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A perfectly grilled tuna melt sandwich, cut and stacked, with gooey melted cheese and a side of pickles.

Classic Crispy Tuna Melt with Dill & Red Onion

Elevate your lunch with this perfectly crispy tuna melt, featuring a savory tuna salad with a hint of fresh dill and crisp red onion, all grilled to golden perfection with gooey melted cheese.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes
Servings: 2 sandwiches
Course: Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 500
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Tuna Salad
  • 2 cans canned tuna 5 oz each, packed in water or oil, drained well
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 stalk celery finely diced
  • 2 tbsp red onion finely minced
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp fresh dill chopped (optional, but recommended)
  • 1 tsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
  • 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper freshly ground, or to taste
For Assembly
  • 4 slices sliced bread e.g., sourdough, rye, or white sandwich bread
  • 4 slices cheese e.g., cheddar, Swiss, provolone, or Monterey Jack
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter softened

Equipment

  • Medium mixing bowl
  • Large Skillet
  • Spatula

Method
 

Prepare the Tuna Salad
  1. In a medium mixing bowl, flake the well-drained tuna with a fork. Add the mayonnaise, finely diced celery, minced red onion, Dijon mustard, chopped fresh dill (if using), fresh lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Mix all ingredients thoroughly until well combined. Taste the tuna salad and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Assemble and Grill the Sandwiches
  1. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. While the skillet is heating, spread softened butter evenly on one side of each of the four slices of bread.
  2. Place two slices of bread, butter-side down, in the heated skillet. Immediately top each of these bread slices with one slice of cheese. Divide the prepared tuna salad mixture evenly between the two cheesy bread slices. Place another slice of cheese on top of the tuna salad on each sandwich.
  3. Carefully place the remaining two slices of bread on top of each sandwich, with the buttered side facing upwards. Cook for 3-5 minutes per side, or until the bread is golden brown and crispy, and the cheese is thoroughly melted and gooey. You may need to gently press down on the sandwiches with a spatula to ensure even browning and melting.
  4. Once grilled to perfection, carefully transfer the tuna melts to a cutting board. Slice them in half diagonally, if desired, and serve immediately with a side of potato chips, a pickle spear, or your favorite soup.

Notes

For an extra kick, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the tuna salad. You can also customize your tuna melt by adding thinly sliced pickles, capers, or a touch of relish to the tuna mixture. Any good melting cheese like Fontina or Gruyère would also work wonderfully. Leftover tuna salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, but the grilled sandwiches are best enjoyed fresh.