Broiled Lobster Tails

Made these for New Year's Eve - what a treat!! I split the meat about half way through and used a skewer inserted just under the tail and run the whole length to keep them from "curling". Then, I spread the shell so that it was "open". I broiled them one up from the bottom rack to prevent burning with two one pound tails, and left he door open to watch them intently! I drizzled with garlic butter several times during the cooking process, as well as putting about a half cup of water in the bottom of the broiling pan (to help keep them moist - the water becomes steam during cooking). Keep in mind that frozen lobster tails WILL BE tougher than fresh - no matter what you do, so take great care cooking, or you will loose flavor and the lobster will be "rubbery". All that said, cooking time took longer than some folks for 1 pound tails, about 30 minutes, but well worth it!! The flavor was fabulous!!

I have used this recipe a couple of times. I modified it by adding the salt, pepper and a little white cooking wine (1/4 cup? I didn't measure) to the melted butter. Using a basting brush, I basted the lobster meat with about half of the butter/wine mixture before broiling. I bought my lobster tails at Costco and they were fairly large. They required more than 10 minutes of broiling. I found that keeping them in the shell while cooking, keeps them from burning and drying out. Prior to serving, I pull the meat out of the shell and lay it on top of the shell (partially attached at the small end) for a better presentation and serve with the remainder of the butter/wine mixture for dipping.

Sometimes the most simple recipes are the most delicious. This was wonderful. I didn't use near as much butter as called for, but used the extra for dipping. I broiled my 6-7oz lobster tail for 7 minutes and it came out perfect.

Simple and delicious. I split the shell down the middle with kitchen shears and pulled the shell halves apart to expose the meat, but still leaving it inside the shell. I used the 2nd rack from the top and broiled for about 10-11 minutes and it was perfect.

Hubby made these for me & they were fantastic! He used Old Bay instead of paprika & salt & he added just a hint of fresh rosemary... along w/ some fresh chopped lemon balm. He added lots of fresh minced garlic to the butter cooked on the lobster & went easy on the garlic in the butter used for dipping. I think he outdid himself this time...thanks! We served these w/ leftover zuchinni batons (from foodnetwork) & artisan bread that we dipped in the butter as well ... Lemon Syllabub (from this site) made a fine dessert.

Since we very rarely eat lobster, it was difficult to determine level of doneness. The tails had been frozen, but thawed two days in fridge plus a few hours on the counter. Tasted great, but only after 12 minutes broiling. 15 minutes would have been better.

First time I ever prepared a lobster tail. Great recipe - my husband loved it. I used a small pan with about a cup of water on the bottom for steam. It only took 10 min. to cook 1/2 pound tail. Will definitely use this recipe again.

The time needed to cook lobster tails is way too dependent on their thickness. The garlic, etc., burned long before the thick tails I was cooking finished cooking through, even though I had them on the middle rack in the oven. Then, once everything finally did finish cooking, they were dry and tough. Boiling and steaming work better.

Simple and straightforward instructions for broiling the perfect lobster tail. We had 8 oz. tails, which hubby broiled in the middle position of the oven, for about 10 minutes.

Lift the meat up to rest on shelll, brush with melted butter, broil 6" from broiler for 1 min per ounce. i.e. a 10oz tail will take 10 mins. Brush again with butter 1/2 way thru cooking.

This recipe was not very clear. When reading it, it seems simple enough but in the process of actually working with the lobster, it was awful. I had small lobster tails and it just seemed like the butter was too much and it would burn before the lobster cooked. I think for this recipe to work, it needs clearer instructions: 1. How big of a lobster tail..is the amount of butter synonymous with the weight of lobster? 2. Should the rack be close to or away from broiler? 3. I cut the shell lengthwise but it was difficult to open slightly...is it supposed to crack? Should the meat be exposed? 4. Is the butter melted BEFORE you put the lobster in the oven? It could be that I just didn't understand, but for such an expensive meal..it should be more precise.

Wow, I should've read the reviews before we cooked our lobsters for the time in her recipe. 5 minutes is not nearly enough time and 10 minutes was not either, not by a long shot. I got our lobsters at Costco and they were as big as they come. I broiled them for 8 minutes and looked them over then put them back min for 4 more minutes. (not wanting to over cook them since you state that 5 - 10 mins is all that is needed. Since we never broiled lobster before we took it for granted that the recipe was ok. Well after trying to eat them we put them back in the oven again this time for another 6 minutes. That is a total of 18 minutes. We ate them and I thought they tasted good but still on under cooked. Now I am thinking they should have been cooked for 25 - 30 minutes for the size we had (1b each).

This is the best way I've found to fix whole lobster tails. However, you have to be careful with the time of 5 to 10 minutes.... I used two 5 oz. tails and the broiling time was more like 12 to 15 minutes. Be sure to watch the time carefully. It's better to cook a minute or so longer than not cooking long enough. Lobster is my favorite food and this is my favorite way to prepare it!

