How To Broil Lobster Tails With Garlic Butter Sauce?

This broiling lobster tails dish is surprisingly simple and yields a show-stopping, delectable broiled lobster with a delightful garlic butter sauce.

Ideal for Valentine’s Day, company, date night, and paleo or Whole30!

Butterflied lobster tails, parsley, and a lemon slice on a dish next to a wooden bowl with garlic butter dipping sauce
Is there any cuisine that screams luxury like lobster?

Okay, so that $700 jar of caviar might scream it, but what about me? Lobster is often associated with memorable feasts, such as Valentine’s Day or a significant anniversary (But probably not that year 2 anniversary).

However, in my humble opinion, we don’t consume nearly enough lobster.

And, yes, eating lobster in a restaurant can be quite costly! So create it at home and you’ve solved the problem.

Apart from that, how terrifying do these lobster tails appear? I was always afraid I’d overcook them, and I’d never learned how to butterfly lobster tails.

So I usually skipped it or cooked a tail hastily before pulling out the meat for my husband’s over-the-top mac-and-cheese.

I’m a different person now. Why? I learned how to butterfly lobster tails and broil lobster tails, but what about this garlic butter sauce? Oh, oh, oh That’s not all, though.

It’s not simply about learning how to butterfly lobster tails and roast lobster tails. It’s all about how to broil lobster tails to perfection and butterfly lobster tails with ease.

The last thing I want to do on a night like Valentine’s Day is a) destroy a relatively expensive piece of seafood or b) spend all day in the kitchen preparing it.

With a dish of broiled lobster tails on a plate in the background, a slice of broiled lobster tail on a fork is dipped into a little wooden bowl with garlic butter dipping sauce.

No, for me, the best way to broil lobster tails was to:

• Super delectable
• Perfectly prepared
• Easy and Quick
• Quite flavorful

There will be no rubbery, overcooked lobster, no labor-intensive techniques, and no tasteless seafood. It has to be perfect if I’m going to reveal my broiling procedure for lobster tails. And there you have it, friends. VWAH-LAH.

What Is the Best Way to Make This Dish?

When it comes to learning how to broil lobster tails and cook them effectively, there are a few basic steps to follow.

1. Butterfly the lobster tails: This is a fancy way of saying cut the shells open (down the middle), free the tail flesh from the shell but leave it attached to the fin, and then re-lay it on top of the shell. Lemon wedges are placed between the shell and the lobster meat to help keep the butterflied tails nice and high, and they also lend a pleasant citrus flavor to the meat.
2. Season the butterflied lobster tails generously with salt and freshly cracked pepper.
3. Preheat the broiler and adjust the oven racks so that the top rack is about 8-9 inches from the heat source.
4. Broil the lobster tails until the tops are about 6 inches from the broiler. Broil the meat until it is white and opaque. It will take roughly 5-10 minutes to complete this task. Keep an eye on them and don’t let them become too hot!
5. Remove from the oven and serve immediately with a generous amount of garlic butter dipping sauce.

Chef’s Advice

Before we get into the how let’s look at why:

It’s all about appearances, really. Lobster tails that have been butterflied look lovely and are also easy to consume.

However, leaving the flesh in the shell results in a somewhat more tasty broiled lobster tail; the shell gives taste and moisture for cooking that you won’t get if you prop the meat up on top of the shell.

You can cook these either butterflied or with the shell cut along the middle but the meat still within; however, if you cook them still in the shell, it may take a minute longer for the meat to become white and opaque.

Then there’s the question of how to butterfly lobster tails.

It’s actually quite simple, despite the fact that it appears to be hard. Start by flipping the tails over and pressing down firmly with your thumbs to break the ribs in between the swimmerets (yes, the little leg-fins are called swimmerets).

I’m going to stop now because you’re going to think lobsters are far too cute to eat.) This aids in the loosening of the meat.

Turn the tail over and cut down the middle of the shell and the top of the meat all the way to the fin with a pair of kitchen shears. Make sure you don’t cut through the fin. It doesn’t matter if you cut the tail first or break the ribs first.

Next, carefully insert your finger between the meat and the shell at the aperture (where the tail meets the body) and release the meat from the shell. Several membranes will almost certainly be broken. There is no need to be concerned.

