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Tender lobster tails poached gently in a rich garlic butter sauce, delivering restaurant-quality flavor with simple skillet cooking in about 30 minutes.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 medium lobster tails (5–6 oz each), cold-water preferred
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
  • 8–10 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ – 1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
  • ¼ – ½ teaspoon black pepper, to taste
  • Fresh lemon (for squeezing)
  • Fresh parsley (for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Thaw frozen lobster tails overnight in the refrigerator or quick-thaw in ice water for about 1 hour, changing the water every 20 minutes.
  2. Flip each lobster tail onto its back and gently crack the ribs with your hands.
  3. Use kitchen shears to cut down the underside of the shell along the full length, stopping at the tail fin.
  4. Carefully loosen and remove the lobster meat from the shell in one piece, or optionally slice the tails lengthwise to cook in the shell.
  5. Check the back of each tail for the digestive tract; make a shallow cut and pull it out with fingers, tweezers, or a skewer if present.
  6. Rinse the lobster meat under cold water to remove any shell fragments and pat dry completely.
  7. Season both sides of each lobster tail with kosher salt and black pepper.
  8. Melt 1 cup unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
  9. Add minced garlic to the melted butter and stir constantly for about 1 minute until fragrant but not browned; if the garlic starts to brown, lower the heat or briefly remove the pan from heat.
  10. Add lobster tails to the skillet without crowding (work in batches if needed).
  11. Continuously baste the lobster tails with the garlicky butter as they cook.
  12. Cook about 4–6 minutes per side (8–12 minutes total), basting constantly, until the meat is opaque and the thickest part reaches 135–140°F on an instant-read thermometer.
  13. Remove cooked tails from the heat immediately and set aside while you finish remaining batches.
  14. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the cooked lobster tails, garnish with parsley, and serve with the garlic butter for dipping.

Notes

Use cold-water lobster tails from Maine, Canada, or the North Atlantic for sweeter, tender meat., Thaw frozen lobster tails overnight in the fridge or quick-thaw in cold water for about an hour, changing the water every 20 minutes., Choose good-quality unsalted butter; European-style butters with higher butterfat content improve richness., Season lightly with salt before cooking due to possible added sodium in frozen tails; adjust salt after cooking to taste., Avoid overcooking lobster tails by removing them at 135–140°F to prevent rubbery texture., Cooking lobster tails in the shell is optional; just slice lengthwise to cook and for a beautiful presentation., Store cooked lobster meat in airtight containers; shelled lobster lasts 2–3 days refrigerated, in-shell lasts 1–2 days., Reheat gently with butter over low heat or in a 250°F oven to keep lobster moist., Leftover shells can be frozen for making homemade seafood stock., Serve with crusty bread for dipping in garlic butter, fresh salad, or green veggies to balance richness., Consider serving alongside steak for a surf-and-turf meal or with additional seafood like crab legs or shrimp.

Nutrition

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