There’s no better way to celebrate the summer than with a Lobster Roll! Succulent lobster meat is tossed in a flavorful mayo mixture and served on a warm buttery bun. Make sure to read through tips and tricks on how to cook and take apart a whole lobster and get the most meat out of it!
Learn even more lobster recipes like Lobster Tails and Lobster Pasta and enjoy them all summer long.
Table of Contents
I’ll admit it… I’m pretty jealous of people who live in the New England areas, especially during the summertime. They have constant access to restaurants that all boast that they have the very best lobster rolls! Oh, what I would give to spend my days trying different rolls to determine which one truly is the best.
While I don’t live on the upper East coast, I do still live on the coast, which allows me to make all of my favorite seafood recipes pretty much year-round. Just like this one! I also treat my family to fresh seafood dishes like Cajun Salmon, Shrimp and Grits, or Mahi Mahi.
Lately, we’ve all been craving (you guessed it) these classic lobster rolls! Buttered buns are toasted and serve as the base to a heaping portion of succulent lobster meat in the best sweet and tangy mayo sauce.
When making lobster rolls, it’s VERY important to learn how to break down a whole lobster and get the most meat out of it. Nothing makes me more sad than wasted lobster! It’s not the cheapest protein, so you really want to make sure you get your money’s worth. If you scroll down just a little bit, you’ll see plenty of tips and tricks on how to get the most bang for your buck using both tail and claw meat.
Ingredient Notes
Whole Lobster – Scroll down for all the info you need on how to cook lobster, how long to cook it per pound, and how to break it down like a pro! If you have any extra meat, use it deliciously by making Lobster Risotto.
Lemon Juice – Do NOT use bottled lemon juice from concentrate. Freshly squeezed lemon juice is the way to go for the best flavor.
Mayonnaise – You can use low-fat mayo, but it won’t yield as creamy of a consistency as full fat.
Herbs – Chives and fresh parsley add nice vibrant touches to the lobster roll.
Celery – Always make sure to rinse any dirt or residue off of your celery before chopping it.
Buns – You can use your favorite brand of hot dog buns. I like to grab some from the bakery section of my grocery store so I know they’re fresh.
See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Cook and Take Apart a Lobster
How to Boil a Whole Lobster:
Prepare the water – Bring a large pot of water to boil. Make sure there’s enough water to totally submerge the lobsters. Season with about 2 TBSP of coarse salt and 1 TBSP of whole peppercorns. Lower the heat to medium so the water doesn’t boil over the top of the pot and make a mess!
Boil the lobster – Submerge lobster into the water and close the lid. Leave a crack to let the steam escape. Let lobster cook according to its weight, until it’s bright red.
How Long to Cook Lobster:
As an average time, lobster takes about 10 minutes per pound to cook. However, don’t exceed 25 minutes for 3-5 lb lobsters! If cooking several lobsters at a time, don’t use the combined weight, but the weight of the biggest lobster.
- 1 to 1 1/4 lb. lobster – cook for 10-12 minutes
- 1 1/2 to 2 lb. lobster – cook for 15-18 minutes
- 2 1/2 to 5 lb. lobster – cook for 20-25 minutes.
How to Break Down a Whole Lobster:
- Twist off the tail. You will see not so pleasant content of it’s stomach, but you can simply rinse the tail end off with cold water.
- Twist off both claws at the sides of the body.
- Separate the claw from the knuckle by twisting it off.
- Using kitchen shears, cut the underside of the tail all the way down. Pull it apart and take out the tail meat.
- Use lobster crackers to crack the tough shell of the knuckles and claws. Pull it apart and take out the claw and knuckle meat. Carefully go through the meat to make sure there are no pieces of shells leftover.
How to Make Lobster Rolls
Chop up the meat – Once you have your cooked lobster meat, chop it up into small pieces and place it in a mixing bowl.
Make the mayo mixture – Squeeze in lemon juice, add mayonnaise, diced chives and parsley, and a little salt and pepper. Mix everything together and set aside.
Butter the buns – Preheat the oven broiler on low and brush hot dog buns with melted butter. Pull them apart very gently and brush some butter on the inside as well.
Broil the buns – Place buttered buns on a baking sheet and let them brown under the broiler. Don’t place them too close to the broiler so the buns don’t burn.
Assemble the rolls – Divide the creamy lobster salad evenly among the warm rolls. Serve immediately.
Recipe FAQs
Yes you can! If the whole lobster is not available, get lobster tails that are frozen or fresh in the seafood department. If using frozen lobster tails, make sure to thaw them first.
Cook lobster tails in seasoned boiling water for 6-8 minutes, depending on the size.
Use 4 lobster tails to substitute 1 1/2-1 3/4 lb lobster. This will make 2 lobster rolls.
Cooking lobster doesn’t get any easier than plunging in into a pot of seasoned, boiling water. I like to keep all the flavors of the lobster pure and simply season the water with coarse salt and peppercorns. This way, lobster meat is not overpowered with any additional flavors.
