Perfectly Broiled Lobster Tails Recipe

The Best Easy Broiled Lobster Tails Recipe - the easiest, most delicious way to make broiled lobster tails in your oven in just 10 minutes!

This is the absolute best recipe for a broiled lobster tail dinner - it is super simple, packed with flavor, and users love how it turns out. This is one romantic dinner you don't want to pass up!

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This super easy Broiled Lobster Tails Recipe is the absolute best way to cook lobster tails at home, ever!

We're giving these beautifully butterflied lobster tails a slightly smoky flavor with a touch of paprika, as well as a sweet and salty hit of butter to bring out that sweet, delicious clean seafood flavor.

If you want a never fail easy oven baked lobster tails recipe, this is it!

Serve with prime rib, pork tenderloin, bacon wrapped scallops, buttery soft rolls, French Vin Chaud, or some Easy Champagne Jello Shots for a memorable romantic dinner!

If you want to try an even easier version, be sure to check out our Instant Pot Lobster Tails recipe based off this very recipe!

While making lobster can be complicated, it really shouldn't be - so we're breaking down the steps in a way that is simple enough for even beginner cooks to understand and make a show stopping meal.

We're going to walk you through the steps to solve problems most people come across when making lobster tails:

• what lobster tail to buy - we're going to show you what to buy and give you the confidence to pick the right lobster.
• how to prep lobster tails - including how to cut them open, and how to get them ready to cook so you don't ruin your expensive ingredients!
• how to cook lobster tails in the oven - using your broiler for the best taste and texture.
• how to butterfly a lobster tail
• how to cook lobster without any fishy cooking smell.
• how to make your lobster look great - using a simple trick that also helps season lobster, too!
• what to serve alongside lobster tails - and other recipes you can make with lobster meat - plus more lobster tail recipes!

This recipe has been one of the top ranking posts on Sweet C's since 2012 - it is a huge hit every year for holidays, and has become a staple in many reader's homes.

We hope you love this recipe as much as we do.

"I've made lobster tails before, but never broiled. And now I don't think I'll do them any other way. This recipe gave me and my wife four perfect lobster tails. The Old Bay melted butter was a great suggestion, too." - John M.

"I prepared two beautiful tails following your recipe for last night Valentine's dinner. They were sooooo good he asked me to marry him! LOL now back to reality, I have tried several ways of preparing lobster, and I have to admit these were delicious. One bite and it was a wrap we loved it." - Linda Jennings

"Lobster tails were on sale at the grocer last week, so I had to indulge. I stumbled across this quick & easy recipe, as despite the sale price, I didn't want to ruin them. This recipe was so quick & easy. I swapped the paprika with Old Bay, because that was my preference. The tails were perfect! I called a girlfriend & told her about the seafood sale & passed on the recipe. She called me gushing over how yummy hers turned out! Thanks for the easy break down!"- Leslie

This guide will help get you perfect broiled lobster tails, every time - from shopping, storing, prep, cooking - and serving!

When looking for a lobster tail at the store, it helps to have a bit of information to buy the best tails!

You want a high end lobster tail with no discoloration on the meat, no fishy smell (it should smell slightly sweet and have a neutral smell), and not look slimy.

Lobster tails should not be soaked or rinsed with sodium tripolyphosphate or other preservative chemicals - and should be fresh-frozen if not live or freshly caught.

Despite being sold by the pound, a single 1-lb. lobster will weigh approximately 14 oz. when cooked.

Lobster will yield 3.5 to 4 oz. of meat when the shell is removed - and this holds true for tails too, as a decent amount of a Lobster tails weight is in the shell (don't worry you're wasting that great shell - you can use it in stocks or soups to get great lobster flavor to other dishes!)

If you're making lobster tails as the main dish, you'll want to pay attention to the lobster tail size and weight to be sure you have enough lobster to fill you up.

In general, you should plan for about 8-10 oz of cooked lobster tail meat per person if you're serving lobster tails as your main dish - meaning two lobster tails per person, unless they are jumbo lobster tails.

Most often frozen lobster tails that are readily available in grocery stores (not from specialty fishmongers, who will have larger Maine lobster tails more readily) are around 4-6 ounces, so plan on about two per person if making lobster tail your main dish.

