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Get It NowI love my air fryer lobster tails and broiled lobster tails, but when it gets hot out, I turn to my grilled lobster tail recipe for cooking it! It’s the perfect way to take your warm weather meals up a notch for a special occasion… or you know, any regular day you want to feel a little fancy. 😉 Don’t worry though, you don’t have to be intimidated by grilling lobster — it’s actually super easy!
Why You’ll Love My Grilled Lobster Tail Recipe
- Juicy, tender, and full of flavor – You know I wouldn’t have it any other way with my favorite seafood! The irresistible garlic butter seasoning and the right grilling time makes all the difference. (I even have a convenient time chart for grilled lobster tails below, so you never overcook them again.)
- Easy to make – I’ll walk you through the whole process! My post will show you exactly how to grill lobster tails, from butterflying them to seasoning to the right way to grill them. It’s very simple once you know what to do.
- Fancy dinner done fast – Special meals made simple are kinda my thing! My entire recipe takes around 20 minutes (including the prep), and you’ll feel like you’re eating at a fancy restaurant… but better, because you get to be outside.
How To Grill Lobster Tails
This section shows step-by-step photos together with the instructions, to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Butterfly
The first step in just about any grilled lobster tail recipe is to butterfly them, which basically means cutting them open. You can bring the flesh over the shell the same way I do for broiled lobster tails, but this time I’ll show you the slightly easier method I use here… because grilling is all about keeping it simple!
- Cut the shell. Using sharp kitchen shears, cut down the top of the lobster shell lengthwise, starting from the end opposite the tail fins. (Stop when you get to the tail fins.) Use a knife to cut the flesh lengthwise along the center ridge, if your shears didn’t take care of that already.
- Open it up. Use your hands to pry open the shell, so that it opens up like mine below. Pull the shell away from the meat a bit.
- Add skewers. Run the wooden skewers lengthwise through the center of the flesh. This helps to prevent the lobster tail from curling up while grilling!
Season
- Brush the lobster tails with olive oil, and season with sea salt and black pepper. Because we’ll grill them flesh side down to start, I don’t use butter at this point! (Otherwise it will burn, and can cause flareups.)
- Prep the garlic butter. We don’t add this right away, but you want to have it ready because the grilling process goes fast! Simply melt butter and whisk (or stir) in crushed garlic, lemon juice, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. Sometimes I also add fresh parsley or chives to make a garlic herb butter.
Grill
- Grill flesh side down first. Place the lobster tails on the grill grates, flesh side down. Cook without moving for 5-6 minutes, until the flesh starts to brown a little and the shells start to turn bright red.
- Flip and add the garlic butter. After flipping, brush the melted lemon garlic butter mixture over the lobster meat. Close the grill and cook until opaque. (See below for a time chart!)
Enjoy!
Remove the skewers when they are done. I always serve my grilled lobster tails with more of the seasoned butter (or sometimes just my lemon butter sauce), garnish with lemon wedges, and sprinkle with fresh parsley or chives.
How Long To Grill Lobster Tails?
Grill lobster tails for 5-6 minutes flesh side down first, then 1-6 minutes flesh side up. The time on the second side will vary depending on the size, but you can use my rule of thumb and handy time chart to help!
RULE OF THUMB: The ideal lobster tail grill time is about 60-75 seconds per ounce of individual tail.
It doesn’t matter how many tails you have, only their individual weight. For example, if your lobster tails are 8 ounces each, you’ll grill them for 480-600 seconds total, which is 8-10 minutes. Out of that total time, 5-6 minutes would be flesh side down and the remaining time would be after flipping.
Individual Lobster Tail Weight | Minutes Flesh Side Down | Minutes After Flipping |
---|---|---|
4 oz | 4-5 minutes | 30-60 seconds |
6 oz | 5-6 minutes | 1-2 minutes |
8 oz | 5-6 minutes | 3-4 minutes |
10 oz | 5-6 minutes | 4-6 minutes |
Expert Tips
Grilling lobster tails is pretty easy to do, but I picked up a few tips from my many experiments cooking them. Here are some common issues you might run into and how to avoid them:
- When butterflying, be careful not to cut the bottom shell. You want to cut the top shell and some of the flesh, but leave the bottom shell intact. The shell protects the delicate flesh when cooking on the second side, and prevents the butter from dripping down into the grill after flipping.
