This is my favorite lobster tail recipe for parties, holidays, and home-cooked date nights. The butter sauce is delicious, and the lobster is cooked very quickly. It will make you feel like you’re at a fancy restaurant!.
There are a lot of lobster recipes on Wholesome Yum, like air fryer lobster, grilled lobster, and more. But this broiled lobster tail is still my favorite. It’s ready in just 20 minutes, including time to butterfly them, and doesn’t require any special appliances.
Lobster tail is considered one of the most decadent and delicious seafood treats out there. The sweet succulent meat tucked inside the shell is so flavorful and tender when cooked properly. However, dealing with the hard shell can be tedious and time-consuming when you just want to enjoy those luscious bites of lobster. Fortunately there are easy methods to cook lobster tail with the meat fully extracted from the shell.
In this comprehensive guide, we will walk through everything you need to know to prepare tender, juicy lobster tail meat out of the shell. From how to remove the raw meat, recommended cooking techniques, flavor additions, doneness tips, serving suggestions, and more – we’ve got you covered. Keep reading to become a pro at savoring this luxurious delicacy to the fullest, minus the struggle of navigating sharp shells.
Step 1: Removing the Raw Lobster Meat
Before cooking, the first step is to extract the raw lobster meat cleanly and completely from the shell
Here is the easiest method:
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Place the uncooked lobster tail on a cutting board. Using sharp kitchen shears or a heavy knife, cut lengthwise down the center of the top shell from end to end.
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Flip the tail over and repeat the cut down the bottom side of the shell.
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Next, lay the tail flat and crack the shell open, separating the meat from each side of the cut shell.
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Then, slide a knife or your fingers gently underneath the meat to detach it completely from the bottom shell.
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Lift the meat out slowly and keep it in one whole piece. Discard the empty shell.
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Rinse the meat under cool water and pat dry with paper towels before cooking.
Step 2: Choosing Your Cooking Method
The beauty of preparing lobster tail meat out of the shell is that you have versatility in cooking techniques. Consider the flavor you want and your preparation time. Here are top cooking methods to try:
Grilling
For smoky, charred flavor:
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Coat meat with oil or melted butter and seasonings of choice.
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Place on hot grill and cook 3-4 minutes per side.
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Baste with herb butter or marinade during cooking.
Broiling
For quick, even cooking:
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Place lobster meat on a foil-lined pan and broil 4-5 minutes up to 3 inches from heat.
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Monitor thickness and turn meat over halfway through.
Pan Searing
For a crispy sear:
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Heat oil in a skillet over high heat.
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Add seasoned meat and cook 2 minutes per side.
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Flip only once to prevent overcooking.
Baking
For milder flavor:
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Bake in 425°F oven for 10-15 minutes until opaque.
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Add breadcrumbs or cheese on top for a baked lobster dish.
Sautéing
For flavorful sauce coating:
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Cook lobster pieces in hot pan with garlic, butter, and lemon.
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Spoon buttery juices over meat frequently.
Step 3: Adding Flavor
The natural sweetness of lobster meat shines when simply seasoned. But you can also kick up the flavor with marinades, spice rubs, compound butter, and more.
Try mixing in any of these options:
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Fresh herbs – parsley, tarragon, chives
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Lemon, lime, or orange zest
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Minced garlic, shallots, onions
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Chili powder, paprika, cayenne
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White wine, sherry, brandy
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Melted butter with added seasonings
Step 4: Achieving Perfect Doneness
Lobster can become tough and chewy if overcooked. Follow these tips for tender perfection:
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Cook just until lobster meat becomes opaque and releases from the shell, about 8-12 minutes for a 5-6 oz tail.
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Tenderness increases the faster it cooks, so use high heat.
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Check temperature in thickest part using a meat thermometer. 140°F is ideal.
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If pan frying, sear the exterior but avoid moving meat too much.
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Prevent overcooking by removing smaller pieces sooner.
Step 5: Sensational Serving Suggestions
Once your lobster meat is cooked to tender perfection, it’s time to showcase it in style. Here are fun ideas:
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Serve in lettuce cups for a fresh appetizer.
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Toss with pasta, rice, or risotto.
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Layer in decadent lasagna or mac and cheese.
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Fill a French bread baguette for lobster rolls.
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Top a garden salad or grain bowl.
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Stuff into avocado halves.
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Mix with mayo, lemon, and celery for lobster salad.
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Add to corn chowder, bisque, or seafood stew.
So don’t let lobster shells prevent you from enjoying this sublime delicacy! Follow our guide to expertly cook lobster meat from its shell and impress guests with your culinary skills. From grilling and broiling to baking and beyond, the possibilities are endless.
Here are some additional tips when cooking shelless lobster tails:
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Purchase raw, frozen tails and thaw overnight before removing meat. This prevents sticking.
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Use a sharp, thin knife when detaching meat to avoid excess damage.
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Work carefully and slowly when extracting meat. Patience prevents tearing.
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Chilling lobster briefly firms it up for easier removal from the shell.
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Save shells to use when making stock later to get the most value from your lobster purchase.
Why You’ll Love My Lobster Tail Recipe
- It’s all about the taste and the texture. I love the sweet, buttery lobster taste, but the soft, delicate texture is just as important. I’ll show you how to make it perfect, never sticky.