Came out perfect.. I basted with olive oil due to dairy allergy.. added just a touch of garlic salt rather than regular salt..sprinkled a little smokey paprika.. Wonderful! I needed about 12 minutes due to the size and also I had the oven rack down two from the element.. that way the lobster cooked evenly and did not brown too much on top. The lobster meat was pulled from the shell (still partially attached) sitting on top of the shell to cook

Very good but cooking time is slightly off...needs about 3 more minutes.

This recipe was great. We used 3/4 pound tails and had to broil them for about 20 minutes. We put the rack pretty close tothe broiler for the first 10, then moved it to the middle. In hindsight, I'd have left it in the middle the whole time. The tails turned out delicious! This is a great simple recipe. You don't need much as far as seasonings, since you really just want to taste that scrumpcious lobster!! Thank you!

first time broiling lobster, and it was delish!! the husband loved his romantic dinner.. thank you!!

The way we ate it, it was maybe five stars, but with modifications. This needed far less butter. We used half a stick. We added garlic and old bay and it was very good. Our oven took about 10 minutes on high broil, second rack from the bottom. If you want to know if they're done, just check the end where the meat is visible. It should be opaque.

This was so easy and turned out great! I was a little nervous because it was my first time cooking lobster tails. I don't like lobster because it is always chewy in restaurants, but my father and husband love it! My mother and I decided to do a surf and turf dinner for my father for Father's Day. We used 4 oz tails, and cooked them for 7 minutes, and put a 1/2 cup water in the bottom of the broiler pan. I also didn't pull the meat from the shell until after it was done cooking. I think it helped the meat stay moist. It wasn't chewy at all! I am glad I used the paprika as I think the Old Bay, as much as I love it, would have over powered the flavor of the lobster. My father said, "Next time we need more surf than turf!" lol I actually went back to the store and purchased more so that I could freeze and make it for my husband when he gets back from training. He is going to be so excited! Thank you!

First time doing lobster, great recipe. My wife love it and so did I. Simple and tasty. I follow the advice for old bay seasoning and a garlic clove to the butter for basting. Two 1/2 pound tails took about 20 mins in the lower rack.

Yum, yum, yum! Easy, tasty, and doesn't overwhelm the sweet lobster flavor. I cooked my smallish lobster tails for 8 minutes on normal broil, center rack, to get the firmness I desired. A pair of kitchen shears came in handy to cut the shells.

This is the best means of cooking frozen lobster tails. However, the recipe failed to mention that you should broil approximately 8 inches away from the heat. Any closer than that and the lobster won't cook evenly. 3/4-1 pound lobsters take me about 5-7 minutes. YMMV.

This recipe is not only very easy but, very good! All was done exactly as the recipe asks, except I brined my lobster for about 45 minutes, and this made it the most tender lobster I have ever eaten! I did use the paprika mixed with the butter and pepper. I don't believe I would ever use the Old Bay seasoning, as I use that for steamed blue crab and shrimp. Lobster has a very unique flavor and I would not want to over power it with Old Bay seasoning, even though I love it's flavor.

ended up dry and rubbery

Fast Easy Simple Anything as good as lobster tails doesn't need fancy fixins' - allows the sweetness of the meat to shine through. Added a few extra minutes for larger tails.

This recipe is elegant in its simplicity. I'd never cooked lobster tails before and wanted to do so for my husband's birthday. Success! Thank you for sharing. (Our lobster tails required 14 minutes to become opaque.)

This was very good but I did have to broil it longer than 10 minutes. I also followed someones advise and put a pan of water under the lobster tails. I sprinkled it with a little garlic powder and also basted it with butter a couple times while broiling it. It was very moist and delicious.

Very good recipe. I just used kitchen shears to split the tails and poured the butter mixture over the meat. I had 3 5 oz tails and I broiled them on low for 8 minutes and high for 3 and they turned out great. I will definitely be preparing this recipe again when lobster tails are on sale!

This was so quick and easy! It tasted great. Also used it on the Jumbo Shrimp. It was excellent!!

Delicious! I brined the lobster tail for an hour before 1/4 cup of salt 1/4 cup of sugar and 2 quarts of water. I broiled the lobster according to recipe and it came out so tender and tasty! This one is a keeper ~ thanks!

This is a fantastic recipe for lobster tails, I have made it many times, always turns out great and very easy and fast to make. Enjoy

Made this last night and loved it! Beter, IMHO, han steamed or boiled. Had 8oz and 5oz prev frozen tails. 2 racks down in oven, broiled 8 oz for about 11 mins, 5oz for 8 mins. I spooned on a sauce of butter, lemon juice, Old Bay about 3 minutes before they were done. Worked out perfectly - tender, fully cooked, moist and delicious!

This was my first time cooking lobster tails and I will use this recipe going forward. This was so quick and easy. I used two 4.5 oz tails and broiled on the middle rack for 6.5 minutes. I like my food, even seafood, super done. So next time, I will probably go 8 minutes. Kudos to the reviewer who said stand back when you open the oven. The butter does burn fast and runs right out of the lobster tail. So turn your vent on as soon as you put your tails in to clear up the smoke and keep you from thinking you're burning something. I only added butter and garlic powder. To me, lobster tastes good by itself and needs minimal seasoning.

