Open-Faced Tuna Melt with Bacon starts with toasted English muffins piled with a flavorful tuna salad, melted Swiss cheese, and crispy bacon. It’s an ideal lunch or light dinner: easy to prepare in a toaster oven or conventional oven and balanced with creamy tuna, crunchy vegetables, and savory toppings.
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Tuna salad doesn’t have to be just tuna and mayonnaise. A touch of sour cream brightens the flavor, while red onion and celery add the crunch and texture that make this version stand out. Spoon the tuna salad onto toasted English muffins, top with Swiss cheese, finish with crumbled bacon and snipped chives, and you have a quick, satisfying meal that’s anything but ordinary.
Why you will love this recipe
There are two main reasons to make this open-faced tuna melt. First, it’s very easy: mix the tuna salad, toast the English muffins, assemble with cheese and bacon, then broil briefly until the cheese softens. Second, the flavor is what really wins. With just a few simple additions—sour cream, red onion, and celery—this tuna salad becomes far more interesting and delicious than the basic tuna-and-mayo combination.
Every ingredient contributes to the final result. If you want to experiment, feel free, but the balance here is what makes the recipe so appealing.
Ingredients
- Solid white albacore tuna in water (drained). Albacore is preferred for its texture and flavor.
- Red onion and celery, finely chopped for crunch and contrast.
- Mayonnaise and sour cream. Use full-fat mayonnaise and regular sour cream for the best texture and flavor.
- English muffins, split and toasted. Plain or whole wheat both work.
- Swiss cheese. Good substitutes include Muenster, provolone, or white American.
- Bacon, cooked and crumbled.
- Fresh snipped chives for a bright finishing touch that balances the richness.
Instructions for the best open-faced tuna melt of your life
Make the tuna salad
Drain the tuna well. Add the flaked, drained tuna to a bowl with mayonnaise, sour cream, chopped red onion, and chopped celery. Mix gently with a fork until combined. Refrigerate until ready to assemble if needed.
How to cook a tuna melt in a toaster oven
Split and toast the English muffins until golden. Place toasted halves on the toaster oven’s baking pan, top each with tuna salad and a slice of Swiss cheese. Broil briefly until the cheese just begins to melt. Remove briefly, sprinkle with crumbled bacon, then return to the broiler until the cheese is fully melted and the melt is heated through. Finish with snipped chives and serve immediately.
How to cook a tuna melt in a conventional oven
Fork-split and toast the English muffins in a toaster until golden. Preheat the oven broiler. Arrange the toasted muffins on a baking sheet, top with tuna salad and cheese, and place the sheet a couple of inches under the broiler. When the cheese starts to soften, remove the sheet, add crumbled bacon, and return it to the broiler until the cheese is melted and the melts are warmed through. Sprinkle with chives and serve.
Tip: Let the cheese begin to melt before adding the bacon so the bacon adheres to the cheese. If the cheese is cold, the bacon may slide off.
FAQs
Yes. Open the can and press the lid or a flat utensil against the tuna over a sink or bowl to strain out the liquid. Draining well prevents a watery tuna salad.
Full-fat mayonnaise and regular sour cream yield the best texture and flavor, but you can use reduced-fat versions if you prefer.
You can use flavored tuna packets if you like, but solid white albacore is recommended for the best texture and flavor. Chunk light will work but will produce a different texture.
Yes. If using tuna packed in oil, drain it before mixing and proceed with the recipe as written.
Any sturdy bread, roll, or bagel will work. English muffins provide a crisp texture and hold up well to the toppings.
Open Faced Tuna Melt with Bacon
Ingredients
For the tuna salad
- 2 (5 oz) cans solid white albacore tuna in water drained and flaked
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- 1 medium celery rib chopped
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp sour cream
For the tuna melts
- 3 English muffins split
- 6 slices Swiss cheese
- 3 strips bacon cooked and crumbled
- 3 Tbsp fresh snipped chives
Instructions
Make the tuna salad
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Combine the drained tuna, mayonnaise, sour cream, chopped red onion, and chopped celery in a bowl. Mix with a fork until combined. Refrigerate if not using immediately.
Make the tuna melts
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Toast English muffins until golden and transfer to a baking sheet.
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Preheat the toaster oven or conventional oven broiler.
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Top each toasted muffin with tuna salad and a slice of cheese.
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Place the baking sheet under the broiler and cook until the cheese just begins to melt. Remove, sprinkle with crumbled bacon, and return to the broiler until the cheese is fully melted and the melt is warmed through.
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Top with snipped chives and serve immediately.
Notes
Watch closely while broiling since the cheese can melt quickly, especially in a conventional oven.
Serving size is based on English muffins. Using larger bread or bagels will yield fewer servings but larger portions.