Skip the overpriced restaurant version and make your own Lobster Roll recipe at home. A much more cost-effective way to enjoy this classic New England treat. Lightly dressed in lemon mayo and melted butter, served on a toasted roll and sprinkled with chives….Lobster Rolls are what summer is all about.

Three lobster rolls on a white platter with lemon wedges


Lobster Roll

I LOVE the beach. I, seriously, think I was born with sand between my toes. There’s nothing more relaxing to me than a beach vacation…..the food, the sand, the ocean and a good book. But mostly the food.

GIMME ALL THE SEAFOOD! The beach has the best seafood restaurants from grilled clams to tender crab cakes. There’s something for everyone but my personal favorite is the Lobster Roll. Simple, buttery and amazing.

Lobster Rolls on a platter with a bowl of chips in the background.

What is a Lobster Roll?

A Lobster Roll is a sandwich traditionally found in New England made of a simple Lobster salad stuffed into a toasted roll and drizzled with butter.

They can be served cold, tossed with mayonnaise, or hot with drawn butter, but the more traditional Lobster roll is served simply with melted butter.

This easy Lobster Roll recipes is quick to prepare and uses common kitchen ingredients….other than the lobster, unless you’re super fancy like that. 

It’s a great option for a fancy, not fancy dinner if you want to impress. 

Lobster rolls on a platter with a hand taking one off the plate.

How to Make a Lobster Roll

This Lobster Roll recipe is super simple to make. Chopped lobster meat blended with a lemon-y mayonnaise dressing and served in a lightly toasted roll…it doesn’t get any easier than that.

I don’t want to overpower fresh lobster meat with tons of mayo, but I do drizzle the beauty with some melted butter. Okay, I drenched the sandwich with some melted butter. It was the right thing to do. Then I stuffed it into a split top bun. Perfect Maine Lobster Rolls.

  1. Whisk together the mayonnaise with lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Cut the lobster meat into bite sized chunks
  3. Toss the lobster meat with the dressing and set aside.
  4. Melt the butter in a skillet and toast the rolls until golden brown.
  5. Fill the rolls with equal amounts of lobster meat and drizzle with melted butter.
  6. Sprinkle with chopped chives, freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.

How heavenly does that look??? If you want to add a little crunch, finely diced celery with a bit of lemon zest will certainly brighten up the flavor. But lobster roll purists might fight you on this.

If you’re a fan of crab salad you may want to try these easy Crab Rolls, they’re equally delicious!

Lobster roll with a lemon wedge on top.

What kind of bread is used for Lobster Rolls?

While the regular hot dog bun will do in a pinch, I like to search out traditional top split buns, white bread hot dog rolls since that’s how New England Lobster Rolls are served. 

Lightly toasted, these buns are the perfect companion to an authentic Lobster Roll recipe.

What sides to serve with Lobster Rolls?

Because the very best Lobster Rolls are fairly simple, I like to serve equally classic sides with my rolls.

Can lobster rolls be made ahead?

You can definitely prep the lobster filling in advance. Just assemble the lobster rolls right before serving or the rolls could become soggy.

If feeding a crowd, you could make a DIY lobster roll set up with a bowl of the lobster roll salad and the grilled rolls ready to go for guests to make one on their own.

Are lobster rolls best served hot or cold?

I prefer my lobster rolls served cold but you can definitely heat the lobster meat a little bit if you prefer it on the hot side. It’s all based on personal preference.

Selecting the Best Lobster

While there are a lot of great brands of frozen lobster meat, I prefer to use a fresh Maine lobster for this recipe. It’s also more cost effective to use a whole lobster to make lobster rolls and you’ll have both claw and tail meat to fill your rolls.

If you can only find Caribbean lobster meat, that works well, too, but it is a bit sweeter than Maine lobster.

More Easy Lobster Recipes

If you love Lobster Rolls as much as I do, then I know you’ll love this Lobster Thermidor and this to die for Lobster bisque   OR this easy Lobster Mac and Cheese.….OR you can host a big bash and serve them this amazing salad.

Looking for more easy recipes and inspiration? Follow us over on Instagram!!!

Lobster roll with a lemon wedge on top.

Get the Recipe: Lobster Roll Recipe

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
The perfect Lobster Roll made with simple ingredients for a fresh taste of New England wherever you are.
5 from 8 votes
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Ingredients

  • 3 1-1 1/2 pound lobsters, steamed and meat removed (about 3 cups lobster meat)
  • 2 tablespoons good quality mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • kosher salt
  • fresh ground pepper
  • 6 tablespoons melted butter
  • 4 New England Style hot dog rolls, you can use regular if you can’t find New England style
  • 4 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Instructions 

  • Chop the tail into bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl with the claw and leg meat.
  • Whisk the mayonnaise and lemon juice in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Gently toss the dressing with the lobster meat and set aside.
  • Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add two tablespoons of butter. Toast the outside of the hot dog roll in the skillet until golden brown. Flip and toast the reverse side. Repeat with remaining rolls.
  • Open each roll and fill with 1/4 of the lobster salad. Drizzle 1 tablespoon melted butter over each roll and top with 1 tablespoon chives. Serve immediately.

Video

YouTube video

Notes

Lobster salad can be prepped in advance. Assemble the lobster rolls right before serving for best results.
Serving: 1g, Calories: 483kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 229mg, Sodium: 1091mg, Potassium: 294mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 655IU, Vitamin C: 3.2mg, Calcium: 134mg, Iron: 11.1mg
Author: Kellie
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American