Learning how to boil lobster is one of the first things taught up in New England. It’s one of the easiest ways to cook Maine lobster meat and enjoy it at its softest while keeping the flavor true. It might seem easy, but one of the most common mistakes people make when they boil lobsters is cooking them for too long. Learn the best way how to boil lobsters at home.
Now that your lobster box from Lobster Anywhere has arrived, the only thing left to do is boil the lobster.
Before you melt the butter and get out the shell crackers, we’ll show you how to boil lobster the right way and explain why that’s how we do it in the great state of Maine. Don’t guess how long to boil lobster or even how to boil a lobster. This simple guide will show you.
There are other ways to cook whole lobsters besides boiling them. Boiling is a good way to cook a lot of lobsters at once. Lobsters can also be steamed, butter poached, air fried, baked, broiled and grilled.
Cooking lobster can seem intimidating, but learning how long to boil a lobster is easier than you think. As lobster lovers we want to walk you through the entire process to help you boil lobster perfectly every time.
When it comes to lobster preparation, boiling is one of the quickest and easiest cooking methods The high heat quickly cooks the meat while separating it from the shell, making it simpler to extract the sweet lobster meat.
While boiling lobster may seem straightforward, it’s easy to overcook your crustacean. We want to help you avoid the dreaded rubbery lobster meat. This article will cover everything you need to know about how long to boil lobster, from prep to serving.
Why Boiling Is the Best Cooking Method
Boiling has some clear advantages when cooking lobster at home:
- Quick cooking time – The rolling boil rapidly cooks the lobster meat
- Even cooking – The turbulent water cooks lobster more evenly than steaming
- Easy to extract meat – The high heat separates the meat from the shell
- Cooks large batches – You can easily boil up to 8 pounds of lobster at once
The shell flavors the water, which in turn flavors the meat. If cooking for a crowd, boiling lobsters is a no-fuss way to get dinner on the table fast.
Step-By-Step Boiling Instructions
Now let’s walk through the process of how to boil a lobster start to finish:
1. Choose Your Pot
Select a pot large enough to accommodate all your lobsters. Allow about 3 quarts of water per 1.5 to 2 pounds. A 5-gallon stockpot can hold 6 to 8 pounds of lobster.
2. Fill With Water
Fill pot about 2/3 full with regular water or, if available, seawater. The shell will impart a briny ocean flavor.
3. Bring Water to a Boil
Place pot over high heat and bring the water to a rapid boil. This preheats the water to cook lobsters quickly.
4. Salt the Water
Once boiling, salt the water with 1/4 cup sea salt per gallon of water. This seasons the meat.
5. Add Lobsters
Gently lower lobsters headfirst into the pot using tongs. Cook 4 or less lobsters together.
6. Cover and Cook
Cover pot and return water to a boil. Start timing according to size of each lobster (see chart below).
7. Check Doneness
Check lobster’s internal temp in thickest part of tail. Meat should reach 135°F – 140°F.
8. Cool and Serve
After cooking, immerse lobsters in an ice bath to stop cooking. Serve with drawn butter.
How Long to Boil Lobster Based on Size
You’ll want to boil lobsters according to their individual size, not the total weight:
| Lobster Weight | Boiling Time |
|---|---|
| 1 pound | 4-5 minutes |
| 1 1/4 pounds | 6-7 minutes |
| 1 1/2 pounds | 7-9 minutes |
| 2 pounds | 10-12 minutes |
| 3 pounds | 12-15 minutes |
| 5-6 pounds | 18-20 minutes |
*Start timing when water returns to a boil after adding lobsters.
*For soft-shell lobsters, deduct 1-2 minutes from time above.
Mistakes to Avoid
It’s easy to over or undercook your lobster. Here are some common errors:
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Overcrowding – Avoid packing too many lobsters into one pot. Cook in batches for even boiling.
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Boiling too long – It’s easy to get rubbery, overdone meat. Use a timer and follow doneness cues.
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No timer – Don’t walk away from the pot. Set a timer according to lobster size.
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No temp check – Shell color isn’t a doneness indicator. Always use a thermometer.
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Adding cook time – Don’t increase time when boiling multiple lobsters. Time stays the same.
How to Tell When Lobster is Done
Visual signs like shell color can be misleading. Use these foolproof ways to assess doneness:
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Temperature – Insert an instant-read thermometer into the underside of the tail next to the body. Meat should reach 135°F – 140°F when done.
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Antenna – Give the antenna a tug. It should pull out easily when fully cooked.
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Meat texture – The opaque meat should be firm, white, and just barely starting to flake when checking temp.
Serving and Storing Cooked Lobster
Once cooked, here are some tips for serving and storing:
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Allow to cool for 5 minutes before cracking open shells. This allows meat to reabsorb moisture.
