These boiled lobster tails are easy and take about ten minutes to make. Serve these luscious lobster tails with garlic butter sauce or lemon wedges.
Lobster tails are great for a wedding, a date, or just because! You can eat them as the main course or as a side dish with grilled steaks. Other ways to use lobster tail meat are lobster bisque, lobster rolls, and lobster mac and cheese.
There are a few different ways to cook lobster: baked, steamed lobster, boiled, grilled, and sauteed. Boiling is one of the quickest ways to cook lobster!.
Lobster salad is a delicious and luxurious salad that makes a wonderful appetizer or light main course. The key to great lobster salad is using properly cooked lobster tails that are perfectly tender without being rubbery. Boiling is one of the easiest, foolproof ways to prepare lobster tails so that they are ideal for lobster salad. Follow these simple steps and tips for boiling lobster tails that are ready to be chilled and chopped up into a bright, summery lobster salad.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Before you get started boiling your lobster tails, you’ll need to gather:
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Lobster tails – Buy fresh lobster tails that are similar in size so they cook evenly Allow for 4-6 oz per person if serving as a main dish
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Water – Use enough water to fully submerge the tails, about 8 cups per 4 tails.
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Salt – Add 1-2 Tbsp salt to flavor the water and raise the boiling temperature.
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Butter – Serve boiled tails with melted butter for dipping.
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Lemon – Squeeze fresh lemon over tails or make a lemon garlic butter sauce
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Herbs – Chopped parsley, basil, tarragon or dill are perfect herb garnishes.
Prep the Lobster Tails
Before boiling, you’ll need to prep the lobster tails:
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Rinse the tails under cool water to remove any debris Pat dry with paper towels
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Use kitchen shears or sharp knife to cut lengthwise along the top center shell. Cut from the top all the way to the base.
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Crack the shell open by hand along the slit to expose the meat. Keep meat inside the shell.
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Remove the vein that runs along the length of the meat.
The tails are now ready to drop into the boiling water!
How to Boil Lobster Tails
Boiling freshly prepped lobster tails results in tender, juicy meat that’s ideal for lobster salad.
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Fill a large pot with water, leaving room for the water to boil. Add salt.
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Bring the water to a rapid boil over high heat.
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Use tongs to gently lower each lobster tail into the pot. Crowding will lower the temp.
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Once water returns to a boil, reduce heat and simmer. Do not boil rapidly.
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Cook for 5-8 minutes depending on size. Cook time is 1 minute per ounce.
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Check doneness by poking meat with fork. It should flake and be opaque.
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Drain tails in a colander. Serve with melted butter and lemon.
The boiled lobster can now be chilled, shelled, and chopped for a lobster salad!
Tips for Perfectly Boiled Lobster
Follow these tips for tender, juicy lobster tail meat:
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Pick tails similar in size so they cook evenly. Buy a couple extra in case of breakage.
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Use enough water to allow the tails to swim freely. Overcrowding will lower the temperature.
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Adding salt to the boil seasons the lobster and helps the water boil at a higher temperature.
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Bring the water to a rapid boil before adding tails. This helps the meat cook quickly.
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Once tails are added, reduce heat to prevent overcooking. Simmer gently.
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Check doneness early and often. Opaque, flaky meat means it’s done.
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Chill lobster before removing meat if using for lobster salad. This prevents shredding.
Make a Bright Lobster Salad
Once your lobster tails are boiled, chilled and shelled, transform them into a delicious lobster salad.
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Chop lobster meat into bite-size pieces. Don’t shred it.
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Toss gently with crisp lettuce, chopped veggies like celery and red onion.
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Bind with a light dressing such as lemon vinaigrette, ranch or mayo.
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Season with fresh herbs like dill, chives, tarragon, parsley or basil.
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Chill the lobster salad until ready to serve for maximum flavor and texture.
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Serve the lobster salad on salad greens, in avocado halves or stuffed in tomatoes for a fresh appetizer or light summer meal.
So don’t be intimidated by boiling lobster tails. Follow this simple guide for perfectly cooked lobster that shines in lobster salad. Proper boiling is the foolproof way to enjoy tender, juicy lobster tail meat.
How To Make Boiled Lobster Tails
If the lobster tails are frozen, thaw them in a large bowl of water. The tails are completely thawed once you can easily curl the tail.
Cut the top of the shell using kitchen scissors or kitchen shears to the tip of the fin. You can skip this step if desired. Cutting the shell makes it easier to eat the boiled lobster, but its not necessary.
On high heat, bring water that has been heavily salted to a boil in a large pot. Then lower the heat and let it simmer slowly. Put up to six lobster tails at a time into the water so that the pot doesn’t get too full.
Gently boil the lobster tails for the length of time in the chart below. So if you have four-ounce lobster tails, boil them for about four minutes. Place the cooked lobster tails onto paper towels.
You can serve the cooked meat with melted butter, lemon garlic butter sauce, or your own homemade cocktail sauce.
What You Will Love
This lobster tail recipe is easy, quick, and fail-proof. Within just a few minutes, you will have succulent, tender meat.
Lobster, like many other seafood proteins, is high in protein and low in fat. Salmon and lobster tails are great for the Mediterranean diet or if you are keeping track of your macros.
Lobster tails come in many sizes, from 3 ounces to over 24 ounces! This recipe works with any size lobster tail; just use the chart at the bottom to figure out how long to cook each one. Use fresh or frozen lobster tails. Thaw frozen lobster tails before boiling them.
Steps 1 & 2: Prepare and thaw lobster tails.
Step 3: Cut the center of hard top shells.
Steps 4 & 5: Boil the whole tails in a large pot of water.
Step 6: Serve with lemon slices.
How To Boil Lobster Tails | Maine Lobster Now
What to do with boiled lobster tails?
Boiled lobster tails can be served in a variety of ways. One classic option is to simply serve them with melted butter and lemon wedges for dipping. However, you can also remove the meat from the shells and use it in other recipes, such as lobster salad, lobster rolls, or lobster bisque.
How long do you boil lobster tails?
Here’s how long to boil lobster tails: Thaw lobster tails if frozen. Rinse lobster tails; pat dry with paper towels. Cut down center of shell with kitchen shears, as shown in the photo above. Spread shell apart exposing the meat. To cook four 8-ounce tails, bring 6 cups salted water to boiling in a 3-quart saucepan. Add the lobster tails.
How do you cook lobster tails?
Baking is another great way to cook lobster tails. To add a little color to the lobster tails, sear them on the stovetop first, then finish them in the oven. Here’s how to bake lobster tails: Thaw four lobster tails, if frozen. Preheat oven to 425°F. Rinse lobster; pat dry with paper towels.
How long does it take to make a lobster salad?
Lobster Salad (10 Minutes!) Make an easy lobster salad in just 10 minutes, with juicy chunks of lobster, herbs, spices, and creamy dressing — perfect for any occasion! Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use. Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.