How To Make A Brown Butter Warm Lobster Roll

This post is about a warm lobster roll.

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If you're coming over to our house, you're pretty much guaranteed to be served a lobster roll at least once. We honeymooned in Maine and ate our body weight in lobster rolls—trying everything from warm to cold, small to big, mayo-based to butter-drenched.

For us, the buttery warm lobster roll (with an excess of lobster meat) is the clear winner! The best part? You don’t have to travel to the East Coast to enjoy one! This easy warm lobster roll recipe is completely mayo-free, using just browned butter.

This post is about a warm lobster roll.

Why You’ll Love This Warm Lobster Roll Recipe

• No Mayo – This version focuses on the butter! While both butter & mayo are delicious, the butter is the clear winner for us. We brown our butter for an extra rich & nutty flavor!
• Leftover-Conscious – These rolls make for a great use of leftover lobster + they, themselves, are great left-over!
• Beginner-Friendly – Lobster seems intimidating, but this recipe is super simple to make! You can do it with basically no experience!
• Quick to Make – Have these rolls ready in around 30 minutes!
• Great Hosting Recipe – They're easy to prep ahead of time! Simply cook your lobster meat and store it in the fridge. You only need to warm it in the butter and assemble when it comes time to serve your guests!

What Lobster Meat To Use In A Lobster Roll:

• Live Lobster: The freshest option, but requires a little more experience.
• Pre-Cooked Lobster Meat: A convenient choice if you’re short on time, just be sure it’s high quality.
• Frozen Lobster Meat: Works well when thawed properly—look for wild-caught lobster for the best flavor. This is what we typically use because we live in the midwest!

Looking for something else?

Lobster Roll Ingredients:

1. Fresh or Frozen Lobster Meat (1.5 lbs.)

Claw, knuckle, and tail meat all work for a lobster roll! We live in the midwest, so sometimes all we can find is high quality frozen tail meat. Whatever you can get your hands on will be fine. Fresh is always better, but the beauty of a lobster roll is that it makes lobster more approachable for the average cook!

2. Unsalted Butter (6-ish Tbs.)

Salted butter works too, but I prefer unsalted because you can control the amount of salt added to the dish. You can add more or less butter dependent upon your taste preferences.

3. Lemon Juice (1 Tbs.)

The lemon juice helps to cut the fat of the butter and adds a nice brightness to the hearty dish!

4. Split-Top Buns (4 buns)

I always gravitate towards brioche buns, but you can make anything work. Even a split-top hotdog bun works just fine! Switching up the buns is a fun way to adjust the recipe to your taste with little risk.

5. Salt

Duh.

6. Fresh Chives

This rich dish really needs a fresh herb to break up the flavors! Chives are traditional for a reason. They're delicious and add a slight onion-y taste to balance the lobster roll. Don't skip them! Greens onions can work if you're in a pinch, but I highly recommend chives.

Warm Lobster Roll Recipe:

1. Prepare the Lobster Meat.

If using frozen lobster, thaw it completely by placing it in the fridge overnight or running it under cold water for a few minutes.

1. Fill a large pot with about 2 inches of water & place a steaming rack inside. Bring water to a bowl, then reduce to a simmer.

2. Place the lobster on the rack, cover with a lid, and steam:

Lobster tails: 6-8 minutes

Whole lobsters: 8-10 minutes

3. Check for doneness with a meat thermometer. Internal temperate should reach 145°F. Shells should be bright red and meat should be opaque and firm when cooked.

4. Remove meat from shells using kitchen shears and chop into bite-sized pieces.

2. Make Browned Butter

1. Melt 4 tbsp of butter in a skillet over medium heat.

2. Cook butter for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it turns golden brown and has a nutty aroma. Remove from heat immediately once you see little brown bits in the bottom.

3. Warm the Lobster in Browned Butter

1. Add the lobster meat to the browned butter and stir for 2-3 minutes, until warm. Be careful not to overcook it. The meat should be warm, but still tender.

2. Add in the lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Adjust to taste. Move to a separate bowl/plate.

4. Toast the Buns

1. In the same skillet, melt the remaining 2 tbsp butter over medium heat.

2. Once melted, place the buns face-down and toast for 1-2 minutes. Rotate to toast all sides. Buns should be golden brown and slightly toasty.

5. Assemble the Lobster Rolls

1. Finely chop your chives.

2. Divide the lobster meat evenly among the toasted buns.

3. Garnish with chopped chives and serve with extra browned butter on the side in a small condiment cup for dipping/pouring.

What To Serve With Lobster Rolls?

- Potato Chips & Dip

- Easy Arugula Salad (Get our recipe here!)

- Coleslaw

- French Fries

- Mini Blueberry Pies (Get our recipe here!)

MODERN DINNER PLATES | MODERN APPETIZER PLATES | MARBLE PLATTER

What You Need To Make Lobster Rolls:

Lobster Crackers

Easiest way to get all the meat out!

Steamer Basket

The easiest way to cook your lobster without the risk of water-logging or overcooking it!

Meat Thermometer

The best way to cook your lobster without the risk of water-logging or overcooking it!

Personal Condiment Containers

I serve the browned butter on the side in this! They're also great for dressing up a plate of fries, a salad, etc.

This post was about a warm lobster roll.

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