These Butter Poached Lobster Tails are a restaurant-quality seafood dish, ready in just minutes! This is the perfect lobster recipe for beginners since you only need a few simple ingredients and less than 30 minutes from prep time to serving this luscious dish!
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If you've been intimidated by cooking lobster for the first time, don't be! We'll show you just how easy it is to prepare delicious lobster tails or lobster meat at home with step-by-step photos and instructions!
All you need is a pair of kitchen scissors, some tongs, and a large saucepan or skillet. This recipe is the pinnacle of gourmet but is secretly very easy to prepare.
These lobster tails are the base of our lobster pasta and this lobster ravioli sauce! You may also enjoy our steak and lobster dinner (surf and turf)!
Looking for more show-stopping seafood recipes? Try our seafood boil with cajun garlic butter sauce, this chicken and shrimp carbonara, this creamy salmon pasta, these baked crab legs, and these scallops with bacon and white wine sauce.
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❤️Why we love this recipe
- Quick & easy. These lobster tails are ready in 30 minutes or less, and that's if you want to remove the lobster tail meat from the shells. If not, this recipe is even quicker to prepare.
- Simple ingredients. You only need a handful of ingredients to bring this recipe together, and anything you don't already have on hand is probably available at your local grocery store.
- Perfect for a special occasion. Need the perfect recipe for Christmas dinner, Valentine's Day, or any other occasion? These tender and juicy lobster tails are served with a garlicky, buttery sauce fit for a feast! They're restaurant quality, without the price tag.
- Amazing flavor & loved by all. Rich and decadent, this buttery lobster is so dreamy and indulgent!
🦞Ingredients
Here are the ingredients we used for this recipe. You can find more information for substitutions below.
- Fresh lobster tails. We'd recommend using cold-water lobster tails for the most delicate and tender meat with a really nice flavor. Lobster that grows up in cold water grows slower, leading to tastier, more tender meat. We tend to use frozen tails and then thaw them in the fridge overnight.
- Butter. We like using salted butter for this recipe to help infuse the meat with flavor as the lobster cooks. Feel free to use unsalted butter and simply add your own salt. A word of advice - use high quality butter here since it's the star of the show!
- Garlic. Technically optional, but adds great flavor to the dish. Be sure to use fresh garlic and finely mince it.
- Lemon. A bit of citrus adds a really nice brightness to this overall rich, luscious dish. Fresh is definitely best here.
Visit the recipe card for the full quantities and nutritional information.
✨Substitutions & variations
Here are a few suggestions on additional flavors to try, or simple variations to this recipe.
- Herbed. Add your favorite herbs to the butter, like chives, basil, rosemary, or thyme.
- Add onion or shallot. Finely minced shallots or onions would be an awesome addition to this sauce. Add it at the same time as the garlic.
- White wine. Cook a bit of white wine, something dry and crisp like Pinot Grigio in the pan to cook out the alcohol for a few minutes, then proceed with the recipe as instructed for extra depth of flavor. If you decide to use wine, be sure to avoid oaky options like Chardonnay.
- Spicy. Love a little heat? Try adding some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to the poaching liquid for a spicy kick.
- Dairy free. Use a vegan butter substitute to make this recipe dairy free.
🔪Prep work
- If lobster tails are frozen, quickly thaw them in a bowl of ice water. (See instructions in frequently asked questions).
- Mince garlic.
- Slice lemon wedges & mince parsley if using.
- Measure out all remaining ingredients.
📋Instructions
Flip the lobster tail over onto its back. Using your hands, crack the ribs, then use kitchen shears to cut down the full length of the underside of the tail where the legs are until you reach the tail fin, then stop cutting. (Image 1)
Very gently spread the shell open to expose the meat. Remove the meat from the lobster shell in one piece by wiggling carefully. (Image 2) Be extra careful not to cut into the meat or damage it.
Now, gently clean off the tail meat with a kitchen towel or paper towels.
⭑ Pro tip: Lobster tails are very sharp, it can be helpful to wear kitchen cutting gloves (affiliate link) while cutting so you don't hurt yourself.
If needed, remove the digestive tract from the lobster tail. To remove the vein, make a shallow cut along the back of the tail. You can also cut the tail in half lengthwise.
Using tweezers or just your fingers, pull the vein out and discard it. While it's technically okay to eat the vein, it doesn't taste the best so it's more enjoyable to get rid of it.
Our tails actually didn't have any veins to remove, so we didn't need to do this. (Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don't!)
Set the tails on a plate, and pat them totally dry with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside. (Image 3)
⭑Pro tip: Save your lobster shells to make seafood stock, lobster pasta, or lobster ravioli sauce!
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add minced garlic, and stir constantly for about 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant. (Image 4)
⭑ Pro tip: For best results, cook over medium-low heat until the butter reaches a gentle simmer. Do not allow the mixture to boil, or you will burn the garlic and/or butter.
Place lobster meat in the skillet or saucepan. You may need to work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. (Image 5)
Baste the tails with the garlic butter for 2-4 minutes on each side (about 6-8 minutes in total), until completely opaque or no longer translucent. The tails may begin to curl gently. (Image 6)
Once cooked, remove the tails immediately from the pan, and set aside. Repeat the process to continue cooking all the lobster tails.
⭑Pro tip: You can know for certain that the meat is cooked through when it reaches 135-140°F with an instant-read thermometer when inserted into the thickest part of the tail.
Squeeze fresh lemon juice over top of the lobster, garnish with parsley, and serve with the melted butter sauce. Enjoy!
These lobster tails are also featured in our lobster pasta and this lobster ravioli sauce!
✨Tips & tricks
- To leave the lobster tail in the shells, simply cut the tails in half lengthwise and proceed with the directions. Once the lobster is cooked, it will become easier to remove from the shell.
