The ONLY Lobster Tails Recipe you'll need! Broiled lobster tails are juicy, flavorful, and quick to make! + How-To butterfly lobster tails photo tutorial! | natashaskitchen.com

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This is the only Lobster tails recipe you’ll ever need and it’s surprisingly easy! The broiled lobster meat is crazy tender, juicy and each bite is tantalizingly flavorful, especially after dipping into the warm garlic lemon butter. Dunk it in, take it for a swim, watch the excess drip off your fork and enjoy.

I honestly think this is the best thing I’ve ever cooked. THIS is the way you should eat lobster.

Make broiled lobster tails at home for Valentine’s Day or any special occasion and you’ll pay less than half of what you’d drop in a nice restaurant and GET THIS: it totally tastes gourmet! The garlic and dijon sauce was inspired by my wildly popular baked salmon and everyone who tries it loves it.

P.S. I also included step-by-step photo instructions on how to prepare and butterfly lobster tails so you can make the most impressive posh-looking lobster tails like a boss :).

Watch How to Butterfly and Make Broiled Lobster Tails:


This lobster tails recipe is such a treat. Easy and excellent in flavor and presentation. I hope you fall in love with this recipe as we have.

The ONLY Lobster Tails Recipe you'll need! Broiled lobster tails are juicy, flavorful, and quick to make! + How-To butterfly lobster tails photo tutorial! | natashaskitchen.com

Ingredients for Lobster Tails Recipe:

4 lobster tails (5 to 6 oz each)
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, very finely chopped, plus more for garnish
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided

The ONLY Lobster Tails Recipe you'll need! Broiled lobster tails are juicy, flavorful, and quick to make! + How-To butterfly lobster tails photo tutorial! | natashaskitchen.com

Lobster tails tend to go on sale before holiday’s like Valentines day. I found these 5 oz Lobster tails at Fred Meyer on sale for $6 each. Not bad! You can serve 4 people at $6 each or splurge on 2 people for $12 each which is still amazing for LOBSTER!!

How to Prepare/Butterfly Lobster Tails:

1. Use kitchen scissors to cut through the top shell of the lobster tail, stopping at the base of the tail and snipping through the top portion of the meat as you go.

2. Flip the tail over to the back see-through side of the tail and crack the ribs in the center. This will help open the shell.

3. Open the shell using your thumbs and fingers and loosen the meat from the shell (remove vein if present). Work carefully – shells can be sharp! Lift the meat from the shell, keeping it attached at the base. Press the shell together and set the lobster meat over the top. The bulk of the lobster meat should be sitting over the top of the shell.

The ONLY Lobster Tails Recipe you'll need! Broiled lobster tails are juicy, flavorful, and quick to make! + How-To butterfly lobster tails photo tutorial! | natashaskitchen.com

How to Make Broiled Lobster Tails:

1.Place rack in center of oven so when you bake, the meaty tops of your lobster tails will be at least 6 inches from the top heating elements. Preheat oven to broil on high heat.

2. In a small bowl, add the marinade ingredients: 1 Tbsp parsley, 2 pressed garlic cloves, 1 tsp dijon, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil and 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice. Stir to combine.

Two photos of bowls with a butter mixture being mixed in them

3.Place butterflied Lobster Tails into a 9×13 or 8×12 roasting pan. Divide the marinade evenly over the tops of each lobster tail and dot each tail all over with 1/2 Tbsp of butter cut into smaller pieces.

The ONLY Lobster Tails Recipe you'll need! Broiled lobster tails are juicy, flavorful, and quick to make! + How-To butterfly lobster tails photo tutorial! | natashaskitchen.com

The ONLY Lobster Tails Recipe you'll need! Broiled lobster tails are juicy, flavorful, and quick to make! + How-To butterfly lobster tails photo tutorial! | natashaskitchen.com

4. Broil lobster tails on high 10-11 minutes (or according to the lobster tail size – see chart below). When done, lobster meat should be opaque and white in the center and register 145˚F on an instant read thermometer. Transfer lobster tails to a serving platter and garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

The ONLY Lobster Tails Recipe you'll need! Broiled lobster tails are juicy, flavorful, and quick to make! + How-To butterfly lobster tails photo tutorial! | natashaskitchen.com

The ONLY Lobster Tails Recipe you'll need! Broiled lobster tails are juicy, flavorful, and quick to make! + How-To butterfly lobster tails photo tutorial! | natashaskitchen.com

5. To make the Garlic Lemon Butter: drain drippings from the roasting pan into a small saucepan and combine with remaining 2 Tbsp butter, bring to a simmer and remove from heat. Pour over lobster tails or divide into small ramekins and use as dipping sauce.

