Baked Lobster Tails
These baked lobster tails are an elegant garlic butter-drenched lobster dish cooked just until done for an all-time epic home meal. I’m always in awe at how simple this recipe is to prepare and cook, and once you try it, you’ll agree.
Ingredients
- 3 4-6- ounce cold or warm-water lobster tails
- 5 finely minced cloves of garlic
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- lemon wedges
- coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- melted unsalted butter for serving
- optional minced fresh parsley or chives for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°.
- Squeeze together the lobster tails at the bottom part of the shell. You will hear it crack, and this will help the meat to remove more easily.
- Using kitchen shears open up the shell. Start at the opening of the tail on top and cut your way back just until you reach the tail. You can also use a knife and gently slice down through the shell, starting from the tail and working forward.
- Pull out the meat and set it right on top of the shell. This is mostly just for looks. Then, place it on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper a few inches apart from one another.
- Add the finely minced cloves of garlic to a pot along with a stick of unsalted butter and heat it over low to medium heat. The goal is to slightly cook the garlic to remove the bite.
- Using a spoon or brush, add 2 tablespoons or so of butter to each of the tails, and it’s good to get the garlic on the meat as well.
- Gently season the lobster with salt and pepper.
- Place it on a middle rack in the oven that is preheated to 400° on and cook it for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on the size. The flesh will turn bright white and firm up. When the tails hit 135° internally, I remove them.
- Remove the lobster from the oven and let it rest for 1 to 2 minutes before serving.
- Serve the tails on the sheet tray with a garnish of chives or parsley and leftover garlic butter.
Notes
To stand out in the flavor department, baked lobster tails need a good amount of fat and enough seasoning. Since they are so lean, the butter I serve and bake them with will make it taste better. In addition, you could take a step further and use a heavier compound butter for a deeper flavor profile.
Be careful when seasoning: Lobster is from the ocean, so it naturally has some saltiness. I keep that in mind when I add coarse salt to it, so a gentle season is usually in store. You can optionally add pepper.
Add lemon juice: When making garlic butter, I sometimes add it directly instead of finishing with it. Doing this will get that clean acid a little earlier to make it more delicious.
Cook according to size: When using large lobster tails 10 to 14 ounces, I usually cook them for an additional 2 to 4 minutes.
Make-Ahead: For freshness, lobster is best served as soon as it is done cooking. It can become tough and chewy if it sits or cooks too long.
How to Store: You can cover the lobster and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Unfortunately, these will not freeze well.
How to Reheat: I never recommend reheating lobster as it can make it overly tough. However, if you must, spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of unsalted melted butter onto the meat of each tail and bake in the oven covered with foil or a lid at 350° for 6 to 8 minutes or until it reaches back to 135° internally.
Nutrition
Calories: 47kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 8gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.2gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 202mgPotassium: 115mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 0.05gVitamin A: 11IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 0.2mg