Hand-drawn illustration of a lobster roll with lobster meat, mayonnaise, celery, chives, and lemon.

Featured Sandwich

Lobster Roll Recipe

Name: Lobster Roll
Prep time: 16 min
Cook time: 4 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2 sandwiches
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2, preferably with flat, exposed sides Split-top buns; 250 g, chilled, drained, and cut into bite-size chunks Cooked lobster meat; 2 tablespoons Mayonnaise; 1 small stalk, finely diced Celery; 1 tablespoon, finely chopped Chives; 1 teaspoon Lemon juice; 1 tablespoon, softened Butter; to taste Salt and black pepper

Created by@sandwichloversOfficial

Chilled lobster dressed lightly with mayonnaise, celery, chives, and lemon, tucked into warm butter-toasted split-top buns.

Ingredients

Measured for 2 sandwiches.

Ingredient Note

Split-top buns

New England-style buns have flat sides that toast evenly while the top opening holds the lobster.

Detailed Recipe

Time

20 min

Level

Medium

Servings

2 sandwiches

1Drain the chilled cooked lobster and blot away surface moisture. Cut into bite-size chunks, checking for any remaining shell fragments.
2In a bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, finely diced celery, chives, and lemon juice. Gently fold in the lobster without shredding it.
3Taste and season with salt and black pepper. Cover and refrigerate the lobster salad while you toast the buns.
4Spread the butter over the flat outer sides of both split-top buns, dividing the tablespoon evenly. Keep the top opening and bottom hinge intact.
5Toast the buns in a skillet over medium heat for about 1–2 minutes on each buttered side, until golden. Transfer to plates.
6Open the tops gently and divide the chilled lobster salad between the warm buns. Serve immediately without pressing the rolls flat.

Recipe guide

How to make Lobster Roll

This New England-style lobster roll serves cool, lightly dressed lobster in a warm, butter-toasted bun. Mayonnaise belongs in the lobster salad; butter is used to brown the sides of the bread.

Start with cooked, chilled lobster meat to make 2 rolls in about 20 minutes. Celery and chives add a little crunch and onion flavor, while a teaspoon of lemon juice lifts the dressing without overwhelming the lobster.

Keep the lobster in chunks

Claw, knuckle, and tail meat all work here. Cut only the largest pieces and fold the dressing through gently. Small shreds absorb more mayonnaise and lose the distinct, tender bite that makes a lobster roll satisfying.

Drain before dressing

Thawed or freshly picked lobster can carry surface liquid. Drain and blot it before weighing out the filling. The dressing should cling to the pieces; adding extra lemon juice or leaving thawing liquid in the bowl can make the bun soggy.

Cool filling, warm bun

Keep the dressed lobster refrigerated while the buns toast. This is the mayonnaise-dressed style, so the lobster salad stays out of the hot skillet. Spoon it into the bread at the last moment to preserve the contrast between cool seafood and warm toast.

Toast the outer sides

A split-top New England bun opens along the top and has exposed, flat sides. Butter and toast those outer sides, leaving the interior soft. Keep the bottom hinge intact so the salad rests in a pocket instead of falling between two separate pieces of bread.

Substitutions

Use thawed cooked lobster at the same weight; thaw it in the refrigerator and drain thoroughly before dressing.
If split-top buns are unavailable, cut a pocket into the top of 2 soft hot-dog buns without cutting through the base. Lightly trim the outer sides to expose crumb for butter-toasting.
Replace the chives with 1 tablespoon of finely sliced scallion greens for a slightly stronger onion flavor.

Make-ahead and storage

Keep cooked lobster and prepared dressing in separate covered containers at 4°C / 40°F or colder until close to serving.
For the best texture, dress the lobster on the day of serving and keep the salad chilled while the buns toast.
For a picnic, transport the lobster salad in a cooler with ice packs and pack the buns separately. Fill the rolls just before eating.

Common mistakes

Heating the mayonnaise-dressed lobster in the bun skillet: the filling loses its cool texture and the lobster can turn tough.
Using wet lobster or too much dressing: liquid pools in the roll and softens the bread.
Toasting only the inside or cutting through the bottom of a split-top bun: you lose the browned sides or the pocket that holds the filling.

Serving ideas

Serve each roll upright with kettle chips and a small portion of coleslaw.
Offer lemon wedges on the side so diners can add a few drops just before taking a bite.