Lobster Boil

Evoke the flavors of a clambake in the comfort of your own home with this one-pot meal.

By
Sydney Oland
Sydney Oland: Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Sydney Oland
Sydney Oland lives in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, where she develops recipes and owns and operates three businesses: a bean-to-bar chocolate company, an ice cream company, and a collective food production space. Previously, she wrote brunch and British food recipe columns for Serious Eats.
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Updated November 26, 2024
Overhead view of a lobster boil arranged on a square white porcelain platter.

Serious Eats / Sydney Oland

Why It Works

  • All of the flavors of a New England clambake are present in this convenient, scaled-down recipe—no beach, seaweed, or hot rocks required.
  • Choosing small potatoes and lobsters simplifies cooking, as they will be done in the time it takes the clams to open.

Quite simply, this is the indoor version of a clambake (without the hot rocks and seaweed). If you can't gain access to a beach and are craving a simple, but special treat, this lobster boil can evoke in a downtown apartment memories of an evening by the ocean. The secret to getting everything to cook at the same time is to layer the seafood on top of the potato, corn, and sausage. This version uses kielbasa, but a chorizo or even andouille could be a delicious addition to this recipe.

When serving, I split the lobsters and give each person a half. But if it's in your budget and you can find a large enough pot, by all means give everyone their own lobster. A few large shell-on shrimp thrown on top are an excellent addition to this meal as well. Serve with plenty of beer and hot cornbread.

February 2012

Recipe Details

Lobster Boil Recipe

Cook 40 mins
Active 15 mins
Total 40 mins
Serves 4 servings
Keep Screen Awake

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon butter

  • 1 onion, finely chopped

  • 8 small potatoes

  • 13 ounces kielbasa, cut on the bias into 2-inch pieces

  • 2 ears corn, cut into thirds

  • 3 pounds clams

  • 12 ounces beer

  • Two 1 1/2-pound lobsters

Directions

  1. In a large stockpot, melt butter over medium high heat. Add chopped onion and sweat until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add potatoes and kielbasa and stir to combine. Add corn, clams and beer and bring to a simmer. Once beer is simmering, add lobsters to pot and cover tightly with a lid. Cook until clams are open and lobster is bright red, about 18 minutes.

  2. Remove lobster from pot, crack claw and slice in half. Place potatoes, kielbasa, corn and clams in a large serving dish. Taste cooking liquid and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with cornbread, green salad, lemon wedges, and drawn butter for dipping.

Special Equipment

Large stockpot

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1766 Calories
45g Fat
127g Carbs
200g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 1766
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 45g 57%
Saturated Fat 13g 64%
Cholesterol 609mg 203%
Sodium 6002mg 261%
Total Carbohydrate 127g 46%
Dietary Fiber 10g 34%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 200g
Vitamin C 136mg 679%
Calcium 634mg 49%
Iron 20mg 109%
Potassium 5310mg 113%
*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.)

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