It’s ok to be crabby.
This New England crab roll recipe keeps things simple, perfect, and authentic, with sweet lump crabmeat and grilled buttered rolls.
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Crab rolls are the definition of simple perfection. Period.
Simple, unpretentious New England crab rolls taste amazing not because they are complicated, but because they are so uncomplicated.
I’m sure all the fancy chefs out there cooking fancy meals with sauces, braises, truffles, and so on do a wonderful job. But you know what? Sweet lump crab meat with just enough good mayo to hold it together, stuffed into a buttered, grilled bun are all you need to achieve culinary greatness, too.
How (and How Not) to Make a Good New England Crab Roll
I have an Oprah-esque “what I know for sure” truth: The fewer ingredients a recipe calls for, the more ingredient quality matters. Crab is expensive, with a delicate, sweet, ever-so-slightly-briny flavor. Piling on ingredients and flavors takes away from the magic. So this New England crab roll recipe keeps it simple and perfect. It’s the one I’ve loved eating in Maine every summer for years, and a perfect complement to a great lobster roll as well.
Let’s talk first about the best buns for crab rolls.
If you can find them, buy New England-style frankfurter buns. The go-to brand is Country Kitchen Split-Top Frankfurt Buns. These buns look like hot dog buns, but differ because of the flat, un-toasted sides just waiting to be grilled in butter.
And now the crabmeat.
- Find the freshest cooked jumbo lump crab meat you can find, and make sure to drain any water and pick the meat over for any stray shell.
- Then, in a medium bowl, stir just enough mayonnaise in with the crabmeat to hold it together. The goal is for people to not even realize that there is mayo. If you are using fresh crab meat, you should not need any additional seasoning. The taste of the crab should be enough.
- If necessary, add a spritz of fresh lemon juice and the smallest pinch of salt and pepper. Some recipes call of all kinds of bells and whistles, like minced celery, extra mayo, and other stuff. Eh. Forget it.
- Old Bay seasoning is more of a Maryland crab thing. These are New England style crab rolls, so you would not use Old Bay. But if you’d like to change things up or give it some Eastern Shore flavor, a dash on top would not be amiss.
How to assemble and enjoy New England crab rolls
Grill the sides of the rolls in butter as you would a grilled cheese. Then — and this is optional — add a piece of Bibb or butter lettuce. This will add a little color and crunch to the toasted buns and crab mixture.
Generously fill the rolls with the crabmeat mixture, garnish with some fresh chives, if desired, and served. The official side dish of crab rolls? Kettle cooked potato chips, Cape Cod-brand chips being the one you see around the most.
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New England Crab Rolls
Ingredients
- 4 New England-style hotdog buns (see notes)
- 1 pound fresh lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
- 2 tablespoons good mayonnaise, such as Hellmann's or Best
- spritz of fresh lemon juice, optional
- 1 tablespoon butter, softened
- 4 lettuce leaves, preferably Bibb or green leaf
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon Minced chives, to garnish (optional)
- Kettle-cooked potato chips, to serve (see notes)
Instructions
- Combine the crabmeat and mayonnaise and stir just until fully combined. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper, if desired.
- Heat a frying pan or griddle to medium. Butter the sides of each hotdog bun and place each bun side-down and grill until golden brown. Grill the other side.
- Place a leaf of lettuce inside each bun. Spoon a generous heap of crabmeat into each bun, and garnish with chives, if desired. Serve immediately with kettle-cooked potato chips.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.
6 comments
Kathi
Thank you for posting the correct way of making a real Maine crab roll. I live in Stonington, and this is the way we have always made them. Most of the recipes ruin their Maine crab with Old Bay, and other ingredients. They don’t realize that it’s the crab’s delicate flavor that makes it so delicious. (Although we never add lettuce, this is seen as a trick by some restaurants to add a filler to make the crab go further), The same with Maine lobster rolls. Celery and other fillers don’t belong in Maine lobster rolls! And yes, they need New England style hot dog rolls!
Lisa Ruland
Hi, Kathi! I am so glad you liked the recipe. I definitely wanted to be truly authentic. When it comes to Maine crab rolls, simpler is better! Old Bay is more of a Maryland style, but I think sometimes recipe writers want to offer some variation or creativity, the downside being (of course) that you lose the authenticity and simple goodness of the “real thing.” Enjoy and thanks for the nice note!
Ella M
Perfect summer lunch and chips are a must!
Maine crabmeat is delicious if you can find it.
Thanks again Lisa !
Becky
I love how light this tastes. Very good. And so easy. No muss, no fuss crab.
Paula Wachter
Just like being in Cape Cod. Gotta have those kettle chips or else it’s not authentic!!!
Unpeeled
hah!! Absolutely, 100% right!