These mini lobster rolls are a delightful play on the New England classic! This is an easy, warm lobster rolls recipe that’s the perfect party food. Quick to whip up and they look great, no to mention taste awesome!
Also, check out our ham and cheese sliders made on sweet Hawaiian rolls too!
I haven’t met many people who don’t love lobster rolls! Especially when they’re served on a warm roll, dipped in melted butter… heaven!
These mini lobster rolls are easy to make and perfect for a party appetizer or even for dinner if you serve them with homemade potato chips and an easy salad! My favorite part about these lobster rolls is that they’re served on the beloved Hawaiian rolls! They’re the best easy lobster rolls you can make!
How To Make Mini Lobster Rolls
Table of Contents
We’ll cover everything you need to make these easy lobster rolls, answer questions and share out tips. If you prefer to jump to the recipe, head the bottom of this post where you’ll find the recipe card.
Supplies
You’ll need a few things to make these rolls:
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Rubber Spatula
- Pairing Knife and Cutting Board
- Baking Sheet
Ingredient Notes
You can find most of these ingredients at your local grocery stores. If they don’t have fresh seafood, try a seafood store or fish market to get the best lobster.
Fresh Lobster Meat – For the best lobster rolls you’ll want to use chunks of fresh cooked lobster meat. If you can’t find fresh, you’ll use frozen and let it thaw overnight.
Mayonnaise – Use an organic or an alternative mayonnaise
Lemon Juice – Fresh squeezed for this recipe.
Chives – These add color and flavor. A good substitution for chives is green onion, thinly sliced.
Dijon Mustard – Add a depth of flavor and a little spice.
Sea Salt – Enhances and adds flavor.
Old Bay Seasoning – A popular condiment mix that originated in Maryland, United States. The blend of herbs and spices has been around since 1939, and it’s a staple of the Chesapeake Bay area cuisine. It includes celery salt, paprika, pepper, and other spices.
Cayenne Pepper – Adds spice to the lobster rolls.
Melted Butter – Adds so much delicious flavor. Use pure, unsalted butter for this recipe.
Hawaiin Dinner Rolls – Fluffy, golden Hawaiian rolls are what make these little rolls unique and the perfect appetizer size!
Directions
In a medium mixing bowl, stir together mayonnaise, chopped lobster meat, lemon juice, minced chives, Old Bay, cayenne, dijon, and sea salt.
Pull the rolls apart and place them on a baking sheet, coat the rolls with melted butter, and bake in a 350-degree oven for about 5 minutes until warm.
Using a knife, slice a hole in the top of each roll to fill it with the lobster mix.
Coast again with melted butter and ENJOY!
Tips For Mini Lobster Rolls
- Make sure to roughly chop up the lobster meat into suitable chunks for the mini rolls i.e. not too big.
- Use sweet rolls to complement the taste of the lobster best.
- Place some butter on top of your rolls before toasting them.
- Slice a hole in the top of the buns and place the meat in there, this looks great, rather than a traditional middle filling.
- Add fresh lemon zest over the top.
How To Defrost Frozen Lobster
You can use fresh or frozen lobster. If you use frozen lobster, you need to defrost the lobster before you use it.
To defrost the lobster place the sealed bags in cold water for 30 – 60 minutes. Pat the lobster dry with paper towels once it’s thawed to remove excess water. If you’re using fresh lobster, keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.
Once the lobster is defrosted, cut it into chunks and then toss it in the mayonnaise mixture.
Make Ahead
You can make the lobster mixture ahead of time. In fact, it’s best to prepare the mixture ahead of time so that all the flavors have time to meld and develop. Assemble the roll just before serving. If you’re going to make this mix ahead of time, we reccomend doing this just one day before for freshness.
Howvever, the lobster roll mixture can last up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Make sure to store it in an airtight container and eat it within that time frame.
An Easy Warm Lobster Roll Recipe
These mini lobster rolls are pretty simple to make as all of the ingredients get mixed in one bowl. 10 minutes to prep and 5 minutes to cook. That’s quicker than trying to find something to watch on Netflix! Perfect for easy party food.
A Healthier Option For Your Mini Lobster Rolls
The lobster salad is made with mayonnaise. There are a lot of healthier options for mayonnaise that are made with avocado or olive oil like Primal Kitchen.
We also add fresh lemon juice, chives, a little dijon, Old Bay seasoning, butter, and salt and pepper.
Frequentlly Asked Questions
For this recipe, we used the Kings Hawaiian rolls. You can use either the original sweet or the savory butter flavor of rolls. They are both so good and go well with the lobster.
We loved using these rolls because they’re so soft and the perfect size for a mini lobster roll! I also love these for rolls for mini burgers too!
We toasted the Hawaiian rolls in a 350-degree oven for 6 minutes with some butter on the top. Then, cut a slit in the top and stuff the rolls with the lobster salad. We added more melted butter on the top!
A lobster roll is a classic New New England England sandwich made from fresh lobster meat and seasonings. Some recipes are made with mayonnaise and some with melted butter. They all typically include diced celery and fresh tarragon.
If you don’t have Hawaiian rolls, you can use a variety of other breads to make this recipe. Sub Rolls, hot dog buns, Kaiser Rolls, or Brioche Rolls are all great substitutes. You can also use a lettuce wrap or a butter lettuce leaf. Alternatively, you could use sliced brioche toast or grilled sourdough bread. All of these options will work great for a delicious and creative lobster roll.
That really depends on your preference! Lobster rolls can be made with either mayo or butter. Those who prefer a creamy texture and mild flavor might opt for mayo, while those looking for a richer flavor might choose butter. Our recipes calls for both mayo and butter and it’s really tatsy!
More Party Appetizers
Here are more party appetizers you’ll love!
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Mini Lobster Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 pound cooked fresh or frozen (thawed) lobster meat, chop the lobster meat to smaller pieces
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise , you can use an organic or an alternative mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced chives
- 1/8 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon course sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- 12 small dinner rolls , we prefer the King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together mayonnaise, chopped lobster meat, lemon juice, minced chives, Old Bay, cayenne, dijon and sea salt.
- Pull the rolls apart and place on a baking sheet, coat the rolls with melted butter and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes until warm.
- Using a knife, slice a hole in the top of each roll to fill with the lobster mix.
- Coast again with melted butter and ENJOY!
Nutrition
We got a good deal on some live Florida lobsters. We already had plans for a dinner party and were committed to bringing an appetizer. Found your recipe though a google search and had everything but the Hawaiian Rolls. They were a huge hit and disappeared rather quickly. Thanks for sharing!
Oh yay! We love hearing that! Thanks for the sweet comment and glad everyone loved them 🙂