Easy Garlic Butter Poached Lobster Tails (Restaurant-Quality!)
These tender lobster tails are poached in garlic butter until perfectly opaque and succulent. This simple technique delivers restaurant-quality results every time - no boiling, no steaming, just gentle heat, garlicky butter, and constant basting. Ready in about 30 minutes with just a handful of ingredients, this is the perfect special occasion dinner for Christmas, New Year's Eve, Valentine's Day, or any night that calls for making dinner feel special!
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 515kcal
Equipment
- large saucepan or skillet
Ingredients
- 8 medium lobster tails 5-6 oz each, cold-water preferred
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks
- 8-10 cloves garlic minced
- ½ - 1 teaspoon kosher salt to taste
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon black pepper to taste
- Fresh lemon and parsley for serving
Instructions
- Flip the lobster tail onto its back. Crack the ribs with your hands, then use kitchen shears to cut down the full length of the underside until you reach the tail fin. Gently remove the meat from the shell in one piece. Save the shells for stock!8 medium lobster tails
- Check for the digestive tract along the back of the tail. If present, make a shallow cut and remove it with your fingers, tweezers, or a skewer. Rinse the meat under water to remove any shell fragments, then pat completely dry.
- Season the lobster tails on both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside.½ - 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ - ½ teaspoon black pepper
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and stir constantly for about 1 minute, until fragrant.1 cup unsalted butter, 8-10 cloves garlic
- Place lobster tails in the skillet (work in batches if needed). Baste continuously with the garlic butter, cooking 4-6 minutes per side (8-12 minutes total) until the meat is completely opaque and reaches 135-140°F internally.
- Remove immediately from the pan. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the lobster, garnish with parsley, and serve with the garlic butter for dipping.Fresh lemon and parsley for serving
Video
Notes
Recipe Notes
- Lobster tails: Cold-water lobster (Maine, Canada, North Atlantic) has sweeter, more tender meat than warm-water varieties. Thaw frozen tails overnight in the fridge, or quick-thaw in ice water for 1 hour, changing the water every 20 minutes.
- Butter: Use high-quality butter here - it's the star! European-style with higher butterfat (like Plugrà) makes a difference.
- Salt: Check your lobster packaging - many frozen tails have sodium added for moisture retention. Start with less salt and adjust to taste after cooking. This recipe uses Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If using Morton's or table salt, reduce by half, as it is saltier!
- Don't overcook: Pull the lobster the moment it hits 135-140°F. It goes from perfect to rubbery quickly!
- Cooking in the shell: Cut tails in half lengthwise and cook the same way. The meat pulls away as it cooks.
- Storage: Refrigerate cooked lobster meat in an airtight container for 2-3 days (out of shell) or 1-2 days (in shell). Reheat gently with some of the butter, covered, to retain moisture.
- Serving ideas: Try this as part of our steak and lobster surf and turf dinner, or pair with our baked crab legs for an impressive seafood spread!
Nutrition
Calories: 515kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 283mg | Sodium: 1124mg | Potassium: 298mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 1427IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 133mg | Iron: 0.5mg