Simple Air Fryer Tuna Melt

4.70 / 5 ( 10 Reviews )
8 Comments Jump to Recipe

air fryer tuna melt

Easy Air Fryer Tuna Melt

With the weather heating up, the great outdoors might be beckoning you, and with this Air Fryer Tuna Melt, you can have the best sandwich with simple ingredients and the best taste in 15 minutes or less.

This easy, simple, and flavorful air fryer tuna melt hits the spot! Plus, you don’t need any more than a handful of ingredients to whip up this recipe in the air fryer!

Ingredients and supplies needed to make this Air Fryer Tuna Melt recipe?

tuna melt ingredients

The ingredients are so simple for this recipe! You can make this recipe as special or as simple as you want!

Ingredients

  • Can of tuna
  • Mayo
  • Dill Pickle relish or diced pickles, optional
  • Bread slices (any bread of your choice)
  • Tomato, sliced
  • Stick of butter
  • Cheese slices (of your favorite cheese)

Ingredient Notes

tuna melt

You don’t need to use tomatoes or pickles for this recipe. But they do add a nice flavor to the tuna melt!

You can use any flavor of cheese that you love best. Colby jack, cheddar cheese, and provolone cheese, or Swiss cheese are all great flavors.

Use any bread of choice or bread substitutes like tortillas, pita bread, English muffins, rye bread.

Add any additional ingredients that you love on tuna melts like onions or avocados.

Toppings or add-ins that go well with tuna salad sandwiches:

  • Chopped celery
  • Chopped red onion
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • Fresh lemon juice
  • Your favorite fresh herbs

air fryer tuna melt

Type of cheese to use for tuna melts:

Pick your favorite cheese and add it to your sandwich!

  1. Pepper jack
  2. Provolone
  3. Sharpe cheddar cheese
  4. Sliced mozzarella
  5. Colby jack
  6. Cheddar cheese
  7. Swiss

How to make a tuna melt in the air fryer?

This recipe is so simple to make! It only takes five steps to make this air fryer tuna melt!

Step 1: Make the tuna mixture

make the tuna mixture

Combine tuna with the mayo. The amount of mayonnaise depends on how thick or creamy you want your tuna to be.

I also love to add pickle relish or diced pickles to my tuna. But, this is optional if you aren’t a fan of pickles.

Step 2: Butter the bread

how to make a tuna melt

Butter each slice of bread. Place the bread butter side down in the air fryer basket.

Step 3: Layer the sandwich

tomato tuna melt

Layer slice of bread with tuna, tomato slices, cheese slices, and then top with another slice of bread with the butter side on the outside.

Step 4: Repeat

how to make cheesy tuna melt

Repeat for however many sandwiches you want or can fit in the air fryer basket. I can fit up to 4 sandwiches in my Cosori 5.8 quart air fryer.

Step 5: Air fry

how to make a tuna melt in the air fryer

Air fry at 350 degrees F or 175 degrees C for 5-6 minutes. Make sure to flip the sandwich halfway through, or until bread is browned and cheese is melted to your liking.

Note: if you are using a dual burner air fryer, like the Cosori Dual Blaze air fryer, you don’t need to flip the sandwich halfway through cooking.

What do I do if I have leftover tuna?

If you have leftover tuna, you can store it in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days. This means that you can make a tuna sandwich at anytime!

This recipe is seriously so great because it is so quick and easy!

tuna melt

Final Thoughts

This classic tuna melt in the air fryer is the best recipe if you need an easy dinner or lunch! This is a great recipe for kids during the summer, on break, or an lunch on the weekend because they can easily help you make this recipe!

Share with us in the comments below what you love about this recipe! 

how to make a tuna melt in the air fryer

More easy air fryer sandwich recipes you will love this summer

Get more easy air fryer recipes in my Air Fryer Cookbook

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air fryer tuna melt

air fryer tuna melt

Air Fryer Tuna Melt

Need a quick, easy, and tasty lunch or dinner idea? Try this fabulous and healthy tuna melt recipe that you can make in your air fryer!
4.70 / 5 ( 10 Reviews )
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Total Time: 16 minutes
Serves: 4
Adjust Servings: 4

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 12 ounce can of tuna fish
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • dill pickle relish or diced dill pickles
  • 4-8 slices bread of your favorite bread; amount of bread depends on how many sandwiches you want to make
  • 1-2 tomatoes sliced
  • ½ stick butter or however much you need to butter one side of each bread slice
  • 2-4 cheese slices your favorite flavor. Colby jack, Cheddar cheese, Provolone cheese, or Swiss cheese are all great options.

Instructions

  • Combine the tuna with the mayo. The amount of mayo depends on how thick or creamy you want your tuna. Optional, add pickle relish or diced pickles to tuna mixture.
  • Butter each slice of bread. Place two to four slices of bread, butter side down, in the air fryer basket.
  • Layer each slice of bread with tuna, tomato slices, cheese slices, and then top with another slice of bread with the butter side on the outside.
  • Air fry at 350 °F for 5-6 minutes, or until bread is browned and cheese is melted to your liking. Be sure to flip at the halfway point to make each side evenly cooked.
  • Carefully remove from the air fryer basket and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Add any of your favorite tuna melt toppings to the sandwich, such as onions or avocados. 

Nutrition

Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 21g | Sodium: 526mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g

Recipe Adapted From: Recipe This

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Ingredients: Butter, Cheese, Mayonnaise, Pickle Relish, Tomato, Tuna
Meal Type: Main Dish, Summer, Egg Free, Protein
Categories: Sandwiches and Burgers, Air Fryer

Comments & Reviews

  • One of the first things I tried making in my Cosori air fryer was a tuna melt recipe from the cook-booklet which came with the machine; however, your version seems a bit more “mainstream”. (The Cosori cook-booklet version called for chipotle taco sauce, which was tasty for us, but might not be well-liked by kids or those preferring less-spicy foods.) I suspect I already have all of the ingredients to prepare your version of air-fryer tuna melts, so I may well serve them for supper sometime soon.

  • Oh my gosh!
    I love tuna melts.
    And to think I can do it in the air fryer. Much faster and delicious!
    And I love that I can cut the recipe down to 1 (my son does not like tuna)
    Thank you!

  • And I use sweet pickle relish. Yum!

  • I’m almost 66 and have never tried a tuna melt until tonight. Won’t be the last time. LOL I was browsing your site for something easy and quick to make. I had heard of tuna melts over the years but never really thought it would be something I might enjoy. It was much tastier than I imagined and the three of us enjoyed them. (I followed your recipe without changes) Thank you!

  • What bread are you using? I don’t know why, but we do not have a great variety of breads where I am–especially whole wheat. This bread looks so good! Thanks for the recipe. Exactly the info I was searching for.

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