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    Home » Boiled Lobster Tails with Garlic Lemon Butter

    February 14, 2021 Appetizers

    Boiled Lobster Tails with Garlic Lemon Butter

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    If you don't know how to cook lobster tails, I'm going to show you the easiest, best way to cook lobster tails today!

    Jump to Recipe
    boiled lobster

    Cooking lobster tails can be super intimidating. They are expensive, they are in strong shells, and they overcook quickly. I avoided making them at home for years due to all of these barriers to entry.

    how to prepare lobster for boiling
    Prepping lobster is easy, but be careful and watch for sharp edges

    Then, out of desperation when a friend requested lobster for a special meal, I decided to give boiling a try. I'd assumed boiling lobster tail would leave it rubbery and flavorless, but I was wrong. Now it is the only lobster tail recipe I use!

    how to cut lobster
    Prepare lobster tails by cutting down the top of the shell down to the base of the tail

    Before you cook lobster tails, you need to do a small amount of prep by cutting the tail shell.

    how to cut lobster tail

    Simply cut along the top part of the shell, down to the fans of the tail. Watch for sharp edges and use heavy duty kitchen shears to make this as simple and safe task as possible.

    how to boil lobster
    Very carefully lower each tail into the pot of salted water

    how to boil lobster tails

    Boiling lobster tails couldn't be simpler: add the tails to a pot of salted boiling water, and remove after they have turned red and the meat is cooked through.

    Scroll down to see a complete list of cooking times for the size of your lobster.

    lobster tail recipe

    Lobster Tail Boil Time

    This chart tells you how long to boil lobster tails based on the number of ounces of the individual tail.

    Essentially you want to boil a lobster tail for one minute per ounce of tail. Here's how that shakes out, in case math isn't your thing.

    • 3 ounce tail -> Boil for 3 minutes
    • 3.5 ounce tail -> Boil for 3 minutes 30 seconds
    • 4 ounce tail -> Boil for 4 minutes
    • 5 ounce tail -> Boil for 5 minutes
    • 6 ounce tail -> Boil for 6 minutes

    You get the idea!

    boiled lobster

    Other easy seafood recipes you might love:

    • Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta
    • White Wine Baked Cod
    • Berbere Shrimp Alfredo
    boiled lobster

    How to Boil Lobster Tails

    This is a foolproof method for cooking perfectly tender lobster tails.
    4.69 from 77 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dinner
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: lobster tails, seafood
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 4 minutes
    Total Time: 9 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 127kcal
    Author: Marianne

    Ingredients

    For the Lobster Tails:

    • 4 lobster tails
    • 8 cups water
    • 2 teaspoons salt

    Lemon Garlic Butter Dipping sauce:

    • 1 stick salted butter
    • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
    • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
    • 2 Tablespoons finely minced parsley
    • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

    Instructions

    To make the lobster tails:

    • In a large pot, bring the 8 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of salt to a boil.
    • Cut the lobster tails along the top of the shell, from the edge of the tail straight down the middle lengthwise to the bottom of the tail.
    • Carefully place the lobster tails in the boiling water, and boil for 1 minute per ounce of tail. For 4 ounce tails, boil for 4 minutes.

    To make the lemon garlic butter dipping sauce:

    • In a small sauce pan, melt the butter over medium to medium low heat. Stir in the garlic and black pepper and cook for about 2 minutes. Be careful to not let the butter brown ( turn down the heat if necessary).
    • Turn off the heat, stir in the parsley and lemon juice, and serve.
    Nutrition Facts
    How to Boil Lobster Tails
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 127
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Notes

    The calories listed are for one 4 ounce lobster tail, without the sauce included.  The calories in lobster tail will vary based on the size of the tails, but here are a few popular sizes:

    Lobster Tail Calories:

    3.5 ounce tail  89 calories
    4 ounce tail 127 calories
    6 ounce tail 160 calories
    Tried this recipe?Mention @basilandbubbly or tag #basilandbubbly!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Fran Garay says

      June 17, 2022 at 3:59 pm

      5 stars
      Great information & tips for the perfect cooking instructions.

      Reply
    2. Bill Poling says

      January 30, 2022 at 4:45 pm

      There are a lot of recipes for lobster tail I know about cutting it down down the middle do you then pull the meat up out of the shell before boiling or do you leave it in the shell ?

      Reply
      • Marianne says

        February 02, 2022 at 9:47 am

        You leave the meat in the shell while it is cooking

        Reply
    3. Jiji says

      November 22, 2021 at 9:16 pm

      5 stars
      Bless you, Ms. Marianne.
      You have no idea how much I appreciate your recipe. Indeed you're right that cooking lobster can be intimidating like totally. But now with your lovely detailed recipe, I'm confident enough to make it on Christmas as my main course.♡♡♡

      Thank you so much. More power and blessings to you.

      Reply
    4. Patricia Belyeu says

      September 07, 2021 at 10:25 pm

      5 stars
      5 stars

      Reply
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    Trackbacks

    1. Do You Cut The Lobster Tail Before Baking? – allanswer.co says:
      December 1, 2021 at 11:49 pm

      […] Carefully place the lobster tails in the boiling water, and boil for 1 minute per ounce of tail. For 4 ounce tails, boil for 4 minutes. via […]

      Reply

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    My name is Marianne, and I'm two parts food, one part booze, and a dash of snark. I live in Atlanta, GA with my two cats. My personal motto: Champagne and stretchy pants. Sign up for my mailing list to keep up with the new and seasonal recipes!

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