• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Two Purple Figs
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • By LifeStyle
      • Gluten Free
      • Vegetarian
      • Vegan
    • By Course
      • Appetizers
      • Main Dishes
        • Chicken
        • Beef
        • Lamb
        • Pasta
        • Pizza
        • Sandwiches
        • Seafood
      • Side Dishes
      • Soups
      • Salads
      • Breakfast & Brunch
      • Desserts
        • Cakes
        • Cheesecakes
        • Cookies
        • Bars & Brownies
        • Muffins
        • Pies
      • Drinks & Smoothies
    • By Method
      • Videos
      • Quick & Easy
      • Air Fryer
      • Crock Pot
      • Instant Pot
      • Finger Food
      • Bread
      • Dips
    • By Cuisine
      • American
      • Asian
      • Mediterranean
      • Mexican
    • By Occasion
      • Easter
      • Holidays
      • Parties
      • Potluck
      • Tailgate
  • Recipe Videos
  • About Me
  • Work with Me
  • Sign Up
You are here: Home / Recipes / Main Dishes / Seafood / How To Cook Lobster Tail

How To Cook Lobster Tail

January 10, 2022 by Mahy, Updated February 25, 2022 8 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Pin for how to cook lobter

There’s nothing quite so luxurious and tasty as a well-cooked juicy lobster tail. This is a video for How to Cook Lobster Tail like a pro! A good Lobster tail recipe makes eating lobster even better! Don’t miss on this Lobster Tail slathered in garlic sauce dipped in herb melted butter. Just melt in your mouth food!

three lobster tails cooked perfectly on a baking sheet

Best Lobster Tail Recipe

There are so many reasons why I love this lobster tail recipe! I’m also sharing below the different ways to cook your lobster so you can make gourmet lobster tail at home now. Pair this with something like Best NY Strip Steak and make a Surf n Turf dinner at home.

If you love shellfish and felt any bit intimidated to cook them, see this detailed video on How to Cook Scallops with two different recipes in the same post! 

Close up on one lobster tail fully cooked and topped with butter sauce

A few delicious reasons for you to make this lobster recipe:

  • The lobster tail is slathered in my famous Garlic Sauce. 
  • This lobster tail recipe is broiled which is my favorite way, but I’m sharing below how to bake and boil lobster too.
  • I love serving lobster with melted butter that’s slightly flavored like this Garlic Butter Sauce.
  • As soon as you master the technique shown in the video to carefully remove the lobster meat from the tail, this lobster recipe will be a breeze to make! 
  • Simply Delicious!
  • Lobster meat is SUPER Juicy!
 

How To Cook Lobster Tail 

The lobster tail might seem like a tricky dish to cook, but when you get down to it, it’s not all that difficult and the enjoyment at the end is well worth it. 

Ingredients for Lobster Tail 

A hand holding a fresh raw lobster tail surrpunded by garlic sauce, fresh herb,s lemon juice, seasoning and melted butter

For this lobster tail recipe, you will need either fresh or frozen lobsters (cold water lobster), garlic sauce or minced garlic,  herbs (parsley, oregano, thyme, mint or. combo), chilli flakes, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and butter. Lots of butter. Even better, make this 1 minute Garlic Butter Sauce.

How to Prep Lobster Tail

To prepare lobster tails for cooking, you’ll want to start by detaching the tender meat from the shell membranes but still keeping the tail and shell intact. 

A hand holding a scissors cutting through the center of the lobster tail

To do this, grab a sharp pair of scissors and with your kitchen shears cut the tail shell in half-length ways, starting from the top. 

A hand holding a cut up lobster tail and meat exposed

Then you can start to slather the garlic marinade over the flesh of the lobster tail. 

ingredients for the garlic sauce including garlic sauce, fresh herbs, lemon juice, seasoning

To make the marinade, place the garlic sauce / minced garlic in a small bowl and add the herbs, chilli flakes, salt, pepper, and lemon juice and thoroughly until well combined into a thick flavorful mixture. 

a hand holding the ready garlic mixture to flavor the lobster tail

This is the mixture you are going to cook your lobster tail in. 

