Broiled lobster tail is easy to make with this elegant recipe!
Succulent broiled lobster tails are a decadent dish cooked in a simple garlic butter sauce with fresh herbs.
Simple classic ingredients showcase the lobster’s naturally sweet and subtle flavor.
An Easy Lobster Tail Dinner
- Prepared and served in the shell, broiled lobster tails are easy to make.
- Serve them on their own or alongside steaks for a surf and turf meal.
- Pair it with your favorite side dishes, from mashed potatoes to roast asparagus.
- Lobster tail meat is great brushed with butter but it’s also great for adding to other recipes like mac and cheese.
Ingredients for Broiled Lobster Tail
Lobster Tails – Choose smaller tails that range between 4-8 ounces. For larger tails, broil further from the heat source about 6-8 minutes. Follow this guide for buying cold water lobster tails and check for any discolorations on the meat. Avoid tails soaked in sodium tripolyphosphate.
Butter – Choose salted butter. For an extra flavor boost, make clarified butter (where the water is cooked out which intensifies the flavor).
Seasonings – The seasonings are light to showcase the sweet flavor of the lobster meat. In addition to salt and pepper, a light sprinkle of parsley, sliced chives, or a little paprika can be added.
How to Prep Lobster Tails
- Butterfly lobster tails by placing them on a cutting board with the shell side up and the tail pointing away from you.
- Using kitchen shears, start at the center of the shell and cut toward the end of the tail, cutting the shell and the top of the lobster meat.
- Devein the tail by cutting down the center of the top of the shell and carefully pull out the dark vein running down the center of the tail. Stop cutting when you hit the base of the tail.
- Flip the tail over and press down on the center all along the bottom of the tail with your thumbs (AKA ‘cracking the ribs’). Flip the tail back over.
- Insert your thumb between the shell and the meat, and loosen the meat, detaching it from the sides. Be careful so you don’t cut your fingers on the sharp shell.
- Loosen the sides and lift the meat up and out of the shell, and set it on top of the shell, while keeping it attached to the base.
How to Broil Lobster Tails
There are many ways to cook lobster tails, including baking, air frying, boiling or steaming. Grilled lobster tail is popular, but honestly, broiling is the best way to cook lobster tail! You can learn about other methods for cooking lobster here.
- Prep and butterfly lobster tails (per recipe below).
- Place meat, shell side down, in a pan or on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush the butter mixture over the lobster. Broil and check for doneness with a meat thermometer.
- Serve hot with the remaining melted butter and a squeeze of lemon juice if desired.
Tips for Tender Lobster Tails
- Frozen lobster tails should be thawed in the fridge overnight. To thaw quickly, submerge them in cold water.
- Be sure not to overcook. Broil for about a minute to a minute and a half per ounce and place them 4-5 inches from the heat or on the top rack.
- Ensure proper cooking by using a meat thermometer. Lobster meat should be opaque and white in the center, and reach 145˚F.
More Lobster Favorites
Did you make these Broiled Lobster Tails? Leave us a rating and a comment below!
Broiled Lobster Tail
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lobster tails 4 to 8 ounces, cold water
- 4 tablespoons butter salted, divided
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
- 2 lemon wedges
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven broiler to high heat, and adjust the oven rack 4 inches from the broiler.
- Use kitchen shears to butterfly (see notes for details) and clean lobster tails. Remove the digestive tract and rinse off.
- Place butterflied lobster tail in a baking dish or broiler pan with the shell side down. Set aside.
- In a small microwave safe dish, melt 2 tablespoons butter in microwave by heating for 20-30 seconds. Reserve remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
- Stir in minced garlic and fresh, finely chopped parsley.
- Carefully spoon butter mixture over lobster meat. Reserve some for after cooking.
- Add 1 tablespoon of reserved butter to the top of each lobster tail.
- Place lobster tail in oven and broil 4-5 inches from heat for around 1 ¼ minutes per ounce (one minute and 15 seconds per ounce). If broiling large tails, broil farther away from the heat source (approximately 6-8 minutes)
- Remove from oven, use a meat thermometer to test doneness (140°F) or check that meat is no longer translucent, but rather white or opaque.
- Remove from baking dish and serve with remaining butter and a squeeze of lemon.
Video
Notes
- Place tails on a cutting board, shell side up. Cut a line through the center of the shell toward the fins.
- Devein the tail by cutting a little bit down the center of the meat and carefully remove the dark vein running down the center of the tail.
- Flip the tail over and press down on the center all along the bottom of the tail with your thumbs (AKA ‘cracking the ribs’). Flip the tail back over.
- Insert your thumb between the shell and the meat, and loosen the meat, detaching it from the sides. Be careful so you don’t cut your fingers on the sharp shell.
- Loosen the sides and lift the meat up and out of the shell, and set it on top of the shell, while keeping it attached to the base.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Entree, Main Course, Seafood
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Hi Holly, I’m trying your lobster Mac n Cheese for Easter. Having a fish fry instead of the traditional easter ham and fixings. I am using your broiled lobster recipe, should I squeeze the lemon over the finished tails, since I am using the meat in the Mac n Cheese?
Everytime I write you, I will tell you how much I love and appreciate you. Your recipes are so inspiring and intriguing, you’ve made somewhat of a cook :)…out of someone who really doesn’t find cooking to be her strong suit. I have not had a failure with your recipes yet, and they are always a big hit.Thank you for sharing your passion with the masses! And thank you for the very detailed explanations of what to look for when buying lobster, how to cook it and dishes to use it in. I’ll come back here and let you know how everything turns out….but I already know!
You are the cooking angel on my shoulder! I can’t thank you enough!
Thank you so much for your kind words Dorothy, I’m glad you’ve found the tips to be helpful! I would suggest skipping the lemon if using the lobster tails in mac and cheese. Let us know how it goes!
I’ve always loved lobster, but never cooked it. Your video makes it look so good. I’ll try this soon. Hopefully on Valentine’s Day.
I can’t wait to hear how it goes Shery!
best lobster dish ever, where you still taste the delicate flavor and easy to prepare! on tge menu for V day this year, added to a prime rib roast…surfand turning for sure!
That sounds like the perfect menu to me Rachel!
Made these for supper last night and they were a huge hit! Thanks for the recipe. SWP Employee
You’re very welcome Samantha! So glad you love the lobster recipe!
these all look amazing!
Looking forward to making the soup recipes!
Can’t wait for you to try it Janet!!
Thank you for these instructions! I have always wanted to try doing lobster at home and now I can.
You’re so welcome Linda, I hope you enjoy it! Come back and let us know how it goes!