Description
Learning how to grill lobster tails is easier than you might think, and these 4-Ingredient Grilled Lobster Tails with Lemon Garlic Butter are the best place to start!
Grilling lobster tails in the shell keeps the delicate meat juicy and succulent as it’s perfumed with smoke and slathered with lemon garlic butter, a delicious finishing touch inspired by Connecticut-style warm lobster rolls.
Serve with fresh chives and grilled lemons for the easiest, most impressive summer dinner—ready in 25 minutes, tops!
Ingredients
Scale
- four 4–6 ounce lobster tails, thawed from frozen (see Recipe Notes)
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1 lemon, zested
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
- for serving, as desired: grilled lemon wedges, finely chopped fresh chives, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat the grill: Prepare the grill for medium-high direct heat grilling, about 450-500 degrees F. Once preheated, clean the cooking surface with a wire brush.
- Prepare the lobster tails: First, crack the shells open: use sharp kitchen shears to snip down the center of the lobster tail through the top shell to the fin – you should only cut through the shell, leave the meat and fin intact. Crack the lobster tail open like a book to reveal the meat inside – this can be a little tricky since the shell is sharp, so you may find it helpful to crack the bottom shell before spreading the top shell open. Once the lobster tail is split open, use your fingers to gently separate the meat from the shell. Season the meat with a good pinch of kosher salt. Set aside.
- Prepare the lemon garlic butter: Meanwhile, as the grill preheats, prepare the butter. Place the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the garlic and lemon zest. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Cook 1-2 minutes longer, stirring constantly, until the butter is fragrant. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Grill the lobster tails: Place the prepared lobster tails on the preheated grill, cut side facing up. Close the lid and grill 4-6 minutes*. Generously baste the lobster meat with lemon garlic butter, then use grill tongs to flip the lobster tails, cut side facing down. Close the lid and grill 4-6 minutes* longer, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers an internal temperature of 135-140 degrees F. Flip the cooked lobster tails over, baste once more with butter, and transfer to a plate or small baking sheet. *Note: Grill times vary based on lobster tail size. Through testing, I found a good rule of thumb to be cooking the lobster just shy of 1 minute per side per ounce, i.e. grilling a 4-ounce lobster tail for about 4 minutes per side (a little less than 8 minutes total).
- Serve: Just before serving, baste the lobster tails one last time with lemon garlic butter. Finish with a sprinkle of finely chopped fresh chives and serve with grilled lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Notes
- Lobster tails: Unless you live on the coast where fresh lobster is accessible, you lobster tails will most likely be sold frozen. The best way to thaw frozen lobster tail is to place them in the refrigerator overnight. If you need a faster method, pop them in a zip-top bag and submerge the bag in cool water. The steady, cool temperature of the water creates a controlled environment for the frozen lobster to come up to room temperature. Refresh the water every 10 minutes or so, until the lobster tails are completely thawed – 25-30 minutes, tops!