Lobster Roll Recipe
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Feb 17, 2026 
I’ve searched high and low for the ultimate lobster roll recipe, and nothing compares to this version. I pile plump, juicy lobster salad into a buttery toasted roll, viola! I love how surprisingly easy it is to make this restaurant-worthy seafood sandwich right at home. It’s one of my favorite special meals when I want something simple yet incredibly satisfying.
One of my favorite vacations was a road trip my family took up the coast of Maine several years ago. I loved the food. My personal favorites were the whoopie pies, the quintessential lobster tail recipe, and those delicious lobster rolls. So we spent two weeks taste-testing lobster rolls in every little harbor town we could find, trying to pinpoint the best version in Maine. What we found was that to make an amazing roll you need two iconic ingredients — plump and tender lobster claw and knuckle meat, and soft New-England style rolls with a split-top. Oh, and butter! Good rolls are all about the lobster and butter… All other ingredients are just distractions. In my opinion, the lobster should only be kissed with seasoning, not drenched in it. After tasting these rolls, I think you will agree.
Toni Dash – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was so good! Everyone at my house are now requesting for it.
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Quick and Authentic – By the looks of it, this dish might appear complicated, but the only “cooking” is just boiling the lobsters! The rest is a repeat of chopping and mixing, and you’ll have the most deliciously authentic lobster salad roll in no time.
Simple Ingredients – These lobster rolls require just a handful of ingredients and with the exception of lobster, they’re all pretty easy-to-find, basic pantry items. I would say that lobster is the only fancy item here.
Great Leftovers – Now, I loooove serving up lobster salad in these New England-style buns. But whenever I’ve got some leftover, it makes a great add-on to a simple arugula mix, or even added into a wrap.
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Cooked Maine Lobster Meat – The star of the show! Like with my recipe for lobster bisque, you can, of course, boil an entire lobster yourself, but I prefer to just find the cooked lobster meat that is usually sold in packs of claw, arm, and knuckle meat. It just makes everything a lot easier.
- Mayonnaise – Just a little bit of mayo goes a long way. You can use a full-fat regular mayo or a lighter version if you prefer.
- Fresh Herbs – Fresh dill and parsley are a must for the perfect lobster salad. They add a gorgeous pop of color and a delicious herby-ness that make every bite shine.
- Garlic Powder – I add just a pinch of garlic powder to give a boost of savory flavors to the lobster.
- New England Style Frankfurter Buns – These split-top rolls are soft and have flat sides for toasting. They’re the perfect bread for holding the lobster salad without overpowering the flavor of this dish. Plus, they soak up the butter beautifully.
- Butter – Try not to skip out on this essential. I love to slather each roll with a generous amount of butter before toasting it to golden perfection.
How to Make
Find the full recipe with ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Drain and chop – To start off this recipe, I drain any excess liquid from the cooked lobster so that it’s nice and dry. Then I chop the herbs and set them into a large bowl.
Make the salad – Since I love to use claw meat, there’s no need to cut it into smaller pieces — you only really need to do that if you’re using lobster tail meat. I toss the drained meat into the large mixing bowl with the herbs, and add in the mayo, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. I mix that up to make sure that every bit of that meat is coated really well, and then I set it aside in the refrigerator.
Butter ’em up – Next, I grab the bread rolls, and I generously lather up the flat sides with some of that melted butter.
Toast – I heat a skillet and toast each side of the bread for a couple of minutes, until it’s perfectly golden brown.
Load ’em up – Once the rolls are nice and toasted, I load them with a pile of that decadent lobster roll salad. That’s it!
Recipe Variations
- Lemon juice – For a bit of tang, add a squeeze of lemon juice over the finished lobster salad.
- Bun alternatives – If you can’t find New England-style split-top buns, opt for brioche buns shaped for hot dogs. They are rich and flavorful, and will taste amazing once they’re toasted.
- Bacon – For a smoky twist on this New England classic, mix in some crumbled cooked bacon to the lobster salad.
Serving Suggestions
This roll recipe is delicious on its own, but here are some of my favorite ways to accompany these yummy rolls:
Frequently Asked Questions
In some cases, yes. I’ve been to Maine many times since this first family trip and eaten a lot of lobsta! Some seafood shacks serve these butter rolls, with just a smear of mayo in the bun, cold steamed claw meat, and a heavy drizzle of warm melted butter over the top. Some establishments skip the mayo. However, other restaurants doctor up the meat with herbs and seasonings. I suggest trying them both ways and deciding for yourself which you like.
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 cook fresh lobsters and use the claw and tail meat in your lobster rolls.
Most lobster rolls hold 3-3.5 ounces of lobster meat, served on a standard New England bun. However, you can pile the buns as high as you like.
Storing
The fully cooked lobster salad can last in the fridge for 2 to 3 days in a shallow airtight container.
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Lobster Roll Recipe
Video
Ingredients
For the Lobster Salad –
- 2 pounds cooked Maine lobster meat claw, arm, and knuckle meat
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Rolls –
- 10 New England style frankfurter rolls
- 5 tablespoons butter softened
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!
Notes
- 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.
I live in NH and have had lobster rolls up and down the east coast and agree with another commenter that I’d never had a lobster roll with dill, parsley, and garlic powder. All I can say is don’t knock it till you’ve tried it! :) It was actually VERY GOOD!!! I will say however, that I used two l 1/4 lb lobsters and ate them both by myself! Thankfully hubby doesn’t like lobster.
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.
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.
These bring me back to Maine and the delicious rolls that I had there!
My daughter and I love lobster! Can’t wait to make this! It looks so delicious and out of this world good!
This was so good! Everyone at my house are now requesting for it.
This lobster salad was so delicious!! We used our gluten free rolls.