Garlic Butter Lobster Tails are juicy, tender, and flavorful. This quick and easy seafood dinner is ready in less than 20 minutes (including prep!).
Serve these restaurant-quality baked lobster tails to celebrate a special occasion or whenever you are feeling a little fancy. Serve them with Roasted Vegetables or Mashed Potatoes.
Why You'll Love Garlic Butter Lobster Tails
- They’re oven-baked. Baked in the oven for a little over 10 minutes, these garlic butter lobster tails are quick to make and taste delicious when served hot and fresh.
- It’s a fancy but simple dinner. Lobster doesn’t have to be a meal reserved for eating out. Baked lobster tails are quick and easy to make, so you can enjoy them for Date Night from the comfort of your own home.
- You only need 6 ingredients. You only need six ingredients and about 20 minutes (with prep) to make delicious lobster tails with lemon garlic butter.
- The homemade garlic butter. Although the star of the show are the roasted lobster tails, the garlic butter is what loads them up with flavor. With lemon juice, fresh garlic, and fresh parsley, your mouth will water even before you brush it over your lobster.
Ingredient Notes
To make this delicious Garlic Butter Lobster Tails, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):
- lobster tails
- butter
- lemon juice
- parsley
- garlic
- paprika - optional
- salt
You will also need measuring cups and spoons, quarter sheet baking pan, small mixing bowl, and a silicone brush.
How to Make the Best Garlic Butter Lobster Tails
First, prepare the lobster tails.
- Using scissors, cut a slit in the lobster shells along the center to the tail, leaving the tail base uncut.
- Open up the shell slightly and run your fingers throughout the inside the shell to detach the lobster meat from the shell. Grab the meat with your fingers and lift it up through the split shell, squeezing the shell back together and letting the meat rest on top of the shell.
- Make a shallow cut along the center so that the lobster meat can easily soak up the delicious lemon garlic butter.
- Rinse the lobster tails under cold water and use a paper towel to gently pat them dry. Place the lobster tails on a quarter sheet baking pan. Optionally, add some lemon slices on the baking sheet.
Make the lemon garlic butter sauce.
In a small mixing bowl, combine melted butter, lemon juice, minced garlic, parsley, paprika (optional), and salt. Stir well and brush generously on the lobster meat.
Bake the lobster.
Bake the lobster in a 425F preheated oven for 12 minutes until the lobster is firm and opaque and its internal temperature reaches 140F as read on a meat thermometer.
Optionally, broil the lobster tails on high for an additional 1-2 minutes to get extra charring on the lobster.
Serve immediately and drizzle with more lemon juice if desired.
How to Serve
Serve these delicious Garlic Butter Lobster Tails as part of a fancy Surf and Turf meal with steak, or pair it with some vegetable sides. Some of my favorite sides to pair with seafood like this is:
- Lemon Butter Pasta
- Sautéed Garlic Green Beans
- Creamy Parmesan Risotto
- Lemon Parmesan Asparagus
- Creamy Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
- Greek Lemon Roasted Baby Potatoes
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Use fresh meat: Lobster tails are best cooked and eaten when as fresh as possible.
- How to store: If you need to store your cooked lobster tails, keep them in the fridge in an airtight container. With the shell, they will last for two days. If you shuck the meat, it may last for three days.
- How to reheat: Lobster tastes best when reheated in a preheated 350F oven. Simply place the cold lobster in an oven-safe dish along with some butter, some stock, or even water. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil before placing it in the preheated oven. Cook for 10 minutes until lobster reached an internal temperature of 140F as read on a meat thermometer. You can also reheat in a microwave.
More Seafood Recipes
- Seared Scallops
- Garlic Shrimp Skewers
- Creamy Garlic Salmon
- Miso Black Cod (Sablefish)
- Shrimp Cakes
- Yellow Curry Mussels
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Recipe
Garlic Butter Lobster Tails
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 4 lobster tails
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Garlic Butter Lobster Tails are juicy, tender, and flavorful. This quick and easy seafood dinner is ready in less than 20 minutes (including prep!).
Ingredients
- 4 lobster tails (4 ounces each)
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon paprika (optional)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- lemon slices (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F.
- Using scissors, cut a slit in the lobster shells along the center to the tail, leaving the tail base uncut.
- Open up the shell slightly and run your fingers throughout the inside the shell to detach the lobster meat from the shell. Grab the meat with your fingers and lift it up through the split shell, squeezing the shell back together and letting the meat rest on top of the shell.
- Make a shallow cut along the center so that the lobster meat can easily soak up the delicious lemon garlic butter.
- Rinse the lobster tails under cold water and use a paper towel to gently pat them dry. Place the lobster tails on a quarter sheet baking pan. Optionally, add some lemon slices on the baking sheet.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine melted butter, lemon juice, minced garlic, parsley, paprika (optional), and salt. Stir well and brush generously on the lobster meat.
- Bake the lobster in the oven for 12 minutes until the lobster is firm and opaque and its internal temperature reaches 140F as read on a meat thermometer. You can also check doneness running a knife through the meat to check if the meat is firm and opaque.
- Optionally, broil on high for 2 minutes to get extra charring on the lobster.
- Serve immediately or cover the cooked lobster tails with aluminum foil to retain the heat and keep it moist until serving.
Notes
How to store: If you need to store your cooked lobster tails, keep them in the fridge in an airtight container. With the shell, they will last for two days. If you shuck the meat, it may last for three days.
How to reheat: Lobster tastes best when reheated in a preheated 350F oven. Simply place the cold lobster in an oven-safe dish along with some butter, some stock, or even water. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil before placing it in the preheated oven. Cook for 10 minutes until lobster reached an internal temperature of 140F as read on a meat thermometer. You can also reheat in a microwave.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Seafood
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
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