This easy tuna melt wrap is the perfect hand-held lunch on the go! Tuna salad and cheese are stuffed inside a wrap, which is then browned on the stovetop until the wrap is nice and crispy and the cheese is melty. You can make this easy, yet satisfying, lunch or quick dinner in only about 15 minutes!
This easy tuna melt wrap is just like a traditional tuna melt, but all wrapped up and ready to go! And, besides being portable, there is another upside to making a tuna melt into a wrap: since everything is enclosed, you can stuff even more delicious filling inside!
In fact, this tuna cheese wrap is absolutely brimming with tuna salad and cheese. After pan-frying, the outside gets so nice and crispy, while the inside gets so oozy and warm and delicious.
With only a few basic ingredients, you can make this super satisfying and filling lunch or quick dinner, in only about 15 minutes!
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Looking for more canned tuna recipes? Try my tuna salad with Greek yogurt, stovetop tuna casserole, or tuna pesto pasta!
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Tuna: you can use any kind of tuna you have on hand. I used albacore tuna packed in water, but chunk light tuna, or even tuna packed in oil (drained very well) would work if you prefer that.
- Cheese: again, feel free to use whatever type of cheese you like. I have tested the recipe with shredded and sliced cheese and they both work well. For that ultimate gooey texture though, stick to melting cheeses such as American, cheddar, or Colby. Here is a list of 10 great cheeses for melting!
- Wrap/tortilla: you will need either a large flour tortilla or wrap, about 10 inches in diameter. The large tortillas are sometimes labeled "burrito size." If you don't have a wrap large enough, you can make 2 small tuna melt wraps instead!
Step by step photos
Here's how to make this delicious tuna wrap recipe, step by step. For a brief slideshow of these steps, check out my tuna melt wrap web story!
1. First, let's make the tuna salad. Drain the tuna well, then add it to a bowl, along with finely chopped onion, celery, relish, mayo, and mustard.
Mix it up well, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Now, let's work on making the wrap. First, place the wrap or large flour tortilla on a clean work surface. Sprinkle the cheese over half of the wrap - the half closest to you. But, be sure to leave the edges of the tortilla/wrap uncovered.
Then, add the tuna salad we made before on top of the cheese. Spread it out a bit to cover most of the cheese, but again, leave the edges uncovered.
3. And now, we are going to wrap up our wrap! Start by tucking in the left and right sides of the wrap. While holding in those sides, take the edge facing you and fold it up and over the filling.
Then, just keep rolling the wrap away from you, tucking in the sides as you roll, until everything is all rolled up nice and neat, just like a burrito.
4. Next, we will toast the wrap, much like you would for a traditional tuna melt! Drizzle the oil into a skillet set over medium-low heat. When the oil is hot, add in the tuna melt wrap, seam side down.
Leave it to cook for about 3 - 4 minutes, or until it's nice and browned underneath. Don't move the tuna wrap in the pan, but press it down gently a few times while it's cooking.
5. Gently flip the tuna cheese wrap over in the pan, and again let it cook for 3 - 4 minutes to brown the other side. And you can gently press it down again a few times with the spatula. When it's nice and brown, remove the wrap from the pan.
6. If you like, cut the tuna melt wrap in half and enjoy right away!
Tips and tricks
- If you notice the burrito or wrap you are using seems inflexible and brittle straight from the bag, don't try to roll it up yet! It will likely crack and it will be hard to form the wrap.
- Instead, place the wrap/tortilla on a microwave-safe plate and cover the top of the wrap with damp paper towels. Microwave it on high for 15 - 20 seconds, or until it's nice and flexible, then wrap the filling up right away.
- If you would like to cut the tuna melt wrap in half, I suggest using a serrated knife with a gentle back-and-forth motion. This will help keep the filling from squishing out when you cut it!
Storage and reheating
- Wrap up any leftovers in plastic wrap, aluminum foil, or reusable food wrap. The leftover tuna wrap will keep in the fridge for up to 3 - 4 days, but will taste best when enjoyed the next day.
