
Free: 5 Secrets To Fast Healthy Dinners
Get It NowThis post may contain affiliate links, which help keep this content free. (Full disclosure)
- Why You’ll Love This Lobster Tail Recipe
- How To Butterfly A Lobster Tail
- How To Cook Lobster Tail
- How To Broil Lobster Tails
- How Long To Broil Lobster Tails
- How To Cook Frozen Lobster Tails
- How To Thaw Lobster Tails
- Lobster Tail Nutrition
- Where To Buy Lobster Tails
- Can You Prepare Lobster Tails In Advance?
- What To Serve With Lobster Tails
- Tools To Make Broiled Lobster Tail
- The Best Broiled Lobster Tail Recipe (Fast & Easy)
Welcome to the ultimate guide to cooking lobster tails! With the flavorful butter sauce and ultra quick cooking method, it’s the best lobster tail recipe for holidays, celebrations, and date nights at home. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to make broiled lobster tail – it’s ready in less than 20 minutes – but it’s so much more affordable than getting it out at a restaurant (much like crab legs!). Keep on reading, because I’m going to cover everything you need to know: how to shop for lobster, how to butterfly lobster tails, how to cook lobster tails, and plenty of side dishes to serve with lobster.
This recipe works with both warm water and cold water lobster, but if you have a choice, get the latter. It has a whiter, firmer meat and tastes better.
Why You’ll Love This Lobster Tail Recipe
- Sweet lobster taste with buttery flavor
- Delicate, tender texture
- Just 6 simple ingredients
- Ready in 20 minutes
- Perfectly cooked every time
How To Butterfly A Lobster Tail
The best way to broil lobster tails starts with butterflied lobster tails! While this may look complicated, I promise that it’s easier than you probably think.
Here’s how to prepare lobster tails before you cook them:
- Butterfly the lobster. Using kitchen shears, cut down the center of the shell, all the way to the tail, but not cutting the tail. You want to cut through the top of the shell, but don’t cut through the bottom.
TIP: It’s fine if you cut through the lobster meat. In fact, it cooks a bit more evenly if you do. The important part is not to cut through the bottom shell, though.

- Split the shell. Using your thumbs and fingers to spread open the shell, gently push the lobster tail meat upward, separating it away from the bottom shell. Leave the end attached to the tail fin.
Gently split it open first…

And then continue to open up the shell more, so that it separates away from the meat on the sides…

- Push lobster meat above the shell. Slightly push together the empty shell underneath and place the row of meat on top.

- Place butterflied lobster tail onto a lined baking sheet, flesh side up. See? Your homemade lobster tails are already starting to look like you got them from a fancy restaurant, even before cooking…
TIP: If you want to prevent curling, pierce a wooden skewer lengthwise through the center of each tail. I skipped this step here, but you can see a visual in my grilled lobster tail post.
How To Cook Lobster Tail
Once you have it butterflied, there are several options for how to cook lobster tail:
- Broiled lobster – This method is in the oven under the high heat of the broiler. My easy lobster tail recipe is broiled!
- Baked lobster – Similar to the broil method, but under normal heat. I find that the high heat of broiling gets a more tender inside than regular baking.
- Poached lobster – Sometimes this is another term for boiled lobster, and sometimes it means simmering the shucked lobster tails in a layer of butter (called butter poaching).
- Boiled lobster – This is one of the simplest methods, as it just involves cooking the tails in a large pot of boiling water. But, I find the flavor when you boil it is not as rich as lobster cooked with butter.
- Grilled lobster – You can even cook lobster tails on a grill if you like! We don’t have nice weather enough during the year for this to be my go-to method, but I do love it during the summer months. Get the grilled lobster recipe here.
As you can probably guess, I think the best lobster recipe is broiled! The cook time is quick (just 10 minutes or less!) and it’s super flavorful from the butter.
How To Broil Lobster Tails
The next step in the best broiled lobster tail recipe is the butter sauce! It’s super quick and easy.
Here’s how to broil lobster tails with butter sauce:
- Mix together butter sauce. Whisk together melted butter, garlic, lemon juice, smoked paprika, and cayenne. I use salted butter and don’t need salt, but you could also use unsalted butter and add salt separately (you’ll need 1/8 teaspoon of salt if your butter is unsalted). Feel free to add some black pepper to the sauce if you like, too.
TIP: Make sure to use crushed garlic, not minced. Crushed will mix better with the other ingredients and prevent burning.
- Brush lobster tails with butter. It’s important to coat all the lobster meat so that it stays nice and juicy – this is the best way to cook lobster tails! You’ll use about a tablespoon of butter mixture for each tail.