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Plunge in an ice bath to stop cooking. Store in fridge up to 2 days.
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Serve with clarified butter, lemon wedges, and shell crackers.
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For easy shelling, use kitchen shears to cut through soft membrane on underside of tail and body.
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Refrigerate cooked meat in airtight container up to 4 days. Frozen up to 3 months.
Pro Tip: Parboil Before Grilling
For added flavor, try parboiling lobsters 2-3 minutes before finishing on the grill. This firms up meat for easier grilling.
FAQs
Still have some questions about how long to boil lobster? Here are answers to some common queries:
How do I know when multiple lobsters are done?
Check each lobster’s doneness individually based on size. Total cook time stays the same when boiling multiple lobsters.
What if lobster is undercooked?
No problem! Just simmer lobster in melted butter for a minute or two until it reaches proper internal temperature.
What if lobster is overcooked?
Unfortunately overcooked, rubbery lobster can’t be salvaged. Your best bet is to drown it in butter or make lobster stock.
Can I salt the water?
Yes, add 1/4 cup salt per gallon of water to season the meat. Use less if boiling in seawater.
Should I boil frozen lobster?
Always thaw frozen lobster first in the fridge before cooking to prevent overcooking. Don’t boil frozen.
How do I boil lobster tails?
Boil lobster tails 2-3 minutes less than whole lobsters. Remove meat after boiling for use in other recipes.
The Takeaway
Perfectly cooked lobster starts with knowing exactly how long to boil your bug. Follow these foolproof instructions to turn out tender, juicy lobster every time.
The key is bringing the water to a rapid boil, using a timer, and checking temperature. Avoid overcrowding and overcooking. Soon you’ll be boiling lobster like a pro!
How are Lobsters Killed Before Boiling
Next up in the discussion of how to boil lobster is how to humanely dispatch the live lobsters. This is a controversial topic as some researchers claim lobsters may feel pain when cooked. The UK government says octopuses, crabs and lobsters should be treated as sentient beings.
We do know that lobsters don’t feel pain like people do because their nervous system is simple and spread out, like an insect’s. To keep the lobster from hurting, put it in the freezer or an ice bath for 25 minutes before you boil it. What’s more, when the lobster is chilled it is much easier to handle than a flipping, thrashing lobster. Learn more about how to kill a lobster before cooking.
How to Boil Lobster: Get into Some Hot Water!
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There are now lobsters ready to be cooked and all the necessary cooking steps have been taken. It’s time to boil! One of the first and easiest ways to cook a good lobster like the ones you can buy here on Lobster Anywhere. With a few easy steps and tips, you will be out of the pot and into the butter.
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2-4
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Live Lobsters (2-4)
- Pinch of sea salt or kosher salt
- Pick out a pot that has two thirds of the way to the top filled with water. You should pick a pot that can hold your lobsters safely and be filled halfway to two-thirds of the way up. The water should not spill over.
- Boil the water and add salt. Bring the water to a rapid boil over medium-high heat. For every quart of water, add two tablespoons of kosher salt. If you can get sea water, don’t use salt. Instead, use Triton’s gift.
- Place the lobsters head first into the water. Put your live lobsters headfirst into the boiling water one at a time. Make sure they are fully submerged. If your pot is big enough for more than one lobster, add the next However, it’s better to use a few pots than to risk having too many and having them overflow.
- Cover the pot immediately to maintain heat. Putting the lobsters in the water that is already boiling will make it cooler. Put the lid back on the pot right away and boil it again.
- Set a timer that fits the size of your lobster (see this post for a chart). As soon as the water is boiling, set your alarm. You shouldn’t leave that pot, but you should melt the butter.
- Check to see if the Lobster is ready. There are a few things you can do to be sure that your lobster is done (or not). The first and most reliable way is to check the temperature inside. If you want to make sure the lobster meat is between 135 and 140 degrees, use an instant read thermometer. Always put it in the furthest back part of the tail from the body. You can also tell if your lobster is done by giving their antenna a strong pull. If it easy comes off, it’s done.
- Cool down your lobsters. Set an ice bath or a colander over the lobsters and run cool water over them when the timer goes off. This will stop the cooking process. Also, lobsters that have been boiled keep a lot of water after being cooked. Poke holes in the body and tail with a sharp knife to drain the water and keep from making a mess.
See chart to avoid over- or under-cooking. To figure out how long to boil the lobsters, use their individual weights instead of the total weight of all the lobsters being cooked. Start your timer when the steaming water returns to a boil. Time is the same for boiling multiple lobsters in the same pot.
- Author: Lobster Louie
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Boil
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free