Back when I was pregnant with Viggo I was on a real tuna melt kick. Of course, I couldn’t just have any kind of tuna melt… nope, I needed something SPICY, flavorful, and filling to satisfy my cravings.
What could be better than a SPICY tuna melt with a kick from jalapenos, freshness from green onion, and melted cheddar on top?
Fast forward over 2 years and a baby Lachlan joining the party, I’m still all about these incredible tuna melts. Sometimes I make half of this recipe for lunch and enjoy it with my easy blender vegan tomato soup. Other times I enjoy the full thing for dinner with some crunchy chips on the side (Sun Chips are my secret go-to!). I hope you love this recipe as much as I do.
Everything you’ll need to make a damn good spicy tuna melt
One part spicy, one part cheesy, and all parts delicious, these tuna melts will be ones you make again and again because of how easy they are! You’ll just need a few pantry staples:
- Tuna: the start of the show. I like to use yellowfin tuna that’s packed in olive oil but feel free to use any canned tuna you like. Be sure to drain the tuna before using it.
- Mixture: you’ll need a bit of mayo, greek yogurt, grainy dijon mustard, your fav hot sauce, and a little salt and pepper to give the tuna the perfect balance of flavors and moisture. Of course, you could use all mayo or all greek yogurt, but I love to do a mix — totally up to you and based on what you have on hand.
- Hint of green: I like to add diced jalapeño and diced green onion for a little crunch, an extra kick of heat, and freshness.
- Bread: good news, you can use any bread you’d like! I love a nice, thick bread to hold up all of that tuna goodness, but you could also do sprouted bread or gluten free bread if you’d like.
- Cheese: what’s a tuna melt without a layer of melted cheese? I love sharp cheddar slices paired with the creaminess and tang of the tuna.
Optional ingredient swaps
This spicy tuna melt recipe is super easy to customize with what you have on hand. Here’s what I suggest:
- Out of tuna? If you don’t have tuna you can also use canned salmon or even chicken (canned or regularly cooked & shredded). Learn how to easily shred chicken here!
- Out of mayo or yogurt? Feel free to use all mayo or all yogurt if you don’t have both on hand.
- Switch up the spice: If you’re out of hot sauce, you can add a pinch of cayenne pepper for a kick of spice.
Can I make it vegan?
Actually, yes! Though it won’t be a tuna melt anymore, you can use about 3/4 cup chickpeas (be sure to mash them!) and dairy free yogurt in this recipe to keep it vegan, vegetarian & dairy free. SO GOOD!
Can I make it gluten free?
Yes, absolutely. Simply use your favorite gluten free bread.
Customize your spicy tuna melt
- Choose your cheese. Enjoy with any cheese you’d like! I think Havarti, Swiss, and Muenster would all be amazing. My absolute favorite though is Cabot’s Habanero Cheddar. It’s SPICY and flavorful.
- Not into spice? Feel free to omit the hot sauce and jalapeño — it will still be delicious.
- Add a boost of veggies. This tuna melt would be delicious with fresh spinach, or crunch from some shredded carrots or diced celery.
How to make the best spicy tuna melt
Here’s exactly how to make a spicy tuna melt in three easy steps:
- Mix it. Add all of your ingredients (besides the bread & cheese slices) to a bowl and mix them together well. Remember to drain your tuna first!
- Toast it. Toast that bread to golden perfection in your toaster.
- Top it. Add half of the tuna mixture to each slice of bread, and then top each with a slice of cheese.
- Broil it. Melt it, baby! Place the bread slices under the broiler for 2 minutes until melty and delicious.
More ways to use canned tuna
- Honey Mustard Apple Tuna Salad
- Thai Tuna Patties with Cilantro Cabbage Slaw
- Farmer’s Market Spicy Tuna Wraps with Homemade Chipotle Greek Yogurt Ranch
- Healthy Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Stovetop Southwest Tuna Mac and Cheese
- Green Goddess Tuna Quinoa Salad
Get all of my tuna recipes here!
I hope you love these easy, spicy tuna melts! If you make this recipe be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Spicy Jalapeño Cheddar Tuna Melt
Ingredients
- 1 (5 ounce) can yellowfin tuna, drained (I like to use tuna that’s packed in olive oil)
- 2 tablespoons finely diced green onion
- 2 tablespoons diced jalapeno
- 1 tablespoon mayo
- 1 tablespoon yogurt (or sub mayo)
- 1 teaspoon grainy dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- Freshly ground salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 slices your favorite bread, a thicker sliced bread is always nice
- 2 slices sharp cheddar cheese (or your fav cheese!)
- Extra jalapeno slices, if desired
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together drained tuna, diced green onion, diced jalapeno, mayo, yogurt, dijon, hot sauce and salt and pepper.
- Toast your bread the way you normally like it. Evenly spread the tuna mixture over each slice. Top each with a slice of cheese. Top with extra jalapeno slices, if desired. Place under the broiler for 2 minutes* or until the cheese is melted. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on January 20th, 2021, and republished on August 29th, 2023.
56 comments
Absolutely Delicious and perfect amount of spice. This is the second recipe of yours I made today! I had gingerbread pancakes for breakfast. I’m a fan from everything to how your website is set up, to the gorgeous pictures, your recipes never disappoint. Thanks for helping me get out of the takeout rut. I will be making this again 100%.
This was delicious!! The only modifications I made to the recipe itself were using pickled mild jalapeños and a slice of colby jack cheese as that’s what I had on hand. I served on toasted sourdough bread. I saved half for lunch tomorrow. 🙂 Paired with a salad, this was such an easy, quick and satisfying dinner.
Love it! So delicious 🙂
Hadn’t made tuna salad in a while and this recipe was delicious.
