Name: Air Fryer Tuna Melt
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 1 sandwich
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cans tuna fish; 0.333 cup mayonnaise; 2 tablespoons dill pickle relish; 0.5 tsp garlic powder; 0.25 tsp onion powder; 0.5 tsp fine sea salt; 0.25 tsp black pepper; 1 tsp dijon mustard; 2 slices sandwich bread; 1 tbsp mayonnaise; 1.5 slice cheddar cheese; 0.5 cup tuna salad

This Air Fryer Tuna Melt can be made with your fave tuna salad or my quick no-chop recipe! Either way, it makes a delicious, cheddar cheesy, melty sandwich you can cook in your air fryer in only 8 minutes!

Sandwich

15 m

American

Project Meal Plan

April 25, 2026

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From the Cook

1/4

Air Fryer Tuna Melt

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Ingredients

Warning0 allergens identified

Air Fryer Tuna Melt

For No-Chop Tuna Salad

2 cans tuna fish

⅓ cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons dill pickle relish

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp onion powder

½ tsp fine sea salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1 tsp dijon mustard

For Air Fryer Tuna Melt

2 slices sandwich bread

1 tbsp mayonnaise

1 ½ slice cheddar cheese

½ cup tuna salad

Instructions

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Instructions

Add all tuna salad ingredients to a bowl and stir until combined. More details and full recipe for Lazy No-Chop Tuna Salad here! You can also use your own tuna salad recipe.

First, cover one side of bread with the mayo or room temp butter. Place that piece of bread into the air fryer, mayo side down. Next, put the cheese slices on the bread, taking care that the cheese doesn’t go over the edges of the bread. Add 1/2 cup of tuna salad on top of the cheese and use a spoon to push it out to each edge of the bread. Finally, take the last pieces of bread and coat one side in mayonnaise, just like the other side. Add that piece of bread to the top of the sandwich, mayo side up.

Shut the air fryer basket and set the air fryer to cook at 380F for 8 minutes, flipping the sandwich halfway through. The tuna melt is done when you see melty cheese and golden brown edges to your preference! Remove from air fryer and cut in half on a cutting board. Repeat for as many tuna melts as you need. I recommend cooking only one tuna melt at a time if you’re using the basket style air fryer.

Nutrition

My Calorie Intake

0
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Tips & Tricks (5)

Butter Your Bread for Maximum Crispness 🧈
Spread a thin layer of softened butter on the outside of both bread slices before air frying to achieve a golden, crispy exterior while keeping the inside soft and preventing sogginess from the tuna salad.
Pre-Assemble and Chill for Structural Integrity 🥶
Build your sandwich and refrigerate it for 10-15 minutes before air frying to help the cheese melt evenly and prevent the filling from leaking out during cooking.
Dry Your Tuna Thoroughly for Better Texture 🐟
After draining canned tuna, wrap it in paper towels and squeeze gently to remove excess moisture, which prevents a watery sandwich and allows the cheese to melt properly without steam escaping.
Layer Cheese on Both Sides of the Bread 🧀
Place a thin layer of cheddar directly on the inside of both bread slices before adding tuna salad to create a barrier that melts into a golden crust and prevents the bread from absorbing excess moisture.
Monitor at the 4-Minute Mark for Perfect Melt 👀
Pause the air fryer halfway through cooking to check if the cheese is melting evenly and flip if needed, ensuring even browning and a perfectly melted, cohesive sandwich in the 8-minute timeframe.