- Soak your skewers in water first, so they don’t catch fire on the grill. Simply place them in a shallow pan filled with water for 30-60 minutes and weigh down with a bowl to keep them submerged.
- Be careful when brushing on the butter. Try to apply it to the flesh only, not the outer shell. Don’t let it drip through the grates, as this can cause the grill to flare up.
- Don’t overcook. The time chart above is a good starting point, but I always use an instant-read thermometer to double check for doneness. The perfect internal temperature for juicy (not rubbery!) grilled lobster tail is 140 degrees F.
- Thaw your lobster tails if they are frozen. You won’t be able to butterfly them if they are frozen solid, plus they would cook unevenly anyway. I talk more about cooking frozen lobster tails here.
- Prep in advance to save time. This meal is best cooked fresh, as most seafood generally doesn’t reheat very well. However, I often butterfly the lobster tails in advance and keep them in the refrigerator (wrapped in plastic so they don’t dry out) until I’m ready to grill them.
- Repurpose your leftovers. Since I’m not a big fan of reheating grilled lobster tail recipes, I turn my leftovers into a lobster salad or lobster bisque if I have any. Both make great lunch options!
Serving Suggestions
I like to keep it light and simple with my side dishes to go with grilled lobster tail, because the whole point of grilling is a meal with less fuss! Here are some of my top choices to achieve just that:
- Grilled Vegetables – Might as well, when you already have your grill on! Some of my favorite veggies to cook this way are grilled zucchini, grilled broccoli, grilled asparagus, and grilled cabbage steaks. I usually grill the veggies first, so that the lobster is nice and fresh when I serve it. Just keep in mind that many vegetables require medium-high heat, whereas grilled lobster works best at medium heat, so let your grill cool down a bit.
- Salads – One of my favorites to pair with this dish is grilled peach salad, because I can grill the peaches at the same time as the lobster (both need medium heat). For cook-free options, whip up my fresh spring mix salad, 10-minute creamy cucumber salad, quick Caprese salad, or light cauliflower potato salad.
- Sauteed Vegetables – If you don’t want to grill your veggies, you can make my sauteed asparagus or sauteed zucchini just as fast. For a more filling veggie side, try my zucchini fritters or cauliflower casserole.
- Potatoes – Throw some on the grill (I don’t have the recipe on the blog for you yet, but let me know if you want me to post it!), or start my Instant Pot baked potatoes or air fryer potatoes before grilling.
- Steak – Want to turn this into surf and turf? Make my grilled steak recipe to go with your grilled lobster tail!
My Tools For This Recipe
- Kitchen Shears – You’ll need a high-quality pair of kitchen shears to cut through the hard shell. These look dainty, but are actually very strong and sharp. They were a surprise additon to my kitchen that turned out to be one of my favorite tools!
- Silicone Brush – For brushing on the garlic butter. I love this one because it’s so easy to clean.
- Bamboo Skewers – Use these to prevent your grilled lobster tails from curling up as they cook.
Grilled Lobster Tail (Easy & Juicy)
Make this easy, juicy grilled lobster tail recipe with irresistible lemon garlic butter! Includes time chart and tips for perfect results.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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If tails are frozen, thaw them overnight in the fridge, or in a bag submerged in cold water on the counter for about 30 minutes.
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Preheat the grill for about 15 minutes, or a grill pan for 5 minutes, over medium heat.
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Meanwhile, prepare the lobster tails. Using kitchen shears, cut down the center of the shell lengthwise, starting from the end opposite the tail fins, continuing down until you reach the tail but without cutting the tail. You want to cut through the top of the shell, but don't cut through the bottom shell. Use a knife to cut lengthwise along the ridge in the center, cutting through the lobster meat but not through the bottom shell, then your thumbs and fingers to spread open the shell. Run a skewer through the center of the flesh lengthwise to prevent curling.
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Brush the lobster tails with olive oil. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, garlic, lemon juice, smoked paprika, and cayenne. Set aside.
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Place the lobster tails on the preheated grill, flesh side down. Cook undisturbed for 5-6 minutes, until the flesh underneath is starting to brown and almost cooked through.
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Flip the lobster tails and brush half of the melted garlic butter over the lobster meat. Close the lid and grill for an additional 2-4 minutes for 8-ounce tails, or until opaque. Serve with remaining garlic butter.
