A traditional lobster roll on the east coast is one of my husband’s favorite things!

Chunks of lobster and diced celery are tossed in a simple lemon mayo dressing, served with lettuce in a toasted bun.

When my husband and I visited Boston, we ordered almost every lobster roll we could find! While there are different types and variations, this is our favorite. Delicious, fresh, and easy to make at home too!

You’ll Love These Lobster Rolls Because…

  • This meal is super easy to prepare if you’ve got cooked lobster.
  • Lobster rolls are a great way to stretch leftovers after making boiled lobster but it can also be made with fresh or frozen lobster tails.
  • It’s a fresh and flavorful meal, perfect for a hot summer night.

Ingredients for Lobster Rolls

Lobster: This recipe uses either freshly cooked lobster or fresh or frozen lobster tails. While we love using claw and knuckle meat, tail meat is more accessible and easier where I live. Blot any moisture so the lobster doesn’t dilute the dressing or make the buns soggy.

Bread: Split top buns are best for holding in every bite! If you can’t find split top, get bakery buns and split them from the top yourself. Lobster roll sliders can be made with homemade Parker house rolls or slider-sized homemade hamburger buns.

Dressing: Full-fat mayo and fresh lemon juice with seasonings make the simple dressing that bring these lobster rolls together. A dash of Old Bay or homemade Cajun seasoning can be used instead of hot sauce if desired. I add a bit of celery for crunch.

Variations

  • Add fresh herbs like chives or tarragon.
  • Make it low-carb by serving lobster salad on a bed of greens or tucking it into a low-carb wrap.

How to Make Lobster Rolls

  1. Prep the lobster meat and toss with the dressing (as per recipe below).
  2. Brush split-top buns with butter and toast.
  3. Place a lettuce leaf in each bun and top with lobster salad.

Serve with a side of potato chips or baked french fries.

sheet pan of Lobster Roll

Leftover Lobster?

  • Keep leftover lobster salad separate from buns in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
  • Toss salad with a splash of lemon juice and serve again with freshly toasted buns.
  • Leftover lobster mixture can be frozen for up to a month in a zippered bag. Although it won’t thaw out as firm or fresh, it will still be great on a salad or in a wrap.

More Succulent Seafood Recipes

Did you enjoy this Lobster Roll recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!

image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text
5 from 5 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
Or to leave a comment, click here!

Lobster Roll

Lobster rolls have a creamy filling spooned into a soft bun.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Total Time 29 minutes
Servings 4
Author Holly Nilsson

Equipment

Mixing Bowls on white background
Mixing Bowls
Skillet on white background
Skillet
buy hollys book

Ingredients  

  • 12 ounces lobster meat or 2 medium lobster tails*, about 6 oz each
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 rib celery finely diced
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • teaspoon salt
  • few dashes hot sauce
  • 4 top cut hot dog buns**
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 8 leaves bibb lettuce

Instructions 

  • Dab the lobster meat dry with a paper towel if needed and cut into ½-inch pieces.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, celery, lemon juice, salt, and hot sauce. Add the chopped lobster and gently toss to combine.
  • To prepare the buns, cut a slice off each side of the bun and brush with butter.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Place the bun in the skillet, butter side down, and cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and repeat on the other side.
  • Place the lettuce inside each bun and top with the lobster mixture.

Notes

*To Cook Lobster Tails (Ensure the tails are thawed).
  1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a gentle boil. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Drop the tails in and gently boil for 5 to 7 minutes (3 to 5 minutes for 3-4 ounce tails) or until cooked through. Once cooked, transfer the tails to the ice bath and let them cool for 10 minutes or until chilled.
  2. Drain well. Using kitchen scissors, cut up the underside of the tail to remove the meat. Rinse the lobster well to ensure there are no bits of shell, and dab dry with a paper towel.
**If you are unable to find top-cut buns, purchase fresh unsliced bakery buns and cut them yourself.
Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for 2 days and in the freezer for 1 month. 
5 from 5 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 313 | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 764mg | Potassium: 326mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1309IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 150mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Main Course, Sandwich, Seafood
Cuisine American

share:

PinFacebookTweetYummly

Categories:

, , , ,

Like our recipes?
Follow us on Pinterest!

Follow us on Pinterest

Recipes you'll love

About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
See more posts by Holly

Follow Holly on social media:

pinterest facebook twitter instagram

Free eBook!

Subscribe to receive weekly recipes and get a FREE Bonus e-book: Quick & Easy Weeknight Meals!

You can unsubscribe anytime by clicking the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of emails you receive.

Latest & Greatest

5 from 5 votes (1 rating without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. You must have read my mind as I just made these delicious rolls again! Oh and then I found your extra creamy Lobster Mac and Cheese which was divine also!5 stars

  2. I am from Atlantic Canada, where lobster is king, and this is how a lobster roll should be made. Celery and mayo, yes, most cooks here would even omit the hot sauce. You want the lobster to star, all extra ingredients take away from the flavour.5 stars