This tuna melt sandwich is packed with two types of canned tuna fish and all sorts of pickled veggies, layered with cheese, and perfectly toasted on the griddle. A classic griddle sandwich recipe that’s perfect for a quick lunch or weeknight dinner!
You may be wondering why we’re devoting an entire recipe post (and an entire YouTube video) to making a humble tuna fish sandwich, probably one of the most basic griddle sandwich recipes that you could ever make.
But our tuna melt is anything but boring. This ain’t your grandma’s tuna-and-mayo on plain white bread situation.
In fact, we emphasize the word “salad” in the phrase “tuna salad”, throwing in everything but the kitchen sink for add-ins. The result is a tuna fish sandwich that’s packed with flavor and hearty enough for a dinner.
What is a Tuna Melt?
A tuna melt is a classic diner sandwich made on a griddle or flat top grill. Typically consisting of tuna fish salad, melty cheese, and buttery toasted bread, this griddle sandwich is a favorite in our house – and it couldn’t be easier to make!
A Note on the Canned Tuna
For decades, all that I would eat was regular canned tuna in water. But then on a whim, I tried a better quality canned yellowfin tuna in olive oil, and I was forever changed. The richness of the added oil and the better quality fish makes all the difference – and it’s so good that we often eat it straight from the can. No mayo. No seasonings. Nada.
We really love the Genova brand of Premium Yellowfin Tuna in Olive Oil. It’s a pantry staple in our house.
When I’m making a large batch of tuna salad, like for these tuna melts, I like to combine a few different types of canned tuna for color and flavor variety. You can even mix a higher quality fish like albacore tuna with a less expensive can of regular tuna for a budget-friendly option.
For this tuna melt recipe, we used two cans of albacore tuna in water with one can of our favorite Genova yellowfin tuna. Feel free to use your favorite variety, or experiment with different brands and types of fish to see what you like best – you may find a new favorite!
Tuna Salad Mix-In Ideas
One thing I’ve learned in my culinary adventures (and from the comments section of YouTube) is that everyone has their favorite tuna salad recipe. Maybe you’re a “just tuna and mayo” purist, but me? I go all in on the extras.
Here’s a quick run-down of some of my favorite add-ins for the best tuna salad:
- Pickled sweet onions
- Sweet cherry peppers
- Pickled jalapeños
- Chopped dill pickles
- Banana peppers
- Hard boiled eggs
- Diced celery and onion
How to Make a Tuna Melt on the Griddle
Step 1: Make the tuna salad. Drain your canned tuna, unless you’re using tuna in olive oil, in which case a bit of leftover oil adds richness and flavor to your tuna salad. Then add the tuna to a mixing bowl with your choice of add-ins like onions, celery, chopped pickles, banana peppers, and hard boiled eggs. Mix in mayonnaise and mustard, and taste for seasoning. Add salt or pepper as needed.
Step 2: Heat the griddle up on low. The key to perfectly toasted bread is to keep your griddle or skillet temperature low. That way the bread has a chance to slowly toast to a crispy golden brown, rather than burning before the cheese on your sandwich is able to melt.
Depending on what griddle you have, you may need to only turn on one burner and cook off the heat to get a good low temperature. Or for the Blackstone, you may need to toast the sandwich on the side of the griddle, closer to the edge.
Step 3: Butter the bread. Butter one side of each piece of bread. Add a small amount of cooking oil to your heated griddle, and lay the bread butter-side down on the cooking surface to start toasting.
Step 4: Add cheese and tuna salad to the bread. Add 1-2 slices of cheese to one side of the bread. Adding the cheese first helps it to melt better, because it’s closer to the heat. Then scoop a generous portion of tuna fish on top of the cheese and spread it out evenly. Add the top piece of bread to the griddle to begin to toast.
Step 5: Toast the tuna melt until done. After a few minutes, or once the bread is lightly toasted, add the top piece of bread to the sandwich. Press down slightly but don’t squash the sandwich, or you’ll lose your tuna salad.
Cook until both sides of the sandwich are golden brown, carefully flipping as needed for even cooking.
Secrets to Bread that’s NOT Soggy
- Choose your bread wisely – A thicker sliced bread like a bakery-style sourdough or rye is better than a regular loaf of sandwich bread. Packaged loaf breads (like the kind you would use for a kid’s sandwich) are typically much moister and softer than fresh-baked bakery breads. Thin sandwich slices will fall apart and leave you with a soggy mess.
- Watch the amount of moisture in your tuna salad – Drain the tuna well, and start with a smaller amount of mayonnaise. You can always add more mayo as needed to get the right consistency.
- Keep cooking temperatures low – A low cooking temperature will gradually toast your bread, giving you the perfect crispy exterior. Higher cooking temperatures will burn the bread before the cheese has a chance to fully melt.
- Use butter and oil for pan or griddle toasting – Butter gives flavor, but oil gives crunch. Add a very thin layer of cooking oil to the heated cooking surface to lightly “fry” the bread for the most crispy tuna melt possible.
The Ultimate Tuna Melt Sandwich on the Griddle
Ingredients
- 15-18 oz canned tuna see notes
- ¼ cup pickled banana peppers drained and chopped
- 3 sweet cherry peppers from a jar, seeded and chopped
- ¼ cup dill pickles drained and chopped
- ⅓ cup sweet onion diced
- 3 hard boiled eggs peeled and chopped
- ½ cup mayonnaise see notes
- 1-2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 8 slices bread like sourdough, rye, or white bread
- 2-3 tablespoons butter room temperature
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 4 slices cheddar or Swiss cheese
- sliced tomato, sliced avocado, or cooked crispy bacon optional toppings
Instructions
- Make the tuna salad – Drain the canned tuna. Use a fork to flake the tuna into a large mixing bowl. Add banana peppers, sweet cherry peppers, dill pickles, diced onion, hard boiled eggs, mayonnaise, and mustard. Mix together well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add more mayo as needed.
- Heat a griddle or skillet on low heat. Add about 1 tablespoon oil to the heated surface and spread it around with your spatula. *The combination of oil with the buttered bread is unbeatable for fry-griddling toasty bread.
- Butter one side of each of the bread slices. Place the bread butter-side down on the griddle or in the skillet.
- Add one slice of cheese to the bottom piece of bread. Spoon a generous serving of tuna salad over the cheese and spread evenly. Add sliced tomato if using. Toast open-faced for 2-3 minutes for the top and bottom bread to start developing a golden color. Then, add the top piece of toast to the sandwich.
- Cook until both sides of the sandwich are golden brown and the cheese is melted, carefully flipping as needed for even cooking.
Notes
- For the canned tuna – We used two 7 oz cans of solid white Albacore tuna in water, plus one 5 oz can of yellowfin tuna in olive oil. Use your favorite tuna fish variety, adjusting the amount of mayo as needed depending on can sizes.
- For the mayonnaise – Full-fat mayo is recommended. Start with 1/2 cup and add more as needed.
- Keep griddle or skillet temperatures low – High heat will burn your bread before the cheese has a chance to melt. Low heat and patience is a must for the best toasty tuna melt.
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Made this recipe today 9/28-25 for lunch on homemade sourdough. Myself, wife, and kids left 0 crumbs on the plate! Simple and easy and not a time consuming recipe. 10/10 highly recommend this recipe!
Hi Andrew – so glad the family liked it! We like to keep a container of the tuna salad in the fridge for a few days to have for easy lunches too. Cheers!