You and shrimp go waaay back. You’ve eaten countless crab cakes this summer alone. Heck, you’ve even cooked a few impeccably seared scallops in your day. So, what is it about lobster that makes us steer away from preparing it at home? Its fancy reputation? The menacing claws? The […]
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You and shrimp go waaay back. You’ve eaten countless crab cakes this summer alone. Heck, you’ve even cooked a few impeccably seared scallops in your day. So, what is it about lobster that makes us steer away from preparing it at home? Its fancy reputation? The menacing claws? The price tag? Have no fear, seafood lovers. There are endless ways to turn this coveted shellfish into something spectacular, even without heading to your local lobster shack. We’ll prove it to you with 29 of our favorite lobster recipes to indulge in this summer and beyond, whether you’re all about lobster mac and cheese or surf and turf.
1. Mini Lobster Rolls
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Sorry, burgers and dogs—these tiny handhelds are guaranteed to steal the show at any picnic or cookout. They’re prime for beginners who don’t want to prepare the lobster themselves, since the app starts with cooked lobster meat.
2. Lobster Risotto
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
This swoon-worthy main has date night written all over it. It doesn’t take much more than butter, garlic, Parmesan cheese and fresh thyme to make this revelatory dish.
3. Simple Lobster Bisque
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: one pot, make ahead, beginner-friendly
The bisque is thickened with sweet potatoes for an extra luscious consistency. Take it over the top by sauteing the lobster in brown butter and serving the soup with garlic bread.
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, no cook, make ahead
Kudos on the fresh produce, but our favorite part of these spring rolls is the crispy fried onions. Feel free to start with frozen lobster meat—no one will notice once it’s doused in lime-spiked peanut sauce.
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, special occasion-worthy, high protein
Surf and turf is our love language. Here, the steak is coated in a sweet and spicy rub, while the lobster is seasoned with nothing but salt, pepper and EVOO.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Complete with mascarpone, fontina and Parmesan cheeses. The crust is made from a layer of polenta that’s baked until crispy. You could substitute store-bought dough, but…why?
7. Lobster Mac and Cheese
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly
Pinch us, we’re drooling. Similar to a Southern-style, custard-based mac and cheese, this stunner is made with eggs, along with four types of cheese and a boatload of butter.
8. Garlic Herb Broiled Lobster Tail
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
They look super fancy, but don’t be deceived. All you have to do is butterfly the tails, slather them in herb butter and brown them for 10 minutes or less.
9. Garlic Lobster Pasta
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Think aglio e olio, but zhuzhed up with tender chunks of lobster and toasty herbed breadcrumbs. You’ll never guess the secret ingredient. (OK, we’ll spill: It’s umami-rich oyster sauce.)
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly
These taste like pure, unadulterated summer. The peach-corn salsa would taste just as divine with ribs, brisket, salmon or burrata.
11. Grilled Lobster Tail
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy
BRB, diving headfirst into a pool of lemon-garlic butter. If you forget to thaw the lobster tails overnight, submerge them in a bag of cold water on your kitchen counter to defrost them in a pinch.
12. Lobster Grilled Cheese
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
As if lobster meat and two types of cheese aren’t appetizing enough, the sandwich is slathered with chipotle-lime mayonnaise before it’s grilled.
13. Lobster Ravioli Sauce
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Heavy cream. White wine. Old Bay seasoning. All the fresh herbs. What more could you ask for in a seafood pasta dish? Opt for cheese or mushroom ravioli for contrast or drive the theme home with lobster ravioli.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: one pot, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Harissa and crushed red pepper flakes offer heat, while bacon fat infuses the tomatoes with salty, savory splendor. Finish the skillet with a hefty drizzle of brown butter to wow your dinner guests.
15. Lobster Salad
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: no cook, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
It’s creamy, cool and downright satisfying. Serve the simple seafood salad in hot dog buns, with tortilla chips for scooping or alongside grilled steak.
16. Lobster Tacos
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
Come for the succulent lobster, buttery avocado and crisp cabbage slaw, stay for the spicy remoulade sauce, made with Cajun seasoning, horseradish and pickle juice. (Our advice? Make a double batch to serve over shrimp po’ boys.)
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
Consider these the fanciest cheese fries you’ll ever eat, since they’re topped with fresh herbs, grilled corn and aged Havarti cheese sauce. Need we gush about the chili-honey lobster too?
18. Lobster, Corn and Tarragon Caramelle
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly
This stuffed pasta needs to be on your radar. Not only is it elegant and impressive in appearance, but it’s filled to the brim with ricotta, mascarpone, poached lobster and sweet summer corn.
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead
Yup, savory beignets are a thing—and we’re here for it. To serve them at a party, make the batter and avocado cream in advance, then chop all the veggies ahead of cooking them to save time on the big day.
20. Lobster Mac and Cheese
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Extravagant enough to serve at a dinner party, simple enough to prepare on a weeknight. Lemon zest in the breadcrumb topping helps cut through the richness of the dish.
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly
Don’t let the long prep time deter you from this masterpiece. If you start with store-bought pizza dough, you’ll save an hour and a half.
22. Easy Seafood Paella
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, one pan
If clams and mussels feel too fussy, make the Spanish staple with shrimp and lobster instead. The recipe also calls for juicy Roma tomatoes and French green beans for freshness.
23. Connecticut-Style Lobster Rolls
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
You’ve had your fair share of mayo-based, Maine-style lobster rolls. But have you tried Connecticut’s spin on the summer sammy? They’re served warm and drenched in butter.
24. Kennebunkport Lobster Grilled Cheese
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, <30 minutes
The filling stars mascarpone, provolone, fresh produce and Maine lobster, but it’s all about the chili-infused butter for us.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
Delicate linguine meets fontina cheese, fresh basil and wine-kissed lobster to create the ultimate alfresco main. Prosciutto is the key to the pasta’s salty, savory flavor.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, high protein
If you’ve never prepared steak in the oven, you’re in for a treat. It’s first cooked at a low temperature, then seared in a hot cast iron skillet until charred. The end result is tender, juicy and flavorful—no rubbery steak here.
27. Lobster Ravioli
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
Did you know you can buy ready-made ravioli wrappers instead of prepping the pasta from scratch? Substitute wonton wrappers and fry the raviolis instead of boiling them for a crunchy twist.
28. Seafood Stew with Shrimp and Lobster
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: high protein, one pot, beginner-friendly
Inspired by a similar stew commonly served in Alexandria, Egypt, this main is destined for an outdoor dinner party. All that’s missing is a bottle of vino and a hunk of crusty bread for dunking.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
This summery riff on a winter favorite is one for the books. When choosing a beer to add to the chowder, go for a crisp pilsner, a hearty lager or even a pumpkin beer.
Taryn Pire is PureWow’s associate food editor. A former bartender and barista, she’s been writing about all things delicious since 2016, developing recipes, reviewing restaurants and investigating food trends at Food52, New Jersey Family Magazine and Taste Talks. When she isn’t testing TikTok’s latest viral recipe, she’s having popcorn for dinner and posting about it on Instagram @cookingwithpire.
