Baked Stuffed Lobster
Two whole lobsters halved and topped with a buttery, herb-seasoned cracker breadcrumb mixture, then baked until golden. A restaurant-quality seafood dinner that looks impressive but takes less than 30 minutes.
- Total time
- 28 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 42g
Ingredients
- 2 whole (1.25 lb each) Live lobsters
- 4 tablespoons Butter
- 1 cup Saltine or oyster crackers
- 3 tablespoons Fresh parsley
- 2 cloves Garlic
- ½ whole Lemon
- ¼ teaspoon Paprika
Instructions
- 1
Set the oven to 400°F and wait for the indicator light or beep, about 10 minutes, so the oven is fully preheated when you are ready to bake.
- 2
Place each lobster on a cutting board with the head pointing away from you, then push a sharp chef's knife straight down through the center of the head to split it in half lengthwise, cutting all the way through the tail.
- 3
Rinse each lobster half under cold running water, then use your fingers or a small spoon to remove and discard the dark vein running down the center of the tail and the small sac behind the head.
- 4
Mince the garlic until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice—about the size of pencil-tip dots—so it spreads evenly through the filling.
- 5
Chop the fresh parsley into pieces about the size of match heads, cutting across the leaves to create small, uniform flakes for the topping.
- 6
Place the crackers in a small bowl and crush them with the back of a spoon into crumbs the size of lentils, leaving some small pieces for texture.
- 7
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring once or twice, until it looks completely liquid and foamy, about 2 minutes.
- 8
Pour the melted butter into the cracker crumbs, add the minced garlic, chopped parsley, salt, and pepper, then stir with a fork until the crumbs are evenly moistened and hold together slightly.
- 9
Place the four lobster halves shell-side down on a baking sheet, arranging them so the flesh faces up and the tails point away from each other.
- 10
Divide the cracker mixture evenly among the four lobster halves, pressing it gently onto the exposed flesh so it forms a compact, even layer covering the meat.
- 11
Sprinkle the paprika lightly over the top of each stuffed lobster half so each one has a light, visible dusting of red color.
- 12
Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake at 400°F for 12–14 minutes, until the topping turns the color of warm honey and the lobster meat is opaque white throughout, not translucent.
- 13
Cut the lemon into two halves, then cut each half into two wedges so you have four lemon wedges total for squeezing over the cooked lobster.
- 14
Remove the baking sheet from the oven using oven mitts and set it on a heat-safe surface, then transfer the lobster halves to a serving plate, arranging them with meat-side up.
- 15
Place one lemon wedge next to each lobster half on the plate so diners can squeeze fresh juice over the meat and topping.
Tools you’ll need
- Chef's knife
- Cutting board
- Small spoon
- Small bowl
- Small saucepan
- Fork
- Baking sheet
- Oven mitts
- Serving plate
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