This quick and simple avocado tuna melt recipe turns a classic deli favorite into a healthy, kid-approved, and flavor-packed meal. While you can use any bread you like (gluten-free, low-carb, or even regular — whatever tickles your fancy!), I prepared this sandwich with several slices of my All-Purpose Keto Bread. The crispy outside matches really well with the soft, creamy tuna spread layered with fresh avocado and melted cheese. The recipe comes together in 15 minutes and is the perfect meal to get you out of that boring sandwich rut.
This is one of my go-to meals for a quick lunch. Like a classic tuna melt, the flavors come together nicely without being overly fishy so it quickly received an enthusiastic thumbs-up from my kids. If you have a family to feed, the recipe can easily be doubled or tripled. It’s the perfect solution when you’re craving a filling and flavorful meal, whether it’s for a quick weekday or a relaxing weekend afternoon.
I love the concept of an avocado tuna melt so much. I also created an avocado tuna melt quesadilla you can enjoy any day of the week. Read on for the full recipe details.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Some dishes are simply magical, every single person in the family will love them. For my family, an avocado tuna melt is one of them. Here’s why you should add it to your regular meal rotation:
- Budget-friendly
- Basic kitchen equipment
- Family-friendly and kid-approved
- Simple ingredients: All it takes is a ripe avocado and some staple fridge and pantry ingredients to create this quick and healthy sandwich.
- Short prep and cooking time: Assemble the sandwich in 15 minutes or less.
- Amazing flavors: Perfect crunch from the toasty bread, with rich and savory flavors from canned tuna, gooey melted cheese, and creamy avocado.
- Easy-to-follow directions: Follow simple, straightforward steps — no need for extensive cooking skills!
- Minimal cleanup: Uses very few kitchen tools that are easy to wash and store away, so there’s no excuse not to try out this recipe.
If you’re a tuna lover, you’ve probably enjoyed tuna salad more than once in your life. If you haven’t yet, you have to get on that ASAP with my quick and easy tuna salad recipe.
How to Make an Avocado Tuna Melt
Looking at the ingredients and the prep method, an avocado tuna melt is really just a fancy, supercharged grilled cheese sandwich. You’ll have the perfect tuna melt in just 15 minutes using kitchen staples like bread, canned tuna, butter, cheese, mayo, and seasonings.
Simply follow the basic principles of pan-frying buttered bread slices until they’re deliciously crispy on the outside, then stuff them with fresh avocado slices, tuna salad mixture, a bit of mayo, and seasonings as you see fit. It’s that easy!
Scroll to the bottom of this post for a printable recipe card with a full list of ingredients, measurements, and step-by-step instructions to make this crispy and gooey avocado tuna melt recipe.
Ingredients You Need
Sure, tuna melts are good, but an avocado tuna melt is even better! With my recipe, you don’t have to look too far to find these common pantry ingredients:
- Salt
- Butter
- Avocado
- Ground black pepper
- Raw apple cider vinegar
- Garlic: roasted or fresh, minced.
- Mayonnaise: The recipe uses Olive oil mayonnaise from Primal Kitchen.
- Bread: You can use any sliced bread you like, as long as it provides a crunchy and sturdy base that can hold the filling without becoming soggy.
- Canned tuna: I love using sustainable canned tuna, like the Wild-Caught Solid White Albacore from US Wellness. It has low mercury content and is hailed as the ‘Best Choice’ by the Monterey Bay Aquarium. This particular brand has a better consistency and fresher taste than chunky light tuna, with a firm texture that complements the softness of avocado.
- Cheese: For this recipe, I used raw milk cheese From US wellness.
- Dulse flakes (optional): Low-sodium red seaweed that adds an umami flavor and subtle brininess to the dish.
Step-By-Step Instructions
This easy-to-make avocado tuna melt is the perfect solution when you’re in a hurry or looking for a budget-friendly meal. The whole recipe comes together in 15 minutes or less and is a great way to make use of leftover ingredients sitting in your fridge and pantry. Now couldn’t be a better time to prep a batch!
- Prepare the bread slices. Lightly butter the outsides of the bread and pop it on a skillet over medium heat.
- Assemble the avocado-tuna mixture. Get all of the remaining ingredients together and combine the tuna with mayo (or yogurt) and seasonings, then spread over the first slice of bread. Load it with avocado slices and cheese, then place the remaining bread on top. Press down until the bottom piece turns golden brown, then flip and cook until the cheese melts.
- Arrange the sandwich. Slice in half and serve warm or arrange as an open-faced sandwich by leaving off the second slice of bread, while broiling the other piece on high heat until golden and the cheese is melted and bubbling.
Got leftover avocado? Here’s a delicious recipe for bacon tomato avocado cucumber boats to use up any remaining portion.