For lobster rolls, it’s best to use lobster meat from the whole lobster because you get the combination of claw meat and tail meat. Claw meat is soft and flaky, while lobster tail meat is firmer and closer to a shrimp kind of texture. So the combination of the two textures makes for a more pleasant lobster salad.
Storing Instructions
Make Ahead: you can prepare the lobster salad ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator, in an air-tight food storage container. Store it for up to 2 days and make the rolls any time you want.
Leftovers: You can also make extra lobster salad and have some right away and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Make sure to use a food storage container with an air-tight lid.
More Seafood Recipes to Try
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Lobster Roll Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 lb whole lobster (can use 4 lobster tails or 1 lb lobster meat)
- 1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp diced chives
- 1/2 tbsp minced parsley
- 2 tbsp diced celery
- salt
- fresh cracked black pepper
- 2 hot dog buns
- 1 tbsp salted butter melted
Instructions
Cooking The Lobster:
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Make sure you will be able to fit the lobsters to be completely covered with water. Season with about 2 tbsp of coarse salt and 1 tbsp of whole peppercorns. Lower the heat to medium so the water doesn’t over-boil all over the stove.
- Submerge lobster into the water and close the lid. (Leave a crack to let steam escape.) Let lobster cook for about 16 minutes, until it’s bright red.
- Take lobster out using metal tongues that are preferable coated with silicone. Cooked lobster is slippery.
Take Out Lobster Meat:
- Twist off the tail. You will see not so pleasant content of its stomach but you can simply rinse the edge of the rail off with cold water.
- Twist off both claws at the sides of the body.
- Separate the claw from the knuckle by twisting it off.
- Using kitchen shears, cut the underside of the tail all the way down. Pull it apart and take out the tail meat.
- Use lobster crackers to crack the tough shell of the knuckles and claws. Carefully pull it apart and take out the claw and knuckle meat. Carefully go through the meat to make sure there is no pieces of shells leftover.
Making Lobster Rolls
- Chop lobster meat into small pieces and place it into a mixing bowl.
- Squeeze in lemon juice, add mayonnaise, diced celery, diced chives and parsley, and a little salt and pepper. Mix everything together and set aside.
- Preheat the oven broiler on low and brush hot dog buns with melted butter. Pull them apart very gently and brush some butter on the inside as well.
- Place buttered buns on a baking sheet and let them brown under the broiler. Don’t place it too close to the broiler so the buns don’t burn.
- Divide lobster salad evenly among the warm rolls.
Video
Notes
- Using Lobster Tails Meat: If the whole lobster is not available, get lobster tails that are frozen or fresh in the seafood department. If using frozen lobster tails, make sure to thaw them first. Cook lobster tails in seasoned boiling water for 6-8 minutes, depending on the size. Use 4 lobster tails to substitute 1 1/2-1 3/4 lb lobster. This will make 2 lobster rolls.
- Storing: you can prepare the lobster salad ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator, in an air-tight food storage container. Store it for up to 2 days and make the rolls any time you want. You can also make extra lobster salad and have some right away and store leftover in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Greg says
Looks so delish!
LyubaB says
Thanks, It really is good!
Karen says
The recipe listed diced celery, but I do not see it in the instructions?
LyubaB says
Hi Karen,
That was a typo, I fixed it, thanks! You can find it under Making Lobster Rolls step two. I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Ira Naliboff says
Thanks Luybab for answering, I will try what you’ve said and let you know. Stay safe.
Ira Naliboff says
I look forward to your emails. you are brilliant with the was you combine your ingredients. In this last, Lobster roll, my wife grow up on them but her were hot and buttery. Do you have a recipe on how I can make these for my wife.
Thank you
Ira Naliboff
LyubaB says
Hi Ira,
You made my day! I am so happy to hear you like my recipes! For the buttery lobster roll, I would use the warm lobster meat and take some melted butter, lemon juice, chives, parsley, and salt mixed together with the lobster meat. Then serve it in a warmed bun brushed with with melted butter. Let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Joyce says
Excellent! So easy to make and it’s delish!
LyubaB says
Thanks, Joyce! I am so glad you liked it!
James says
This is AMAZING!!! Thanks for the recipe!
LyubaB says
Thank you, James! I am so glad you liked it!
Jill says
Oh my!!! This is so good! This is a new favorite at my house!!
LyubaB says
Thanks, Jill! So glad you like it!
Donna says
Thanks for the step by step guide for cooking the lobster ! There’s nothing worse than a botched seafood boil! This is a great recipe!
LyubaB says
Glad you liked it!
Ariana says
I love your page and all….. but can you do more chinese recipes?
LyubaB says
Hi Ariana,
I am so happy to hear you love my page! I will work on more Chinese recipes for you!
Ariana says
Thank you so much!