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    Posted In: Sandwiches & Sliders
    March 18, 2022 — by Julie — 2 Comments

    Home » Sandwiches & Sliders » Air Fryer Tuna Melt

    Air Fryer Tuna Melt

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    Air fryer tuna melt is an easy recipe that your entire family will love. It’s crispy, cheesy, and buttery – ready in under 15 minutes.

    air fryer tuna melt sandwiches on a white plate.

    Easy Air Fryer Tuna Melt

    Growing up I ate tuna melt sandwiches and tuna melt sliders every weekend. It was my mom’s go-to meal because it was delicious and super easy to make. The key to a perfect tuna melt is choosing really good fresh bread. The bread will either make it or break it. I like using sourdough or rye bread but you can use whatever you have on hand, just make sure it’s fresh.

    Ingredient Notes

    Canned Tuna – I really like albacore tuna packed in olive oil.

    Bread – Sourdough or rye bread works best for this recipe.

    Cheese – Sliced cheddar cheese is what I like to use for tuna melts but feel free to use any type of cheese. American cheese, Colby Jack, or swiss works too.

    Mayo – Hellmann’s mayo is what I recommend.

    ingredients for tuna melt sandwich.

    How To Make

    1. Start by draining the canned tuna and breaking it up with a fork.
    2. Add the mayo, lemon juice, sweet relish, mustard, salt, and pepper, and mix well. Check for seasoning. If the tuna is a bit dry, add more mayo.
    3. Spread about 1 tbsp of softened butter on one side of each slice of bread.
    4. Add two slices of cheese on each slice of bread, add about 1/2 cup of the tuna salad on top of the bread, and then cover with the other slice of bread.
    5. Place the tuna melt sandwich in the air fryer basket and cook at 400 degrees F for 6 minutes. Once the 6 minutes are up, flip the sandwich and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
    tuna melt sandwich in the air fryer basket.

    Top Tips

    • If you’re not a fan of mayo, you can use plain yogurt instead.
    • Make sure to season the tuna salad with salt and pepper.
    • Feel free to add finely diced celery or scallions to the tuna mixture.
    • Serve the sandwich with chips, pickles, and deviled egg pasta salad.
    • Allow the sandwich to cool for 4-5 minutes before slicing into it.
    two tuna melt sandwiches.

    How Long To Cook?

    The bread slices I used for this recipe were pretty big so it took 9 minutes total to cook perfectly. If using white sandwich bread, check the tuna melt at the 4-minute mark because it may cook a lot quicker.

    Can I Make This Without An Air Fryer?

    Yes, place the sandwich on a cold skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side over medium-low heat.

    More Recipes You’ll Enjoy

    • Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
    • Fried Fish Sandwiches
    • Air Fryer Grilled Ham and Cheese
    • Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

    Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. And consider following me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

    air fryer tuna melt sandwiches on a white plate.

    Air Fryer Tuna Melt

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 9 minutes
    Total Time: 14 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 393kcal
    Author: Julie Maestre
    Air fryer tuna melt is an easy recipe that your entire family will love. It's crispy, cheesy, and ready in under 15 minutes.

    Equipment

    • air fryer

    Ingredients

    • 2 5 ounce cans of tuna drained
    • 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp mayo
    • 1 tbsp sweet relish
    • 1 tsp dijon mustard
    • 1 tsp lemon juice
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • 4 tbsp unsalted butter softened
    • 4 slices sourdough or rye bread
    • 4-8 slices cheese

    Instructions

    • Start by draining the canned tuna and breaking it up with a fork. 
    • Add the mayo, lemon juice, sweet relish, mustard, salt, and pepper, and mix well. Check for seasoning. If the tuna is a bit dry, add more mayo. 
    • Spread about 1 tbsp of softened butter on one side of each slice of bread. 
    • Add two slices of cheese on each slice of bread, add about 1/2 cup of the tuna salad on top of the bread, and then cover with the other slice of bread. 
    • Place the tuna melt sandwich in the air fryer basket butter-side-down and cook at 400 degrees F for 5 minutes. Once the 5 minutes are up, flip the sandwich and cook for an additional 3 minutes. 

    Notes

    The bread slices I used for this recipe were pretty big so it took 9 minutes total to cook perfectly. If using white sandwich bread, check the tuna melt at the 4-minute mark because it may cook a lot quicker.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 393kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 451mg | Potassium: 72mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 687IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 239mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookedbyjulie or tag #cookedbyjulie!

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    Filed Under: Sandwiches & Sliders

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    Comments

    1. Mari says

      March 18, 2022 at 5:16 pm

      5 stars
      Wow, I loved these growing up, and I can’t wait to make them this weekend. Thank you for a quick and easy recipe. I don’t know why I never thought of using the air fryer, but it’s a great idea. It looks delicious and will be a big hit with my oldest son. He and I are the only ones in the family that like tuna.

      Reply
      • Julie says

        March 19, 2022 at 10:37 am

        I hope you and your family love this recipe Mari 🙂

        Reply

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