🥪 Tuna melt
A tuna melt is a hot sandwich of tuna mixed with mayonnaise and chopped onion, topped with cheddar and griddled between slices of bread until the cheese melts and the bread turns crisp. It is rich, creamy and savoury, with a gooey centre and a toasted crust. It is a classic of American diners and lunch counters, often served open-faced or cut in half.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 160 g drained canned tuna
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
- 4 slices bread
- 60 g cheddar, sliced or grated
- Black pepper
Method
- Mix the tuna with the mayonnaise, onion and pepper.
- Spread the tuna mixture over two slices of bread and cover with cheddar and the remaining bread.
- Cook in a dry pan over medium heat for 3–4 minutes per side, pressing lightly, until the bread is golden and the cheese has melted.
- Cut in half and serve hot.
How to make it lighter
- Use half the usual mayonnaise and loosen the tuna with a squeeze of lemon instead.
- Make it open-faced with one slice of bread to cut the bread calories roughly in half.
- A thin slice of strong cheddar gives as much flavour as a thick layer of mild cheese.
History
The tuna melt is a fixture of American diner menus, and its exact origin is unclear; a popular story credits a lunch counter in the mid-20th century, but this is not well documented. Today it is eaten across the United States and in many cafés abroad.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →