Grilled Lobster Tail Recipe: How to Grill Lobster
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Oct 13, 2024 • 3 min read
When it comes to seafood recipes, grilled lobster tails are a simple yet decadent dish that will please dinner guests. Learn how to make the best lobster tails on the grill at home.
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What Is Grilled Lobster Tail?
Grilled lobster tail is a BBQ-inspired dish that involves cooking the tails of this popular crustacean on a grill, basted in a buttery herb sauce. Boiling lobster tails is the more common method of cooking lobster, but grilling this delicate shellfish over direct heat results in a tender dish infused with a smoky flavor.
5 Tips for Grilling Lobster Tail
Follow these tips to make the best grilled lobster tails:
- 1. Experiment with seasonings. Customize any grilled lobster recipe to incorporate the seasonings of your choice. Brighten up your herb butter with add-ins like Old Bay, Cajun seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and fresh lemon juice.
- 2. Cook the lobster correctly. Overcooking these delicate crustaceans is easy to do, but it will yield an unpleasantly chewy dish. Use a high-quality meat thermometer to monitor the temperature of the lobster tail as it grills. Remove the tails from the grill when they reach an internal temperature of 135 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature will continue to rise by a few degrees once you remove the tails from the heat.
- 3. Store properly. It’s ideal to enjoy cooked lobster immediately, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. For long-term storage, remove the smoked lobster meat from its shell and store it in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer for up to three months. Allow the meat to cool to room temperature before storing it in your freezer in an airtight container. When you’re ready to eat your lobster tails, defrost them overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- 4. Cut the shells. Use kitchen shears or a paring knife to cut down the middle of the top of the lobster tail, but don’t cut through the fin. Leave the bottom shell intact to hold the tail together while grilling.
- 5. Use skewers. Insert wooden skewers into the tails lengthwise to prevent the tails from curling too much while cooking.
Simple Grilled Lobster Tail Recipe
makes
prep time
10 mintotal time
20 mincook time
10 minIngredients
- 1
Preheat a gas grill or charcoal grill over medium heat.
- 2
Using kitchen shears or a paring knife, carefully cut a line down the center of the top of one of the lobster tail shells to expose the meat. Hook your fingers under the lobster shell to gently pry it open, and pull the meat out, so it sits on top of the shell, leaving it attached at the base of the tail. Repeat this process with each lobster tail.
- 3
Working one at a time, insert wooden skewers lengthwise into the lobster flesh.
- 4
In a small pan over medium heat, melt the butter.
- 5
Add the minced garlic, parsley, chives, salt, and pepper to the melted butter, and remove the pan from the heat.
- 6
Brush the lobster tails with olive oil and place the lobster tails on the grill grates, flesh-side down, until the shells are bright red, about 5 minutes.
- 7
Flip the lobster tails. Using a pastry brush, baste the garlic butter over the lobster tail meat. Save about a ¼ of the garlic butter mixture in a small bowl to apply at the end of grilling.
- 8
Cook lobster tails until opaque and 135 degrees Fahrenheit at the center, 4–5 minutes.
- 9
Transfer the tails to a plate and brush them with the remaining garlic herb butter. Allow the lobster to cool for 5 minutes before serving it with additional melted butter sauce for dipping.
- 10
Garnish the lobster tails with lemon zest and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over top.
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