- Easy to find ingredients—just get some lobster tails and you likely already have everything else you need at home. And the garlic butter seasoning is irresistible!.
- Very quick and easy to make. My clear, step-by-step instructions will have you cooking lobster tails like a pro in no time. Even though it looks fancy, it’s really very quick and not too hard to make.
- You can make a restaurant-quality meal at home. I love lobster, but I don’t love ordering it at restaurants because it’s so expensive, along with other high-end seafood like crab legs, sea bass, halibut, and scallops. You can make it at home for a lot less money with my recipe!
This part talks about how to pick the best lobster tail ingredients, what each one does in the recipe, and what you can use instead. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Lobster Tails—Any kind of lobster will work in this recipe, but if you can find cold water lobster, I think it tastes better. It has a whiter, firmer meat and tastes better. Lobster tails are freshest at the seafood market or most grocery stores, but I like to buy mine at warehouse clubs because they have bigger ones for less money.
- Salted butter: adds flavor, keeps moisture in, and helps brown food. I already use salted butter, so I don’t need any more salt. If you don’t want salt in the butter, you can add it separately; you’ll need 1/8 teaspoon of salt or more to taste. You can also add black pepper if you want to.
- Garlic – Use 2 fresh, crushed garlic cloves. For broiled lobster tail, I don’t think minced garlic is a good idea because it’s more likely to burn and won’t mix with the other ingredients either. If you don’t have fresh garlic, you can use 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder instead. But I think fresh tastes better.
- Lemon Juice—Not only does fresh lemon juice go well with seafood, it also makes lobster meat softer. I also save some lemon wedges for serving.
- If you don’t want to use smoked paprika, you can use sweet paprika instead.
- If you like your lobster recipes spicy, you can add more cayenne pepper. I only used a pinch, so my broiled lobster recipe wasn’t hot.
Storage & Preparing Ahead
- Plan ahead: Fresh seafood is always best, and lobster tail recipes are no different. So, I recommend cooking immediately before serving. You can, however, butterfly the tails and make the seasoned butter ahead of time. You shouldn’t brush the lobster with the butter mix more than 20 minutes before cooking. The acid in the lemon juice will begin to “cook” the meat if you do that. “This is how I make shrimp ceviche, but that’s not what we want to do here!”
- Having leftovers: If you have lobster tail from my recipe (what?!), you can still heat them up and enjoy them. Put one tail on a large piece of aluminum foil, add a lot of butter on top, and wrap it up tightly. Put it back in the oven at 350 degrees F for 5 to 8 minutes, or until it’s warm. You can also make my lobster bisque or lobster salad with the rest of the food.
- Freeze: I don’t think it’s worth it to freeze cooked lobster because the texture will change, and it’s an expensive ingredient. You can freeze raw lobster tails, but you have to blanch them first. Bring 2 quarts of water and 1/2 cup of non-iodized salt to a boil. Then add the lobster and cook for one minute. Plunge in ice water to stop the cooking process. Cool all the way down in cold water, pat dry, and then put in freezer bags to freeze. By following this method, they can be frozen for 9 to 12 months.
Though salmon is my favorite seafood, lobster tail is my second favorite. Because of this, I’ve tried cooking it in many different ways. If you’d rather not broil it, try these other recipes:
You know how to cook lobster tail, but what do you serve it with? You should make your own lemon butter sauce and serve it with that. Here are some side dishes you can also try:
- Multipurpose Kitchen Scissors: These shears are the only ones you need to prepare lobster tails. They are sharper than six others I tried, including some high-end brands.
- Non-stick Baking Pan – I love these pans so much. Easy to clean and nothing sticks!.
- Silicone Basting Brush – For brushing on the butter mixture. The silicone is so easy to keep clean.
Recipe Card
How to De-shell a Lobster Tail
How do you cook lobster tail meat?
To cook lobster tail meat, first remove it from the shell by running your knife blade between the meat and the shell. Discard the shell, then rinse the lobster meat under cold running water and pat dry with a paper towel. Next, fill a 2 qt. saucepan with five cups of water and bring to a boil. Place a colander inside and cook the lobster tail meat in the boiling water using a wooden skewer.
Can you cook lobster meat out of the shell?
Yes, you can cook lobster meat out of the shell without boiling the whole lobster. A popular method is steaming the lobster tails or other lobster meat. Simply place the tails in a steamer basket over boiling water and steam for about 8-10 minutes, or until the meat is opaque and firm.
How do you cook lobster tails on a grill?
To cook lobster tails on a grill, heat an outdoor grill to medium heat, 350ºF to 400ºF. Butterfly the tails. When the grill is ready, scrub the grill grates clean if needed. Brush the lobster meat lightly with vegetable or olive oil. Place the lobster tails on the grill, flesh-side down, with the thicker end closer to the hotter parts.
How do you cook lobster tails by steaming?
To cook lobster tails by steaming, bring a small amount of water to a boil and add butterflied tails (prepared the same as for baking) in a steamer insert to the pot, ensuring the lobster is above the water line. The steam and heat in the pot cook the meat, but not the water directly.