Tender Grilled Lobster Tails with Spicy Sriracha Butter - Easy Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

What is the most tender way to cook lobster tail? ›

Broiled: This is my go-to way. It is quick and easy and simple broiled on high heat and up close to top of the over. This makes a tender lobster tail ever time. Baked: Very similar to broiling except under average heat and extra time when cooking.

Do You Have to Boil Lobster Before Grilling? Boiling the lobster before grilling helps the meat set. If you grill without boiling first, the meat may stick to the shell, making it harder to pull out. Before you kill the lobster, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, and prepare an ice bath.

Cover the pot with the lobster tails in boiling water with a lid. Keeping the pot covered is essential, as this will help steam the lobster tails evenly and thoroughly. Let the lobster tails steam for 8-10 minutes or until they turn bright red. Be careful not to overcook them, making them tough and rubbery.

**Steaming**: Steaming lobster meat is one of the best methods to keep it moist and tender. Simply place the lobster tails or whole lobsters in a steamer basket over boiling water and steam for 8-10 minutes per pound until the meat is opaque and firm but still juicy.

Steaming lobster tails is my most preferred method of cooking lobster. Steaming provides a more gentle heat and cooking method, which will result in much more tender lobster tail meat, while still cooking the tail all the way to the proper doneness.

So, What's the Best Way to Cook Lobster Tails? The hands-down best way to cook lobster tails is on the grill. Cooked inside the shell, the meat stays tender and sweet (not fishy!) and takes on a slight smokiness.

Alternatively, place them in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes. For larger tails, drain the water after 30 minutes and add fresh, cold water. Repeat the process until the flesh is flexible and no longer icy. Now, you can select which method you'd like to use to cook the thawed lobster tails.

Boiling lobster is the simplest method though it's not recommended by chefs. Any time you cook a protein like lobster in the water, you lose some of flavor. That's why grilling and broiling are preferred methods. Many home chefs choose to boil lobster because it is so easy.

Never overcook your lobster. This makes the meat tough and stringy (a huge bummer!). We find most of the cooking time suggestions found on the internet are way too long. We'll give you detailed lobster cooking times, but it is important to know how the time of year impacts timing.

How to know when lobster tail is done boiling? ›

Cover pot and bring water to a boil. Once boiling, add lobster tails and cover again. Cook until tails are bright red and meat is opaque and tender. About 1 minute per ounce of lobster.

Boiling lobster tails is a great choice because if stored and thawed your lobster tails properly, this is the cooking technique we recommend to minimize your tails sticking to the shell! Boiling is always a safe bet and if you are a first-timer or old-timer, this is the technique you can count on.

Boiling is a little quicker and easier to time precisely, and the meat comes out of the shell more readily than when steamed. For recipes that call for fully cooked and picked lobster meat, boiling is the best approach. Benefits of Steaming: In contrast, steaming is more gentle, yielding slightly more tender meat.

While most people boil their lobsters, Brown prefers to steam them. This method is safer and quicker—no waiting around for gallons of water to boil! —and results in sweeter and more flavorful results as you're not cooking out all of the animal's flavorful juices.