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Three grilled lobster tails seasoned with herbs cooking on a cast iron grill pan.
Reda

Grilled Lobster Tail

Buttery, smoky, and impossibly tender - this is how you do lobster right on a hot grill.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 280

Ingredients
  

For the Lobster
  • 4 lobster tails 6-8 oz each, thawed if frozen
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 0.5 tsp kosher salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper freshly ground
For the Garlic Butter
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped, plus more for serving
  • 1 lemon wedges for serving

Equipment

  • Grill (gas or charcoal)
  • Kitchen shears
  • Small saucepan
  • Pastry brush

Method
 

Prep
  1. Use kitchen shears to cut down the center of the shell, starting at the fan and stopping just before the tail fins. Pry the shell open gently and loosen the meat with your fingers, then pull it up and rest it on top of the shell, leaving the base attached. This is called 'piggyback' style and helps the meat cook evenly while looking impressive.
  2. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant but not browned. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and chopped parsley. Set aside half for basting and half for serving.
Cook
  1. Heat your grill to medium-high, about 400-450 degrees F. Clean and oil the grates well - lobster sticks if you skip this.
  2. Brush the exposed meat with olive oil and sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Place the tails meat-side down on the grill and cook for 4-5 minutes until you see light char marks and the meat is starting to turn opaque.
  3. Flip the tails so the shell is down. Spoon half the garlic butter over the meat and close the lid. Grill for another 4-6 minutes, until the meat is fully opaque and registers 140 degrees F in the thickest part. Do not overcook - the meat will turn rubbery.
Serve
  1. Transfer to plates immediately. Drizzle with the reserved garlic butter, sprinkle with extra parsley, and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over the top.

Notes

Buy cold-water lobster tails from Maine or Canada if you can - they have sweeter, more tender meat than warm-water Caribbean tails. If your tails are frozen, thaw them overnight in the fridge or in cold water for 30 minutes; never use hot water or the texture suffers. For a more dramatic presentation, you can split the tails completely in half lengthwise after cooking and serve as two portions per tail.