Grilled Lobster Tails with Garlic Butter
Buttery, tender lobster tails finished on a hot grill in under 15 minutes. A restaurant-quality dish that feels fancy but requires almost no technique.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 245
- Protein
- 32g
Ingredients
- 2 pieces (5–6 oz each) lobster tails
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Mince the garlic until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice—about the size of pencil-tip dots.
- 2
Place each lobster tail shell-side up on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, slice lengthwise down the center of the shell and meat until the blade reaches the base, splitting the tail in half.
- 3
Pat the exposed meat dry with a paper towel, pressing gently to remove surface moisture so the flesh can brown properly.
- 4
Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (or use a grill pan on the stove over medium-high heat) for 2–3 minutes until you can hold your hand 2 inches above the grates for only 3–4 seconds.
- 5
In a small bowl, stir together the 3 tablespoons butter, minced garlic, 0.25 teaspoon salt, and 0.125 teaspoon black pepper until the garlic is evenly coated throughout.
- 6
Spread half of the garlic butter (about 1.5 tablespoons) over the meat side of each lobster tail half, using your fingers or a small spoon to coat the surface evenly.
- 7
Place the lobster tail halves shell-side down directly on the hot grill or grill pan, butter-side up, and close the lid or cover with a tent of foil.
- 8
Grill for 4–5 minutes without moving until the meat inside turns opaque and pulls easily from the shell when tested with a fork; you will smell the lobster aroma strongly.
- 9
Carefully transfer the lobster tails to a serving plate using tongs, meat-side up, and drizzle any remaining garlic butter from the bowl over the top.
Tools you’ll need
- sharp chef's knife
- cutting board
- paper towels
- small bowl
- fork
- spoon or small spatula for spreading
- grill or grill pan (12-inch minimum)
- metal tongs
- instant-read thermometer (optional, for doneness check: meat should reach 140°F)
Cook smarter
Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge
CookSnap is a free iOS app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations.
