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GET IT NOWThis Grilled Lobster Tail Recipe Is My Best Grilled Main
I turn to this grilled lobster tail when it gets too hot to broil lobster tails, and this recipe also happens to be the fanciest protein I’ve ever grilled. It’s the perfect way to take your summer meals up a notch for a special occasion… or you know, any regular day you want to feel a little fancy and found them on sale like I did. 😉 Here’s why I love this method:
- Juicy, tender, and full of flavor – My irresistible garlic butter seasoning and the perfect grilling time makes all the difference, plus this method gives the seafood a smoky flavor. I even have a time chart, so you’ll never overcook your grilled lobster tails again!
- Easy to make – I’ll walk you through exactly how to grill lobster tails, from butterflying them to seasoning, to my favorite way to grill them. It’s simpler than you’d think.
- Fancy dinner done fast – Special meals made simple are 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.
And if you’re worried about grilling lobster, don’t be — it’s actually super easy. Make it with me and you’ll see!
How To Grill Lobster Tails
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
Butterfly
- 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 wooden or bamboo skewers lengthwise through the center of the flesh. This helps to prevent the grilled lobster tail from curling up!
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. I 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
- Place the lobster tails on the grill grates, flesh side down. Cook without moving, 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. (I prefer silicone brushes like this because they’re easy to clean and don’t shed bristles.) Close the grill and cook until opaque. See my time chart below!
Remove the skewers when they are done. I always serve my grilled lobster tail with more of the seasoned butter (or sometimes just spoon on my lemon butter sauce), garnish with lemon wedges, and sprinkle with fresh parsley or chives.
How Long To Grill Lobster Tails?
I recommend grilling lobster tails for 5-6 minutes flesh side down first, then 1-6 minutes flesh side up, until opaque but still juicy. The cooking time on the second side will vary depending on their size.
MY RULE OF THUMB: For juicy results, grill lobster tails for 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.
I’ve made this time chart so you don’t have to convert seconds to minutes:
| 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 |
My Recipe Tips
- When butterflying, be careful not to cut the bottom shell. The shell protects the delicate flesh when cooking on the second side, and prevents the butter from dripping down into the grill after flipping.
- You’ll need very sharp kitchen shears, especially with larger lobster tails. I find the shell is thicker on larger ones. I have and love these kitchen shears, which look dainty, but are actually very strong and sharp. They were a surprise addition to my kitchen that turned out to be one of my favorite tools!
- 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 flare ups.
- I highly recommend an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness. The perfect internal temperature for juicy (not rubbery!) grilled lobster tail is 135-140 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 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.
Grilled Lobster Tail (Easy & Juicy)
By
Make this easy, juicy grilled lobster tail recipe with irresistible lemon garlic butter! Includes time chart and my tips for perfect results.
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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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 make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 8-ounce lobster tail
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you butterfly the tails more easily (and see my butterflying pictures for a visual), avoid flareups or your skewers catching fire, prevent overcooking, and more.
- Time chart: See my rule of thumb and time chart above for an easy visual of timing for different sizes of lobster tails.
- Storage and leftover ideas: You can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days, but honestly, I’m not a big fan of reheating grilled lobster tail. Instead, I turn my leftovers into a lobster salad, a main-style lobster roll, or lobster bisque if I have any. Both make great lunch options!
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Grilled Lobster Tail
Serving Ideas
I like to serve grilled lobster tail with light, simple side dishes, because the whole point of grilling is a meal with less fuss! Here are some of my top picks:
- Grilled Vegetables – Some of my favorite veggies to cook this way are grilled zucchini, grilled broccoli, grilled asparagus, and grilled cabbage steaks. I usually grill the vegetables first, so I can serve the seafood fresh. 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, try my spring mix salad, creamy cucumber salad, or Caprese salad.
- Potatoes – Throw some potatoes on the grill, 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!
88 Comments
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.