- Ina Garten shares that she’s making her classic Warm Lobster Rolls for July Fourth.
- This recipe comes together quickly with just a few ingredients, like lobster, herbs and lemon.
- She recommends serving it with cold sides like potato salad and coleslaw.
We love watching Ina Garten cook delicious meals from her beautiful kitchen. From refreshing caprese salad to comforting French apple tart, there’s really nothing Garten cooks up that we’re not eager to try making ourselves. The Barefoot Contessa is also often our source of holiday menu inspiration, from Thanksgiving sides to summer dinner party dishes. Now, Garten is sharing her go-to Fourth of July meal, and we’re blown away by how simple it is to make.
Garten uploaded a video to Instagram showcasing her Warm Lobster Rolls recipe: a super-simple dish she says she makes using fresh lobster from the market, fresh herbs, lemon juice and butter. One of her favorite places to serve the recipe is an Independence Day gathering.
“For a Fourth of July celebration I like to make lobster rolls, but I make one worthy of a celebration,” Garten says in the video, because of course she does. “They’re warm lobster rolls and they’re so easy to make. There’s something about a warm lobster roll that’s just so much better than a cold one. It’s not that different, it’s just warm.”
To make the lobster rolls, Garten adds a pound of chopped, cooked lobster meat to a pan with three tablespoons of melted butter, then adds diced celery, salt and pepper. After letting the mixture cook for about three minutes (or until it’s heated through), she removes it from the heat and adds in some fresh dill, parsley and lemon juice. Then, it’s time to toast the rolls.
“I’m gonna show you how I make toasted rolls in a pan really easy,” Garten says as she browns top-sliced hot dog buns in the pan with more melted butter. “It’s like the best July Fourth dinner—a little coleslaw from the deli, some potato salad, and we’ve got a real celebration.”
“I love the way the butter just makes it so browned and delicious,” she adds before assembling the lobster rolls by adding the filling to each buttery roll and topping with a bit more fresh dill and a squeeze of lemon juice. “Big chunks of lobster, fresh herbs, celery—I mean, it couldn’t be easier than that. Couldn’t be more delicious. I would say that’s a Fourth of July party on a platter.”
We’d have to agree. And we’re huge fans of how easy Garten’s recipe is to put together, since Fourth of July gatherings are meant for pool time, backyard chats and fireworks—not standing in the kitchen. In her email newsletter, Garten even reveals an additional serving tip.
“What I do is I’ll make a couple of sides a day in advance, like coleslaw and potato salad,” Ina writes. “An hour before I plan to serve the meal, I’ll prep the lobster roll ingredients. When guests arrive, all I have to do is combine the lobster, celery, herbs, butter and lemon juice in a pan to heat it through and spoon the buttery lobster into toasted buns. Dinner is ready!”
What’s more, since lobster is a lean protein with lots of vitamins and minerals like B12 and zinc, it’s a dish you can feel good about serving your July Fourth guests. And, if you’re entertaining a low-carb crowd or gluten-free guests, you could always serve Garten’s warm lobster meat atop a summer salad instead of adding bread to the mix. Still looking for a post lobster-roll dessert that’s red, white, and blue? Try our colorful Watermelon Fruit Pizza, or some No-Bake Berry Cheesecake Bars, both are festive and sure to delight your guests.