The ONLY Lobster Tails Recipe you'll need! Broiled lobster tails are juicy, flavorful, and quick to make! + How-To butterfly lobster tails photo tutorial! | natashaskitchen.com

Broiling Times for Lobster Tails:

Smaller (3 to 4 oz) lobsters 6 to 8 minutes
Medium (5 to 6 oz) lobsters 10-11 minutes
Larger (7 to 9 oz) lobsters 12-15 minutes (with rack in middle of oven)
Broil lobster meat until opaque and white in the center, or 145˚F.

The ONLY Lobster Tails Recipe you'll need! Broiled lobster tails are juicy, flavorful, and quick to make! + How-To butterfly lobster tails photo tutorial! | natashaskitchen.com

⬇️ Print Friendly Lobster Tails Recipe:

Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Lobster Tails Recipe with Garlic Lemon Butter

4.97 from 129 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
This is the only Lobster tails recipe you'll ever need and it's surprisingly easy! The broiled lobster meat is crazy tender, juicy and each bite is tantalizingly flavorful, especially after dipping into the warm garlic lemon butter.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 4 lobster tails
  • 4 lobster tails, 5 to 6 oz each
  • 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, very finely chopped, plus more for garnish
  • 2 garlic cloves, pressed
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided

Instructions

How to Prepare/Butterfly Lobster Tails:

  • Use kitchen scissors to cut through the top shell of the lobster tail, stopping at the base of the tail and snipping through the top portion of the meat as you go.
  • Flip the tail over to the back see-through side and crack the ribs in the center. This will help open the shell.
  • Open the shell carefully using thumbs and fingers and loosen meat from the shell (remove vein if present). Lift the meat from the shell, keeping it attached at the base. Press the shell together and set the lobster meat over the top. Most of the lobster meat should be sitting on top of the shell.

How to Make Broiled Lobster Tails:

  • Place rack in center of oven so the meaty tops of your lobster tails will be at least 6 inches from the top heating element. Preheat oven to broil on high heat.
  • In a small bowl, stir together marinade ingredients: 1 Tbsp parsley, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp dijon, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil and 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice.
  • Place butterflied Lobster Tails into a 9x13 or 8x12 roasting pan. Divide marinade evenly over the tops of each lobster tail and dot each tail all over with 1/2 Tbsp of butter cut into smaller pieces.
  • Broil lobster tails on high heat 10-11 min (or according to the lobster tail size - see chart). When done, lobster meat should be opaque and white in the center and register 145˚F on an instant read thermometer. Transfer to serving platter and garnish with parsley if desired.
  • To make the Garlic Lemon Butter: drain drippings from the roasting pan into a small saucepan and combine with remaining 2 Tbsp butter, bring to a simmer and remove from heat. Pour over lobster tails or divide into ramekins and use as dipping sauce.

Notes

!Broiling Times for Lobster Tails:
Smaller (3 to 4 oz) lobster tail 6 to 8 minutes
Medium (5 to 6 oz) lobster tail 10-11 minutes
Larger (7 to 9 oz) lobsters tail 12-15 minutes (with rack in middle of oven)
Broil lobster meat until opaque and white in center, or 145˚F.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Lobster Tails
Skill Level: Easy/Medium
Cost to Make: $$$

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen

Lobster tails pair perfectly with creamy mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus. So good!!

The ONLY Lobster Tails Recipe you'll need! Broiled lobster tails are juicy, flavorful, and quick to make! + How-To butterfly lobster tails photo tutorial! | natashaskitchen.com

Enjoy this incredible lobster tails recipe, my friends and let me know if you try it. I can’t tell you enough how good this is! You’ll just have to find out for yourself! 😉 Thank you so much for pinning and sharing this on Facebook with your lobster loving friends. This recipe is so worth discovering! 🙂

The ONLY Lobster Tails Recipe you'll need! Broiled lobster tails are juicy, flavorful, and quick to make! + How-To butterfly lobster tails photo tutorial! | natashaskitchen.com

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

Read more posts by Natasha

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Comments

  • Michelle
    March 16, 2024

    OMG these lobster tails were amazing 👍. Thank you so much for another amazing recipe ❤️❤️👍👍🍷

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      March 16, 2024

      I’m so glad you loved the recipe!

