Air Fryer Tuna Melt (Open-Faced)
This open-faced air fryer tuna melt is crispy, cheesy, and packed with protein—ready in under 10 minutes! Made with simple ingredients and a healthier twist (no mayo needed!), it’s the perfect quick lunch or dinner when you want something comforting and satisfying.
Ingredients
The Melts:
- 1 English muffin or 2 slices of toast, regular, whole wheat, sourdough, or gluten-free
- 2 slices sharp cheddar cheese, or your favorite kind of cheese that melts
Tuna Salad:
- 1 can (4 or 5-ounce) tuna stored in water, drained
- 2 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt or mayo, 0%, 2% or 5%
- ½ stalk celery, diced
- 1 tablespoon red onion, minced
- 1 - 2 baby carrots, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 teaspoon capers, optional but I love them
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Juice from half a lemon
Instructions
- Cut your English muffin in half and add it face-side up to the air fryer basket or tray. “Toast” the bread by air frying it at 300°F (150 degrees Celsius) for 2 - 4 minutes. Every air fryer is different so check at the 2-minute mark. Stop air frying when the muffin is lightly toasted!
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the drained tuna, Greek yogurt or mayo, diced celery, minced red onion, sliced baby carrots, chopped parsley, capers (if using), Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Mix well until all the ingredients are evenly combined.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning of the tuna salad to your liking.
- Evenly split and spoon the tuna mixture onto each half of the toasted English muffins.
- Top each English muffin half with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese.
- Air fry at 300°F (150 degrees Celsius) for about 5 - 8 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly, the sandwich is warm, and the English muffin is toasted to your desired level of crispiness.
- Carefully remove the tuna melts from the air fryer using a spatula. Serve the air fryer tuna melts immediately while they are still warm and enjoy!
Notes
Bread - You can use any sturdy bread—English muffins, sourdough, or whole grain all work great.
Cheese - Sharp cheddar is my go-to, but mozzarella, Swiss, or dairy-free cheese melt well too.
Tip #1 - Drain the tuna really well so your melts aren’t watery. I press it with a fork in a mesh strainer.
No yogurt? No problem. Use mayo instead.
Air fryers vary—start checking around 5 minutes to avoid over-melting or burning the cheese.
Nutrition
Calories: 404kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 928mg | Potassium: 443mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1006IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 342mg | Iron: 3mg
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