(If your tails are a different size, a good rule of thumb for lobster tail grill time is about 60-75 seconds total time per ounce of individual tail. For example, if your lobster tails are 8 ounces each, you’ll grill them for 480-600 seconds total, which is 8-10 minutes. Out of that total time, 5-6 minutes would be flesh side down and the remaining time would be after flipping.)
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers, or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 8-ounce lobster tail
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
59 Comments
Marie
0This turned out perfectly! When I’ve tried grilling lobster in the past it always came out try, but not with this recipe. Thank you so much!
Loisa
0First time cooking lobster tails at home and it was amazing. Will absolutely be using this recipe again.
Jane
0The lemon garlic butter was the perfect complement to the sweet lobster meat, and grilling them gave them a nice smoky flavor. The time chart was such a helpful guide. It really made it easy to get the lobster tails perfectly cooked.
Fely
0I cooked this for our anniversary dinner, and my husband love it! The garlic butter was so flavorful, and the lobster was perfectly cooked. Thanks for this recipe!
Chloe
0Made it last night and my husband loved it! The sauce was so delicious!
Beth Davenport
0My husband grilled Lobster tails tonight! Great recipe. Sauce delicious. Thx for sharing!
Taty
0I tried this recipe for my hubby 51st Bday and it came out perfectly!! I was scared because I had never grilled lobster tails before. We used our charcoal grill! The lobster tails melted on our mouth like butter!!! My husband was amazed lol! I think it’s the best lobster I had!! Thank you!
Elisa Castagna
0Made these last night for Valentine’s Day and boy are we glad we did! Step by step directions to separate meat from the shell, tasty garlic butter and absolutely the best cooking chart! Will make again (when there isn’t any snow on the deck!).
Sage Scott
0Our family typically has filet mignon on Christmas Eve. But since two of my daughters and I have developed a beef allergy, we now do a surf and turf (with us opting for the turf). Instead of salmon, this year we gave grilled lobster tails a try. This recipe work flawlessly, and most of the meat eaters were jealous that they had steak. LOL!
Sharon
0This is always my favorite way to cook lobster tail. The lemon butter was spot on and I honestly couldn’t get enough of it. I did add some finely chopped parsley on the mixture, just to give it a little flavor and for garnish as well.
Leona
0I have always been a fan of lobster but this recipe just elevated the whole thing to the next level, can’t stop hyping it to my friends. Thanks for this!
Rachel
0Oh my gosh – this was amazing! We had a good warm day outside and decided to head to the grill to make this recipe. SO buttery and juicy – delicious flavor. My whole family loved this recipe!
Lucy
0Literal grilled lobster tail perfection! I made these for New Year’s Eve (even braved the cold to grill outside!) and they were juicy and cooked perfectly. The lemon garlic sauce situation was YUM! Thanks for a great recipe!
Vickie
0Perfect recipe! Very delicious. Will use this recipe every time I cook lobster. Thank you!
DiDi
0My 4-oz tails came out perfect thanks to your recipe and timing tips. YUM.
Kathy
0Made this tonight on the grill because we are giving our kitchen a “facelift” and don’t have a stove right now. I’ve always broiled my lobster tails, so this was a first for me. They were delicious! Thank you for a great grilled lobster tail recipe!
Dana Moen
0The lobster comes our absolutely delicious and is really pretty easy to make. This is definitely my go to page when I want incredible grilled lobster.
Leslie
0Question: Can I use these times and temperatures for an electric patio grill?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Leslie, Yes, you can use an electric patio grill.
Linda
0Hi, wanted to ask about the name of the indoor grill shown in the video. Can you provide the name please?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Linda, This is a smokeless indoor grill.
Allison D.
0Made this tonight and it was super easy and delicious. I used good kitchen scissors to cut down the back of the shell (easy and safer than trying to use a knife – if I can find a way to cut myself, I will😂). Instead of the seasonings in the butter I just used the lemon and added some of the Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Seafood Magic seasoning blend. The grill directions were perfect. I have grilled lobster tails before but had always put the butter and lemon on the flesh and then placed them on the grill. It would all just burn off so doing olive oil first and then basting after turning kept the flavor on the lobster meat. I will be doing it this way from now on. Thank you for another great recipe!
Lynne Johnson
0Yummy, ordered lobster from Maine for valentines dinner, absolutely delicious recipe 👍🏻
Alex Wemyss
0Loved it, worked well, thank you.