Lift the flesh up and lay it back down on top of the shell once it is free of the shell (but still attached to the fin). For extra flavor and a greater butterfly lift, place lemon slices underneath the meat.

Replace the meat that has been fanned out on top of the shell.
That concludes our discussion.

Don’t Forget to Include the Sauce!

As described above, butterfly your lobster tails.

Season the meat of the lobster tails with a generous amount of salt and freshly cracked pepper. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 cup) sliced into 8 pieces (1/2 tablespoon each) and placed 2 on each tail

Preheat the broiler and put the top rack about 8-9 inches from the heat source. Broil for 5-10 minutes, or until meat is white and opaque, at a distance of 6 inches from the heat source. Keep an eye on them and make sure they aren’t overcooked.

Remove from the oven and place on a platter; set aside the baking sheet but do not drain.

To make the garlic butter sauce, follow these steps: 2 tablespoons butter, melted in a small saucepan over medium-low heat Cook, stirring regularly, until the minced garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the lemon juice and a bit of salt, then add the melted butter and baking sheet drippings. Whisk everything together thoroughly, then taste and adjust seasonings as needed. To taste, add extra salt or lemon juice.

Drizzle a small amount of garlic butter sauce over the lobster tails and serve with additional sauce for dipping.

Broil Lobster Tails

7-minute prep time 8 minutes to cook 15 minutes in total

Broil lobster tails with a garlicky, lemony butter dipping sauce and a simple but tasty broiling method.

Ingredients

• 4 lobster tails about 2 pounds total
• 1 teaspoon salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon pepper to taste
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice juiced
• 6 tablespoon tablespoons butter, divided, see note for Whole30 or dairy-free
• 1 tablespoon lemon cut into 8 wedges
• 1 teaspoon fresh chopped parsley for garnish, optional

Instructions to Broil Lobster Tails

1. The lobster tails should be shaped like butterflies: Turn the lobster tails inside out. With your thumbs, crack the ribs on the underside of the tail. Flip the shell over so the brown shell is on top. Cut down the shell and through the top half of the meat to the fin with kitchen shears, but do not cut through the fin. Slide your finger between the meat and the shell at the opening and release the meat from the shell on both sides, breaking any membranes that need to be broken. Pull the flesh away from the shell’s sides without separating it from the fin. Do so with caution, since the shells can be quite pointy! Place two lemon wedges below the meat before repositioning it on top of the shell. Continue with the remaining lobster tails. Place on a small baking sheet and set aside.
2. Preheat the broiler and position the oven rack about 8-9 inches below the heat source.
3. 4 tablespoons butter, cut into 8 parts (Reserve remaining 2 tablespoons for garlic butter sauce). Season lobster tails with salt and pepper, and then spread two pats of butter on top of the meat.
4. Broil for 5-10 minutes, or until white and opaque, about 6 inches from the heat source. Keep a watch on them and, if necessary, peep inside. Don’t overcook your food! See also note 1. Remove the meat from the boiler when it becomes opaque and hard, and transfer it to a platter using tongs.
5. In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to the mixture. Whisk together the drippings and melted butter from the baking sheet. Season with a bit of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice to taste; adjust seasonings as needed. Drizzle the garlic butter sauce over the lobster tails and serve with more garlic butter sauce for dipping. If desired, garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Notes

1st point:

Cooking time will vary depending on whether the lobster tails are smaller or larger.

For a little lobster tail, allow 5 minutes, and for a large lobster tail, allow 10-15 minutes. Keep an eye on them as they broil, and take them out when the meat has turned white and opaque.

2nd point:

Use 2 tablespoons ghee instead of butter in the sauce for a Whole30 version. Before broiling, dot butterflied lobster tails with two 1/2 tablespoon dollops of ghee. It’s better to use solid, smooth ghee like 4th & Heart for this.

Use a dairy-free “butter” in place of butter in both the lobster tail seasoning and the garlic butter sauce for a dairy-free alternative.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1lobster tail, Calories: 204kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 126mg, Sodium: 1000mg, Potassium: 152mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 533IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 65mg, Iron: 1mg