If you're looking for a quick and easy lunch recipe that uses pantry staples, this air fryer tuna melt is a must-try! Prepared with tinned tuna and cooked to crispy perfection in an air fryer, it's absolutely delicious!
The tuna melt sandwich is a heavenly combination of crispy, buttery bread, savoury tuna mayo, and melted cheddar cheese. And the best part? It only takes 8 minutes to cook to perfection in your air fryer!
Air fryer toasted sandwiches are my go-to comfort food lunch option when it's cold and dreary outside. They're also a doddle to make in your air fryer!
This method of cooking produces the crispiest bread and ooziest melted cheese you could imagine. It's a hands-off method too, meaning you won't need to stand over the hob checking if it's ready yet.
👩🍳 Love air fryer sandwiches? Try my easy air fryer cheese toastie next!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
- Cooking in an air fryer is a fast and hassle-free way to prepare meals. With this recipe, you can have a tasty tuna melt ready in just 8 minutes!
- Classic tuna melts are highly customisable, so you can experiment with different types of cheese, toppings, and seasonings to create your own unique version.
- Tinned tuna is a pantry staple that many of us have on hand, so this recipe is a great way to use up ingredients you may already have.
- Expect a perfectly crispy exterior and melted cheese that's ooey-gooey and irresistible. It's a delicious cheesy lunch option that you won't be able to resist!
🛒 Ingredient notes
Bread - Any bread can be used for this recipe, but I recommend using a sturdy bread that will hold up well in the air fryer. Sourdough, tiger bread, or whole-grain bread are good options.
Butter - Spread on the bread before air frying. It adds a delicious flavour and helps the bread to become crispy and golden.
Cheddar Cheese - Grated extra mature cheddar cheese is a classic choice for tuna melts and provides a rich and tangy flavour. Grating the cheese helps it to melt more evenly, but you can use cheese slices if you prefer.
Tinned Tuna: - A convenient and affordable ingredient that is high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Use tuna in water or brine, which is healthier than tuna in oil.
Mayonnaise - Used to make the tuna mayo mixture, which adds a creaminess to the sandwich. You can use full-fat or light mayonnaise depending on your preference.
Dijon Mustard - Added to the tuna mayo mixture for a bit of heat. It's a great addition that adds depth, but you can leave it out if you prefer.
🥄 Equipment
Which air fryer? I use the Ninja Foodi 5.8 litre Grill and Air Fryer with 4 customisable cooking functions including air fry, roast, bake, and dehydrate!
🔪 How to make tuna melt in air fryer
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Preheat the air fryer to 180C (350F). Mix up the tuna, mayonnaise and Dijon mustard in a small bowl.
Two: Put two thick slices of bread on a wooden board or chopping board and spread the softened butter over both slices.
Three: Turn one slice over (so the buttered side is now touching the board) and spoon over the tuna mayo.
Four: Place the grated cheese on top of the tuna mixture and press down with your hand so the grated cheese sticks.
Five: Lay the other slice of bread on top of the cheese, with the buttered side facing up towards you. Press it down firmly with a spatula or your hand.
Note - You should end up with both buttered sides of the bread on the outside of the sandwich.
Six: Air fry for 6 minutes then flip and air fryer for a further 2-4 minutes until the tuna melt is crispy and golden and the cheese has melted.
💭 Expert tips
- Make sure you preheat the air fryer before cooking. This ensures that the air fryer is hot enough to cook the tuna melt evenly.
- Use good-quality tuna packed in water or brine.
- Drain the tuna well and squeeze out any excess liquid to prevent your tuna melt from becoming soggy.
- Pick a sturdy bread like sourdough, rye or whole wheat bread that can hold up to the weight of the filling.
- A tuna melt is not a melt without cheese, so don't be shy with it!
- For a lower-fat version omit the butter and use a low-fat mayo and low-fat cheese.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve the air fryer tuna melt with salad vegetables (cherry tomatoes and cucumber slices are good options) with a side of air fryer chips or air fryer sweet potato fries.
