How To Season Lobster For Grilling
Were keeping the seasoning really simple
- Before grilling: Brush the lobster tails with olive oil and season with sea salt and black pepper.
- While grilling: Brush with the seasoned garlic butter after flipping. To make it, whisk together melted butter, crushed garlic, lemon juice, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper.
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Looking for a few more great lobster recipes? How about this easy 6 Minute Instant Pot Lobster Risotto from The View from Great Island yum! For a great bowl of total comfort food, try this Lobster Mac and Cheese from A Family Feast. Finally, dont miss this recipe for Savory Lobster Fusillifrom Big Bears Wife it looks perfectly delicious.
Before you leave
The Very Best Grilled Lobster Tail Recipe
Easy and simple, Grilled Lobster Tails are something extra special during the summer months but can actually be made all year long thanks to frozen lobster tails! Ready in minutes and served with a savory Garlic Butter Sauce, you can turn any night of the week into a celebration.
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Preparing And Grilling Lobster Tails
Once the lobster tails are thawed, theres a little more prep that needs to be done before they hit the grill. Because of their shape one end is significantly thicker than the other cooking them evenly is difficult if you keep them whole. To make sure they cook evenly and to create a wide, flat surface for melting the garlic butter, butterfly the tails first.
Butterflying means to halve something into two thinner, more even pieces. For a lobster tail, this means cutting through the hard shell with kitchen shears, then slicing the tail meat in half so that it can open up flat like a book. One other step worth doing is using your fingers to loosen the meat from the shell, which will make it easier to remove the meat once the lobster is cooked. Once butchered properly, the lobster tail meat will cook up evenly without the need for skewers or other tools to keep it from curling up.
To grill the lobster tails, place them meaty-side down on a really hot grill for a few minutes to get some grill marks. Once they release easily from the grill grates, flip them over and top with an easy-to-make garlic butter . The total cook time depends on the size of the tail. You want the meat to be just cooked through, so aim for an internal temperature of 135 to 140ºF. Serve with lemon wedges for a nice bright pop of flavor to cut through the richness of the garlic butter and the sweetness of the lobster meat.
Directions Grilled Lobster Tails At Home
Time needed: 20 minutes.
If you can light a grill, you can grill lobster tails. Our simple recipe will walk you through grilling frozen lobster tails butterfly style. Be careful! You do not want to overpower the sweet, delicate flavor of the lobster meat.
Be sure your lobster tails are fully defrosted. Its best to defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
Prior to starting the grill, pour a small amount of vegetable oil on a paper towel and lightly coat the grill rack . Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal or gas grill. As the grill heats, prepare lobster tails.
Set each lobster tail on a cutting board with the translucent membrane down, curve shell facing up. With kitchen shears or a heavy knife, cut through the curved shell and meat, leaving the membrane intact. Open the tail gently like a book so its hinged in the center.
Use about 1 teaspoon of olive oil for each lobster tail rub onto the cut surfaces of the lobster meat, and season to taste with salt and pepper. The olive oil keeps the lobster from drying out on the grill.
Place lobster tails on the grill, meat-side up. Grill tails with grill lid closed, until the meat is opaque, about 6-8 minutes, turning once. Be careful not to overcook!
Squeeze fresh sliced lemon half over lobster and drizzle and serve with melted unsalted butter. Try pairing grilled lobster with a nice steak or fresh shrimp!
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Open The Lobster Like A Book
3. The remaining soft membrane will keep the sections intact while exposing the meat.
4. Lobster is grilled over direct medium heat. Rub the flesh with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
5. Grill flesh side down for approximately 5-7 minutes, then flip. Figure another 4-5 minutes after you flip the tail. I am using 6-8 oz. tails here.
Buttery Rich And Succulent Lobster Tail On The Grill Is A Real Treat At A Fraction Of The Cost You Would Pay When Dining Out
Change it up this summer and treat your family to a special dinner that doesnt require a second mortgage to pay for it. Id never think about taking the whole family out for grilled lobster tail. However, I can pick up frozen lobster tails at my local grocery store for about $35.00 for a package of four.
Thats probably less that it would cost for one person to enjoy a great dinner in a good restaurant. I know sometimes we like eat out, and sometimes we like to eat outside!
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How To Butterfly Lobster Tails For Grilling
The first step in any grilled lobster recipe is to prep the lobster. You can butterfly lobster tails for grilling by bringing the flesh over the shell the same way you would for broiled lobster tails, but below Ill show you a different, slightly easier method.
