Mini Lobster Rolls

This fun lobster appetizer is perfect for a summer soirée.

Lobster rolls
Photo:

Martha Stewart

Prep Time:
15 mins
Cook Time:
5 mins
Total Time:
20 mins
Servings:
12
Yield:
12

For a fun lobster appetizer, soft pull-apart rolls are filled with a simple lobster salad flavored with Old Bay Seasoning and fresh herbs. This two-bite starter has all the flavors of the classic lobster roll but its small size makes it perfect for parties while also helping to stretch the lobster meat to far more servings. 

Rather than slice the rolls horizontally before filling, you’ll split the tops with a knife, brush generously with butter, and gently warm them for a look and taste that’s reminiscent of a classic New England-style roll. After filling them with the lobster salad, drizzling them with butter, and finishing with more herbs, these party-ready bites are ready to serve.

Key Ingredients for Mini Lobster Rolls

Cooked lobster meat: You'll need one pound of cooked lobster meat for this dish. You can buy cooked lobster meat online or find it at seafood markets. If you're going to cook fresh lobsters for this recipe, plan to use three of them. If you're only using tails for this recipe, which you can buy frozen, you'll need five to six.

Fresh herbs: We love the combination of fresh chives and chervil for this recipe. Chervil, also known as French parsley, is a member of the parsley family and has a mild, delicate flavor. If you can't find it, you can swap in minced parsley instead.

Old Bay Seasoning: A quarter teaspoon of this zesty seasoning adds a delicious, savory complement to the sweet lobster meat, but you can use cajun seasoning, crab boil seasoning, or a mixture of paprika and celery seed instead.

Pull-apart dinner rolls: You'll need 12 pull-apart dinner rolls such as King's Hawaiian or Martin's. Don't pull them apart or slice them horizontally as you usually would; instead, use a knife to make a diagonal cut through into each top before brushing them with butter and warming.

You can use this same appetizer format with other cold fillings like chicken salad, egg salad, or shrimp salad.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound cooked lobster meat (from 3 lobsters), chopped (2 ¼ cups)

  • ½ cup mayonnaise

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

  • 1 tablespoon fresh chervil, plus more for serving

  • Coarse salt

  • ¼ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

  • teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

  • 12 pull-apart dinner rolls, such as King's Hawaiian Sweet or Martin's (do not separate)

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions

  1. Preheat oven; make lobster salad:

    Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir together lobster, mayonnaise, lemon juice, chives, chervil, 1 teaspoon salt, Old Bay, and cayenne in a large bowl.

  2. Split and butter rolls; warm in oven:

    Split rolls across tops; brush generously with some of melted butter. Heat in oven on a baking sheet until warmed through, 3 to 5 minutes.

  3. Assemble rolls and serve:

    Divide lobster salad among rolls, drizzle with remaining butter, sprinkle with more chervil, and serve.

Storage

Leftover lobster rolls or lobster salad can be refrigerated in an airtight container for one to two days.

5 More Lobster Recipes to Try:

This recipe comes from the book Martha Stewart's Appetizers.

Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, July/August 2015
Updated by
Esther Reynolds
Headshot of Esther Reynolds
Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and freelance writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.

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