Easy Tuna Melts

Easy Tuna Melts prepared open faced with albacore tuna on crusty bread and broiled in the oven. An easy and customizable lunch recipe that kids and adults love! 

Are you looking for more quick and easy sandwich or lunch recipes?  You might love Chicken Cashew Wraps, Italian Grilled Cheese,  or Tuna Pasta Salad.

Easy Tuna Melts

As much as I love to cook, lunchtime is always the busiest part of the day at our house and I’m constantly trying to think of easy but delicious lunch or sandwich ideas for me and my toddler. Some of my go-to’s are Tomato Basil Mozzarella Toast and Cashew Chicken Wraps, or these easy Tuna Melts!

How to Make a Tuna Melt:

• Make the filling.  Combine tuna, onion, mayo, lemon juice, oregano and salt and pepper.
• Layer the toppings. Spoon the tuna mixture on the bread and top with cheese, avocado, and/or tomato.
• Broil on high until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Feel free to mix it up! Here are some more fun adaptions to a traditional Tuna Melt:

• Use your favorite kind of cheese–pepper jack, American, or any kind will work!
• Change the bread.  Crusty artisan bread is especially delicious but you could wheat, white, sourdough or rye bread would all be delicious substitutions.
• Add fun toppings! You can keep it simple with tuna and cheese or jazz it up by adding tomato, avocado, bacon, sprouts, jalapeños or hot sauce!
• Make it a sandwich instead of an open faced tuna melt.

Does tuna go with cheese?

Definitely!  Tuna and cheese are like spaghetti and meatballs; born to be a pair! One of my kids favorite easy dinners is this Tuna Noodle Casserole that’s topped with parmesan cheese.

Tip for perfect Tuna Melts:

1. Use high quality tuna. White Albacore tuna, packed in water is my preferred choice for tuna melts!  The higher quality the tuna, the tastier the tuna melt, so don’t go cheap here.
2. Drain well! Be sure to drain the can of tuna really well before making the filling. This will help you avoid a strong “fishy” flavor that no one likes in their tuna melt.

Check out my other sandwich/wrap recipes:  Some of my favorites include:

• Italian Grilled Cheese
• Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches
• Cashew Chicken Wraps

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5 from 1 vote

Kicked-Up Tuna Melts

Easy Tuna Melts are made open faced with albacore tuna on crusty bread, broiled in the oven. An easy lunch recipe that kids and adults love!

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time5 mins

Total Time10 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 325kcal

Author: Lauren Allen

Ingredients

• 12 ounces canned albacore white tuna, packed in water , drained
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise , more to taste (or substitute half mayo, half plain Greek yogurt)
• 1/4 cup red onion , finely chopped (or yellow onion)
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• pinch dried oregano leaves
• salt and pepper , to taste
• 4 slices crusty bread
• 4 slices cheese , cheddar or provolone
• avocado , optional, for topping
• tomato , optional , for topping

Instructions

• Turn oven to Broil on High.
• In a medium bowl, combine tuna, mayonnaise, onion, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and oregano and stir until thoroughly combined.
• Arrange bread on a baking sheet and smooth a big spoonful of tuna mixture onto each slice.   
• Top with thin slices of tomato or avocado, if desired, and then a slice of cheese. 
• Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Nutrition

Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 721mg | Potassium: 272mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 300IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 279mg | Iron: 1.9mg

Have you tried this recipe?!

RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.

*I originally shared this recipe in August 2014. Updated May 2019.