Grilled Lobster Tail Recipe

Make this easy, juicy grilled lobster tail recipe with a flavorful lemon garlic butter sauce. With a handy time chart and expert tips, you’ll achieve perfect results every time.

I love my air-fried and broiled lobster tails, but when the weather warms up, nothing beats grilling. This grilled lobster tail recipe is ideal for a special occasion or just to treat yourself to a restaurant-quality meal at home. Best of all, Grilled Lobster Tail is easier than it seems!

Why You’ll Love This Grilled Lobster Tail Recipe

• Juicy and Flavorful: Tender, succulent lobster meat with a savory garlic butter seasoning—what’s not to love? By following the correct grilling time (using the time chart below), you’ll get perfectly cooked lobster every time, avoiding any rubbery texture.
• Simple to Prepare: This recipe includes all the steps for success, from butterflying the tails to seasoning and grilling them right. Even if you’re new to grilling seafood, you’ll find it surprisingly easy.
• Fancy Dinner in Minutes: This meal comes together in around 20 minutes, including prep time, so it’s quick enough for a weeknight treat. With minimal effort, you’ll feel like you’re eating a high-end restaurant meal right at home.

How to Make Grilled Lobster Tail

1. Butterfly the Lobster Tails

Butterflying the lobster tails while in the fridge, helps them cook evenly and also makes seasoning so much easier.

• Cut the Shell: Using sharp kitchen shears, remove the top shell of the tail, on both sides of each tail, just before the tail fins. If your shears don’t go through the meat, use a knife to cut along the center.
• Open the Shell: Pull at the shell with your fingers, carefully prying it open with the idea of staying put, to create a pocket for the lobster meat.
• Add Skewers: Insert wooden skewers lengthwise through the lobster meat. This keeps the lobster tails from curling while they grill.

2. Season the Lobster Tails

• Brush with Olive Oil: Olive oil, salt, and black pepper lightly coat the lobster meat.
• Prepare the Garlic Butter: Melt butter, add minced garlic, fresh lemon juice, smoked paprika, and a little cayenne pepper. If the flavor isn’t savory enough, you can add chopped parsley or chives.

3. Grill the Lobster Tails

• Grill Flesh Side Down First: Set the lobster tails on a preheated grill grate on the flesh side down and cook for 5-6 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready to flip when the flesh starts browning slightly, and the shells turn a vibrant red.
• Flip and Add Garlic Butter: Brush generously the garlic butter over the exposed meat of the lobster tails and flip them over. Your grill turned off, will continue to cook the meat, closing the grill so that the meat is opaque and reaches a temperature of 140°F (though an instant-read thermometer is better if you have one).

4. Serve

Remove the skewers carefully and drizzle some extra garlic butter to be dipped, lemon wedges, and sprinkled with fresh herbs such as parsley or chives.

How Long to Make Grilled Lobster Tail?

The ideal grilling time for lobster tails is about 60-75 seconds per ounce of each tail. So if your lobster tails are 8 ounces, you’ll grill them for about 8-10 minutes in total, divided between both sides. Use this time chart for reference:

Tip: Don’t overcook your lobster! But over cooking can result in tough, rubbery meat, and use the chart above as a guide and check your meat for 140°F for the best results.

Expert Tips for Grilled Lobster Tail

Grilling lobster tails is simple, but these extra tips can help you avoid common pitfalls and achieve the best flavor:

• Cut Carefully: Unlike when cutting butchering meat in a normal way, when butterflying you only cut through the top shell and some of the meat, then leave the bottom shell intact. It allows the lobster to keep its shape so it does not drip the butter into the grill.
• Soak Wooden Skewers: Before grilling, soak wooden skewers in water for about 30 to 60 minutes so they don’t catch fire.
• Apply Butter Carefully: You want to take care not to spread butter too liberally up and down the meat, or you can compromise with flare-ups.
• Use a Thermometer: The lobster should be cooked at 140°F inside. It keeps the meat tender and juicy.
• Thaw Lobster Tails if Frozen: Butterflying these tails is easier to do when the meat is thawed, and it makes for more even cooking.

Serving Suggestions

The flavor of the rich grilled lobster tails is worthy of simple, light sides. Here are a few options:

• Grilled Vegetables: But since your grill is hot, you can cook some zucchini, asparagus, or broccoli along with the lobster for an easy, healthy side.
• Fresh Salads: They pair nicely with a fresh salad, spring mix, Caprese, or a light cucumber salad, for a fresh contrast.
• Potatoes: For a heartier side serve with baked or air-fried potatoes. If you want everything cooked together, you can also grill potato wedges.
• Surf and Turf: The classic surf and turf meal is a grilled steak with your lobster.

Essential Tools for This Recipe

• Kitchen Shears: In addition, the tough lobster shells are easy to cut through with high-quality shears.
• Silicone Brush: To apply garlic butter without mess, this garlic butter is made with a silicone brush.
• Bamboo Skewers: These can be used to keep lobster tails flat while cooking on the grill, to prevent curling.

This grilled lobster tail recipe is quick and delicious and makes for a great special occasion or any time you’d want to liven up your dinner plate with a bit of luxury. Serve up your Grilled Lobster Tail enjoy this delicious garlic butter sauce and play around with your choice of sides.