The BEST Lobster Roll recipe has elements of both a Maine and Connecticut Lobster roll, warmed in butter, tossed in a light sauce and served in a toasted bun. This gourmet meal is fresh, delicious, and ready in just 15 minutes!
Looking for more easy seafood recipes? Try this Lox Bagel, Fish and Chips, or Tuna Melt!
There are many opinions for the dressing of a Lobster Roll. Some people argue for butter only, with minimal seasoning, and some like a light mayo dressing. It’s important for me that the flavor of the lobster shines, and I like both methods, so I’ve done a light incorporation of each, resulting in what I think is the BEST Lobster Roll!
What I love most is this gourmet meal can be whipped up in just 15 minutes!
Ingredients Needed:
- Lobster: You’ll want about 1/4lb of lobster meat per bun/person. Many grocery stores carry frozen, or refrigerated packaged or canned lobster meat. Claw, arm and knuckle meat is traditionally used in lobster rolls, but you can also purchase a whole lobster, steam it, and use all of the meat. Alternately, reserve the tail meat for serving as main course in a nice dinner, and save the rest of the meat to make lobster rolls later in the week. If choosing live lobster, many seafood counters will steam it for you, and may even remove the meat.
- Buns: New England Style Bread Rolls are traditional for Lobster Rolls. They are slit at the top, and the sides of the bun are flat, convenient for laying them flat to toast.
- If you can’t find New England Style Buns, choose good quality soft, buttery buns—top sliced if you can find them, like these . Use a sharp serrated knife to gently cut the outer rounded edge off each side of the bun, to make it flat.
- Butter
- Sauce Ingredients: Mayonnaise, chives, celery, lemons, salt, and pepper.
How to make a Lobster Roll:
Make Sauce: Add celery, mayo, lemon zest and juice, chives, a dash of hot sauce, and a little pinch of kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
Warm Lobster: Add butter to a skillet over medium heat. Drain and pat moisture off lobster. Cut meat into chunky pieces. Add lobster to pan of melted butter and toss to coat. Cook until just warmed, about 2 minutes. Keep in mind, the Lobster is already cooked–just warm it.
Combine: Use a slotted spoon to remove meat (let excess butter drip off into the pan) to the bowl with dressing and toss gently to coat.
Toast Buns: Wipe skillet clean and set over medium heat. Add butter and melt. Dip buns in melted butter on both of the flat sides. Toast in hot pan until golden on both sides.
Serve: Open buns and if desired, place a lettuce leaf inside, and then ¼ of the lobster mixture. Top with a sprinkle of fresh chives. Serve these easy lobster rolls immediately, with a side of potato chips, veggies or fruit.
Connecticut vs Maine Lobster Roll:
Lobster rolls can be a little different depending on where you get them, but the most popular ones are found in Connecticut and Maine. Maine is known for the lobster to be tossed in a mayo sauce with celery, chives, and served cold. In Connecticut, the lobster is dunked in butter, place in a toasted bun, and served warm. I am a fan of both of these styles, so that’s why I combined them both in this recipe and you are going to be blown away by this seafood sandwich!
Make Ahead Instructions:
To Make Ahead: The salad mixture can be made and kept in an airtight container in the fridge up to one day in advance, making this easy lobster roll recipe even quicker!
Recipe Variations:
- No Mayonnaise: Omit mayo dressing and only toss lobster in melted butter, with a little garlic powder.
- Add-Ins: Feel free to add fresh tarragon on top, or toss in capers or onion to the salad mix.
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Recipe
Lobster Roll
Ingredients
- 1 lb cooked lobster meat , or meat from 2 or 3 medium size lobsters
- 2-3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 celery rib finely diced, optional
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon chives
- 1 dash Hot sauce
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 New England-style split top buns*
- lettuce leaves , optional, for serving
Instructions
- Drain lobster and pat dry excess moisture off with a paper towel. If needed, cut lobster meat into chunky pieces
- Add diced celery, mayo, lemon zest and juice, chives, a dash of hot sauce and a little pinch of kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Add butter to a skillet over medium heat. Add lobster to pan of melted butter and toss to coat. Cook until just warmed, about 2 minutes (it's already cooked, so we're just warming it.). Use a slotted spoon to remove meat (let excess butter drip off into the pan)to the bowl with dressing and toss gently to coat.
- Wipe skillet clean and set over medium heat. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and melt. Dip buns in melted butter on both of the flat sides and toast hot pan until golden on both sides.
- Open buns and if desired, place a lettuce leaf inside, and then ¼ of the lobster mixture. Top with a sprinkle of fresh chives. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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I skipped the warming of the lobster in butter and salt for dietary reasons and it came out great.
This was amazing! I frequent a local lobster roll shop.. but it is getting pricey. I just bought some lobster at the grocery store and followed this recipe. Didn’t even think I needed a recipe but glad I did! This is my new favorite!! I am obsessed!! Never had both Mayo and butter. Game changer! Thank you so much!
Awesome recipe I had some leftover lobsters 🦞. Made lobster rolls. Tails I used in lobster Mac and cheese.
Why does everything NEED mayonnaise in it…there r alot of us that cannot tolerate it..or maybe just dont like it??? I NOW cannot get this (used to be with just butter), burgers, fries or most any dips without mayo added…why? The old recipes didn’t have it? According to my husband, it tastes worse why?
Sandy, mayonnaise tastes good. If you can’t tolerate it, why not just use a substitute instead of complaining on the comments of a recipe site.
Great recipe! My bf was having a bad day and his attitude shifted after making these! Love the hot sauce in it.
Blimey! I never thought lobster rolls required a recipe. I like this one though. The Tarragon suggestion was an excellent addition. I added pineapple chunks and kept off the mayo. So good…
These were SO easy and absolutely spot on!!