- Broil lobster tails. Broil lobster until the meat is opaque and slightly browned, about 1 minute per ounce of individual tail.
TIP: See the instructions below to calculate how long to broil lobster tails, including examples. They look like this when they are done:

- Garnish and enjoy! Finish your lobster tails with lemon wedges and fresh parsley. You can also serve with melted butter on the side.

How Long To Broil Lobster Tails
The cooking time for broiled lobster will vary depending on the size of the tail. A standard lobster tail is about 5 ounces, so the 10 ounce tails pictured are jumbo!
The general rule of thumb for lobster tail cooking time is about 1 minute per ounce of individual tail.
For example, broil a 10-ounce lobster tail for about 10 minutes. A 5-ounce lobster tail will take about 5 minutes.
If you want to be sure, use an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness. The perfect internal temperature is 140 degrees F.
How To Cook Frozen Lobster Tails
Cooking frozen lobster tails is just as easy as fresh ones, and depending on where you live, it might be preferable to buy frozen tails. We’re in Minnesota, so I prefer to buy lobster frozen – this way I know it’s fresh when I thaw it out!
Simply thaw your lobster tails (more on that below) and then cook the same way you would cook fresh lobster tails.
How To Thaw Lobster Tails
Thawing out lobster tails is a simple step in this easy lobster tail recipe! You have two options for thawing:
- Fridge: Thaw the lobster tails in the refrigerator overnight. Make sure to check your tails an hour or so before you plan on cooking them, to ensure they are fully thawed!
- Cold Water: Place lobster tails in a zip lock bag and submerge in water for 30-60 minutes, until thawed completely.
Just make sure they are thoroughly thawed, or they won’t cook evenly.
Lobster Tail Nutrition
Not only is lobster delicious, but it’s also nutritious! This broiled lobster tail recipe is low carb, keto, easily paleo and whole30 (just swap butter with ghee!) and rich in protein.
Here’s a summary of lobster tail nutrition facts, per 10-ounce tail:
- 337 calories
- 13 grams fat
- 50 grams protein
- 0 grams carbs
Where To Buy Lobster Tails
You can buy lobster tails at most grocery stores! If you don’t have a seafood market close to you, many other grocery stores will carry frozen lobsters.
Warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam’s Club also typically carry lobster tails, and often have the larger sizes you see pictured here.