- Leftovers taste really great cold! Or, you can reheat the wrap in a dry pan set over medium-low heat, about 2 - 3 minutes per side or until the cheese has melted.
Recipe variations
There are so many different ways you can customize this delicious tuna cheese wrap. Here are some ideas to try:
- Add raw sliced tomato and onion on top of the tuna before wrapping.
- Or, you can add cooked veggies on top of the filling, such as sautéed onions, mushrooms, or bell pepper.
- You can also add more seasonings and spices to the tuna salad itself. Try fresh or dried herbs such as parsley, dill, or chives. You can also add a sprinkle of hot sauce or red pepper flakes if you want a little heat!
- Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that you can (should) add a couple strips of cooked bacon to the wrap to amp up that savory flavor!
Recipe FAQs
You will need a large flour tortilla, or large wrap. For the flour tortilla, it will sometimes be labeled "burrito" or "burrito size."
For the wrap, it will look basically like a flour tortilla, but will be labeled "wrap" and will sometimes come in flavors, like spinach or sundried tomato.
The diameter for the tortilla or wrap should be around 10 inches. If you can't find or don't have a tortilla/wrap that is large enough, you can make two smaller wraps. Follow the same directions in the written recipe, just split the filling ingredients in half between the two wraps.
If you find that your tortilla or wrap is cracking, you need to soften it first before trying to roll it. You can easily do this by placing it on a microwave-safe plate and covering the top of the wrap with damp paper towels. Microwave it on high for 15 - 20 seconds, until flexible.
Before you even attempt to roll up the tuna wrap, check out the tortilla. Does it seem brittle or stiff, rather than flexible? If yes, or if you're not sure, go ahead and use the microwave trick and it will really help you roll the wrap without it cracking.
You can make the tuna salad ahead of time, and keep it covered in the fridge for up to 3 - 4 days. Then, when you are ready to enjoy the wrap, you can assemble it and pan-fry it as instructed in the recipe.
(Please note: making the tuna salad ahead of time will reduce the length of time you can store the leftover wrap. For example, if the tuna salad is 2 days old when you used it for the wrap, any leftover wrap can be kept for an additional 1 - 2 days, rather than 3 - 4 days.)
What to serve with a tuna melt wrap:
Check out these sides that would pair well with this delicious tuna cheese wrap!
If you’ve tried this recipe, please leave a star rating and/or review in the comments section below, I would love to hear from you! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. And sign up for my weekly newsletter to get recipes delivered straight to you!
PrintTuna Melt Wrap
The classic flavors of a tuna melt, all wrapped up! A generous helping of creamy tuna salad is stuffed inside a wrap with a layer of cheese, then seared in a pan until the outside is nice and crispy and the cheese is melty. This tuna cheese wrap only takes about 15 minutes to make!
- Prep Time: 7 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
- Category: main course
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 large flour tortilla or wrap (about 10-inch diameter)
- one 5-ounce can of tuna (any kind)
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped celery
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon mustard (any kind)
- ¼ - ½ cup shredded cheese (or 1 - 2 slices cheese)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ teaspoon neutral oil (vegetable, canola, etc.)
Instructions
Make the tuna salad:
- Drain the tuna well and add it to a small bowl. Add the mayonnaise, pickle relish, finely chopped celery, finely chopped onion, and mustard to the bowl. Mix well to combine. Season the tuna salad with salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble the wrap:
- Optional pre-step: If the tortilla or wrap feels stiff or brittle, place it on a microwave-safe plate and cover the top with damp paper towels. Microwave it on high for 15 - 20 seconds, until flexible.
- Set out the tortilla/wrap on a clean work surface. Arrange the shredded or sliced cheese over half of the tortilla (the side facing you), leaving about 1 - 1 ½ inch(es) of the tortilla/wrap uncovered around the edges. (For a visual how-to, see the Step by step photos section in the blog post.)
