Mexican Tuna Melt (with canned tuna)

You don't have to be a big fan of canned tuna to love this healthy Mexican Tuna Melt! This new take on an old favorite classic sandwich pairs Mexican flavors with healthy broccoli slaw, two types of gooey melted cheese, and good ol' canned tuna for an easy and quick weeknight dinner. If you are looking for healthy canned tuna recipes this tuna melt is a unique, quick, and delicious dinner!

This tuna melt sandwich is a easy meal and makes an excellent busy weeknight dinner and is popular any time of the year. Canned tuna is an excellent meal option for both price and convenience. Yet buying tuna can be completely overwhelming because of the health considerations surrounding mercury content and Omega-3 fats.

Jump to:

• 💭WHAT TUNA SHOULD YOU BUY?
• 💭Recommendations (what and how much tuna to safely eat):
• 📖Variations & Substitutions
• 🥗 Side Dishes
• 🍽Equipment
• 🌡️Storage
• Top Tips
• 👪 Serving Size
• 🔢WW Points
• ❔ Frequently Asked Questions
• 📋 Mexican Tuna Melt Recipe (with canned tuna)
• 🥘More Canned Tuna Recipes

💭WHAT TUNA SHOULD YOU BUY?

Types of Tuna:

Many people instinctively reach for the lowest price or most familiar brand, but there are other considerations. When you are shopping for tuna, it's important to know that there are two main kinds of canned tuna: chunk light (skipjack) and solid or chunk white (albacore). 

Mercury:

Larger, older fish tend to have more concentrated levels of mercury than smaller, younger fish. Albacore, or white tuna, (comes in “chunk” and “solid” varieties) are the big fish in the tuna world so albacore has the highest mercury level of all the canned tunas (and 3x higher than skipjack). Light tuna, or Skipjack, tend to be much smaller fish than albacore, so naturally have less mercury.

Nutrition & Omega-3

Both types are good sources of protein with very little fat, but Albacore tuna has marginally more calories (ie: 109 calories as compared to 99 in a  3-ounce serving in chunk light tuna) ⅔ more fat, and slightly more protein. Albacore has more sodium and less selenium, vitamin B-12, niacin, and iron.

However, light tuna (or Skipjack), has a lower level of Omega-3s than albacore but is still a rich source of the most efficiently used Omega-3s, EPA, and DHA. Albacore has a lot more healthy omega-3 fats (808 milligrams versus 239 milligrams in chunk light)!

Taste & Texture:

Albacore tuna has a firmer texture and a milder flavor than the solid or chunk light fish varieties. Skipjack tuna can also be mushier.

💭Recommendations (what and how much tuna to safely eat):

(based on EPA guidance and estimates of mercury in the most popular canned tunas)

• Canned white, or albacore (0.32 parts per million of mercury). Children under six can eat up to one 3-ounce portion a month; children from 6–12, two 4.5-ounce portions a month. Adults, including pregnant women, can safely eat it up to three times a month (women, 6-ounce portions; men, 8-ounce portions).
• Canned light —  (0.12 parts per million of mercury). Children under six can eat up to three 3-ounce portions per month. Older children and adults can safely eat it once a week. But look out for “gourmet” labels. They are made with bigger yellowfin tuna and can contain mercury levels comparable to canned white (albacore).

Conclusion:

If you are most concerned about mercury content and eat tuna more than a couple of times a month,  then you will likely want to stick with SKIPJACK (CANNED LIGHT TUNA). If getting an OMEGA-3 powerhouse meal is your priority and you don't eat tuna that often, then ALBACORE (CANNED WHITE TUNA) may be a good option for you. 

Sustainability is another big can of worms that I didn't have room to open up in this post. So, if that is a concern for you, then I suggest you research it. 

Personally, I like both types of tuna and I don't find much of a difference in the taste or texture (I couldn't pick out which is which in a blind taste test). I have also found the canned light (skipjack) to generally be a little more expensive than the canned white (albacore). Although, not by much (maybe up to $.50 per can). 

📖Variations & Substitutions

• Cheese- if you don't have jack cheese, just use cheddar. I also use low-fat cheddar to lighten it up. You could also use spicy cheese to add a zip to it.
• Bread-you can use buns or any type of bread
• Coleslaw - you can use regular instead of broccoli slaw
• Onions - you can use red onion instead of green onion
• Spicy - if you want it even spicier, use pepper jack cheese instead of plain Monterey jack cheese
• Microwave it! - when it's really hot I skip the oven and make these using the toaster and microwave. Depending on your microwave wattage, you'll need to microwave them for 2-4 minutes, approximately. If you are using low-fat cheddar, as I do, it takes longer than regular cheddar cheese.

🥗 Side Dishes

I love to serve these Mexican-style Tuna Melts with my homemade Pico de Gallo Salsa Recipe. They also pair really well with soup or salad. Here are a few recommendations:

• Ukrainian Borscht Soup (with beef)
• Easy Healthy Minestrone Soup
• Mandarin Orange Salad Recipe
• Spinach salad

🍽Equipment

You will need a baking sheet and a cheese grater for this Mexican tuna melt.

🌡️Storage

Store tuna melts in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days. After two days, canned tuna begins to taste ('fishy' so it's best to eat it prior to that 48-hour period. You can freeze these for up to 3 months in a sealed container.

👪 Serving Size

This Mexican tuna sandwich makes 4 servings. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.

🔢WW Points

These spicy tuna melts are 6 ww points. You can further reduce the points by using lower-point bread and fat-free cheese.

❔ Frequently Asked Questions

So if you are looking for a Mexican tuna recipe or a tuna melt with a delicious twist, you'll love this recipe!

🥘More Canned Tuna Recipes