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Best Maine Lobster Roll Recipe (Authentic)

Best Maine Lobster Roll Recipe – There’s nothing quite like a buttery toasted Lobster Roll Recipe with plump juicy lobster salad piled high. Learn how to make them at home just like they are made in Maine!

Homemade Lobster Rolls

Best Lobster Rolls In Maine?

One of our favorite family vacations was a road trip we took up the coast of Maine several years ago. We spent two weeks taste-testing lobster rolls in every little harbor town we could find, trying to pinpoint the Best Lobster Rolls in Maine.

All our favorite lobster rolls had the same two iconic elements:

  • Plump tender claw and knuckle meat dressed very lightly so the Maine lobster meat can shine.
  • Soft New-England style rolls, heavily buttered and toasted on both sides.

Mainers know good lobster rolls should be all about the lobster and butter… All other ingredients are possible distractions.

Therefore, the lobster should only be kissed with seasoning, not drenched in it.

Maine lobster roll

Skip the Tails, Go with Claws

Most Maine lobster roll shacks use claw, arm, and knuckle meat, because it’s bright red, already portioned into big chunks, and softer than tail meat.

Lobster tails are usually reserved for seafood platters and are grilled, broiled, or stuffed and baked.

Depending on where you live, you might not be able to purchase cooked lobster claw meat. (It usually comes frozen here in the Blue Ridge.) Yet you can buy cooked Maine lobster claw meat online!)

However, you can certainly steam whole fresh Maine lobsters. Then serve the tails one night and save the claw meat for lobster rolls later in the week.

Or you can steam fresh Maine lobsters, then chop the tail meat for the lobster rolls as well… It’s just not the traditional method.

Best Lobster Roll Recipe

What Kind Of Bread Do You Use For Lobster Rolls?

After the lobster meat, the second important element in a Maine Lobster Roll is the buttery toasted New-England style bread rolls. These are basically hotdog buns, with exposed (cut) sides, so they are perfect for buttering and toasting on the griddle.

If you cannot find these rolls, you can buy regular hot dog buns and trim the sides with a serrated knife, so they have a flat surface for buttering. Or you can serve your lobster rolls on buttery griddled Texas toast.

Basically, you just need soft thick white bread with flat sides, and lots of butter for flavor and crunch.

Maine Lobster Rolls Ingredients Checklist

To make lobster rolls just like they do in Maine, you will need…

For the Lobster Salad

  • Cooked Maine Lobster Claw MeatThis is usually sold in packs of claw, arm, knuckle meat.
  • MayonnaiseJust a little.
  • Fresh HerbsDill and Parsley.
  • Garlic PowderAgain, just a little.
  • Salt and Pepper – Always

For the Toasted Rolls

  • New England Style Frankfurter Buns
  • Butter
New England Rolls

How To Make Lobster Rolls

Making lobster rolls is so easy… Especially if you start with cooked claw meat that has already been removed from the shells.

  1. Drain: Place the cooked lobster meat in a colander for 5 minutes. Set out a large mixing bowl. Then chop the fresh herbs.
  2. Mix: Move the lobster meat to the mixing bowl and add the mayonnaise, dill, parsley, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
  3. Chill: Keep the lobster salad cool while toasting the buns.
  4. Toast: Spread both flat sides of the New England rolls with a generous amount of butter. Toast for 1-3 minutes per side, until golden brown.
  5. Fill: Fill the toasted rolls with lots of lobster salad.

This lobster roll recipe makes about 10 rolls, piled high with meat, or 12 with less filling. The rolls are smaller so most people can eat two rolls each.

Get the Full (Printable) Best Maine Lobster Roll Recipe Below. Enjoy!

New England Buns

Can’t Find Cooked Lobster Claw Meat Near You?

Don’t worry, you’ve got options…

  1. You can order lobster meat from one of many Maine Lobster Delivery services.
  2. You can use cooked lobster tail meat, from your local grocery store, and chop it.
  3. Or you can steam fresh lobsters and use the claw and tail meat in your lobster rolls.

