazing! Place the tuna mixture on one side of the bread, then place the other piece of grilled cheese on top of the tuna mixture. Press to combine and seal, then slice in half and enjoy!
What To Do with Leftovers
Tuna filling: place any leftover tuna filling into airtight containers. Place into the fridge and use within 3 days.
Sourdough bread: place in paper or plastic bag and into a bread tin or the freezer.
Cooked tuna melt sandwich: leave to cool, then place in airtight Tupperware. Store in fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, place in the air fryer for 5 minutes at 180c or reheat in a frying pan with a teaspoon of oil on low heat for 3 minutes on each side.
FAQs
I love adding tabasco hot sauce for a bit of extra spice.
Use 0% fat yogurt in the sauce and no mayonnaise. Swap out the frying pan for air frying. Simply brush the grilled cheese with a bit of olive oil.
Panini, wholegrain, or any bread that can be sliced or fried as a sandwich. A baguette for example wouldn't work very easily!
More Recipes you Might Love
If you tried this Quick Tuna Melt Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thank you!
Quick Tuna Melt Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 slices of sourdough
- 2 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoon salted butter
- 2 tablespoon grated mozzarella
- 2 tablespoon grated cheddar cheese
- 130 g canned tuna 90g drained weight
- ½ red onion finely chopped (use less if you don't want too much red onion)
- 1 pickled gherkin finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon pickled jalapenos finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon capers finely chopped
- ½ tablespoon yogurt
- ½ tablespoon mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon honey
Instructions
- This recipe makes two tuna melt sandwiches. Lay down your slices of sourdough bread and place 1 tablespoon of grated mozzarella cheese and 1 tablespoon grated cheddar cheese in-between the slices for both sandwiches.
- Place a frying pan or skillet on medium heat and add in a drizzle of vegetable oil and a spoonful of butter. Once melted, add in the cheese sandwiches and fry for 4 minutes on each side (make sure to check the bread doesn't burn - reduce the heat if it's catching).
- Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the drained canned tuna, finely chopped red onion, finely chopped pickled gherkins, finely chopped pickled jalapeños, chopped capers, mayonnaise, yogurt, paprika, black pepper, and honey. Stir to combine and then taste. Adjust and season based on your preferences.
- Once your grilled cheese sandwiches are golden brown on both sides, remove from the pan and pull apart the two pieces of bread - the cheese pull should be amazing! Divide the tuna mixture between both sandwiches, on one side of the bread add the tuna, then place the other piece of grilled cheese on top of the tuna mixture (see images further up the blog for references). Press to combine and seal, then slice in half and enjoy!
Sarah
So good!