Air Fryer Tuna Melt

  

One of my favorite sandwiches has to be the classic tuna melt sandwich. I have been making myself this delicious sandwich for years and years, even before I knew there was such a thing as a tuna melt!

Usually I make it in a skillet on top of the stove and its delicious. My own favorite creamy tuna salad, with lots of cheese and crisp buttery bread. Its fabulous!

 

This past year I bought myself an air fryer however and I am keen to use it whenever I can.  I decided to try it out with making my tuna melt today and I can tell you now that I will never make a tuna melt any other way from now on!

Yes, It is that good!  Seriously tasty!

 

And its not that the tuna salad is any tastier. It is the same old tuna salad recipe I have been making for eons.  Tuna, mayonnaise, pickle relish and and a few other bits.

I haven't changed the cheese either. Its good old processed cheese slices.  Perfect for a tuna melt.

 

Its the buttery, light, crispness of the bread!  I mean wowza!!  Wowza!!  This is a game changer here.

The bread stays true to form, not squished in any way, and it is so light and crisp and buttery that it practically melts in the mouth!

This is some serious deliciousness here!  Why didn't I think of this before!!! 

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE AN AIR FRYER TUNA MELT

If you keep a well stocked larder like I do, you probably have everything you need to make one today!!

For the tuna salad:

• 1 (150g/5 ounce) tin of albacore tuna, packed in water, well drained and flaked
• 2 TBS mayonnaise
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 TBS pickle relish
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp celery salt or fine sea salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper

 

You will also need:

• softened butter for spreading
• 4 slices white sandwich bread
• 3 slices processed cheese, divided
  

 

Simple ingredients as always!!

 

I always use Albacore Tuna. It has a lovely light color and a beautiful flavor.  I have been buying it for 40 years now on the advice of an older Italian Nonna I met in the grocery store one day.  

She saw the tuna I was buying and quickly told me, no buy. Its garbage. She said only buy Albacore, its the best,  and so I did and I have never looked back.

She also told me that rounded blunt ended carrots were the sweetest and best. She was right on that score also!

 

Some of you may balk at my use of processed cheese slices for my tuna melt, but you know, what works works.  And they taste good. 

 

I do buy the really good ones. Kraft Extra Cheddar Cheese slices. They taste the best, and are more like American Cheese Slices, which are the best in my humble opinion.  But we can't get them here.

 

Also, plain old wonder bread. White. It works best. You can try an artisanal bread if you want, but I think they get tooo crunchy and hard. Gum ripping.  

Wonder white works best. Again, this is only my humble opinion. I know what I like and this is what I like.

 

HOW TO MAKE AN AIR FRYER TUNA MELT

Depending on the type of air fryer you have you will only be able to cook one of these at a time. Begin by making the tuna salad. Drain your tuna well, flake into a bowl and combine with the remaining ingredients well.

Butter one side of each slice of bread. Place one slice into the air fryer basket. Top with 1 1/2 slices of cheese, taking care that the cheese is not placed past the edges of the bread. Top with half of the tuna salad, spreading it out over the cheese. Place another slice of the buttered bread on top of the tuna salad, butter side up.

 

Place the basket into the air fryer and shut the door. set to cook at 380*F/193*C. Air fry for 8 minutes, flipping the sandwich over at the halfway mark.

The sandwich is done when the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted throughout. Remove and keep warm while you cook the other sandwich.

Using a serrated knife, cut in half diagonally to serve.

 

Just look at how nice and crisp and buttery the bread turns out, and yet still soft inside.  That tuna salad is perfect just the way it is.  Not too much mayonnaise, just the right amount.  And the cheese has the perfect amount of ooze.

In short, this is the perfect tuna melt.    I really hope if you have an air fryer you will want to try this delicious sandwich out. I think I am going to try making a grilled cheese like this next. 

If the results of this sandwich are anything to go by, a grilled cheese will be AMAZING done in the air fryer!

If you are on the hunt for a delicious sandwich today, here are a few of my other options:

CROISSANT TURKEY CLUB SANDWICH - I do love a good club sandwich, but they are often too large for me to manage to eat.  This one, done on a flaky buttery croissant is not only delicious, but is the perfect size for my aging appetite!

WORLD'S GREATEST HAM SANDWICH - A tall claim to make, but I stand by it. With ham, tomatoes, lettuce, home picked onions, cheese and an herbed mayonnaise. 

WORLD'S BEST BLT - Another tall claim that I stand by. Crisp bacon, crisp rocket leaves, sweet tomatoes, a tasty basil mayonnaise and a house dressing drizzle. All served on a rustic baguette.

Air Fryer Tuna Melt

Yield: 2 sandwiches

Author: Marie Rayner

Prep time: 7 MinCook time: 8 MinTotal time: 15 Min

This air fryer tuna melt is so delicious! Crisp and buttery on the outside and filled with lots of tasty tuna salad and gooey cheese on the inside.

Ingredients

For the tuna salad:

• 1 (150g/5 ounce) tin of albacore tuna, packed in water, well drained and flaked
• 2 TBS mayonnaise
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 TBS pickle relish
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp celery salt or fine sea salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper

You will also need:

• softened butter for spreading
• 4 slices white sandwich bread
• 3 slices processed cheese, divided

Instructions

1. Depending on the type of air fryer you have you will only be able to cook one of these at a time.
2. Begin by making the tuna salad. Drain your tuna well, flake into a bowl and combine with the remaining ingredients well.
3. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Place one slice into the air fryer basket. Top with 1 1/2 slices of cheese, taking care that the cheese is not placed past the edges of the bread. Top with half of the tuna salad, spreading it out over the cheese. Place another slice of the buttered bread on top of the tuna salad, butter side up.
4. Place the basket into the air fryer and shut the door. set to cook at 380*F/193*C. Air fry for 8 minutes, flipping the sandwich over at the halfway mark.
5. The sandwich is done when the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted throughout. Remove and keep warm while you cook the other sandwich.
6. Using a serrated knife, cut in half diagonally to serve.

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