Best-Ever Warm Buttery Lobster Rolls (With Mayo, Too!)

These delicious Lobster Rolls hit the spot no matter if you’re a Connecticut-style or Maine-style lobster roll fanatic. Warm and buttery chunks of succulent lobster meat stuffed inside of toasted brioche rolls with mayonnaise; these lobster rolls are undeniably good. It’s the most epic summer meal to enjoy with kettle chips and a cold beer or beverage. Super quick + easy to whip up, you’ll love these rolls!

What’s more summery than a lobstah roll, y’all?! They’re right up there on the list with peach cobbler, ice cream, and barbecue during this time of year. These rolls can cause quite a debate as well. Connecticut vs. Maine, hot or cold, mayonnaise or none…so on and so forth. Today we’re getting into my favorite way to serve up a good ole lobster roll, something tells me you’ll dig it.

The BEST Lobster Rolls, Ever! 😛

The best lobster rolls (in my humble opinion- of course), are ones that feature warm chunks of lobster meat, they’re coated all ova in buttery goodness, and they’re also super flavorful and fresh-tasting. Ain’t too much going on here that disrupts the main character, lobster! She’s beauty, she’s grace, and she’s really damn good, boom. This recipe is sooo easy to make and such a treat.

⇢ If you love easy + flavor-filled recipes, don’t miss these chicken piccata meatballs, my cuban picadillo, or this creamy ravioli number, mmm.

As I mentioned earlier, everyone has their own argument as to what type of lobster roll is the very best. And those debates typically swirl around a Connecticut-style or Maine-style lobster roll. So, let’s discuss the differences…

Connecticut vs. Maine Lobster Roll 🤔

Let’s start with a Connecticut-style roll. These ones are served warm, mainly all-lobster with no other fillings, and either dunked in or served with butter. Alternatively, a Maine-style roll is served with chilled lobster meat that’s usually tossed with crunchy texture (think celery and scallions), and dressed in mayonnaise. The recipe you’ll find here is most similar to a traditional Connecticut-style lobster roll, but with some mayo in the mix, too.

Quin’s take: I find the buttery-richness to be so decadent, clinging to the warm lobster meat, and the touch of mayo on the toasted bun adds a delicious tang. To me, it’s the best of both worlds without the mayonnaise being too overwhelming or anything taking away from the lobster’s shine 🙌🏾.

Ingredients Needed For This Recipe:

(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)

• Lobster meat: The most important ingredient for a lobster roll! I recommend using frozen lobster meat that’s ready-to-eat once thawed.
• Butter: My most favorite staple, duh. All jokes aside, we’re using butter for the lobster meat and toasting the buns.
• Garlic: Lobster cooked with some garlic, yum- garlic is life!
• Chives: Fresh chopped chives for some lovely herb-y deliciousness.
• Lemon: You’ll need lemon zest + lemon juice to balance the richness.
• Cajun seasoning: This type of seasoning is a blend that contains salt, red pepper, black pepper, garlic, and more. Brands like Slap Ya Mama or Tony Chachere’s stay in my kitchen pantry for all that Cajun-forward flava!
• Fresh black pepper: Freshly ground black pepp, chef’s kiss.
• Split-top brioche buns: You’ve gotta use split-top, brioche buns for that signature lobster roll touch, they’re non-negotiable in my eyes…so soft + buttery. They’re also known as New England-style buns where the sides are cut and it’s top-loading as opposed to side-loading (for hot dogs).

Best Types Of Lobster For Lobster Rolls

If you’re lucky enough to live on the Northeastern coast and have direct access to freshly-caught lobster, I’m not at all jealous of you 😒. Bwahahaha, let’s discuss the best types of lobster you’ll want for these rolls. I recommend using fully-cooked, frozen lobster meat that’s ready-to-eat once thawed. We love Luke’s Maine lobster meat found in Whole Foods frozen seafood section!

BBR Tip: If buying frozen lobster meat, please do look for the lobster to be wild-caught and sustainably sourced. These references speak to the quality of care in lobster sourcing, and also if the meat is flash-frozen. This means that the lobster meat went through a technique to preserve the freshness and quality.

Alternatively, you can use uncooked (fresh) lobster meat- knuckle, claw, or tail meat, whichever you prefer. If using fresh lobster meat, it needs to be cooked a bit longer (in step #2 in recipe card below) until opaque and cooked through.

How To Make These Lobster Rolls:

(Note: please see the recipe card directly below for the complete written instructions.)

1. Prep lobster meat. Pat the lobster meat dry with a paper towel.
2. Warm the lobster. Heat two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the lobster meat and garlic into the skillet and cook until the lobster is warm and coated well in butter- about 2-3 minutes.
3. Season lobster meat. Transfer the lobster meat into a large bowl. Add the fresh chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, Cajun seasoning, and fresh black pepper- to taste. Gently toss to fully combine with lobster and set aside.
4. Toast brioche buns & melt butter. In the same skillet, heat 2-3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Brush the butter over the sides of the buns. I like to warm/toast them right in the skillet until nice and toasty- you can also do this in the oven, too! Wipe the skillet clean and reduce the heat to low, melt the remaining butter. Then pour the melted butter over the lobster meat and toss to fully coat.
5. Assemble lobster rolls. Spread a desired amount of mayonnaise on the inside of each roll. Evenly divide the warm, buttery lobster meat into the toasted rolls. Garnish each roll with more fresh chives, if desired. Serve these delicious lobster rolls immediately. Enjoy!

Ayyeee- homemade lobster rolls are sooo simple to make, friends! ♡

Tips + Tricks & Lobster Roll Customizations

Here’s some extra info & ways to make these lobster rolls your own:

• Love mayo? Instead of spreading the mayonnaise on the bun, as instructed in the recipe, you can add mayo into step #3 (in recipe card below) when tossing. This will make your lobster meat into more of a lobster salad (like a true Maine-style roll)- I recommend only a few tablespoons.
• Add some crunch. If you like a little texture and crunch in your lobster rolls, let’s do it. Finely chop up some celery (about 1/4 cup), and add a little mayonnaise just to help bind it into the lobster mixture.
• Serve with lettuce. Feel free to add a leaf or two of your favorite cool, crisp lettuce (little gem lettuce, butter lettuce, or whatever you like).
• What to serve with lobster rolls? They’re famously paired alongside potato chips for good reason. I like sea salt or salt and vinegar Cape Cod kettle chips! And a cold beer, glass of wine, or any refreshing cold drink is a must!
• Make shrimp rolls. It’s no secret that shrimp is more inexpensive than lobster. You can easily make this recipe using shrimp if you’d like. Use peeled, deveined, tail-off shrimp and chop it into rough pieces. Cook the shrimp until opaque and cooked through (in step #2 in recipe card)- such an easy swap!

Go and get all the goods for these Lobster Rolls, peeps. Toasty brioche rolls filled with sweet and flavorful lobster…whew. Be sure to tag @butterbeready in your BBR recipe creations, I sure love to see it when you do. Until next time! 🤟🏾

Stay awhile & check out these recipes:

• Fried Green Tomatoes
• Double Chocolate Bundt Cake
• Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken
• Lemon Cacio E Pepe
• Ricotta Pancakes
• Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

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