Easy Broiled Lobster Tails – the best way to cook lobster tails
Master the art of the perfect seafood dinner with this foolproof Easy Broiled Lobster Tail recipe. If you’ve ever worried about overcooking expensive seafood, this 1-minute-per-ounce method is the ultimate secret to achieving tender, buttery, and succulent lobster meat every single time.
By using the high heat of the broiler, you create a beautiful lightly-charred exterior while locking in the natural sweetness of the lobster. It’s a restaurant-quality meal that takes less than 10 minutes to cook, making it ideal for special occasions, romantic date nights, or a luxurious weekend treat.
Why This Method Works:
- Precision Timing: The 1 minute per ounce rule eliminates the guesswork, ensuring juicy results without the rubbery texture. The quantity of lobster tails do not matter as long as they are all the same size. If each lobster tail is 4 ounces each, simply broil the whole batch for 4 minutes.
- High-Heat Searing: Broiling mimics the intense heat of a professional kitchen, giving you that classic steakhouse finish.
- Minimal Prep: With just a few simple ingredients like butter, lemon, and herbs, the natural flavor of the lobster shines.
- Impressive Presentation: Learn how to butterfly the tails so they sit elegantly on top of the shells for a stunning “pro” look. See my pictures below!
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Sheet Pan Clam Bake with Chili Crisp and Garlic Butter
All the glory of a New England clam bake without the giant pot, the beach permit, or the existential crisis of cooking for a crowd. This sheet pan clam bake stacks lobster tails, littleneck clams, shrimp, andouille sausage, corn, and baby potatoes under a lemon-garlic-butter waterfall — then gets finished with a drizzle of chili crisp because Old Bay had a long run, and we’re trying something new.
Visual Step-by-Step Guide for Making Broiled Lobster Tails:
What’s in this
- lobster tails
- olive oil
- parsley
- scallions
- lemon
- compound butter
Broiled Lobster Tails
This is hands down the easiest and best way to cook lobster tails. Broiling is quick and keeps all the flavors and textures as it should be. The timing is simple… don’t forget this: broil your lobster tail(s) 1 minute for every ounce your lobster tail weighs. For example, if your lobster tail weighs 6 ounces, broil it for 6 minutes. Top rack, broil setting #2 (medium), and regardless of how many lobster tails you are cooking.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes (for 4 ounce tails)
- Total Time: 19 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Broiling
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten-Free, Keto, Low-Carb, Pescatarian
Ingredients
- 4 lobster tails, 4 ounces each
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 sprig parsley, minced
- 1 scallion stalk, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- compound butter
Instructions
- Rinse lobster and cut each one with a kitchen shear down the center of the shell, all the way to the base of the tail, but don’t cut the actual tail part. It is ok to cut part of the meat right under the shell, just don’t cut all the way through to the bottom. Remove the intestine vein if there is one.
- Turn the lobster over so that the translucent ribs face you. Holding the lobster with both hands, place your thumbs on the top most rib. You should see about 5 ribs running horizontal on each tail. Press down on the rib with your thumbs to crack it. Do this for all 5 ribs and for each lobster tail. This will allow you to pull the lobster meat up and off the shell in the next step.
- Turn the lobster over again so that the shell is facing you. Spread the cut shell apart just enough for you to lift the meat up and over the shell. Push the shell back together and carefully arrange the meat over the shell.
- Prepare a baking sheet lined with foil. Combine olive oil, parsley, scallion, garlic, lemon juice and salt. Whisk to combine. Arrange the lobster tails on the baking sheet and spoon the olive oil mixture evenly over each lobster tail.
- Broil on the top rack of your oven. My 4 ounce lobster tails took 4 minutes. If you have 5 ounce tails, broil for 5. 6 minutes for 6 ounces, etc.
- Remove from oven and immediately place a pat of compound butter, about 1 teaspoon on each lobster tail. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you don’t have compound butter, melted butter works fine.
- Squeeze some lemon on top.
- Don’t mince your garlic too fine. Large pieces won’t burn.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 lobster tail
- Calories: 215 kcal
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 19 g
- Cholesterol: 155 mg
❓ FAQ’s for Broiled Lobster Tails
Use the simple 1-minute-per-ounce rule. A 6-ounce lobster tail broils for 6 minutes, an 8-ounce tail for 8 minutes, and so on. This eliminates all the guesswork and gives you perfectly cooked lobster every time.
Yes — always thaw frozen lobster tails completely in the refrigerator overnight before cooking. Broiling from frozen will lead to uneven cooking.
Pressing down and cracking the ribs on the underside of the tail makes the shell much more flexible. This allows you to open the top of the shell wider and pull the meat out without tearing the meat or completely snapping the shell in half.
The meat will turn opaque and white (no longer translucent), and the shell will be bright red. The 1-minute-per-ounce rule makes this reliable without any extra checking.
Absolutely! Regular melted butter works great. But compound butter — butter mixed with herbs, garlic, and lemon zest — adds an extra layer of flavor that makes this recipe truly special.
Compound butter is softened butter blended with aromatics like garlic, fresh herbs, lemon zest, or shallots. You can make a batch, roll it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate or freeze it. It’s incredible on lobster, steak, fish, and vegetables.
4–8 oz tails are the sweet spot for broiling — they cook evenly and quickly. Very large tails (12+ oz) may benefit from a combination of broiling and baking to ensure the center cooks through. I often do a surf and turf; steak and lobster. When I do, the 4 ounce size is a perfect portion size to serve with steak.
Yes! You can butterfly them a few hours in advance and keep them covered in the refrigerator until ready to season and broil. This makes dinner prep a breeze.
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