This spicy sriracha tuna melt recipe has been my go-to lunch for years! It’s a quick, easy open-faced sandwich that’s warm and toasty from the oven. If you aren’t a fan of hot sauce, this homemade tuna melt is still delicious without it.
Working from home for many years now, I’ve become quite the refrigerator forager when it comes to lunch. Usually, it’s an egg salad sandwich or salad bowl of some kind. Other times, however, there’s just not much in the fridge to work with. Know what I mean?! So, today I’m sharing my easy spicy tuna melt recipe with sriracha.
This sandwich is often served open-faced, with creamy tuna salad topped with cheese, broiled until melty and bubbly. I’ve often found that a traditional tuna melt lacks a little… something. Since I love sriracha chili sauce, I drizzle it over my tuna melt right before serving.
Why a Spicy Tuna Melt is the Perfect Easy Lunch
A tuna melt is a classic hot sandwich with melted cheese, tuna, and mayo. I started making my spicy version ages ago, and it remains a favorite quick, warm meal. The sandwich is warm and toasty from the oven and packed with flavor, with a generous kick from the hot sauce.
What You Can Expect:
- Empty-fridge-friendly. For the days when I’m staring at a barren fridge, a tuna melt is the answer. With only 5 ingredients for a basic tuna melt, you can tweak the rest any way you’d like.
- Quick to toast. You can make this recipe in a toaster oven or a regular oven. Just toast the bread, add the toppings, melt the cheese, and drizzle on the sriracha.
- Not just tuna. Not a fan of tuna? My ham salad would make a tasty substitute. You can also swap tuna for roast beef, sliced turkey, or even a burger patty to make a patty melt.
- Spice is nice. A squeeze of chili sauce is exactly what a tuna melt needs to round out the savory, cheesy flavors. You could just as easily sprinkle over crushed chili flakes to cut the richness. Try it, you’ll see for yourself.
Ingredients for the Best Tuna Melt
This lunchtime favorite comes together easily, with just a few ingredients that I always have on hand in the pantry and fridge. Scroll to the recipe card for the exact amounts, and you can scale the ingredients as needed.
- Bread – Use whatever you like, such as plain soft loaf bread, homemade sourdough, or crusty Italian bread. It all works!
- Butter – I like to use unsalted butter, and then add salt to the tuna mixture if needed.
- Tuna – I tend to use tuna packed in water the most, but tuna in olive oil is also nice.
- Mayonnaise – I always prefer mayo for a sandwich like this, but plain Greek yogurt would be a great substitute. Just please, promise me you won’t use Miracle Whip!
- Sriracha – This is a type of chili sauce. Feel free to swap sriracha for another hot sauce, or you can use barbecue sauce or skip it altogether if you’re sensitive to spice.
- Pickle relish – You can purchase relish online or use homemade pickle relish. Or simply mince up some pickle!
- Cheese – I prefer a medium or sharp cheddar for this sandwich, but use what you like. American cheese, Gouda, and even provolone are great options.
- Fresh cilantro – Optional, you can use parsley instead if you prefer.
How to Make a Tuna Melt Sandwich
A tuna melt sandwich can be served open-faced or closed. It’s up to you! The tuna mixture in this recipe makes enough for four regular-sized open-faced tuna melts. You can use two bread slices instead, and save half the tuna mixture for later if needed. The steps are very simple:
- Toast both sides of the bread. Butter four slices of bread on both sides. I like a crispy toasted texture to my tuna melt sandwich. So I first toast one side of the bread under the broiler. And then I flip the bread over and just lightly toast the second side.
- Assemble the melt. Stir together tuna, mayo, Sriracha, pickle relish, and black pepper in a bowl. Then, spread the mixture onto the lightly toasted bread. Leave the edges of the bread just slightly exposed, for additional toasting.
- Broil. With the broiler on low, let the tuna salad mixture and cheese get thoroughly heated, nice and slow. Once the cheese is melty, turn the broiler to high to blister the cheese just a bit.
- Add Sriracha. Remove from oven and add a drizzle of Sriracha. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired. Then enjoy while it’s hot!
Tips for the Best Tuna Melt
- Use canned solid tuna. (Not chunk light tuna – it gets mushy!) I most often have tuna packed in water on hand, so that’s what I use. But the tuna packed in olive oil is very nice. Either way, just be sure to drain excess liquid before making the tuna salad mixture.
- Spread the bread with butter for the best flavor and golden toasty crispness. For example, do not use butter “spreads”, etc.
- Drain the pickle relish. Use a slotted spoon to leave excess pickle juice behind. Because too much liquid will give the tuna salad mixture a loose consistency.
- Add Sriracha accordingly. If you prefer just a slight hint of Sriracha, reduce the measurement.
- Don’t rush the melt! During the final broiling step, take care to let the sandwiches toast nicely and slowly. Let the tuna get thoroughly warmed, the bread toasty, and the cheese melty. Then give the cheese a quick blast under the high broiler, if you like.
Tuna Melt Variations
- Switch up the bread. Everybody has bread favorites, so I say use what you like. Most times, I just use plain ol’ sandwich bread, shown in the photo above. It’s extra fun when I have a crusty loaf of sourdough or some good English muffins!