Apple coleslaw goes nicely with a tuna melt too!
📖 Variations
- Add diced red onion or diced celery to the tuna mayo mix for extra flavour.
- Swap the cheddar cheese for mozzarella, gruyere, feta, or any other cheese that melts well.
- Add thinly sliced tomatoes to the tuna melt before air frying.
- Swap the Dijon mustard for pesto and a squeeze of lemon juice for a different flavour.
- Serve the melt with a sliced avocado on top for extra nutrition.
- Make an open-faced tuna melt with just 1 slice of bread.
🥡 Storage
Store - Tuna melt is best eaten fresh out of the air fryer. Store any leftover tuna melt in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat - In the air fryer for 3-5 minutes.
Freeze - Not suitable for freezing.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can add vegetables like diced onion, celery, tomato, pepper, or sweetcorn to your tuna melt for added flavour.
No, fresh tuna isn't suitable for tuna melts.
To prevent your tuna melt from getting soggy, drain the tuna well and squeeze out any excess liquid. Don't overdo the mayo either.
😋 More air fryer recipes
- Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
- Air Fryer Baked Camembert
- Air Fryer Roast Potatoes
- Air Fryer Turkey and Brie Toastie
- Air Fryer Sausage Rolls
- Air Fryer Cheese Scones
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Recipe
Best Air Fryer Tuna Melt
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Slices of Bread
- ½ tablespoon Butter softened
- 145 g Tinned Tuna in Brine drained
- 2 tablespoon Mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 50 g Extra Mature Cheddar grated
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 180°C (350F).
- Mix together the tuna mayo ingredients in a small bowl.145 g Tinned Tuna in Brine, 2 tablespoon Mayonnaise, ¼ teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- Put the two slices of bread on a chopping board and spread the softened butter on both slices.2 Slices of Bread, ½ tablespoon Butter
- Turn one slice over (so the buttered side is now touching the board) and spoon over the tuna mayo.
- Place the grated cheese on top of the tuna mixture and press down with your hand so the grated cheese sticks.50 g Extra Mature Cheddar
- Lay the other slice of bread on top of the cheese, with the buttered side facing up towards you. Press it down firmly with a spatula or your hand.Note - You should end up with both buttered sides of the bread on the outside of the sandwich.
- Air fry for 6 minutes then flip and air fryer for a further 2-4 minutes until the tuna melt is crispy and golden and the cheese has melted.
Notes
- Make sure you preheat the air fryer before cooking. This ensures that the air fryer is hot enough to cook the tuna melt evenly.
- Use good-quality tuna packed in water or brine.
- Drain the tuna well and squeeze out any excess liquid to prevent your tuna melt from becoming soggy.
- Pick a sturdy bread like sourdough, rye or whole wheat bread that can hold up to the weight of the filling.
- Add diced red onion or diced celery to the tuna mayo mix for extra flavour.
- Swap the cheddar cheese for mozzarella, gruyere, feta, or any other cheese that melts well.
- Add thinly sliced tomatoes to the tuna melt before air frying.
- Swap the Dijon mustard for pesto and a squeeze of lemon juice for a different flavour.
- Serve the melt with a sliced avocado on top for extra nutrition.
- Make an open-faced tuna melt with just 1 slice of bread.
Laura
My new favourite lunch recipe! This tuna melt is delicious.
Kushigalu
Love this air fryer version. Looks so delicious. Thanks for sharing.
stephanie
So I'm a little weird, I admit, but I only like tuna melts cold. I cook it and then put it in the refrigerator. It takes a great sandwich to stand up to that because a lot of the time they get soggy when going from hot to cold. The air fryer made this one sooooo good! Not soggy at all and I loved the addition of the dijon.
Vicky
I like how versatile this recipe is since you can change up the cheese to whatever you happen to have on hand. Making it in the air fryer makes this recipe so quick!
Tayler
I made this tuna melt for lunch today and it was fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe~!
Nathan
I absolutely love this tuna melt, it's so perfect for a quick and filling lunch! A new go-to for me. Thanks for sharing!