While fresh is always best, fresh-frozen lobster tails are delicious when thawed properly.

• Always let frozen lobster tails thaw fully before cooking.
• Place frozen Lobster tails in the fridge the day before you make these to thaw naturally. We like to let it sit on paper towels to soak up any ice melt.
• Submerge frozen lobster tails under cold water for 20 minutes to 30 minutes to thaw rapidly if you can't let them thaw overnight.
• You want frozen lobster tails to fully thaw before cooking so meat can cook evenly.
• Don't rush the thawing process in the microwave. Defrosting lobster tails in the microwave will make the frozen lobster meat tough.

A simple cut down the top of the shell is all you need to peel back your tail for a beautiful presentation - cut it down the middle for a butterflied tail.

• Use sharp kitchen scissors or a sharp knife to cut the shell, and make a clean cut so you don’t get any of the shell on the tail meat.
• Cutting the shell open before cooking will speed up your cooking process and make it easier to judge when the lobster tail has fully cooked - as well as give a chance for the lobster tail meat to soak up tons of deliciously rich flavor from the butter.
• You can also easily tell when the lobster meat is opaque but opening the tail up, so you don’t overcook your lobster tails!
• I also try to remove the lobster meat from the shell where they are connected underneath - both to put a lemon wedge down to prop up the meat as it cooks, but also to make it easier to eat when it is done.

Broil lobster tail by placing on a baking sheet in the middle rack of the oven, underneath a broiler. Do not place directly underneath the broiler or lobster will burn on top and be raw in the middle.

For best presentation, brush top of lobster tail with melted butter and sprinkle with paprika and white pepper before broiling, so the butter and paprika can cook into top of lobster creating a lovely golden red hue.

This recipe calls for about 10 minutes of cook time - which will vary a bit based on the size of your lobster tail, your oven, and if you preheat the broiler fully before adding lobster tails to oven.

If you have a very large lobster tail it will take a bit longer - but smaller tails should be perfect at around 10 minutes, or about 2 minutes + a minute per ounce.

You can tell a lobster tail has fully cooked when it turns opaque, white, and the shell turns bright red - and the meat has reduced slightly and become firmer.

How To Tell When Lobster Tail is Cooked:

• To ensure your lobster tail is perfectly cooked, insert a digital meat thermometer into the fattest part of the lobster tail (take caution to keep the thermometer away from the shell.)
• Fully cooked lobster will be 140-145 degrees internal temperature.
• Your lobster shell will turn bright white and red when cooked, but look to the meat inside for the most reliable indication.
• If your lobster still looks grey it's not cooked - if it is white and pink, it's done.

Do NOT overcook lobster - it will result in tough, gummy meat and a fishier flavor.

Lobster tail can look a little wimpy on it's own sometimes, so if you're going for a romantic presentation of your lobster dinner for a special occasion and want to know how to wow guests, I have some great tips and tricks for you!

• Placing lemon wedges to cook under lobster meat also helps make tails look larger and prettier for a better presentation.
• Make sure to have plenty of lemon wedges on the side to squeeze on top for even more lemon juice if you'd like it!
• Brush melted butter over the top of lobster as it cooks for a gorgeous golden red appearance.
• Serve with melted butter, a butter mixture with old bay stirred in, or lemon juice sprinkled on top.

If you're looking for some delicious side dishes to serve with lobster tail, find our complete side dish recipe archive here, or find some of our favorites below:

For keto side dishes that are bursting with flavor, click here.

And for even more seafood ideas that pair with this lobster tail dinner, see our seafood recipe archives here.

If you love these easy broiled lobster tails, be sure to check out these other amazingly delicious and super simple lobster recipes that are perfect for a decadent dinner, fast!

You can check out my complete Lobster Recipes index here.

This easy broiled lobster tail dinner is one of my all time favorite meals because it doesn't require anything fancy or any new equipment - even beginner home cooks probably already have all of the tools you need on hand.

Everything is easily found at any grocery store, even lobster tails in most stores!

• Baking Sheet
• Lobster Tails
• Kitchen Shears
• Butter
• Paprika
• Lemon wedges (optional)
• Rapid read digital thermometer

If you love The Best Easy Broiled Lobster Tails Recipe as much as I do, please write a five star review (just click the stars below), and be sure to help me share on facebook and pinterest!

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