A hand spooning in the garlic sauce to infuse the lobster trail meat in between the shells and over the shell

To coat the lobster flesh, start by putting some of the garlic sauce underneath the tail flesh and then pull the tail out of the shell but still keep them intact together. 

A lobster tail fully coated in the garic mixture and ready to be broiled

Now coat the rest of the flesh in the rest of the garlic sauce and leave it slightly elevated above the shell but still intact. This gives an attractive butterflied lobster tail appearance while making it easier to eat once cooked. 

Broiling Lobster Tail

The best way to cook the lobster tail is to broil it as it comes out really nicely with this method, Cooking your lobster quickly so that it retains that nice juicy texture. 

Place the eat at least 6 inches under the heat element and broil on low. Depending on which type of lobster you use and the ize of the lobster tail you have, broiling time will vary slightly. 

As soon the meat turns pink and opaque, you’ll know it’s done!

Perfectly cooked lobster tail out of the broiler

Other ways to Cook Lobster

You can use any method of cooking lobster tail but some ways are better than others: 

  • Grilled lobster – will give you an even and quick cook
  • Boiled lobster –   Makes a great texture but you can’t cook it with a marinade so you’ll end up with a more bland dish. 
  • Baked lobster – You are more likely to dry out your lobster by baking it and it will take a bit longer though it will still work nicely.

How to cook frozen lobster tail?

It’s sometimes easier and a bit cheaper to buy frozen lobster tails. They will come fully frozen in their shells. To cook them, they need to fully thaw or, here  I recommend boiling as the best way in a large pot since you’ll break the meat apart by trying to detach it from the shell using my method. 

How to cook lobster in the oven? 

Most people will use their oven to cook this recipe, so you can either bake or broil it. As I’ve said earlier, broiling is definitely my favorite way to cook this lobster tail recipe. Broiling is cooking by direct radiant heat, so to broil you’ll need to use the direct top grill setting on your oven to broil the lobster after placing it on a baking sheet on your oven pan.

How long to cook lobster tail?

This will vary depending on the size of your lobster tail, but I recommend broiling it for between 14-16 minutes for most average-sized lobsters as well as the strength of your oven. You need to make sure you cook your lobster until the meat is opaque otherwise it will be undercooked. This definitely should not take longer than 20 minutes. 

Serving your Lobster Tail

Once you have broiled or cooked your lobster tail it’s time to serve it with the melted butter sauce. You can make the Garlic Butter Sauce which is a no cook one. 

A hand holding a cup of the melted butter sauce to serve with the lobster tail recipe

The easy sauce for this recipe is super easy to make. Just melt your butter either in the microwave in a small bowl or on the stovetop. Then mix the melted butter with the herbs, seasonings ( and optionally a little garlic powder to make it garlic butter). 

Once your melted butter sauce is made pour it over your lobster tail, add your lobster tails to a serving plate, and serve immediately while hot and fresh.  

This is a super decadent meal that will surely impress any guests you have over, or you can treat yourself if this recipe is just for you. 

What I love most about this recipe is that it’s a healthy luxurious meal, full of protein and all that seafood goodness. This is not a recipe to miss out on, so definitely give this one a try for mouthwatering lobster yumminess.

A spoon drizzling some melted butter over the lobster out of the oven

Lobster Cooking Tips

  • Make sure you buy quality lobster tails. Fresh lobster Tails are best for broiling. 
  • Frozen lobster tails are great to boil right from frozen, however you can defrost them and cook in a different way.
  • Make sure when removing the flesh of lobster tail from the shell to leave some flesh intact.
  • Coating the lobster meat in the garlic sauce mixture adds so much flavor compared to a salt and pepper seasoning.
  • Make sure you get the sauce deep between the shells and meat as well.
  • When broiling the lobster tail, make sure the heat element is about 6 inches away from your lobster meat.
  • As soon as the shells turn pink and the lobster meat is completely opaque, the lobster tail is cooked.
  • Drench in melted butter sauce right away and have extra for serving.
  • If cooking more than one lobster tail, make sure they’re all the same size so they cook evenly.
  • Avoid over drying the lobster.

