Smoked Chipotle Tuna Melt

ByKatie June 20, 2023July 7, 2023

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Smoked Chipotle Tuna Melt turns the classic tuna sandwich into the new BBQ staple! Smoked on a Traeger grill, piled high with crunchy, garden fresh lettuce, and made into a loose creamy, chipotle patty – this tuna melt is as easy and delicious as it sounds!

Since you have the smoker fired up anyway, be sure to check out our Smoked Peach Pie and Smoked Turkey to make a day of it!

Smoked Tuna Patty Melt topped with chipotle and gouda cheese on a serving board.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

If you’re a fan of traditional tuna sandwiches or anything with melted cheese on it, then you’ll love this smoked tuna patty melt! The tuna is mixed with a combination of creamy condiments and spicy chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and a touch of acidic lime juice to produce maximum flavor.

What Makes This Recipe Work

A key element to making this recipe work on all levels is the smoking of the tuna and the buns. Smoking will both infuse the tuna with flavor, toast the buns preventing them from getting soggy, and gently melts the gouda.

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Traeger smoked chipotle tuna patty melt burger

Ingredients

Canned Tuna – I prefer white albacore.
Mayonnaise
Sour Cream
Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
Garlic Salt
Lime Juice
Smoked Gouda
Buns
Lettuce
Other Sandwich Toppings of Choice

Variations

If you’re not a fan of tuna, you could use shredded chicken. Smoked Gouda can be substituted with Swiss, cheddar, or any smoked style cheese. Blue cheese would add a great tang to the sandwich as well. Use high quality buns that are thick. This will help to keep the overall sandwich from getting soggy.

Instructions

Blend the sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor for a smooth consistency.
Add to the drained tuna and mix well. Divide between four buns.
Place the bottom buns on a tinfoil, smoker-friendly tray to save yourself the clean-up. I had extra casserole tops hanging around that are pretty sturdy, so that’s what I used.
Top with the smoked gouda or cheese of choice. Smoke the sandwiches including the bun tops for about 30 minutes at 225F. The tuna will start to change color and create almost a crust-like appearance, while the cheese becomes tender and slightly bubbly.
Finish sandwiches with toppings of choice and enjoy!

Equipment

Smoker Grill
Blender or Food Processor
Smoker-Friendly Foil Sheet Pan (a disposable one or a sheet pan specifically dedicated to your smoker)
Mixing Bowl
Rubber Spatula
Knife for cutting rolls and/or cheese if needed

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Summer BBQ Smoked Tuna Patty Melt with gouda cheese and chipotle mayo

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FAQ’s

What Tuna is best?

You can find tuna canned in water or in olive oil. It is a taste preference really. I prefer the canned in water since we are going to drain it anyhow. No sense squeezing out oil and wasting it.

What to look for when selecting tuna?

Canned light tuna is said to be lower in mercury levels. I also look for cans that say “wild caught”.

Why is it called a tuna melt?

The cheese and the heat, my friend! Both work together to create an ooey-gooey sandwich that is tender, yet crunchy from the lettuce and toasted buns.

Can you eat a tuna melt cold?

Yes you can. Just note that some people will not favor the texture of once melted cheese.

Storage

If you choose to make this ahead of time, the only thing you can really do is mix the tuna and condiments. You can prep the mix and then refrigerate in an air tight container until you’re ready to make the sandwiches.

Leftovers can be wrapped in tinfoil and refrigerated. I would recommend removing lettuce for this and replacing with new lettuce the next day after the sandwich is reheated in the oven for a few minutes. Microwaving the sandwich would lead to a soggy bun.