Tuna Melt

Toasted, cheesy, and full of flavor. This easy tuna melt comes together fast for a comforting meal that everyone loves.

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American

Keyword classic tuna melt, easy tuna melt, how to make a tuna melt, open faced tuna melt, tuna melt recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 25

Servings people

Calories 330kcal

3 (5 ounce) cans tuna fish in water, drained really well and flaked (we like solid white albacore tuna in water)
¾ cup finely diced celery
½ cup mayonnaise
1 ½ tablespoons sweet pickle relish (or sub with dill pickle relish)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste

Prepare the tuna salad by stirring together tuna, celery, mayonnaise, pickle relish, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Use right away, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
Preheat a large skillet or griddle over medium-low heat.
Butter one side of each slice of bread. Flip over four of the bread slices and top with the tuna mixture. Add tomato slices (if using), top each with a slice of cheese, then cover with the remaining slices of bread, buttered-side up.
Add the sandwiches to the preheated skillet and cook until the bottom bread is golden brown and toasted. Flip and cook on the other side until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted. Turn the heat to low if the outside of the sandwich starts to get too dark before the cheese melts.
Remove the sandwiches to a cutting board, slice in half, and serve.

Use solid white albacore tuna for best flavor and texture.
Drain tuna well.
Layer tomato beneath cheese to reduce sogginess.
For an open-faced option, toast bread or an English muffin first, top with tuna, tomato, and cheese, then broil until the cheese melts.
Swap in Swiss, provolone, or American cheese.
Serve warm; don’t refrigerate assembled melts.
Add herbs or lemon juice for extra flavor.
Leftovers: Reheat in oven, not microwave.