- Cut the lobster shell. Cut down the center of the shell lengthwise, starting from the end opposite the tail fins and going down the the tail, but do not cut the tail.
TIP: Cut the top shell only. You want to cut the top shell and some of the flesh, but not all the way through the bottom shell.
- Cut. Use a knife to cut lengthwise along the center ridge, but again dont cut through the bottom shell.
- Flatten. Use your hands to pry open the tail and then press with your palm to flatten, so that it opens up.
- Skewer. Run the skewer lengthwise through the center of the flesh. This helps to prevent the lobster tail from curling up on the grill.
TIP: Soak your skewers in water first, so they dont start a fire on the grill. Simply place them in a shallow pan filled with water for 30-60 minutes and weigh down with a bowl to keep them submerged.
Basting Grilled Lobster Tails
Finish cooking flesh side up, still over direct heat.
6. At this point, its a great idea to baste the lobster with an herb butter mixture.
7. The lobster is done when its internal temperature, checked by an instant-read thermometer, reaches 135°F.
There you have it — a seafood extravaganza!
For more tips check out my other blog post on grilling lobster tails and this great lobster recipe to help build your seafood grilling repertoire.
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Buying Frozen Lobster Tails
Frozen tails are good choices if you don’t want a whole lobster, or if you’re making a recipe that calls for a little lobster meat. Available in a variety of sizes, these are perfect for thawing and cooking in a variety of ways. Due to the freezing process, these won’t be quite as good as fresh live lobster, but they can certainly be worth the convenience.
Buying: There are two kinds of frozen lobster tails on the market: warm-water and cold-water. You want to buy only cold-water lobster tails because the meat is more firm and of higher quality.
Thawing: As tempting as it might be, it’s not a good idea to cook lobster while it’s still frozen because the meat will become very tough.
- The best way to thaw frozen lobster tails is by letting them thaw slowly in the fridge for 24 hours.
- If you don’t have 24 hours to wait, seal the frozen tails in a plastic bag and run them under cold water for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Microwave-thawing is tricky because the meat will toughen up if it starts to cook.
How To Piggyback A Lobster Tail
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Whats The Best Way To Butterfly Lobster Tails For Grilling
This method is great for the hotter cooking methods as it allows the tail meat to absorb the complementary smoky tastes from grilling. Butterfly lobster tails also make it easy to marinade in advance, and baste while cooking.
Interested in the other ways to prepare lobster? Read our article on the different ways to cook and prepare lobster.
How To Steam Lobster Tails
Whole lobster tails, butterfly or split lobster tails work best for steaming.
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How Long To Grill Lobster Tail
It takes 10-12 minutes to grill lobster tail. Begin by placing the lobster tails cut side down on the grill grates and cook for 6 minutes. Next, flip them and grill for another 4-6 minutes aiming for the internal temperature to reach 145 degrees F.
Keep in mind, this time can vary slightly depending on the size of your tails and the exact temperature of your grill.
How Can You Tell Lobster Tails Are Cooked
There is only one way to ruin a good lobster tail and thats by overcooking it! You can tell if your tails are done if the color of the meat turns from translucent to white or opaque color. Always remember to go by temperature and never by cooking time alone.
Here are some tips to tell if your lobster tails are done.
- To test one tail to see if it is done, use a knife to cut through the soft underside of the shell into the thickest part of the tail meat.
- If it appears completely white with no translucent color, then they are ready to serve.
- If there is still some translucency, cook the tails in one-minute increments until done.
- The best indicator if the lobster tail is properly cooked is to check the internal temperature. Insert an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the tail. Youll want to remove the tails from the heat at an internal temperature of about about 135-140°F.
- Keep in mind tails will continue to cook after you remove them from the heat source.
To stop the cooking process place tails in a bath of ice water. Cooked lobster meat should be pure white, opaque and elastic. See if you can pull the tail meat out of the shell in one large piece!
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How To Butterfly Lobster Tails
A simple cut down the top of the shell is all you need to peel back your tail for a beautiful presentation – cut it down the middle for a butterflied tail.
- Use sharp kitchen scissors or a sharp knife to cut the shell, and make a clean cut so you donât get any of the shell on the tail meat.
