Bring a taste of coastal New England to your table with these Maine Lobster Rolls! See how fresh, simple ingredients make these lobster salad sandwiches a crave-worthy summertime classic.
I promised myself that when I left for my recent trip to Maine, I would eat all the lobster while I was there. Happy to report: Mission Accomplished.
When I posted a photo on Instagram of the lobster rolls we had, I received many requests for a Maine Lobster Roll recipe. I knew I had to get to work steaming up some lobsters and photographing.
It also meant I had to eat lobster rolls again. Always willing to take one for the team, friends!
In this post, I’m going to take you through exactly what makes a Maine Lobster roll a classic, including what you need (and what you should leave out) for an authentic New England experience.
Despite the length of this post (I’m passionate about lobster!), Maine Lobster Rolls are so simple to prepare. With just a few ingredients and techniques, you can bring the flavors of Maine’s picturesque seashore to your table, wherever “home” is for you.
What is a Lobster Roll?
Lobster Rolls are sandwiches that hail from New England, mounding chunks of fresh lobster meat onto buttered and griddled split-top hotdog buns. One bite takes me right to the sound of the ocean, warm, salty breezes, and the sand beneath my toes. It’s summer on a bun.
How the lobster itself is treated differentiates styles of New England Lobster Rolls. In the language of the food world, recipes fall into two general categories: Connecticut-style and Maine-style.
Connecticut vs Maine Lobster Rolls
To make Maine Lobster Rolls, steamed lobster meat is cooled and lightly-dressed with mayonnaise. The lobster salad is served chilled, piled into a griddled hotdog bun. (On some menus, the lobster might be unadorned, with a little mayo spread onto the bun instead.)
Connecticut Lobster Rolls are served warm. The lobster meat is dressed with drawn butter and mounded into a similarly-prepared bun. Connecticut Lobster Rolls contain no mayonnaise.
That said, you’ll find both of these styles served in both states, and throughout New England. I’ve been at restaurants in Connecticut where I’ve found the mayo-based lobster roll on the menu (sometimes called a “lobster salad roll”), and at places in Maine where they’re served with butter.
Generally-speaking, if you hear “Maine-style,” expect the lobster roll to be chilled, with mayo; “Connecticut-style”, warm with butter.
How to Make a Classic Maine Lobster Roll
New England lobster rolls, whether Connecticut or Maine-style, are all about the lobster. They’re made with very few ingredients and let the sweet, delicate lobster itself be the star of the show.
I make Maine lobster rolls with fresh lobsters that are about 1-1/2 pounds in weight. Three, 1-1/2 pound lobsters will generally yield about 1 pound of lobster meat total for 4 lobster rolls.
How to Cook Live Lobsters
For lobster rolls, I like to stick to two classic cooking techniques: boiling or steaming.
Boiling typically allows you to cook more lobsters at once. It’s convenient if you’re entertaining a crowd. The meat is also easier to clean from the shells.
Steaming yields a more tender and flavorful meat since the lobsters aren’t submerged in the boiling water. It’s also more difficult to overcook lobsters when steaming.
There has been a lot of debate about whether lobsters can feel pain. For a humane cooking process, I sedate/desensitize the lobsters before boiling by freezing them for 15 to 30 minutes, or dispatch them with a sharp knife before steaming. For more information and dispatching instructions, see How to Humanely Kill a Lobster for Cooking from The Spruce Eats.
For more information about cooking techniques and tips, check out Cooking Lobsters By LobsterAnywhere.
I’ve cooked the lobster meat! What’s next?
Once you’ve removed the tail, knuckle, and claw meat from the shells, cut it into large-ish chunks. Some places I’ve visited leave the claw meat whole, laying it across the top of each roll. If I’ve been skillful enough to remove the claws in one piece, I like to follow suit for an impressive presentation.
For Maine-style lobster rolls, gently toss the lobster meat with a good-quality mayonnaise. (I use Hellmann’s, Duke’s, Cains, Stonewall Kitchen, or homemade.) Again, the lobster is the main focus here, so you want just enough mayonnaise to hold the lobster salad together, but not so much that it overpowers.
Since some mayonnaise brands are more tart than others, I like to taste the lobster salad and add just a small squeeze of lemon juice if it needs a little brightening.
Beyond mayonnaise, every other addition to a Maine lobster roll is subject to debate.
- Some classic recipes call for adding chopped celery to the lobster salad, for a bit of crunch. I prefer my lobster rolls without it.
- Adding lettuce to the bun before mounding the lobster salad can also be a hot topic. I like a small leaf or two of Bibb lettuce, but not too much. I’m not a fan of lobster rolls that skimp on the lobster in favor of lettuce.
- Add-ins that are delicious with lobster, but do not appear in a classic Maine lobster roll include capers, Dijon mustard, tarragon, scallions, avocado, bacon…and just about any other ingredient outside of those mentioned above.
Lobster. Mayonnaise. Buttered/Griddled Hot Dog Bun. Maybe a touch of celery and/or lettuce. For Maine lobster roll purists, that’s all!