Variations
Avocado tuna melt is a versatile dish so it’s easy to make variations and add your favorite mix-ins. Below are some creative ideas to try:
- If you’re fine with the fishier flavor, you can substitute tuna for salmon instead.
- Make it “fish-free” by replacing the tuna salad mixture with buffalo chicken salad spread.
- Skip the mayo altogether and substitute it with Greek or plain yogurt.
- Switch out cheddar cheese for other melty cheeses, including smoked mozzarella, Havarti, Colby, Parmesan, pepper Jack, muenster, or provolone.
- If you don’t have sliced bread on hand, broil and serve the avocado tuna salad and melted cheese on top of big, thick tomato slices.
- Add more seasonings like parsley, basil, or dill.
- Incorporate thinly sliced red tomatoes, pickle, red onions, bell peppers, or lettuce for added flavor and crunch.
- Add more protein with some shredded chicken, sliced ham, or bacon bits.
- For a spicy kick, add garlic powder, chili flakes, paprika, jalapenos, Dijon mustard, or your favorite hot sauce.
Expert Tips
- Season generously. Don’t hesitate to season the tuna salad with more herbs and spices to enhance the flavor. Add your favorite seasonings until you achieve the desired taste and texture.
- Use ripe avocado. Fresh and ripe avocado will give you a smooth and creamy texture. For the best results, choose one that’s slightly soft but not too mushy.
- Drain canned tuna. To avoid a soggy sandwich, drain all of the water out of the can then pour the tuna chunks out onto a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess liquid.
- Toast the bread first. Cooking the bread before assembling the filling helps prevent it from becoming soggy once topped with the avocado-tuna mixture and cheese.
How to Store This Recipe
For the best flavor and texture, enjoy your avocado tuna sandwich hot off the skillet. But if you’re meal-prepping or have leftovers, keep the bread separate and wrap the filling in plastic wrap, then store it in an airtight container. This should keep it fresh for up to 2 days.
As much as possible, avoid reheating as the avocado may become mushy. Prepare freshly toasted bread and add your favorite toppings before serving.
I do not recommend freezing the mixture as the creamy texture may become compromised.
What to Serve with a Cheesy Avocado Tuna Melt
This light and healthy avocado tuna melt can be enjoyed as a standalone meal, but can also be paired with a few sides. Enjoy it for lunch with the following:
- Serve with raw veggies like carrots, celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber with a bit of ranch dressing.
- Pair with homemade green salad or a variety of fresh greens with tomatoes, cucumbers, and some light vinaigrette.
- Enjoy alongside chicken soup.
- Serve with a side of avocado salsa, guacamole, or Greek yogurt mixed with herbs for dipping.
- Pair with a creamy coleslaw or homemade sauerkraut.
- Serve with a refreshing fruit salad, featuring a mixture of seasonal fruits.
- Enjoy as a filling snack with some potato chips, baked potato wedges, or Golden Jicama Fries from Real Balanced.
More Avocado Recipes to Try
- Avocado Chocolate Mousse
- Avocado Chocolate Pudding
- Blueberry Avocado Smoothie
- Avocado Soup with Bone Broth
If you make this avocado tuna melt recipe, please leave a review. I appreciate each and every 5-star rating and comment!
Avocado Tuna Melt (Gluten-Free, Keto, Low-Carb)
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoons butter
- 4 pieces The BEST All-Purpose Keto Bread or any bread of choice
- 1 can Wild-caught albacore tuna 6 ounces
- 2 teaspoons mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon roasted garlic or fresh, minced
- 1 teaspoon raw apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dulse flakes optional
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 whole avocado
- 2 slices cheese 1 ounce each
Instructions
- Lightly butter one side of each piece of bread. Pan fry one piece in a skillet over medium heat.1 teaspoons butter, 4 pieces The BEST All-Purpose Keto Bread
- Make a quick tuna salad mixture by combining the tuna with mayonnaise or yogurt, garlic, dulse, salt and pepper. Spread over the first pieces of bread. Top with slices of avocado and then cover with a slice of cheese. Place the remaining bread on top. Press down and once the bottom piece is melted, flip and cook the second side until the cheese is melted.1 can Wild-caught albacore tuna, 2 teaspoons mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon roasted garlic, 1 teaspoon raw apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon dulse flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 whole avocado, 2 slices cheese
- Serve warm, slice in half if desired.
- For an open faced sandwich: prepare the sandwiches in the same way. Leave off the second piece of bread. Cook the sandwiches until the bottom is golden. Turn the oven broiler on high, place the sandwiches on a baking sheet and put in the oven. Broil for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling. Remove from the baking sheet and serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition & Macros
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, please calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients and amounts used, using your preferred nutrition calculator. Under no circumstances shall the this website and the author be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on the given nutritional information.