Recipe By Andrea Geary
Published on August 27, 2026
The lobster roll sandwich is easy. The challenges are dealing with a live lobster and knowing when it’s properly cooked.
Time
1 hr 30 minWhy This Recipe Works
For our lobster roll, we mostly adhered to tradition—top-loading supermarket hotdog bun (our favorite lobster roll bread), mayonnaise, and lots of lobster—but we added a hint of crunch in the form of small amounts of lettuce and celery (a contentious addition), and we added complementary brightness with lemon juice, cayenne, and chives.
This recipe calls for 1 pound of cooked lobster meat (including the tail). Check out the video tutorials in this class for how to cook and break down lobsters before you start this recipe.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced celery
1½ teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced fresh chives
Salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 pound cooked lobster meat, tail meat cut into ½-inch pieces and claw meat cut into 1-inch pieces
6 New England-style hot dog buns
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
6 leaves Boston lettuce
Instructions
Cook along with these step-by-step instructions
- Prepare lobster according to Boiled Lobster recipe. Remove lobster meat from shells. Cut tail meat into ½-inch pieces and cut claw meat into 1-inch pieces.Recipe TipThis recipe is best when made with lobster you’ve cooked yourself.
- Whisk mayonnaise, celery, lemon juice, chives, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and cayenne together in large bowl. Add lobster and gently toss to combine.Recipe TipUse a very small pinch of cayenne pepper, as it should not make the dressing spicy.
- Place 12-inch nonstick skillet over low heat. Butter both sides of hot dog buns and sprinkle lightly with salt. Place buns in skillet, with 1 buttered side down; increase heat to medium-low; and cook until crisp and brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook second side until crisp and brown, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer buns to large platter. Line each bun with lettuce leaf. Spoon lobster salad into buns and serve immediately.Recipe TipNew England–style top-loading hot dog buns make for the perfect lobster roll bread because they provide maximum surface on the sides for toasting. If using other buns, butter, salt, and toast the interior of each bun instead of the exterior.
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