This classic tuna melt recipe delivers everything the sandwich promises: creamy tuna salad tucked between crisp, buttery bread, with fully melted cheese holding it all together.
A few nonnegotiables make this the best version. The cheese should be melted until truly oozy; starting the sandwich cheese-side down guarantees it. American cheese is the gold standard, but cheddar works if that’s your lane. Crunch matters, too, which is why the tuna salad here leans hard on red onion and celery. Capers or pickled jalapeño add the briny hit a good tuna melt needs—no extra salt required. Serve with kettle chips (and a pickle if you’re smart) for a comforting sandwich that works just as well for lunch, dinner, or a late-night snack.
Tips & FAQs for a great tuna melt
- What’s the best cheese for a tuna melt?
American cheese melts the smoothest and creates the ooziest texture, but sharp cheddar is a solid alternative if you want more bite. - Should a tuna melt be open-faced or closed?
Both are classic. This recipe makes a closed sandwich for maximum crunch and melt, but you can go open-faced and broil it if you prefer. - How do you keep a tuna melt from getting soggy?
Crisp bread is key: Start the sandwich cheese-side down and cook until the bread is well toasted, then flip. - Do you need to add salt to tuna salad?
Not here. Pickled ingredients and seasoned Kewpie mayo provide enough salt and acidity. - What should you serve with a tuna melt?
Kettle chips are ideal; a dill pickle on the side is never wrong.
This recipe is part of Zaynab Issa’s Sehri menu for Ramadan. Find more of her pre-sunrise meal ideas right this way →
What you’ll need
The Best Canned Tuna: A Taste Test
Recipe information
Total Time
15 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
1
1
½
⅓
1
1
1
2
8
4
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Mix 1 small red onion, finely chopped, 1 celery stalk, finely chopped, ½ cup mayonnaise, ⅓ cup finely chopped dill, 1 Tbsp. drained capers or chopped pickled jalapeños, and 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice in a medium bowl until combined. Mix in one 7-oz. jar oil-packed tuna fillets or one and a half 5-oz. cans oil-packed tuna, drained, breaking up with a fork. Season generously with freshly ground pepper. Taste for salt and add up to 1 Tbsp. brine as needed.
Step 2
Spread 2 Tbsp. butter, room temperature, over one side of 8 slices Pullman or sourdough bread, dividing evenly. Turn slices buttered side down. Divide 4 slices American cheese or sharp cheddar among 4 slices of bread. Divide tuna mixture evenly over cheese. Close up sandwiches with remaining 4 bread slices, buttered side up.
Step 3
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium. Working in batches if needed, place sandwiches, cheese side down, in skillet and cook, turning once and pressing down with a fish spatula to ensure good contact with skillet, until bread is golden brown and crisp and cheese is melted, about 4 minutes per side (if using cheddar, cover pan after turning sandwiches to ensure cheese melts).
Step 4
Transfer sandwiches to a cutting board and slice in half. Serve with dill pickles and kettle-style potato chips doused with hot sauce.