Sriracha Tuna Melt

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.

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

• Roast Beef Sandwich
• Grilled Chicken Sandwich
• Chopped Cheese Sandwich
• Pizza Grilled Cheese
• Italian Beef Sandwiches