- Cutting the shell open before cooking will speed up your cooking process and make it easier to judge when the lobster tail has fully cooked – as well as give a chance for the lobster tail meat to soak up tons of deliciously rich flavor from the butter.
- You can also easily tell when the lobster meat is opaque but opening the tail up, so you donât overcook your lobster tails!
- I also try to remove the lobster meat from the shell where they are connected underneath – both to put a lemon wedge down to prop up the meat as it cooks, but also to make it easier to eat when it is done.
Helpful Items For This Recipe
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You can usually find lobster tails in your local grocery store or fish market. You will want to make sure if you are buying them fresh that they are indeed fresh! I find it best to buy frozen lobster tails from our local fish market. If they are frozen shortly after they are caught, I know they are going to be of great quality.
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Tips For The Perfect Lobster
- You can use any type of lobster for this recipe. I typically use Maine lobster, but you can use a warm water spiny lobster if you prefer.
- Lobster tails are done when the shell turns red and the flesh is opaque. Its important not to overcook your lobster, so use both the visual cues and the suggested cook times.
- I recommend serving lobster immediately after it comes off the grill. Lobster can get tough when reheated.
- You can use a charcoal grill, gas grill or an indoor grill pan on the stove top for this recipe.
- Serve your lobster with lemon wedges and fresh parsley for garnish.
- I like to serve my lobster with a variety of side dishes such as grilled vegetables, quinoa salad or roasted potatoes.
- Leftover lobster? Try using it to make lobster mac and cheese.
Cut The Lobster Tail Flesh To Grill 4 Oz Lobster Tails
Use a sharp chefs knife to cut along the line you made with the kitchen shears. Start at the tip of the tail and cut through the lobster flesh along the cut line. Make sure not to cut through the flesh all the way so that the tail separates. You should now have a hinge-style lobster tail after cutting.
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What Sides Should I Serve With Lobster Tails
Some popular sides that go well with lobster tails are actually more meat. Lobster goes well with steak, shrimp, or other seafood dishes like clambakes.
Check out how we do surf and turf in the north east.
If youre looking for the lobster tail to be the main dish, vegetable sides like mashed potatoes or grilled asparagus make for a great side dish and recipes are easy to find. If you want to boost your presentation, lay the lobster on a bed of lemon rice. We dont recommend grilling the rice.
How Do You Grill Lobster Tails At Home
Before you grill your lobster tails, you need to prepare them for the grill. If you have frozen lobster tails, make sure they are thawed completely. If they are not, they will cook unevenly, and you will not be happy with the results.
To start, use a good pair of kitchen shears to cut the lobster shell. Starting at the front, cut directly down the middle of the shell toward the fan end of the tail. Using your finger loosen the meat from the inside of the split shell and pull it out of the shell. Do not remove the meat but keep it attached so the lobster meat will sit on top of the shell.
It helps if you make 2 small cuts on a 45-degree angle at the end of the tail towards the outside after you have cut the shell down the middle. This will allow the lobster meat to sit on top of the shell when you put them on the grill.
Mix your minced garlic with the melted butter, then place the lobster tails on a preheated medium-hot grill. Brush the lobster tails with the garlic butter and close the lid to allow them to cook.
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Grilling 4 Oz Lobster Tails
How To Grill 4 Oz Lobster Tails? If you see lobster tails in the seafood case, grab a few for a delicious meal. In this article, you will find out how to grill 4 oz lobster tails. Grilling a lobster tail is pretty simple.
Lobster Tails are widely eaten all around the world. Whether it be chicken gizzard steak, beef steak, mutton steak or even pork. Steaks are a nutritious food full of protein and other nutrients. In addition to this, it is raw form of meat hence, it has many added minerals and vitamins too. Apart from just being grilled, steaks are served with steamed vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, and many other vegetables too.
Grill is one of the safest options to grill the meat because it allows controlled grill opportunity and prevents the burning of food as well. Through Grill, one can easily maintain the heat transfer from the flame to the food. In addition to this, you can also control the temperature and automatic burning of coal. This indirectly controls the flame which is reaching the food.
To grill Lobster Tail, you can marinate the chicken gizzard overnight. If not over night than you can marinate the lobster tail 2 to 3 hours before grilling and freeze it. Marinating the lobster tail adds up to the flavour of lobster tail and enhances the juiciness too. After marinating you can place the lobster tail on the Grill.
It only takes a grill, some skewers, and a little butter to make this. Read on to find out the recipe in detail.