Can You Prepare Lobster Tails In Advance?
For the best broiled lobster tail, I recommend cooking it immediately before serving. You can certainly prep things ahead of time, but most seafood is best freshly cooked, and broiled lobster tail is no exception.
Now that you know how to prepare lobster tails, butterfly them and store in the fridge until cooking time. You can also make the seasoned butter ahead. When you’re ready to serve them, it will just take a few minutes to brush on the butter and broil.
What To Serve With Lobster Tails
So you know how to cook lobster tail, but the tricky part is deciding what to serve with it! Of course, you need some lemon wedges and melted butter for the lobster itself.
But what about the sides? There are so many great options, here are a few of my favorite side dishes:
- Sauteed Broccoli – Garlic broccoli is the perfect green side to this broiled lobster tail recipe.
- Mashed Cauliflower – For the ultimate decadent meal, pair this creamy side with the best lobster tail recipe. Perfect for date night and holidays.
- Roasted Asparagus – Easy and light side to this baked lobster tail recipe.
- Pan Fried Brussels Sprouts – Bacon, brussels sprouts, and lobster. What a trifecta!
- Creamed Spinach – The classic steakhouse side goes well with this broiled lobster recipe.
You can also pair lobster with a sirloin steak or filet mignon for a special-occasion surf and turf.
Tools To Make Broiled Lobster Tail
- Multi-Purpose Kitchen Scissors – A good set of kitchen shears is a powerhouse tool in the kitchen and if there’s one thing you need to have for how to prepare lobster tails, this is it!
- Nonstick Baking Pan – I love these pans so much. Easy to clean and nothing sticks!
- Silicone Cooking Utensils Set – This set has every utensil you could ever need, including a marinade brush for the butter mixture that goes on top of this easy lobster.
Easy Broiled Lobster Tail Recipe
Reader Favorite Recipes
The recipe card is below! Readers that made this also viewed these recipes:
The Best Broiled Lobster Tail Recipe (Fast & Easy)
This guide has all you need to know about cooking lobster tails – how to prepare lobster tails (butterfly them), how to cook lobster tails, and the BEST broiled lobster tail recipe – all in just 20 minutes!
Recipe Video
Tap on the image below to watch the video.Like this video? Subscribe to my YouTube cooking channel for healthy recipes weekly! (Click the bell icon to be notified when I post a new video.)
Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
-
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.
-
Preheat the oven to Broil (500 degrees F or 260 degrees C). Rinse the defrosted lobster shells. Set the oven rack such that lobster tails placed on a baking sheet would be 4 to 5 inches away from the broiler.
-
Butterfly 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 your thumbs and fingers to spread open the shell on top, then gently pull the lobster meat upward, separating it away from the bottom shell, leaving the end attached to the tail fin intact. Slightly push together the empty shell underneath and place the row of meat on top. Place the butterflied lobster tail onto the baking sheet.
-
In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, garlic, lemon juice, smoked paprika, and cayenne. Brush the butter mixture over the lobster meat.
-
Broil the lobster tails until the meat is opaque and lightly browned, about 1 minute per ounce of individual tail. (For example, broil for 10-ounce lobster tails for 10 minutes.)
Last Step: Leave A Rating!
Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram, or in our Facebook support group, too – I’d love to see it!
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 10-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.
Want to save this recipe?
Create a free account to save your favorite recipes!
Sign Up To Save Recipes© 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. 🙂