- Use a different protein. Of course, it wouldn’t be called a tuna melt, but you could always substitute canned shrimp or canned chicken.
- Don’t have relish? Then chop up some of your favorite dill or sweet pickles. I also like to chop up pickled red onions and add them to my tuna salad. SO GOOD!
- Add some mustard. A little bit of Dijon mustard would be welcome in the tuna mixture.
- Include some lemon. Squeeze some fresh lemon into the tuna salad or over the finished melt. Or, add some of the zest!
- Like celery? Many people like to add a bit of diced celery to their tuna salad mixture. This adds flavor plus a nice crunchy texture.
- Add green onion. I always appreciate what a little chopped fresh green onion can do to a dish. So I like to add some to the tuna salad mixture, or sprinkle some over the top after it comes out of the oven!
- Add tomato and/or roasted red pepper. These ingredients add color and fresh flavor. Add a thin slice of tomato or a few strips of roasted red pepper over the tuna salad mixture, then sprinkle with cheese and melt.
More Sandwich Recipes
Sriracha Tuna Melt
Ingredients
- 4 slices bread
- 2 tablespoons softened butter
- 1 5-ounce can Chicken of the Sea® Solid White Tuna, drained well
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha plus more for drizzling over the finished toasts
- 2 teaspoons pickle relish drained well
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt if needed
- 1 cup shredded sharp or medium cheddar
- chopped fresh cilantro optional garnish
Instructions
- Butter both sides of the bread slices and place bread on a sheet pan. The tuna mixture makes enough for four regular size open-faced tuna melts. Either butter four slices of bread and use all the tuna mixture OR butter two sliced of bread and save half the tuna mixture for later.
- For the tuna salad mixture, in a small bowl stir together tuna, mayo, Sriracha, pickle relish, and black pepper. Add salt if needed.
- With broiler on high, toast first side of the bread under the broiler, and then flip the bread over and very lightly toast the second side.
- Remove sheet pan from oven. Top the lightly toasted side of the bread with the tuna mixture and shredded cheese. Leave the edges of the bread just slightly exposed, for additional toasting.
- With the broiler on low, place sheet pan back into oven. Let the tuna salad mixture and cheese get thoroughly heated, nice and slow. Once cheese is melty, turn the broiler to high to blister the cheese just a bit, if desired. Take care to not let the bread burn.
- Remove sheet pan from oven and drizzle Sriracha over the top of the finished melts. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired. Then enjoy while it’s hot!
Notes
Nutrition Information:
The tuna pouches from Chicken of the Sea are so handy for this recipe. Their 2.5-ounce size is just the right amount to make two open-faced cheesy Sriracha tuna melts. (Adjust/reduce other ingredients quantities in the recipe accordingly.) The Premium Light Tuna pouch boasts 14 grams of protein. Fuel for my day!
Chicken of the Sea’s tuna and salmon pouches are MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) certified. The little blue label in the top left corner of the pouch means that Chicken of the Sea meets the rigorous standards for sustainable fishing practices. They are one of the largest brands to commit to these strict standards, playing a leading role in helping to protect our global seafood supply for the future. Read more about that here.
Connect with Chicken of the Sea on their website and social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.
I updated photos and portions of this post in 2021. Originally published in 2017, this post is sponsored by Chicken of the Sea. All opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make this site possible.
5 Star
Hi, I love this combo but my toast ends up being soggy in the middle. Any advice?
Ooh, what a creative use of tuna! I’ve got to try this.
When I was a little girl, tuna sandwiches were my FAVORITE lunch ever. This is like the grown up version — the sriracha is just what I crave!
May you enjoy many awesome grown-up tuna toasts! Thanks, Liren!
These look SO flavorful! YUM!
The BEST tuna sandwich!!! Thanks, Gina!
Such a yummy change of pace from my humdrum tuna sandwiches! These toasts look wonderful!
Once you try this, it’s the only way you’ll want to eat your tuna sandwiches!! Thanks, Liz!
Those pouches are so good and make life easy! I love Sriracha, this could become a staple in my house!
I agree – those pouches are so perfect. Thanks, Tanya!
Oh my gosh, this would totally be my snack. My husband is not about the fish-cheese combo but I find it so comforting. Tuna melts are my go-to lunches.
Thanks, Brian. I find these toasts irresistible, always eating them way too fast!!
Tuna toast? This is SUCH a brilliant idea! This would be the perfect quick and easy lunch!
Beware. These toasts are addictive!! :)
Parece muito bom mesmo, é bem fácil e prático de fazer,perfeito para alguém tão ocupada como eu, me identifico muito com receitas assim, seu blog está de parabéns por publicar receitas assim.
This looks perfection with that Siracha on top! So yum!!
It is YUM!! Thanks, Bird.
I could seriously eat this for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!!
I hear ya!!
This looks like a super easy and healthy thing to make for lunch! I love that the ingredients are “on hand” type things to make it easy for busy days.
I’ve made it so many times, don’t even really measure any more. Comes together fast. So good!! Thanks, Katie!
My son has been on a tuna kick lately – these packets look like a good idea to stash in his lunch!! Love the toasts you made.
The pouches are awesome for packing lunches. Thanks, Liz!
I love this idea for lunches! I am all about spicing up tuna sandwiches. This looks delicious.
Thank you so much, Julia – enjoy!