Baked Lobster Tails

This delicious Baked Lobster Tail recipe is rich, buttery, slightly sweet and incredibly easy to make. With 5 ingredients and 30 minutes you can put together a 5-star lobster meal right at home.

How to Cook Lobster Tails

Recipe Q&A

What does lobster taste like?

Lobster tastes kind of like a better version of shrimp (in my opinion) but richer and slightly sweeter. It’s generally served with a squeeze of fresh lemon and melted butter for dipping. Honestly, it is divine and if you haven’t tried, I highly recommend it. I love lobster and make these lobster tails for a lot of special occasions.  

Where to get lobster tails?

You can get lobster tails at most grocery stores. I recommend going to the seafood counter to make sure your lobster tails are fresh. The majority of the time, lobster tails are flash frozen to preserve freshness and ensure safety. So, frozen is totally fine! Just thaw them in cold water before cooking.

How to butterfly a lobster tail.

Butterflying lobster tails is MUCH easier than most people think. All you need is a pair of kitchen shears to cut the shell. Then you simply pull the lobster meat out of the shell. Watch to how-to video below to see how it is done.

How to tell when lobster tail is done.

There are a few ways to tell when your tasty tails are ready to eat!

1. Color – The lobster meat should be entirely white and opaque in color. If there is any translucency or grey color, it is not done yet. 
2. Texture – It should be pretty firm to the touch. However, don’t overcook the lobster because it will be really chewy. As soon as it is entirely white and firm, it’s done! Mushy lobster is undercooked and rubbery lobster is overcooked. 
3. Internal Temperature – If you really want to be sure to cook your lobster tails correctly, use a thermometer and cook them until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the meat reaches 140°. 

How to cook frozen lobster tails.

Lobster is fairly delicate. So, it’s not the best idea to take a frozen lobster tail out of the freezer and throw it directly in the oven. Chances are you’ll end up with lobster that is part rubber and part mush.

If your lobster tails are frozen (which most are at some point) put them in a sealed baggie and submerge them in cold water until thawed. This should take anywhere from 30-60 minutes but could potentially take longer for larger lobster tails.

You can also put frozen lobster tails in the fridge overnight and they should be thawed by morning.

Can lobster be made ahead of time?

You can prepare lobster ahead of time (steps 1-2 of recipe) but I recommend cooking lobster immediately before serving. It is tricky to reheat and is usually best right after cooked. 

To prepare ahead of time, complete steps 1-2. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Take the dish out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before putting in the oven. Then proceed with steps 3-4 of the recipe.

Is there a non-alcoholic substitution for the beer? 

Yes! You can substitute the beer with water. The main purpose is to increase moisture. The beer adds moisture and a little extra flavor but water still makes an absolutely delicious lobster tail. 

What to eat with lobster?

You could do a classic surf and turf dinner (my personal fav) with sous vide steak, asparagus and hollandaise. Make some shrimp taco wonton cups for a starter and raspberry lemon mini cheesecakes for dessert and you’ve got yourself one drool worthy feast! 

Baked Lobster Tails

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

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This delicious Baked Lobster Tail recipe is rich, buttery, slightly sweet and incredibly easy to make. With 5 ingredients and 30 minutes you can put together a 5-star lobster meal right at home. 

Ingredients

 

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For the lobster tails:

• 4 4-5 oz. lobster tails, or 2 8-10oz. lobster tails*
• 2 Tbsp. butter, cut into 4-8 pieces
• 1 cup beer, room temperature**
• Salt

For serving:

• 1 lemon cut into wedges
• 2-4 Tbsp. butter, melted
• parsley, optional

Instructions

 

• Preheat: Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Prep Lobster Tails: Butterfly the lobster tails*** and place them in a 9×13 baking dish. Pour the beer into the casserole dish. It should just cover the bottom of the dish and be at most 1/4″ deep. Season the lobster tails with a couple pinches of salt. Put the pieces of butter on top of the lobster tails.
• Cook Lobster: Put the lobster tails in the preheated oven for 9-10 minutes**** or until cooked through.
• Serve: Serve immediately with lemon wedges and melted butter. Garnish with parsley (optional). 

Notes

*Lobster tails come in a variety of sizes. Both small (4-5 oz.) and large (8-10oz.) lobster tails work for this recipe! Just adjust you cook times as instructed below. 

**Room temperature beer works best. If your beer is ice cold, pour it in a microwave safe container and microwave for 30 seconds.

***See the how to butterfly a lobster tail video in this post for detailed instructions.

****Bake 4-5oz lobster tails for 9-10 minutes and 8-10oz lobster tails for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through. When done cooking the lobster tails should be opaque and firm. If you want to be safe, use a thermometer and cook the lobster tails until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the meat reaches 140°F. 

Nutrition

Serving: 14 oz. lobster tail | Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 386mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g

Have you tried this recipe? Let me know what you think! Rate this recipe and leave a comment below.