129 Comments
Jana Collins
Tried the broiled lobster recipe it was awesome !
Donna
Best lobster tail ever. Thankful for such a simple recipe. You rock.
Karla
It was awesome! I usually grill them but wanted to try this. So good.
James headrick
I’m new at this, but I got 1tail and 2claws. It has been cooked (the pkg says). What do I do now? Oven broil it? That sounds good. Please help me, just this once.
Wholesome Yum D
Hi James, It sounds like your lobster is already cooked, so I don’t think this recipe is exactly what you’re looking for. You can still add the seasoned butter and broil the lobster for just a couple of minutes, though, only to reheat. Don’t use the cook times in the recipe if yours is already cooked. You can also enjoy cooked lobster cold, in salads or as an appetizer.
Alan
Do you flip the lobster tails to cook the other side too?
Wholesome Yum D
Hi Alan, You do not need to flip the lobster tail.
Alan
Fabulous! I’m making them tonight for my mom’s birthday. Lobster is my mother’s favorite of all favorites. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Kyle
This recipe is truly excellent. The time per ounce is spot on with broiling instructions for a perfectly cooked lobster tail.
Cat Nolan
Fancy and delicious yet so easy. It’s my new go-to butter sauce for lobster. I think it would be great for crab legs too.
Alice Ruszkowski
Thank you so much for an amazing recipe! Made these tonight with cauliflower rice as a a side. The butter sauce is delicious! Will definitely make this again. And again!
Jae
Absolutely perfect and yummy!!! I had shrimp as well and brushed them with the butter sauce and poppped the on the tray with my small 3oz tails and after 3 min under the broiler it was perfection! Thanks
Marcus
What about salt & pepper
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Marcus, The salted butter should have enough salt that you don’t need additional salt. Feel free to add some black pepper if you like.
Rene Dyment
This recipe turned out wonderful! It is now my go to recipe for lobster. We only have it about once every 5 years, so it’s important I don’t ruin it. This recipe is full proof! I will never do it another way! Thank you
Fabiola
Can we use the left over sauce for dipping? Or does it have to be cooked ?
Wholesome Yum D
Hi Fabiola, You could use the butter sauce as a dip, make sure you don’t cross contaminate with the raw lobster.
Nicolas Bobroff
This was my first time cooking and it came out amazing. Thank you so much.
Dina
This recipe is amazing! Simple and tasty. Thank you for the detailed instructions and hints.
Danny Davis
Hi or low setting on the broiler and how many inches below the heating element?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Danny, I think it would be high? My broiler shows a temp of 500 degrees F.
RUSSELL E VANDEWEERD
I want to cook 6 4oz tails in the broiler. 5 minutes each? to cook or how long for all?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Russell, It’s about 1 minute per ounce of individual tail, doesn’t matter how many you cook at a time, so the important thing is for them to be the same weight. So if yours are 4 ounces each, you can cook them for about 4 minutes. Even if you cook 6 4-ounce tails at once, it’s still 4 minutes because each one is 4 ounces. Hope this helps!
Amy
This recipe is so fancy! It really is much more simple than I thought to make. So tender and juicy.
Kristyn
My mouth is watering! I think this needs to get on the menu asap!! Simple ingredients, but lots of flavor!
Natalie
Yum..so buttery & juicy!! Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe!!
Andrea
I had never attempted to make lobster before trying this recipe. You made it super simple to make, and they turned out so good. Not sure why I was so intimidated!
JS
I cooked it too long. The lobster tail shrunk a lot.
Beth
Truly amazing. Thank you for these great tips!
Erin
I made this for our anniversary last night and it was amazing! It was my first time making lobster and it came out perfectly. Thank you!
Pamela Piper
I made this for my husband since I did not eat lobster. He said it was fantastic. Several times I might add. Unfortunately I did not get down to the part where it actually shows how much of each ingredient, I just used my own judgment so it might not have been a exactly as the recipe was but I think it was pretty close.
Arlyne
Thank you so much for such an easy recipe the way how to cut the lobster tail in details
I learned a lot ..the marinate or dressing is delicious as well..good luck to more of your recipes.
Melanie Badaracco
Thank you… very helpful. I was looking for an easy way to cook it tender w/out all kinds of spices cz I really like the regular kinds from red lobster. But I only could get Caribbean spiny tails.. the others were of bad quality. First time making this kind.. and I’m starting it now lol
susan meinke
This was great. recipe so easy to follow . previously boiled lobster and this was so much better. delicious!
Thanks!
Gary Williams
Did it as you suggest and on the bbq along with blackened salmon. Awesome!
John Rawlins III
BEST LOBSTER RECIPE!!!! I’ve made others, but this was EXACTLY SPOT ON!!!!
Robert Luke
Very good! Tasty and delicious! I’ll bet it’ll be even better the next time around (practice makes perfect).
Thank you for sharing.
Regards
Euchre Luker
Chaselogic
Love this! I’ve never butterflied anything before! It was easy fast I did 2 small a total of 7 oz and cooked the 1 minute a once rule! Perfection!! I usually split mine then steam but this will be my preferred way! I’ll have to figure out my smoke detector though I lowered the rack used the high broil. I’ll just do a little tweaking unplug that sensitive smoke alarm.
Layna Lee