- Cook low and slow. Lobster meat cooks very quickly anyway, so keep the heat on the lower side so you don't overcook the lobster or burn the butter or garlic.
- Don't overcook the lobster. As we stated above, lobster cooks very quickly. No one likes tough lobster meat. You will only need to cook the lobster for roughly 2-4 minutes per side until the meat is no longer translucent, then that's it. To be sure, use an instant read thermometer. When the temperature reaches 140°F, the lobster is done.
- Add salt to taste. The amount of salt you use will depend on if you use salted butter or not. You can always add a bit more when serving.
- Skim off milk solids if desired. While cooking, milk solids will come to the top of your butter sauce. It's completely fine to eat, but you can skim them off if you prefer.
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🍴Serving Suggestions
- Salad. You can't go wrong with a simple arugula and spinach salad. Try serving it with this honey lemon vinaigrette for even more flavor.
- Bread. Bread and butter go together perfectly, so it's a great way to soak up all the goodness. Try dipping a crusty baguette in the poaching liquid.
- Crisp veggies. This green bean feta salad, these lemon garlic green beans, and this cold asparagus salad would all pair perfectly with these buttery poached lobster tails. They are all vibrant, citrusy, and crisp - which is a great contrast to this buttery dish.
- A glass of crisp white wine. A buttery (and non-oaky) Chardonnay, a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, or Pinot Grigio pair perfectly with these rich and luscious lobster tails!
💭Frequently Asked Questions
One of the best parts about this recipe is the fact that you can quickly thaw the lobster tails before preparing them if you buy them frozen. All you need to do is place the lobster tails in a large bowl full of ice water. Let them sit for about 1 hour, changing the water every 20 minutes or so.
Just make sure the water is ice cold! Anything warmer than cold water will begin to cook your lobster tails.
Lobster meat removed from the shell can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
If you keep the lobster meat in the shell, leftovers will only last up to 1-2 days.
While these lobster tails are best enjoyed fresh, you can reheat them to enjoy later. Use some of the leftover poaching liquid when reheating to help the lobster retain moisture and keep it from drying out.
Try covering it with a lid when reheating to trap some of the steam. This will speed up the process and will help from overcooking the lobster too much.
🍤More Seafood Recipes To Consider
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📖 Recipe
Butter Poached Lobster
Equipment
- large saucepan or skillet
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons butter (1.5 sticks)
- 6 medium lobster tails
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- parsley and lemon wedges for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Flip the lobster tail over onto its back. Using your hands, crack the ribs, then use kitchen shears to cut down the full length of the underside of the tail where the legs are until you reach the tail fin, then stop cutting. Gently remove the meat from the lobster shell in one piece by wiggling carefully. Save the shells and freeze them later to make seafood stock!6 medium lobster tails
- If needed, remove the digestive tract from the lobster tail. To remove the vein, make a shallow cut along the back of the tail. You can also cut the tail in half lengthwise. Using tweezers or just your fingers, pull the vein out and discard it. While it's technically okay to eat the vein, it doesn't taste the best so it's more enjoyable to get rid of it. Our tails actually didn't have any veins to remove, so we didn't need to do this. (Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don't!)
- Set the lobster tails on a plate, and pat them completely dry with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside.½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add minced garlic, and stir constantly for about 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant. Then, place lobster meat in the skillet or saucepan. You may need to work in batches to not overcrowd the pan. Cook for 2-4 minutes on each side, until the meat is no longer translucent. It may begin to curl gently. Once cooked, remove immediately from the pan and set aside, and repeat the process to continue cooking all the lobster tails.12 tablespoons butter, 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice over top of the lobster, garnish with parsley, and serve with the melted butter sauce. Enjoy!parsley and lemon wedges for serving
- Lobster meat removed from the shell can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. If you keep the lobster meat in the shell, leftovers will only last up to 1-2 days.
Save This Recipe! 💌
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Video
Notes
- How to quick thaw lobster tails: Place the lobster tails in a large bowl full of ice water. Let them sit for about 1 hour, changing the water every 20 minutes or so. Just make sure the water is ice cold! Anything warmer than cold water will begin to cook your lobster tails.
- To leave the lobster tail in the shells, simply cut the tails in half lengthwise and proceed with the directions. As the lobster cooks, it will become easier to remove from the shell.
- Cook low and slow. Lobster meat cooks very quickly anyway, so keep the heat on the lower side so you don't overcook the lobster or burn the butter or garlic.
- Don't overcook the lobster. No one likes tough lobster meat. You will only need to cook the lobster for roughly 2-4 minutes per side until the meat is no longer translucent, then that's it. To be sure, use an instant read thermometer. When the temperature reaches 140°F, the lobster is done.
- Add salt to taste. The amount of salt you use will depend on if you use salted butter or not. You can always add a bit more when serving.
- Wear kitchen gloves to protect yourself from sharp lobster shells.
- Save lobster shells for making your own seafood stock, or to use in other recipes!
Nikki Leonardi says
Yum so good! Love you guys!!!
Chamere Orr says
Hey Nikki, thanks so much! Nothing like a tasty lobster dinner. Love y'all too!
Sue says
I made this tonight! It wss so good! I misread the instructions and used a pot versus a pan. I think it took longer for the lobster tails to cook but wow they were really worth it! Don't skip the lemon. It puts the dish over! I can't wait to do this again. Thank you!
Briana says
Hi Sue! We're so glad you enjoyed it so much, and glad it turned out even though you used a pot. Honestly, a slower cook time sounds delicious, it probably just made everything taste even better! 🙂 Thanks again for trying the recipe!
Johnj altieri says
Very nice dinner to serve special guests can't go wrong with lobster
Briana says
Absolutely, everyone always feels special when you serve it! 🙂