How To Steam Lobsters

  • Choose a pot large enough to hold all the lobsters.
  • Put 2 inches of salted water in the bottom of a large kettle. Then place a steaming basket inside the pot.
  • Bring the water to a boil. Add the live lobsters one at a time. Cover the pot, and start timing. Steam for 10 minutes per pound.
  • Halfway through steaming, lift the lid and move the lobsters around so they cook evenly.
  • Once cooked, remove and cool before removing the meat from the shells.
Lobster Meat Recipes

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Can These Rolls Last In The Fridge?

The fully cooked lobster salad can last in the fridge for 2 to 3 days in a shallow airtight container.

How Much Lobster Is On A Lobster Roll?

Usually, most lobster rolls hold 3-3.5 ounces of lobster meat, using the standard New England bun. However, you can pile the buns as high as you like.

What Goes With Lobster Rolls?

Potato chips and pickles are traditional. Although, you can find some restaurants that serve lobster rolls with fries and chowder.

Can I Change Up The Flavors?

Yes you can! You can add hot sauce or sriracha for a spicier lobster roll, or serve them Connecticut style, which is warm lobster meat cooked in melted butter, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Also try this as a lobster BLT sandwich by adding bacon, lettuce, and tomato to the roll. If you are not a fan of lobster or have a hard time finding it, try using cooked shrimp instead. 

Lobster Roll

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Best Maine Lobster Roll Recipe (Authentic)

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Total Time: 21 minutes
There's nothing quite like buttery toasted Lobster Roll with plump juicy lobster salad piled high. Learn how to make them at home just like they do in Maine!
Servings: 10 small rolls

Ingredients

For the Lobster Salad –

For the Rolls –

Instructions

  • For the Lobster Salad: Drain the cooked lobster meat in a colander for 5 minutes. Set out a large mixing bowl. Then chop the fresh herbs.
  • If using claw meat, there is no need to chop it, but you can if you want smaller pieces. (If using lobster tails, chop it into bite-size pieces.) Move the lobster meat to the mixing bowl and add the mayonnaise, dill, parsley, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Mix well.
  • Cover and chill under ready to serve.
  • For the Toasted Rolls: Spread both flat sides of the New England rolls with a generous amount of butter.
  • Heat a large skillet (or griddle) to medium heat. Place the rolls flat-side-down in the skillet. Toast for 1-3 minutes until golden-brown. Then flip and toast the other side for 1-3 minutes. Remove and repeat as needed.
  • Once all of the rolls are perfectly toasted, load them with lobster salad and serve!

Video

Notes

How To Steam Lobsters:
  • Choose a pot large enough to hold all the lobsters.
  • Put 2 inches of salted water in the bottom of a large kettle. Then place a steaming basket inside the pot.
  • Bring the water to a boil. Add the live lobsters one at a time, cover the pot, and start timing. Steam for 10 minutes per pound.
  • Halfway through steaming, lift the lid and move the lobsters around so they cook evenly.
  • Once cooked, remove and cool before removing the meat from the shells.

Nutrition

Serving: 1roll, Calories: 227kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 50mg, Sodium: 522mg, Potassium: 105mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 209IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 97mg, Iron: 2mg
Course: Main Course, Sandwiches
Cuisine: American
Author: Sommer Collier

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8 comments on “Best Maine Lobster Roll Recipe (Authentic)”

  1. Pingback: The Best Places To Buy Cooked Lobster In Honolulu – Kauai Hawaii

  2. Just mayo (Dukes? Really good, but not a Maine mayo), salt & pepper, buttered rolls and chopped chives. But, if you like the herbs & spices, go for it. Us Mainers just want you to enjoy the lobstah, afterall.

  3. Dill, Parsley and Garlic Powder? Never!

    Pretty good read overall but in 40 years of living here and eating lobster rolls from Kittery to Eastport I’ve never had a roll with those three ingredients. Just so at the mayo and leave the rest to the lobster and the butter. Anything else is gilding the lily.

  4. These bring me back to Maine and the delicious rolls that I had there!

  5. Pingback: How to cook warm water Lobster | MasalaHerb.com

  6. My daughter and I love lobster! Can’t wait to make this! It looks so delicious and out of this world good!

  7. This was so good! Everyone at my house are now requesting for it.

  8. This lobster salad was so delicious!! We used our gluten free rolls.