Thank you for this awesome quick little recipe that delivers big taste. I love the step by step way you describe the different cooking methods and times for each. Lovely recipe I am going to prepare for my mom on Mother’s Day!
Sharon
I haven’t made this yet, but can’t wait to try it!
I do have a question, would any adjustments need to be made to the recipe if using my air fryer?
Thanks so much! Love your recipes
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Sharon, I have not tested this recipe in an air fryer, so I cannot guarantee you will get the same results. The timing should be the same, but keep a close eye on it so your tails don’t overcook.
Sherana
I made this for a Valentine’s dinner at home. I followed the recipe exactly, even though we had larger tails from Costco and they still came out perfectly. This is my new go-to recipe for lobster for sure!!
Sandy 82579
It looks like a great recipe, but there were so many ads I could only read it one line at a time.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Sandy, Thanks for the feedback. The ads are used to keep the website up and running. If you are enjoying the content on the site, I do have a Plus membership program that offers an ad-free browsing experience. You can read more about it here: Wholesome Yum Plus
Cali
This recipe was perfect! No complaints! Don’t look any further for another lobster recipe! It’s simple and really lets the lobster shine. The simpler the better and that is what makes this recipe perfect!
Shiva
I have 4 tails all different oz. woul I broil for the total weight of all 4 tails?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Shiva, No, the broil time is per ounce of individual tail, not the sum of all tails. Ideally this is easiest if your tails are the same weight. But if your tails are different sizes, for best results you’d start with the number of minutes that equals the weight in ounces of the smallest tail, then take that one out, and continue broiling the rest until each has reached 1 minute per ounce of that tail weight. Hope that makes sense!
Diane
Do you have to boil them before broiling I am making them tonight
Wholesome Yum D
Hi Diane, there is no need to boil them before broiling. I estimate about 1 minute of broiling for each ounce of the lobster tail.
Heather
This was so good! A perfect recipe. Thank you!
Carolyn
Very Yummy, I will make this again. My hubby couldn’t get enough. He is a very picky eater, yet he really liked this recipe. Thank You!
Steph
So easy to make and really tasty! I would make these again!
Eric Ratinaud
This was so so so so delicious! Thank you. I’m so glad I did the tails this way as they complimented the filet mignon perfectly on Valentines Day. Better then a restaurant.
Vernon keune
How close should the lobster tails be to the broiler coil?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Vernon, About 4-5 inches away from the broiler. See step 2 in the recipe card for more information.
Jennifer
Thank you for the simple and delicious recipe! I do not eat lobster, but wanted to make a special Valentine’s treat for my family and they loved it!
Christie
My husband and I celebrated Valentine’s Day last night with a couple 2 packs of Costco frozen lobster tails, bacon wrapped shrimp (made it for the first time…amazing!) and rice pilaf. We decided to do cook 2 of the tails by boiling and the other 2 by broiling to see which method we preferred. The packaging said the tails were 7-8 oz each so we decided 7.5 min was our cooking time. The boiled tails were tasty but could have come out at 7 min or less as they were sweet but a bit chewy. The broiled tails took a bit longer but we discovered our oven rack was too low and once we raised it the magic happened. These took approx. 8.5 min but if the rack were in the correct position it would have been done in 7.5 min. These were AMAZING! Sweet, juicy and tender with beautiful flavor from the paprika. This will be our go to method and recipe. Thanks so much for all the tips!
Sylvia A Rivas
Easy to follow instructions. Turned out yummy!
Zaina P
When I turn my broiler just says high or low which one do I use!? Lol so excited to make this!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Zaina, Broiler low temp is 450 degrees, broiler high temp is 550 degrees. I would use low temp and add a minute or two to the cooking time.
Heidi
I will never boil a lobster tail again.
LS
If I could leave more stars, I would! I have looked for this information for years. The pictures and explanation of how to cut and butterfly the lobster and then broil are priceless! Thank you!
Anne Cook
First time I’ve ever broiled lobster; usually boil it. I had to improvise a bit. I didn’t have lemon in the house, and we don’t like cayenne very much, but I used the melted butter, garlic, smoked paprika, and some Tastefully Simple Seafood & Fish Seasoning, and these were fabulous. Didn’t even need to add any extra melted butter at the table. The only issue I had was that the lobster meat didn’t separate from the shell as easily as it looked, and the tails didn’t butterfly evenly. But that didn’t affect the cooking or the taste. Now that I’ve done them this way, I’ll never boil them again. These were better than restaurant tails!
Annie
HI!
I would like to cook (broil) 8 10 oz tail how long do I have to cook still 10 minutes?
Thank you.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Annie, Yes, 10 minutes is still the correct cook time.
Kalea
I tried this recipe for my mother and I tonight and absolutely love it!! Thank you!!
Chris J Schmidt
I have tried many recipes on cooking lobster tails. I’ve tried them on the grill as well. This is the best one by far. It’s not only a recipe, it is a tutorial!