Tell me More About the New England Hot Dog Buns
Split-top hotdog buns are the traditional choice for Maine Lobster Rolls. If you can find the New England-style buns that also have flat sides for toasting, your at-home experience will be all the more authentic.
The flat sides of New England hotdog buns toast especially well on the griddle, creating a buttery, crispy exterior and soft middle.
While my grocery store in New Jersey sells split-top hotdog buns, it can be difficult to find them with flat sides here. I brought a package home with me from New England, but you can also find them online.
Or, if you enjoy bread baking, you can make them yourself at home with a New England Hot Dog Bun pan.
Fun read: In Praise of the New England Hot Dog Bun, from New England Today.
What to Serve with New England Lobster Rolls
Just like when I’m oceanside, I love to serve these Maine Lobster Rolls with lightly-seasoned French fries or kettle chips and coleslaw. I’ve also seen them served with a dill pickle, but honestly, I usually dive in for the fries or chips with a lobster roll first!
Lobster Rolls are great served with iced tea or a cold beer. My favorite pairings are witbiers and witbier-style brews, such as Allagash White (also from Maine) and Hoegaarden White. I also like saison with lobster rolls.
You want something crisp that isn’t going to overpower the flavor of the lobster. Remember: for a classic lobster roll experience, the lobster is king!
Maine Lobster Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 pound cooked lobster meat (shelled, drained, and cooled)*
- 3-4 tablespoons mayonnaise (I use Hellmann's, Duke's, Cains, Stonewall Kitchen, or homemade)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped celery (optional, for those who like a little "crunch")
- freshly-squeezed lemon juice (optional)
- kosher or sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
- 4 large lettuce leaves (optional, I use Bibb)
- 4 split-top, flat-sided hotdog buns (“New England” style)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
Instructions
- Remove and discard any stray bits of shell or cartilage from the lobster meat and cut it into large chunks (about 3/4-inch). Sometimes, you'll see the claw meat left whole, placed across the top of the roll for an impressive presentation.
- In a bowl, gently toss lobster with 3 tablespoons mayonnaise and celery (if using). The lobster should be lightly-coated, but not weighed down by the mayonnaise. Add an additional tablespoon of mayonnaise, if needed.
- Taste the lobster salad. Some brands of mayo are a bit tangier than others. If the salad needs more brightness, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Cover the lobster salad and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to 6-8 hours if prepping ahead.
- To assemble the lobster rolls, preheat a griddle over medium heat. Butter the flat sides of the hotdog buns and grill for just a couple of minutes per side, until toasted.
- Place lettuce (if using) onto each bun and mound with 1/4 of the lobster salad. Serve with your favorite sides, such as coleslaw, dill pickles, french fries, or kettle chips.
Notes
To Cook Live Lobsters
For step-by-step instructions, see the Lobster Cooking Guide infographic in the blog post above. To save time, you can also ask your seafood market or the seafood counter at your grocery store to steam the lobsters for you. Some will even remove the meat from the shells.Nutrition Estimate
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
About our recipes
Please note that our recipes have been developed using the US Customary measurement system and have not been tested for high altitude/elevation cooking and baking.
Best lobster roll recipe online. Best for the advice to leave out ingredients that are not roll, lobster, mayo or butter. Its all about the lobster.
VERY NICE – I JUST ADDED A COUPLE OF CHOPPED SCALLIONS
Hello! What do you consider to be good quality mayonnaise? I know this is a silly question, but I grew upon Miracle Whip. Thanks and I cannot wait to make these.
Hi Ashley,
My two favorite mayo brands at the grocery store are Hellmann’s (East US – labeled as Best Foods elsewhere in the US), and Duke’s (originally from the Southern US and now carried in some stores nationally). For a speciality mayo, I also like Stonewall Kitchen’s Farmhouse Mayo.
Enjoy your lobster rolls! :)
Amanda
We use Kraft Miracle Whip and serve the lobster rolls with fresh made potato salad! As with most Maritimers we love fresh lobster (We are from Miramichi, NB.) Yum Yum! Thanks Ashley!
I spent many of my childhood summers in Kennebunkport and lobster rolls were a must! I recently ordered one in a restaurant here in South Carolina that was filled with capers, onions, and tarragon (just no!) and have been craving the classic. We made these for Father’s Day and they were just like what I always remember from Maine. Everyone loved them. Thanks for such an informative article and recipe!
Thanks for this great post! I live in Maine and grew up on lobster rolls. The cold lobstah salad roll is my favorite. Like you said, you’ll find places up here that serve them warm with butter too, but the chilled version is our area’s classic. (Actually, it’s such a debated thing for “the best” that I know a few places that give you both mayo and butter on the side and let you make it yourself! Haha. )
Thank you for not adding a bunch of “stuff” to your lobster salad and using the right kind of buns. You’ve done Maine really proud!