Best Seafood Recipes 

Air Fryer Salmon

Sockeye Salmon With Lemon Butter Sauce

How to Cook Mussels with Garlic and Lemon Sauce

Tuna Steak Recipe

Fish Fry

Sushi Burrito

Baked Mahi Mahi

How to Cook Scallops

Grilled Salmon

Mediterranean Baked Fish

Tuna Salad Recipe with Olive Oil Dressing

Baked Salmon With Greek Dressing

Close up on one lobster tail fully cooked and topped with butter sauce
5 from 7 votes
Print

How to Cook Lobster Tail

This is a video of How to Cook Lobster Tail like a pro! A good Lobster tail recipe makes eating lobster even better! Don't miss on this Lobster Tail slathered in garlic sauce dipped in herb melted butter. Just melt in your mouth food!

Course Main Course, Main Dish, Seafood
Cuisine American
Keyword bake lobster tail, boiling lobster tail, broiled lobster tail, how to cook frozen lobster tail, how to cook lobster tail, lobster, lobster recipe, lobster tail, lobster tail recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 286 kcal
Author Mahy

Ingredients

Lobster

  • 3 lobster tails raw
  • 1/4 cup garlic sauce or 2T minced garlic
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh herbs parsley
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper kosher salt
  • 1/8 Teaspoon chiili flakes optional

Butter Sauce

  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 1/8 Teaspoon each of salt and pepper
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoon parsley minced
  • pinch chilli flakes optional
  • pinch garlic powder Optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat the broiler to low.

  2. Prepare the garlic sauce first. Add all ingredients in a bowl.

    ingredients for the garlic sauce including garlic sauce, fresh herbs, lemon juice, seasoning
  3. Mix well until the sauce is ready.

    a hand holding the ready garlic mixture to flavor the lobster tail
  4. Take a sharp scissor and cut through the lobster tail in half all the way.

    A hand holding a scissors cutting through the center of the lobster tail
  5. Use your hand to go through the flesh and shell and try to detach the meat as best as you can.

  6. Use your fingers and separate them in a way that the flesh can be pulled out slightly.

  7. be careful to leave a little bit of meat intact to attach the shell.

  8. Take a spoon and slather the garlic sauce in between the meat and shell.

    A hand spooning in the garlic sauce to infuse the lobster trail meat in between the shells and over the shell
  9. Slather the sauce over the shell as well and carefully lift the detached meat.

    A lobster tail fully coated in the garic mixture and ready to be broiled
  10. Place the meat right above the shell so it can cook all the way through.

  11. Place the lobster tails on a baking sheet and broil.

  12. Depending on the size of your lobster tails, your lobster should be ready in 8-12 minutes.

    Close up on one lobster tail fully cooked and topped with butter sauce
  13. When the shells are completely pink and the meat is opaque, the lobster tail is ready.

  14. Make the butter sauce by mixing all ingredients in a small bowl.

    A hand holding a cup of the melted butter sauce to serve with the lobster tail recipe
  15. Spoon the butter sauce over the broiled lobster tail when its still hot and right out of the oven.