- Place the tuna salad on top of the cheese and spread it out so it covers most of the cheese (again, leave the edges of the wrap uncovered).
- Fold in the left and right sides of the tortilla/wrap that are next to the filling, enclosing the tuna and cheese at the ends.
- While holding in the folded sides, fold the edge of the wrap that is closest to you up and over the filling. Continue to roll the wrap away from you, tucking the left and right sides in as you roll, forming a burrito shape.
Cook the tuna melt wrap:
- Drizzle the oil into a skillet set over medium-low heat. When the oil is hot, add the tuna wrap to the pan, seam-side down.
- Let the tuna wrap cook for 3 - 4 minutes, or until browned underneath. Don't move the tuna wrap while it's cooking, but press down on it gently with a spatula a few times during cooking. (If the wrap is browning too quickly, turn the heat down.)
- Flip the tuna wrap with the spatula and cook for an additional 3 - 4 minutes, until browned on the other side (again, don't move the wrap in the pan, but press down on it gently a few times during cooking).
- Remove the wrap from the pan, cut it in half (optional), and enjoy immediately!
Notes
Shredded or sliced cheese will work for this tuna wrap, and you can use any type of cheese you like that melts well. Sliced American, or sliced or shredded cheddar would be good options.
If you would like to cut the tuna melt wrap in half, using a serrated knife with a gentle back-and-forth motion will work well if you want to get that "perfect" cross-section!
Leftovers can be stored tightly wrapped in the fridge for 3 - 4 days. Enjoy the leftovers cold, or reheat in a dry pan over medium-low heat for 2 - 3 minutes per side.
The nutrition information below is an estimate only, using ¼ cup of shredded full-fat cheese. The nutrition counts of your dish will vary based on the brands and exact amounts of ingredients used. This information was provided by an online nutrition calculator, and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical, health, or nutritional advice. See our full nutrition disclosure policy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 wrap
- Calories: 691
- Sugar: 7.1 g
- Sodium: 1370 mg
- Fat: 38.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 10.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 2.7 g
- Protein: 64 g
- Cholesterol: 93 mg
Jan
I’m not so sure why this is so high in carbs, sodium and calories? It looks really good but too much of all of the above.
Kate
Hi Jan, thank you for your question! I just want to preface this by saying I'm not a nutritionist or health expert. The nutrition information provided on my site is an estimate only and is not a substitute for professional medical or nutritional advice. The nutrition counts of your dish will vary based on the brands and exact amounts of ingredients you are using.
That being said, your question did prompt me to recalculate the nutrition information I listed on this recipe just to double check. I am only using an online nutrition calculator that is accessible to anyone to use, and sometimes they do create errors. So I looked up each ingredient one by one, and when I wasn't sure the nutrition calculator was accurate I looked up the ingredient labels online.
It turns out that my original count was pretty accurate, to the best of my knowledge and the information available to me from online sources. I'll give you a breakdown of the major ingredients only:
(1) Chicken of the sea chunk light tuna in water - 100 calories, 360 mg sodium, no carbs;
(2) Mission Garden Spinach Herb wrap - 220 calories, 540 mg sodium, 39 g carbs;
(3) Hellman's mayo - 180 mg sodium, 180 calories, no carbs;
(4) 1/4 cup Lucerne shredded medium cheddar cheese - 180 mg sodium, negligible carbs, 110 calories.
The salt to season, mustard, and relish also add a small amount of sodium.
So as you can see, the wrap itself and the tuna each have a fair bit of sodium. If you wanted to cut down on sodium you could use a reduced sodium tuna and/or a different type of wrap. And, the vast majority of the carbs are coming from the wrap, so if that is a concern for you, perhaps you could experiment with using a low-carb wrap. To reduce the calories further, maybe low-fat cheese and/or reduced fat mayo could be an option.
I hope this information is helpful and I appreciate your interest in my recipe! If you end up making it with any of the above substitution ideas I would love to hear how it turned out for you 🙂