Classic Lobster Salad

Written by
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Diana Rattray
Updated 09/29/20
Boiled lobster salad recipe

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 10 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
329 Calories
22g Fat
9g Carbs
24g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 329
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g 29%
Saturated Fat 4g 18%
Cholesterol 173mg 58%
Sodium 765mg 33%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 5g 19%
Protein 24g
Calcium 150mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

A lobster salad is an excellent choice for a luncheon or hot weather dinner. The salad can be served over lettuce leaves or used to fill sandwich buns.

If you are lucky enough to have a few freshly steamed lobsters, this is an excellent way to enjoy them. We enjoy lobster with butter, but a lobster salad is my favorite. 

Arrange this lobster salad on lettuce leaves or mixed greens with avocado wedges or fresh sliced tomatoes around the edge of the plate. Or, use the lobster salad mixture to fill toasted hot dog rolls.

Lobsters are easy to steam or boil as long as you have a large pot. Once the lobsters are prepared you will need to know how to remove the meat for the salad.

1:01

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Ingredients

  • 1 pound cooked lobster meat, diced, from about 3 to 4 whole 1-pound lobsters
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
  • 4 to 6 tablespoons mayonnaise, or more, to moisten
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Mixed salad greens (or lettuce leaves)
  • Optional: 1 avocado (peeled, quartered, and brushed with lemon juice), sliced tomatoes, sliced cucumber

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for boiled lobster salad
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Toss the cooked, diced lobster meat with lemon juice and the celery.

    Dice lobster meat
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Gently stir in mayonnaise and then season with salt and pepper, to taste.

    Stir in mayo
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Mound the lobster salad on lettuce leaves with a wedge of avocado, cucumber and tomatoes.

    Mound of lobster on salad
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

  5. This lobster salad can also be used as the sandwich filling for a lobster roll in a sweet bun or in traditional toasted hot dog buns with lettuce.

    Lobster salad on bun
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Variations

  • This lobster salad can also be used as the sandwich filling for a lobster roll in a sweet bun or in traditional toasted hot dog buns with lettuce.

How to Steam Lobster

  1. Place a rack in a large pot. Add about 2 inches of salted water in the pot and bring the water to a boil over high heat.

    Steamed pot
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Add the lobsters, cover the pot, and begin timing.

    Lobster in pot
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. About halfway through the cooking time, lift the cover and shift the lobsters around with tongs.

    Lobster in pot
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Replace the cover and continue cooking.

    Replace cover
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Lobster Steaming Times

  • 1 to 1 1/4 pounds - 10 to 12 minutes
  • 1 1/2 pounds - 18 minutes
  • 2 pounds - 18 minutes
  • 2 1/2 pounds - 22 minutes
  • 3 pounds - 25 to 30 minutes

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