My tuna melt sliders recipe is easy to make and perfect for parties or making lunchtime easier for little hands. Let me show you how easy it is to turn this classic American sandwich into a fun party food!
And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my juicy turkey burger sliders, too!
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❤️ Why You'll Love this Recipe
Quick and Easy to Make - You won't need any special tools or techniques to make this tuna fish slider recipe. Mix up your tuna salad, toast the buns, then assemble and bake.
Nostalgic Flavor - This is my mom's tuna salad sandwich recipe, made cozy with melty cheese and warm, toasted buns. Your inner child will be delighted!
👉🏾 Despite not being mayo's biggest fan, I love me some mayo-based dishes, like these tuna melt sliders on Hawaiian rolls. Check out my deviled egg dip, southern potato salad, and Louisiana remoulade next!
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What You'll Need for this Recipe
Canned Tuna - I mostly use light tuna packed in water--which is typically either Skipjack or Yellowfin--because it's widely available and affordable. You can also use Albacore tuna, also called white tuna, or whichever you prefer.
Bread Rolls - Sweet rolls like Hawaiian-style rolls or potato bun rolls taste the best here, in my opinion.
Mayonnaise and Mustard for classic tuna salad vibes. I'm not partial to any brand, and have used yellow mustard, deli or dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, and spicy brown mustard in this recipe.
Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions!
Substitutions & Variations
Pickle Juice - adds briny flavor that goes so nicely with the tuna and cuts through any fishiness. Use whatever kind of pickle brine you like, or a splash of white vinegar if you don't have any.
Sliced Cheese - I like Colby Jack cheese for this recipe, but you can instead use cheddar, American, Swiss, provolone, or whatever you like best.
How to Make Oven-Baked Mini Tuna Melts
- Step One: Chop or smash the boiled eggs, then mix in all the other tuna salad ingredients. (Photos 1 and 2)
Pro Tip #1
The tuna tastes best when all the flavors have had some time to meld together and marinate, so feel free to make it up to three days ahead and store in the fridge.
- Step Two: Slice the rolls horizontally to create top and bottom buns for the sliders. (Photo 3)
- Step Three: Spread mayo on the cut sides of the buns, then toast them until golden brown. (Photos 4 and 5)
- Step Four: Layer cheese slices on the bottom buns, then cover with tuna salad, and top with more cheese slices. (Photos 6-8)
- Step Five: Place the top buns over the cheese, then place the pan in the oven to bake until the cheese is gooey and melted. (Photo 9)
Frequently Asked Questions
These mini sandwiches are best when freshly made; however, you can store them for up to two days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. They're still technically good for up to four days, but the buns tend to absorb liquid from the tuna salad and become mushy, so the texture isn't great.
How to Serve
Temperature: Serve your cooked tuna melts hot and fresh out of the oven so that they're still warm and the cheese is nice and melty.
Garnishes: Add mini gherkins or pickle slices and cocktail toothpicks for extra razzle dazzle at parties.
Pairings: These sliders go nicely with crispy potato chips--I recommend BBQ chips, Voodoo chips, or sour cream and onion! Or pair with veggie sticks, crispy sweet potato fries or Creole-spiced home fries.
Occasions: Put tuna and cheese sliders out for tailgates, Super Bowl watch parties, or as a fun pull-apart meal when school's out, and your kids are ready for lunch.
More Protein-Packed Small Bites
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
I hope you'll enjoy these cheesy tuna salad sliders with Hawaiian rolls soon and very soon. And sharing is caring, so be sure to pin this recipe for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
📖 Recipe
Baked Tuna Melt Sliders
Equipment
- 1 knife
Ingredients
- 3 boiled eggs
- ½ pound canned or packet tuna drained
- ¼ cup mayonnaise plus 3 tablespoons
- 3 tablespoons sweet and sour relish
- 2 tablespoons mustard
- 2 teaspoons pickle brine
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar optional
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- fine sea salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 12 King's Hawaiian rolls or rolls of your choice
- 10 slices Colby Jack cheese or cheese of your choice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, and set aside.
- Make the Tuna Salad: Peel and chop the eggs, then stir in tuna, ¼ cup of the mayonnaise, relish, mustard, pickle brine, sugar (if using), lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper until combined. Taste test and adjust seasoning as needed.3 boiled eggs, ½ pound canned or packet tuna, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons sweet and sour relish, 2 tablespoons mustard, 2 teaspoons pickle brine, ½ teaspoon granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, fine sea salt, black pepper
- Toast the Rolls: Slice the rolls in half horizontally (see picture in post), and place on prepared sheet pan, cut sides up. Spread remaining two tablespoons of mayonnaise on the cut sides, then bake for about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and increase heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.12 King's Hawaiian rolls
- Assemble the Tuna Melts: Lay slices of cheese on the bottom group of rolls then spoon the tuna salad mixture on top. Lay remaining slices of cheese over the tuna mixture, then place the buns on top. Tent with foil, return to the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cheese is melted.10 slices Colby Jack cheese
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