      Reply

  • Rebecca
    December 25, 2023

    We’ve just had this sauce on our lobster tails for our Christmas Dinner….. it was absolutely stunning.
    In fact it was so good we are currently discussing all the other foods we can make it for 💜

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 25, 2023

      That’s great! Thanks a lot for sharing your experience using this recipe. Glad you loved it!

      Reply

  • Tameka
    December 5, 2023

    My family loves it. I usually save the sauce for dipping. My 7 uear old can’t get enough.

    Reply

  • Christine
    May 5, 2023

    I’ve made this recipe a few times and absolutely love it. Made it for my grown kids tonight and they were blown away!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 5, 2023

      That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great, Christine!

      Reply

  • Patti G
    April 9, 2023

    Non-traditional Easter dinner of lobster, risotto and roasted asparagus. Delicious! I have used this recipe several times now and don’t know if I will ever cook lobster another way. I don’t bother with the lemon butter. It’s wonderful without and I’m saving calories, right?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      April 10, 2023

      Hi Patti, thanks for your comments and review! We love it with lemon butter but since you enjoy this recipe without it too, that’s fine and yes, saving some calories.

      Reply

  • Darleen Murray
    March 11, 2023

    Made lobster tails tonight and have done it many times. Tried your sauce for the first time. Delicious. Will be using that recipe again. Thanks for all your recipes. Easy and delicious!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 11, 2023

      You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Darleen!

      Reply

  • Sean O'Shea
    December 17, 2022

    Wow Natasha, this recipe is absolutely DELIGHTFUL! I’m so glad i’ve stumbled across your site, thanks a lot!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 17, 2022

      I’m so happy you discovered my blog, Sean! Welcome!

      Reply

  • Ivan
    September 6, 2022

    Thank you for posting this recipe. I followed it almost exactly, I only had two lobster tails, so I added shrimp. I.N.C.R.E.D.I.B.L.E.! Super delicious!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      September 6, 2022

      Wonderful feedback, we’re glad you enjoyed this recipe!

      Reply

  • julia
    March 25, 2022

    I have made these several times using your recipe- this is the best recipe I have found for lobster tails and they are always delicious – easy to make and fabulous in presentation! Thank you very much Natasha – the recipe is easy to follow and the end result is exactly as you present!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 26, 2022

      You’re very welcome, Julia! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!

      Reply

  • Jane Ormrod
    January 19, 2022

    This recipe was amazing, and I’ve made it several times. My family loves it! This time, I got very small lobster tails on sale (honestly, the same price as chicken!) I had to supplement it, so I devised a way to make pan braised shrimp and the lobster simultaneously, by doubling that amazing marinade. The timing was a took some thought, and needed thorough mise en place, but It was a hit! That marinade is great with shrimp also!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      January 19, 2022

      That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Jane!

      Reply

  • Cheri
    December 12, 2021

    Natasha, you are one of my favorite bloggers. Thanks for all your recipes! I have made this lobster three times and always it is amazing but last time I overcooked it a bit and it was tough. I just got a sous vide machine. Can these be made SV, and what should change?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      December 13, 2021

      Hi Cheri, I don’t have any experience in a sous vid – make sure when broiling lobster tails that they are not too close to the top burner (keep the top of the meat a minimum 6 inches away from the burner) or they can get tough quickly.

      Reply

  • Lynda
    December 8, 2021

    I have made lobster tails many times but this recipe is the best. And not too high calorie because you don’t have to be swimming in butter like the other recipes. We loved it and will make it again. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 8, 2021

      I’m so glad you loved my recipe, Lynda! That’s so great!

      Reply

  • Adele Wilter
    October 27, 2021

    First time I have cooked lobster tails. I wanted them perfect for our 43rd wedding anniversary dinner – and they were. Thanks for sharing this recipe!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      October 27, 2021

      That’s fantastic! Great to hear that the recipe was a success, thank you for your review, Adele.

      Reply

  • Lisa
    August 20, 2021

    Wow! Doesn’t need the extra sauce—was amazing with the marinade alone. This was a big splurge for my family so I wanted them to be perfect. They were. Delicious! Thanks very much.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 21, 2021

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!

      Reply

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