So glad you liked it!
It takes a lot to get me out of my peanut butter banana sandwich lunch rut but my sister told me I had to try this. I used 2 tbsp plain nonfat greek yogurt instead of mayo, Ezekiel bread, and Cotswold Double Glouchester which melted so nicely. Half of the tuna mixture on a slice was plenty to fill me up for lunch so I made one for my fiance and he loved it too.
Love it!! So glad you gave this one a try 🙂
Used Trader Joe’s baguette and topped with pepperjack cheese. Yummmm will definitely make again
Love that! Glad you enjoyed!
Delicious! I will be making this again and again.
So glad you loved it!
Very nice. I loved the crunch of the jalapenos in this. Paired with a bowl of soup on the side and I was a happy camper! It worked well for meal prep.
Absolutely! So delicious.
I’d forgotten about tuna melts! Really liked the spicy kick in this. Also added celery.
So nostalgic! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
This recipe was delicious!! I used pickled jalapeños because I didn’t have fresh but it was still super good. I will definitely be making again!
A seriously quick and easy lunch or dinner recipe when you have zero time, but don’t want to go the route of a frozen burrito or takeout. My husband now loves tuna melts (add jalepenos to anything and that’s generally his response) and I’d say this is now going into our menu rotation every other week – switching it up with some flaked salmon or shredded chicken.
Absolutely! Perfect lunch or dinner 🙂
So. good. Was worried it would be too spicy, but it was perfect!! Didn’t have any mayo on hand so used all greek yogurt and it was still awesome. Will be a regular on our lunch line up!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
Soooo good. Ridiculously easy. Quick throw together meal that my husband loved. Will definitely be making this again. I love that I usually have all the ingredients on hand, so if I am in a pinch, I can still make something for dinner, without having to run to the store or order take out.
Thank you for this easy recipe! We already made it 3 times. We always have some tuna at home and I often crave this (I am pregnant). I love how these sandwiches remind me of another hot sandwich my parents used to make back at home in Hungary. 🙂 They are warm, spicy and healthy, I use tuna in water, light mayo and skyr. I love your site and recipes! 🥰
Amazing! So glad you loved this one 🙂
So delish! A great WFH lunch to take advantage of the broiler in the kitchen you’re probably working in 🙂 I left out the green onions (personal preference) and didn’t have mayo on hand so I used 1ish tbs of a Kite Hill tzatziki and the extra bit of dill really added some flavor!
Absolutely! Sounds delicious with tzatziki!
Made this as-is and it’s an amazing tuna salad! i thought it would be dry but the combo of mayo and sour cream was divine. I don’t like pickles much, but love the crunch in a tuna salad – the jalapeno/green onion combo was just what it needs.
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
I love this recipe! It’s a super quick and delicious recipe. My new go-to for an easy lunch.
So happy to hear that!
This was SOOOO good! Used a thick slab of good quality whole wheat with half the recipe (saving the other half for tomorrow). Topped with one slice of Tillamook sharp cheddar and paired with a big side of kale tossed in apple cider vinaigrette. Probably my best tuna melt I’ve ever made! Swapped green onions for red onions since that’s what I had, otherwise followed it exactly. Highly recommend!
Love that! So delicious!
Perfect tuna melt! Left the jalapeno off for my 11 month old and he loved it too.
Such a great lunch or dinner!
SO GOOD!! Just the right amount of spice. This will definitely be a regular in the lunch rotation.
So glad you loved it!!
Another amazing recipe! So, so good! I had half with a salad and will eat the other half for lunch tomorrow!!
Love it! Such a great lunch 🙂
This recipe is absolutely delicious. I didn’t have any jalapeño so I chopped up some giardineria and it tasted great. Thanks for the recipe!
Love it! Such a great lunch or dinner 🙂
Delicious! Such an easy and tasty meal to make for lunch. Will definitely be keeping in my recipe rotation!
So happy you loved them, Amanda! 🙂
I’m not even a tuna person but these are amazing!
Omg amazing! So glad that you’re loving them!!
Fantastic. I honestly will not make tuna any other way, this was super healthy, quick, and tasty. Something you would buy at a restaurant quality and it’s super versatile you can add in and it would only amplify the recipe
Absolutely delicious! This is my favorite tuna melt ever!
I thought I had solid tuna melt game… but these babies take it to a whole new level!! Just FABULOUS. Open face is the only way to go. The jalapeños are a MUST. And we love them with sweet potato fries.
This is the best tuna melt I’ve ever had. So flavorful and filling. I’ll never buy water-packed tuna again! I added sliced tomatoes b/c it’s summer and I have a bunch. So good – thanks!
Omg yay I’m so happy you love it!! Great call on the tomatoes–yummmm 🙂
We LOVE this recipe. It’s especially good on a rainy day paired with tomato soup. It’s so flavorful and an absolute treat. Well done AK team!
Yay!! So happy you love it. PERFECT to pair with tomato soup–yummm 🙂
I make this for my family often! Very tasty spin on the classic tuna melt.
So happy you guys love this one, Amy!
Made this today with Greek yogurt, and white cheddar cheese. It was good and I’m proud of myself and grateful for an easy recipe. I think I’d add relish next time, I was just missing something sweet.
Easy to make and soo delicious!!
I have been making this for a few years now and it’s become my favorite Ambitious Kitchen recipe. I had it for dinner last night and breakfast this morning. It just really hits the spot. I make a variety of versions. Dill pickles, jalapeños, pickled jalapeños, scallions, and all mayo when I’m out of yogurt. I love it with Tillamook Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese. Just a great recipe! Wanted you to know how much I appreciate your delicious recipe.
So happy to hear that! This one’s great for customizing 🙂