You’re talking about Red’s Eats in Wiscasset, right? They give you both mayo and butter and let you dress your own roll. :)
Only one way, the original 1. Lobsters 2. Hotdog roll 3. Melted butter pored over lobster!!! Anything else added ruins the taste of lobster!! Like mayonnaise, put it on bread and have a mayonnaise sandwich!! Uck
Respectfully, Mr. Twitchell, there isn’t “one way” to make a lobster roll. As is discussed in the blog post above, the preparation you’ve described is a Connecticut-style lobster roll. This recipe is for what’s known as a Maine-style lobster roll. While your personal preference may be for the Connecticut preparation, that certainly doesn’t negate the fact that the chilled, lobster salad-based recipe is also a longstanding New England tradition.
What a far less delicious and interesting world it would be if we didn’t have regional variations on recipes, and if there were only one way to make something!
Happy Cooking,
The Striped Spatula Team
Connecticut lobster rolls are terrific, how can butter on lobster ever be wrong. I never used to eat Maine style but now I do.
My favorite is still Ct. style, but both are good
I think this was a very thorough, helpful recipe. I have never made Lobster rolls and wanted to surprise my boyfriend who has had them in Maine. I was curious what to serve to drink, sides etc. This site was all that and more. Thank you so much!
Just wanted to say how much we love your blog and recipes. I remember lobster rolls from a visit to Peggy’s Cove many decades ago and these brought back those memories. My SO won a recipe contest at work with his fellow electricians and I used this recipe as a guide – and passed it on to all! I will be making them for my kids and grandkids on the West Coast on my next visit.
Your missing quite a bit of meat in the body and legs. you can use a rolling pin to squeeze the meat out of the legs.
Thanks for your comment, Sean! We prefer to have the lobster leg meat as a secondary treat and use the claw, knuckle, and tail meat for the lobster salad. Love those chunks of meat in a lobster roll, as enjoyed in Maine!
Oh girl. These photos had me feeling like I was flipping through Bon Appetit magazine. I love the gloomy mood you set with the pops of bright color—I think this style compliments seafood recipes so perfectly. There’s something really coastal about it. ANYWAY. The actual recipes is to die for. Buttery, toasty bread hugging soft and sweet lobster + creamy mayo is a damn dream. I’m so so in love with this recipe, Amanda. Sharing it with the world!
Bon Appetit magazine, what an amazing compliment, Dana! Thank you! :) I saw the board sitting in my prop closet and it gave me a coastal feel, so I’m glad that was conveyed in the photos! And thank you for sharing the recipe, so very much appreciated. Lobster rolls all around! <3
I never knew the difference between Maine and Connecticut lobster rolls. My favorite lobster roll at the shore is a hybrid- the lobster is served cold, salad style but it comes with a side of drawn butter that I smother the lobster salad in. These lobster rolls look so good! Yum!
My gosh, Amanda!! I really respect you and all you’ve done so that we can have the Maine Lobster Rolls. What a sacrifice!! So let me tell you how much I appreciate all you went through — yes I remember the bug bites. But I hope all is well in the end and now we have a recipe to try. I could eat those rolls every day. I’m not too familiar with preparing lobsters — just eating them. Your instructions and tips are certainly worth keeping handy. Since I live in the Midwest, I’ll have to make my own lobster rolls.
This is such an incredible post and recipe. So clear and informative. We absolutely die for a good lobster roll, and it doesn’t get any better than a fresh lobster roll from Maine.
I am salivating reading through this and looking at the gorgeous shots. Thanks for amazing inspiration and guidance on making an incredible Maine lobster at home!!
I have been dying to make lobster rolls and home and seeing your beautiful post makes me want to do it even more! Some day I hope to get to Maine so I can have myself an authentic one. Until then, I’ll learn to make them at home!
These look scrumptious and simple to make. I had no idea that there was a difference in Maine and Connecticut lobster rolls! I’m definitely going to get me some lobster rolls when I make my trip to Maine too.
I am SO excited for this post – you don’t even know! I’ve never had Maine lobster rolls because I’ve never been to Maine! I spent most of last fall bugging my partner to see if he’d be game for a road trip down from Canada so I could get my fill of authentic lobster rolls. I’ll have to make these to tide me over until he drives me down!
How I wish I lived near the water. I LOVE lobster….but unfortunately I can only get frozen most of the time. This is right up my alley. I even have convinced my husband to like lobster. I would be in heaven ….and eat these for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
I can’t wait to try these recipes. I LOVE lobster and have had the chance to enjoy both Maine and ct lobster rolls. Going to my nieces in august and my friend in Maine in October! Lobster rolls here I come! Besides sounding like great recipes, you write very very well. I enjoy always reading your articles!
Yes!! As a girl from New Hampshire, this speaks to my New England roots. I’m so glad you did Maine right! And what a recipe- it’d make any New Englander proud!!
Thanks for the comprehensive info on making lobster rolls. I’ve never even cooked a lobster, but your directions are super clear and easy to follow. This recipe sounds delish….I pinned it to make later this summer.