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If you have just 10 minutes and want the most succulent, rich, and delicious lobster flavor – cooked to perfection in a buttery wine sauce – my go-to recipe for butter poached lobster tails is for you!
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Table of contents
Quick Butter Poached Lobster Tails
Lobster tails are my favorite way to make lobster at home – they are often on sale (I live in Colorado, where live lobster is something of a rarity), they are easy to prepare, and they seem incredibly indulgent, even though they cook in less than 10 minutes!
This dish is one I’ve changed up over the years to become one of my favorite easy ways to prepare lobster – and with so many lobster recipes, I’m the girl to ask!
How to cook lobster tails
To make this recipe, we will need the following ingredients:
- Lobster Tails (2-4, cut in half or removed from shell): Provides a delicate, sweet, and succulent meat that is the star of the dish.
- Salt and Pepper (to taste): Enhances the natural flavors of the lobster, providing a balanced taste.
- Butter (5 oz): Adds a rich, creamy texture and flavor, ensuring the lobster remains tender and moist during poaching.
- Diced Garlic (¼ cup): Infuses the butter with a savory, aromatic depth that complements the lobster.
- White Wine or Stock (½ cup): Adds a subtle acidity or savory depth, balancing the richness of the butter and enhancing the lobster’s natural sweetness.
- Lemon (sliced into thin rounds, then wedges): Provides a bright, tangy contrast that cuts through the richness of the butter, enhancing the overall flavor.
Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, we will use this process:
- Cut lobster tails down the middle, and then gently peel back lobster tail shell, slowly coaxing meat from the shell. OR cut tails in half, in shell, lengthwise.
- Salt and pepper lobster tails, and set aside.
- In a large, heavy pot, heat butter and garlic on medium high heat until garlic is soft and browned – about 1 minute.
- Stir in white wine.
- Add lobster tails to pan, and increase heat to medium high, to a gentile rolling boil.
- Ladle sauce over lobster tails and flip over to all sides to help lobster cook faster.
- Stir sauce frequently to prevent it from breaking.
- When lobster is slightly curled up into itself and is opaque and bright red on the bottom side, it is done – do not overcook. (If in shell, shell will be bright red and meat will be bright white and opaque.)
- Remove from heat and serve!
Tips and Tricks Perfect Poached Lobster Tails
Let the butter poach the lobster tails and flavor the sauce – you want the lobster to cook in all that rich, amazing flavor!
Don’t overcook lobster – it takes on a fishy flavor and gets gummy and tough when cooked too long. Once the lobster is opaque, like a shrimp, and curls back a bit on itself, it’s ready!
If you’re cooking the lobster without the tail, it’s not going to be bright red – so don’t wait for it to turn bright red – rather, it will turn bright white and slightly pink (and redder on the underside.)
Stay away from clarified butter for this recipe – you need regular butter to help your sauce not break.
Use real butter when making the sauce – not clarified butter. I’ve made this recipe a couple of times, and a couple times I didn’t have butter on hand, but used clarified butter. This causes an over-oily sauce, which usually breaks. Use the real stuff in this dish.
What to Serve With Butter Poached Lobster
If you love this easy and delicious one pot creamy lobster tail dinner, you will love these deliciously easy and elegant recipes, too!
Also try 10 Minute Broiled Lobster Tails, Creamy Shrimp Florentine, and Salt and Pepper Shrimp.
Lobster Tail Dinner Serving Size Notes
This recipe is pretty versatile – and has one noted serving size issue. In the recipe I am calling for 2 to 4 lobster tails – this is using a medium sized lobster tail (ones regularly found fresh-frozen at the grocery store).
You might wonder why I say 2-4 – and it’s a sauce issue!
If you want a lot of sauce (so you can ladle it over spaghetti, vegetables, or rice for a creamy dinner), stick with two lobster tails, so there is more sauce for your dinner.
If you want just enough sauce for a creamy lobster tail, go ahead and add 4 into the recipe! You can always add more cream and butter for additional sauce for pasta enough for 4 people.
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10 Minute Butter Poached Lobster Tails
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-4 lobster tail, cut in half or removed from shell
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 5 oz butter
- ¼ cup diced garlic
- ½ cup white wine or stock
- 1 lemon, sliced into thin rounds, and then wedges
Instructions
- Cut lobster tails down the middle, and then gently peel back lobster tail shell, slowly coaxing meat from the shell. OR cut tails in half, in shell, lengthwise.
- Salt and pepper lobster tails, and set aside.
- In a large, heavy pot, heat butter and garlic on medium high heat until garlic is soft and browned – about 1 minute.
- Stir in white wine.
- Add lobster tails to pan, and increase heat to medium high, to a gentile rolling boil.
- Ladle sauce over lobster tails and flip over to all sides to help lobster cook faster.
- Stir sauce frequently to prevent it from breaking.
- When lobster is slightly curled up into itself and is opaque and bright red on the bottom side, it is done – do not overcook. (If in shell, shell will be bright red and meat will be bright white and opaque.)
- Remove from heat and serve!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
To see my video for this delicious recipe, please click below:
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I will be trying a few of your recipes. They look amazing and I hope easy to execute.
I hope you love them! I try to make really simple, delicious food.
VERY FRUSTRATING WEB SITE.! PICTURES LOOK GREAT BUT TRYING TO FIND THE RECIPE IS TORTUOUS. I SIGNED UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER BUT I AM GOING TO PUT IN MY JUNK FILE.
Seems like a good recipe — very surprised to see you’re supposed to let butter boil but. Really it was all the pop-ups and drop downs that were frustrating. I dont get that many on other recipe sites. However I DO like this content so I shall persevere!!