The BEST Lobster Rolls Recipe

In the great debate of whether lobster rolls are best when served Connecticut-style with melted butter or the Maine way laced with lemony mayonnaise, I say do a combo of both! Trust me, you’re going to love these.

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In a world of best-of lists and where everyone has an opinion, choosing how to make the best lobster rolls is right up there with naming the best Super Bowl match-up ever, whether thin crust or Chicago style pizza is better, or declaring the best movie of all time.

As simple as they are to make, the best lobster roll debate always comes down to two things: Butter or mayonnaise? Personally, I love them both.

In this recipe, the lobster is warmed in butter then added to the simple mayonnaise dressing before getting loaded into a soft, buttery toasted, split top bun.

Summer eats have arrived, and I’m here for it.

What’s In Lobster Rolls

The ingredient list for these lobster rolls is simple and lean, staying in line with the classic flavors so the lobster meat shines through.

• Lobster meat
• Butter
• Mayonnaise
• Lemon juice and zest
• Minced celery
• Minced chives
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Soft, split top New England-style buns, or hot dog buns

What Type of Lobster Is Best for Lobster Rolls

There are a couple of ways to get your mitts on lobster for lobster rolls:

If you live on the Eastern seaboard, consider yourself lucky to have fresh caught lobster at your fingertips.

If you have the budget, order the live crustaceans online and have them shipped to your door. You can also look for them at Asian markets and some up-scale supermarkets. For the rest of us, frozen lobster is more likely in the cards.

For this recipe, you’ll need one pound of lobster meat. For fresh lobster, a 1-pound lobster yields between 3 to 3 ¾ ounces of lobster, depending on the season.

If steaming fresh lobster, here’s a tutorial. 

Instead of cooking fresh, I bought cooked, frozen lobster meat that includes the knuckle, claws, and tail meat for all those sweet lobster bites. You can also choose frozen tails, bake or steam them, and coarsely chop.

Lobster Rolls Dressing

Simple but flavorful, the dressing for these lobster rolls is beyond easy to whip up.

Don’t overdo the mayonnaise. Overdressing sweet lobster meat with gloppy mounds of mayo is one of the biggest travesties to befall a lobster roll. Keep the mayo light by using a scant ¼ cup of mayonnaise, and jus the right amount for 1 pound of lobster meat.

Add a celery crunch. While celery can be a controversial ingredient some lobster roll purists will take issue with, I like the crunch and change in texture it contributes. Dice it small so as not to overwhelm each bite.

Use both freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest. To avoid a watery or thin dressing that can make a soggy bun, add both lemon juice and lemon zest to the mayo for that zippy flavor that brightens up any seafood. For easiest results, zest the whole lemon while it’s firm and solid before juicing it.

Chive it up. The onion flavor chives provide not only add bits of heat, they’re also a tasty garnish when extra is sprinkled on top. For variety, try minced tarragon, red onion, or chopped green onion instead.

Lobster Rolls Get All Buttered Up

The best bite of this lobster roll is the first bite, when the bun is still warm and toasty and the lobster meat is warmed and buttery and mixed with the mayo dressing.

Gently warm the lobster meat in melted butter. Before combining it with the mayo dressing, warm the lobster meat in a skillet of melted butter for 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to cook it long, or it will become tough and overcooked.

Spoon It Up

Leave the juicy butter in the pan. As it cooks, the lobster releases juices into the butter, that while tasting delicious, will make the dressing runny if it’s all added to the mayo. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the lobster meat to the dressing, but don’t worry if some of that buttery goodness makes it in as well.

The Best Bread for Lobster Rolls

Because of the tender meat and delicate flavorings, this is a sandwich where the roll it’s served on can make or break the meal. I mean, it’s even part of the name!

Make it a soft, buttery bun. Split top, New England-style hot dog buns are the classic hand to mouth vehicle for lobster salad, but are sometimes hard to find. Made with eggs and butter, brioche-style buns with a tender, moist crumb or Hawaiian bread buns are options as well. While a regular side split hot dog buns will suffice, avoid buns that are dry or on the slightest verge of going stale. Soft and squishy are what you’re looking for here.

Slice the bun’s bready sides, butter and toast. Exposing the crumby texture by slicing away a thin margin of the bun’s sides, then toasting in a pan with melted butter adds another layer of warm richness lobster rolls are famous for.

How Much Lobster Is In a Lobster Roll

This isn’t the dish to be chintzy with, so stuff those lobster rolls with all you’ve got. Plan on ¼ pound of lobster salad for each bun.

While not classic, a piece of leafy lettuce can be added to the bun with the lobster. But beware, lobster roll fusspots may disagree.

What to Serve with Lobster Rolls

What would a lobster rolls be without a side of potato chips? For me, the saltier and the crunchier the better. Salt and vinegar kettle chips are my favorite, and add a great contrast to the soft bun and lobster.