Pete Rushworth
0The recipe is just fine, but for a newbie at preparing lobster, nothing went as well as was suggested.
For one, I could not get the shells open (on top) as you stated. We may have gotten smaller lobster tails.
My rating is a 1, not because of what you said, but because of how it worked for me
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Pete, Sorry to hear you had issues with it. I have step by step pictures in the post above for opening up the lobster tails, and the process is the same regardless of size. You can also watch the video for my broiled lobster tail recipe here (video is on the recipe card) to see how I open them up on video (but this grilled version does not require laying the meat on top like I do in the other recipe).
Diana
0This is by far the best lobster recipe I’ve ever tried. It has become my go to!
STP
0This is my go to and only recipe for lobster tails. Made them again tonight for Christmas with Prime Rib. Absolutely amazing and perfect every time. Grill exactly as indicated, they will be perfect.
Mary Ann
0Can this be broiled or baked (what temperature) in the oven? Thank you very much.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Mary Ann, Here is a recipe for broiled lobster tail.
T Slone
0So easy and delicious! I couldn’t find the cayenne pepper so skipped that ingredient, but did not miss it. I utilized this sauce on grilled salmon and it works very well to give salmon an interesting flavor. I utilized wood chips to smoke it a bit, and the result of the eight minute cook was nicely balanced flavors.
Rob Howe
0Tried this recipe and they were absolutely awesome!! Going to invite the family over and introduce them to these tails !!
James
0I have never BBQ lobster tails before or cooked any lobster for that matter. I Googled lots of recipes and eventually came across this one. One of the best easy to follow ones on the web. Tried and tested. Perfect lobster tails. Thank you
Janet Rast
0I forgot to add olive oil and salt and pepper but added the buttery mixture while grilling. Honestly, it didn’t need those items. It was outstanding without it. Also, be sure to read the instructions carefully on cutting down the center of the shell and NOT FORGET to add the additional cuts lengthwise at the tail! The timing of the cooking was spot on. I also used my Yoshi copper mat which held them together beautifully and the buttery mixture was able to cook more intensely in the lobster meat and not get lost at the bottom of the grill. I will save this and try on shrimp next time, too. Just wonderful!
Ric
0Nice if you gave a grill temp. Say 450?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Ric, medium heat or 300-400 degrees F.
Rich Gortowski
0Direct or indirect heat on the grill? What temperature should the grill be at?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Rich, Direct heat at medium heat or 300-400 degrees F.
Amy
0Lobster is a favorite of mine. Especially if it is fresh! Easier to make than expected.
Kristyn
0My mouth is watering!! This meals calls for a date night in!
Natalie
0Thank you for the wonderful tips & recipe!! This lobster looks so juicy & buttery!!
Scarlet
0I had never grilled Lobster before so I was really nervous about it. Thanks for the clear instructions. Turned out great!
Robin
0Great recipe! I had been given some lobster tails and didn’t know how to cook them. They turned out amazing!
Natalie
0This looks so delicious. I’m excited to try it.
Camille
0I LOVE THIS!!
Beth
0Oh my heavens! My all time favorite. Looks so darn good that I can almost taste it.
Toni
0This is so good!! Perfect grilled lobster recipe!!
Samantha
0I’ve always been intimidated to make lobster at home, but this recipe was so easy and delicious! Thanks for such detailed directions. 🙂
Toni
0This was so good!! Everyone at my house loved it!
Deanna Striver
0Simple to make and delicious! Grilling is the best!
Harold. Beavers
0Great job. EXCELLENT.
Julia
0Wow what a delicious and indulgent meal at home. My husband said this grilled lobster was better than at any restaurant he’s had before. Thank you for the detailed guide to grilling it.
Taty
0I tried this recipe for my hubby 51st Bday and it came out perfectly!! I was scared because I had never grilled lobster tails before. We used our charcoal grill! The lobster tails melted on our mouth like butter!! I think it’s the best lobster ever had!! Usually, in restaurants, you have to practically fight with the shell! Not here!! Thank you!
Swathi
0This grilled lobster was delicious!
Scarlet
0Well, this was such an easy and delicious way to cook lobster tail. Thanks for sharing this fabulous recipe!
A. J. Pule
0Fantastic
Robin Donovan
0Yum! I love this recipe!
Ann
0Mmmm these grilled lobster tails were so easy to make, and very tasty!
Paula
0These are so yummy! Great info for grilling!