This recipe for tuna melt is dedicated to all the cooks who insist that you should never, ever combine fish and cheese, yet still show up at the cafe at 2:00 in the morning. And what do they eat, exactly? Melting tuna. They do so because they are wonderful, of course.
| Prep Time: | 15 mins |
| Cook Time: | 10 mins |
| Total Time: | 25 mins |
| Servings: | 2 |
Ingredients
- 1 (6.5 ounce) jar oil-packed tuna, drained
- 2 tablespoons finely diced celery
- 1 tablespoon minced green onion
- 2 teaspoons capers, drained
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon Asian chile paste (such as sambal oelek)
- ⅓ cup fresh mozzarella cheese
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons softened butter, divided
- 2 thick slices French bread
- ¼ cup shredded sharp white Cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Place tuna into a mixing bowl and lightly break it apart with a fork. Add celery, green onion, capers, mayonnaise, and chile paste. Pinch in small pieces mozzarella and stir to mix. Season with salt and black pepper; refrigerate tuna salad until needed.
- Preheat the oven’s broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Spread butter generously on both sides of French bread slices.
- Broil buttered bread until golden brown on top, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip bread slices and broil other side until toasted, 2 to 3 more minutes. Remove from the oven and turn bread slices over on the baking sheet so the darkest sides are on the bottom.
- Gently spread tuna salad onto bread slices using 2 forks. Press the salad onto the bread and spread tuna all the way to the edges of the bread. Spread shredded Cheddar over each sandwich. Dust tops with cayenne pepper.
- Place sandwiches under the broiler and cook until cheese is melted and bubbling, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Use a baking dish underneath your sheet pan if you need to move your food slightly closer to the broiler flame.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 594 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 23 g |
| Cholesterol | 82 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Protein | 36 g |
| Saturated Fat | 16 g |
| Sodium | 918 mg |
| Sugars | 2 g |
| Fat | 40 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
We absolutely LOVED this recipe!! Made as written, Exellent!!
While the recipe seems obvious, this has some great tips to keep your bread from getting soggy and give the tuna salad a nice flavor! We skipped the onion b/c we just don’t care for it but everything was delicious and it’s a great way to make multiple sandwiches at one time!
Yup, agree with the other reviewers, excellent.
Chef John! It’s rare a recipe of yours doesn’t please my pallet and this tuna melt is no exception!! I had a 12oz can of tuna so I doubled and used red onion vs green. Since doubled, I also used two left over ciabatta buns and 2 pieces of Texas Toast. I didn’t go grocery shopping yet so I had to use whats left of my cheese, which includes sharp cheddar, provolone and sliced pepper Jack. All amazing and would absolutely make this again! Delicious! Thank you for yet another winner recipe!
This is a great recipe and you can tweak it all kinds of ways like we did, and it still will be good! We only had light tuna in water (I drained it) and skipped the chili paste, cayenne pepper, and mozzarella. I drained the capers and it was not too salty. I used red onions instead of green, shredded yellow cheddar, and regular old country white sandwich bread. Also doubled the celery, onion, and mayo. Sorry I changed so much, Chef John! Just working with what I had on hand, and it was still yum!
I don’t like capers so I left them out. It had just the right “bite” to it. I recommend using Wild Planet tuna.
This was amazing. My husband loves the old tuna on a hamburger bun with a slice of american cheese, but I don’t. I tried this and he and I were both extremely satisfied. The only thing I didn’t add was the cayenne pepper.
I enjoy an occasional tuna melt and so does my family…your recipe is great! The person not liking your voice?? I might mention you have the option of not watching them, right? Personally, I ❤ watching Chef John’s videos. I make and enjoy 95% of his recipies, enjoy his funny comments & “and as always…enjoy” all bring a smile to my face
Recipe is good except for treatment of bread. Tuna melt should be crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle. Broil one side of 1 slice of bread, tuna salad on top of unbroiled side, 45 sec. in microwave on high, then add cheese and put under broiler with second slice of bread next to it. When cheese is melted and 2nd slice toasted on one side, pull tuna melt out and put 2nd slice on top, broiled side out. Voila! Crunchy *and* chewy! Ps. Butter not needed. jPPs. Sharon Girton needs to chill out. Recipe makes TWO servings (sandwiches). Nutrition percentages should be cut in half.
Chef John, you rock!
This recipe is delicious! It’s quick, easy and a great change up to the tuna sandwich!
So good! I did forget to add the celery but it was delicious anyway.
One of my new favorites!! I have tried different cheeses and also used shredded chicken. Both are delicious! They’re even good the next day as I make extra so I can take some to work. Nom nom nom!!
Wow! This is easily the best tuna melt I’ve ever had. Creamy deliciousness. The capers and Sambal put it over the top. I used light canned tuna in water instead of the expensive jarred stuff with olive oil.
Followed the recipe as written. Easy to prepare – delicious and satisfying to eat. I’ll make this again.
I thought it was fantastic! I had some leftover seared ahi from last night. Cubed it and did the recipe. Delicious.
This is a wonderful recipe! Chef John’s videos make cooking fun and simplified. I omit the capers, and toast the bread first, then butter them instead of broiling it. It says time and energy.
I thought it was ‘good’-but just not a ‘5 Star Recipe’. I won’t make it again. Nothing wrong with it specifically-just did not love it.
I’ve been making this recipe for about 6 months after never having eaten a tuna melt. My whole family loves this, though I leave out the chili sauce (we live in a rural setting so little access save for online). After making the recipe as is, I tried making it like I do my grilled cheese sandwiches. Just as good! I’ll save the as is recipe for nights when I’ve got a bit more time; buttering sandwich bread and frying on the stovetop saves time in a crunch. Thanks Chef John for another spectacular recipe!
To those of you who posted hateful things like “I don’t like his voice”. I have used several of Chef John’s receipes of the years. I find them to be wonderful, easy and if I may say so – his style and recipes seem to be for the everyday common people. His voice and style are part of the package and it has made him successful. He seems like a really nice person. So if you are going to post ridiculous things like “his voice annoys me”. Then don’t bother to post anything. Chef John: My wife and I have enjoyed your recipes for years. Thanks for bringing joy into our lives through food and a little humor and style.
EXCELLENT!!! made mine on sourdough