Butter Poached Lobster Recipe
Published February 2, 2023. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This delicious poached butter lobster recipe is cooked in white wine and butter for an amazing mouthwatering seafood dish. You will be blown away by the flavors in this lobster recipe.
I’m a huge fan of cooking and serving seafood because it’s simple to prepare and cooks in minutes. If you are similar and love it, you must try my Sicilian Swordfish or my Blackened Salmon.
Butter Poached Lobster
Butter-poached lobster is a simple recipe consisting of fresh lobster meat cooked in butter and wine poaching liquid until cooked through. This process adds a lot of flavor and fat to lobster, making it more delicious. It’s delicious to serve the liquid alongside the cooked lobster.
Once the lobster is done cooking, it can be eaten as is, or the entire dish, along with the poaching liquid, can be tossed with cooked and strained pasta for a delicious pasta recipe. You can also use the butter-poached lobster as a garnish to lobster bisque.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Wine – I like to use sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, or chardonnay.
- Butter – Always use unsalted butter in your cooking and baking so that you control the salt content.
- Lobster – Any fresh, frozen, and thawed lobster meat from the tails, knuckles, or claws.
How to Make Butter Poached Lobster
Add the wine and butter to a small saucepan over low heat.
Once the butter is melted, add the lobster meat and cook for 4 to 5 minutes over low heat. If you cook it too fast, the lobster releases a white protein substance known as pellicle, which is edible but aesthetically undesirable.
Flip the lobster over and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the lobster is bright white and firm but not overcooked. Serve.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: This butter-poached lobster is meant to be eaten as soon as it is done cooking.
How to Store: Once they cool, cover and keep it in the poaching liquid in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. You can freeze this covered for up to 3 days. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of poached lobster and the poaching liquid to a small saucepan. Heat over low heat until hot.
Chef Notes + Tips
- If the lobster is overcooked, it will get very chewy.
- This is uniquely salty, so be sure to taste it first before seasoning it.
More Seafood Recipes
Butter Poached Lobster Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup white wine
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 pound uncooked lobster meat
Instructions
- Add the wine and butter to a small saucepan over low heat.
- Once the butter is melted add in the lobster meat and cook over low heat for 4 to 5 minutes. If you cook it too fast the lobster releases a white protein substance known as pellicle, which is edible, but aesthetically undesirable.
- Flip the lobster over and cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes or until the lobster is bright white, and firm, but not overcooked.
- Be sure to taste it first, but you can season it with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.
Saturday on CBS, Did not know about Butter Poaching!! Wonderful!!
I would like to know if I can add, Crab, and Shrimp to this recipe. if yes what modifications would I make? kk
Possibly. Without testing it myself, I’m not 100% sure.
Looking forward to making this for our 33rd Anniversary! Will the alcohol cook out of this? Thanks in advance.
yes
Tastes great 👍
excellent!
Love this. Soooooooo easy and delicious.
Made this with leek risotto for Valentine’s Day dinner……it was spectacular
Looking forward to making this recipe tonight!
Could I use Langostino in this recipe?
why not?
Oh boy tis a yum ChefBilly thank you 😁😋
Oh My Goodness Chef. I just got 5 lobsters at The Fish Market in my town. This is how I will prepare mine. This looks so delicious and mouth watering, I can almost taste it. It’s for nothing fancy at my house, just a big thank you to my 2 sons for being Great Boys, and always honoring their Mother. Thank you so much Chef Billy.
You’re amazing too…
excellent!
I love lobster. Thank you for this recipe. Absolutely delicious one of the best cooks ever.❤️
my pleasure!
Wow. Utterly sublime. Used this for two small tails with a pinot grigio over angel hair topped with cracked pepper and salt. Magnifique! So very tender and delicious! My new favorite way to have lobster.
thank you!
Absolutely delicious! The lobster was tender and sweet. We did use salted butter and the salt content was fine but we do like our food highly seasoned.
Had a huge 1lb lobster tail. Cut it in half & poached as written. Absolutely perfect!!
awesome!
I did my own spin on this recipe as I used it to cook my lobster then made homemade lobster ravioli. Every ravioli oozed a perfect bite and texture of lobster 🦞
Made enough for an army thinking I’d freeze some but not a chance.
Thanks Chef Billy Parisi for yet another perfect recipe for a non chef to follow
appreciate you trying it
Amazing recipe! So delicious and tasty!
great!
I made your butter poached lobster to go with some crab cakes. The buttery sauce was perfect for the lobster. I will be making this again soon.