Air fryer tuna melt sandwiches are killer! With canned tuna you can now make these as open faced or with two crunchy slices layered with melted cheese for a quick lunch or dinner.
You love fast easy lunches right? Sometimes cold cuts just don’t cut it, especially on colder days. 😉 Air fryer tuna melts are the answer. Yes you can serve it as is but with crispy bread and melted cheese in between takes it from good to OMG amazing. Just one easy air fryer recipe on our site.
How Long to Cook Tuna Melt in Air Fryer
Ok so I can’t be the only one who grew up on these sandwiches. It was an inexpensive way to make a healthy lunch. Of course we didn’t have one of these handy dandy hot air machines so typically the heated cheesy version was fried up in a pan. Just as good but took longer, this one takes just 3 minutes and gets crispier!!
Now that I am a mom I go “way back” and often make meals for my girls that I enjoyed as a kid myself, so they too grew up on these. Biggest difference between the two is how they’re cooked AND what can I choose.
Tips
For the main star of the show, the canned tuna, I always always always use chunk white albacore. It is a bit more expensive but vs. the flakes that is broken apart a lot more with a lot more water taking up space in the can this gives you more protein and a far better texture too.
When it comes to the other main item, mayonnaise, I like Best Foods vs. Miracle Whip. The latter has more of a tang since it has vinegar in it. Personal preference I guess but you can taste the fish and relish (which I love) better without it.
Now let’s go with the pickles, if you don’t like them I don’t think we can be friends. 😉 I like like a lot of it. You can choose from dill or sweet relish in this case. If I want bolder flavors I will chop up from whole (so so good that way).
To make sandwiches in the air fryer you will need 2 slices of bread. Here you see thicker Artisan style. For open faced toast in air fryer you just need 1 slice of bread in the air fryer basket per person. That way you would melt slices of cheese first, then dollop meat to heat.
Air Fryer Tuna Melt Recipe
Equipment
- 1 air fryer
Ingredients
- 2 cans tuna, this will make about 6 sandwiches, can half if you're serving less. Solid chunk in water is best
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup relish
- 12 slices bread
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1.5 cup cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 380 degrees F for 5 minutes. Drain cans of tuna, dump into a bowl and mash with a fork until broken up into smaller pieces.
- Add mayo and relish. Blend until incorporated. Sprinkle in salt and pepper, taste, adjust if necessary.
- Spread softened butter on one side of each piece of bread. Lay 1-2 pieces with butter side facing down into preheated air fryer with shredded cheese on top. Close and cook fro 1 minute so cheese melts.
- Open drawer and add 1/2 cup of your tuna mixture on top, spread out to cover bread. Lay second slice of buttered bread with butter facing the top on top.
- Close drawer and air fry for another 2 minutes to crisp top piece. Serve!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How do you prepare tuna
Drain cans of tuna packed in water. Dump into a bowl. Mash with the back of a fork. Add enough mayonnaise so it is moist. Fold in other ingredients like pickle relish, diced red onion and lemon juice will add a tang.
Ninja Foodi Option
Whether you make this as a Cosori or Ninja Foodi tuna melt or in any other brand the timing and instructions will remain the same except as one of our Ninja Foodi recipes. For that one you use the lid that is attached, that is the only change.
Open Faced
A low carb way to make this and our air fryer monte cristo sandwich with the same cook time. Half of rye bread is firmer so when you air fry with a piece of cheese on top and it it can melt and get golden brown and bubbly. Want to skip the bread all together? We will make tuna patties in air fryer for that on occasion too.
Ok so maybe you have first cooked a slice of tuna steak air fryer style, we are not using that. You should enjoy that sliced and barely seared on the outside, not mashed up with mayo, that would be tragic. 😉
I can fit 2 typically in any of my machines at a time. It doesn’t take very long from start to finish, including prep, so making them to order is the best idea. You want it crispy from the get go and sitting on a plate will begin to make the inside of the bread a bit wet.
If you only have a block of cheese you need to shred it or it not melt evenly. A slice of processed Kraft cheese will work just as well to create toast with cheese as well.
Once you have the melt part done, you’ll want to add your tuna mixture on top. 1/2 a cup is perfect to cover the slice. If you want open face then don’t add the top piece. For a traditional sandwich lay another on top with the buttered side facing up so that can melt and add more flavor into the mix.
Add 30 more seconds at a time if you want it more golden brown. Super quick and easy like our pressure cooker tuna casserole which is great too! You can jump to recipe below and get started! If you have a “secret mixture” you swear by when it comes to this canned fish let us know so we can try it the next go around. 😉