    A spoon drizzling some melted butter over the lobster out of the oven
  16. Serve right away

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Lobster Cooking Tips

  • Make sure you buy quality lobster tails. Fresh lobster Tails are best for broiling. 
  • Frozen lobster tails are great to boil right from frozen, however you can defrost them and cook in a different way.
  • Make sure when removing the flesh of lobster tail from the shell to leave some flesh intact.
  • Coating the lobster meat in the garlic sauce mixture adds so much flavor compared to a salt and pepper seasoning.
  • Make sure you get the sauce deep between the shells and meat as well.
  • When broiling the lobster tail, make sure the heat element is about 6 inches away from your lobster meat.
  • As soon as the shells turn pink and the lobster meat is completely opaque, the lobster tail is cooked.
  • Drench in melted butter sauce right away and have extra for serving.
  • If cooking more than one lobster tail, make sure they're all the same size so they cook evenly.
  • Avoid over drying the lobster.
Nutrition Facts
How to Cook Lobster Tail
Amount Per Serving
Calories 286 Calories from Fat 225
% Daily Value*
Fat 25g38%
Saturated Fat 15g94%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 7g
Cholesterol 121mg40%
Sodium 1349mg59%
Potassium 152mg4%
Carbohydrates 5g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 839IU17%
Vitamin C 3mg4%
Calcium 64mg6%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Related Posts

finished ricotta stuffed shells dish in a white baking dish on a table with tomatoes and flowers.Ricotta Stuffed Shells A board with two scallops recipes, a plate of seared scallops and a plate of baked scallops surrounded by lemon slices and a tea towel showing the different ways of how to cook scallopsHow to Cook Scallops The garlic butter sauce on a tray surrounded with small bowls of flavoring such as chilli flakes, lemon zest, parmesan cheese, herbs and lemon wedgesGarlic Butter Sauce A spoon holding off some garlic sauce over a bowl of sauce showing the thick texture of the sauceGarlic Sauce
189 shares
  • Share
  • Yummly
  • Email
  • WhatsApp

Filed Under: Recipes, Seafood, Videos Tagged With: best seafood, butter sauce, chilli powder, easy seafood recipe, garlic sauce, herbs, how to cook, lemon, lemon juice, lobster, lobster recipe, melted butter, seafood, seafood dinners, surf n turf

Previous Post: « Lamb Shoulder Chop Recipe
Next Post: Burrata Cheese »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Dionne

    January 14, 2022 at 12:25 pm

    5 stars
    I love that you give such detailed instructions on how to prep lobster tails – such a tough task but you make it really clear!

    Reply
  2. Shadi Hasanzadenemati

    January 14, 2022 at 11:47 am

    5 stars
    Love how easy this recipe is. It’s perfect for our family!

    Reply
  3. Jamie

    January 13, 2022 at 2:14 pm

    5 stars
    These look perfectly cooked and tender! I love that garlic butter sauce at the end!

    Reply
  4. Dionne

    January 13, 2022 at 2:01 pm

    Well, there is definitely nothing more luxurious than this. I mean the lobster looks fantastic!

    Reply
  5. Toni

    January 12, 2022 at 10:03 am

    5 stars
    This is so awesome! I love how it turned out! Thanks!

    Reply
  6. Jess

    January 12, 2022 at 8:45 am

    5 stars
    I love lobster tail but have never felt confident to make it at home. Your detailed instructions give me all the confidence I need!

    Reply
  7. Claudia Lamascolo

    January 12, 2022 at 8:33 am

    5 stars
    Always wanted to learn and these were simple perfect instructions! Thank!

    Reply
  8. Gina

    January 12, 2022 at 8:28 am

    5 stars
    I love lobster tail but I’m always a little nervous to prepare it myself. This was extremely helpful, and I now know I will be enjoying this time and time again.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Search for a recipe

Mahy PicHi I'm Mahy, a recipe developer, food stylist, culinary instructor, photographer, wife and busy mom! Welcome to my blog!...Read More

Never Miss a Post!

subscribe and receive fresh recipes to your inbox

Share the Love

As Featured On

Search by category

Footer

Footer logo

About

About Mahy

Sign up to Newsletter

Work with Me

Contact

Recipes

By Life Style

By Course

By Method

By Cuisine

By Occasion

All Recipes

Copyright © 2022 · Privacy Policy

All images and content are copyright protected. Please contact me if you would like to use any images . If you want to republish any of my recipes, please link back to my website and the recipe post.

»
«