Garlic Butter Lobster Tails (Printable)

Tender lobster baked in rich garlic butter with lemon and herbs

# What You Need:

→ Lobster

01 - 4 lobster tails (5-6 oz each), thawed if frozen

→ Garlic Butter

02 - 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
03 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
05 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
07 - ½ teaspoon paprika
08 - ½ teaspoon salt
09 - ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Garnish

10 - Lemon wedges
11 - Extra chopped parsley (optional)

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup.
02 - Using kitchen scissors, cut down the center of the top shell of each lobster tail, stopping at the base. Gently pull apart the shell and lift the meat over the shell, leaving it attached at the base. Lay the meat on top of the shell.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, paprika, salt, and black pepper until thoroughly combined.
04 - Arrange prepared lobster tails on the baking sheet. Brush lobster meat generously with garlic butter mixture, reserving a small portion for later.
05 - Bake for 12–15 minutes until lobster meat is opaque and slightly firm to the touch, reaching an internal temperature of 140°F.
06 - Remove from oven and immediately brush with reserved garlic butter. Garnish with lemon wedges and additional parsley if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Restaurant quality lobster without the restaurant markup or awkward fancy clothes
  • Ready in under 30 minutes but looks like you spent all afternoon cooking
  • That garlic butter sauce is worth making double just for dipping bread
02 -
  • Overcooked lobster becomes rubbery and sad, pull it when just opaque throughout
  • The butter shells can burn, so check at 10 minutes and tent with foil if needed
  • A meat thermometer takes all the guesswork out of doneness
03 -
  • Ask your fishmonger to butterfly the tails if knife work makes you nervous
  • Room temperature lobster cooks more evenly than cold from the fridge
  • Double the butter recipe and serve extra on the side for dipping

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