Very good. I also added some Old Bay seasoning to the melted butter. Mine was very large so took a little longer. You may want to run a skewer through the tail to prevent curling. I out them on the second rack so as to not burn the top and cooked on Low until the end then switched to High to give it a nice browning. Served with extra drawn butter. Yummy! Good way to start the New Year!

I used old bay and garlic salt to season the creature. I watched this video to show me how to remove the meat before broiling. I also brushed him with butter a coupld of times while broiling as my broiler is a super broiler and i was scared of burning my expensive piece of seafood. Good luck and thanks for sharing. PS this was my first time ever making lobster and it turned out great. the BF said "the heck with restaurants..i'd rather come here"

I made these for valentines day 09 and just realized I added two pictures but never left a review. Broiled lobster is great. I didnt have white pepper so i used black pepper. these always please!

This recipe is great and real easy to make

This was a great recipe for a first time lobster cooker. I had two 1lb lobster tails and followed the tips of previous reviewers. I broiled them for 25 minutes, and checked them every 10min. I cut the shells down the middle and kept them in the shell during the broiling. can I just say they were so moist they melted in your mouth. YUUUMMMMM!!!!

This was my first time preparing lobster and it was an absolute success! The hints in the comments are great. As suggested, I used a combination of butter, black pepper and a pinch of Old Bay Seasoning. I also used the skewers, which resulted in a lovely presentation (both the shape of the lobsters and the "ooh-la-la" factor that shiny skewers bring). Served with corn on the cob (steamed with butter and Old Bay) and lemon wedges. Can't wait to do this again!

I did not butterfly the lobster in order to keep it moist. It took about 13 minutes for 4-6 ounce tails and they came out perfect! I did brine the lobster tails in a 1/4 cup salt per 1/2 gallon for an hour before cooking them.

quick and easy way of doing a lobster!! This was my husbands and I first time cooking lobster tails and it turn out great!!

Used freshly grated nutmeg instead of paprika.

Great recipe and ideas on cooking the lobster. We bought about a dozen for New Years and wanted to make sure we cooked them properly. It was sooo yummy!! This was definitely a treat for all!

Wonderful!

Like others have stated, the key is to watch the lobster tails. I split the shell and meat down the middle, then laid the lobster meat on top of the shell for nice presentation. I also sprinkled them with a bit of garlic. Thanks for the great recipe!!!

This was my first try at lobster tails. I am so glad I did it this way! Very easy and no mess. The meat came right out of the tail once cooked and was very tasty. I used Old Bay Seasoning and butter.

The perfect way to do lobster. The paprika is what makes the flavor so special. I will never do lobster differently. Tender and flavorful the way lobster should be.

This is the first time I make lobster tails and they came out great! I love the idea about making them in the broiler. I used 'I Cant Believe Its Not Butter Light' to reduce calories and that worked out great. Will definitely make again.

An easy way to impress your guests. I butterflied and loosened shell, but left inside until plating to prevent overcooking. Very tasty!

My boyfriend and I went to his family's house for Thanksgiving, and they have a tradition of eating lobster tails as an appetizer. Last year he grilled them, but this year he tried this recipe, and he insists that this is THE way to make them! He claims that the paprika is key. Thank you!

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The lobster tails I used definitely needed double the time the recipe called for. It depends on the size of the lobster tails. When melting the butter I threw in minced garlic to add flavor to the butter. I made sure to check the temperature until it hit 175°F. Everything else was followed as the recipe asked.

Recipe has problems: 1. 5 to 10 minutes is too short a cooking time; it's more like 20 minutes. 2. Lobster tails burn quickly (and splatter) when applied with (presumably) a 1/2 cup melted butter; perhaps lightly brushing melted butter from the onset and either adding more melted butter incrementally or once done.

The best, the absolute best. These lobster tails were cooked for our valentines day dinner. The only thing that was wrong with it, well there wasn't anymore left for seconds.

This was the first time I ever cooked lobster tails and it was great! The recipe was so easy. I did one tail using paprika and the other with Old bay. Both were excellent but I prefer Old Bay!

This was easy and delicious. I broiled 4 lobster tails, about 5-6 oz. each, using this recipe. I broiled for 10 minutes on the 2nd from the top shelf (gas stove) and then about 2 minutes on the top shelf to finish.

No problem with these, as others mentioned, you just have to watch them. YUM, DEELICIOUS! Thanks Gretchen!!

Soo simple and sooo good! I don't know that I'll do it any other way now!

This recipe was so easy and it added that special touch to the Christmas Eve Dinner. Sue from Ohio

Simple and Delicious!

Thank you for this recipe. With a baked potatoe and steamed Asparagus, this was absolutely delicious!

I made this tonight for dinner and it was the most delicious lobster I have ever had! My boyfriend and I both LOVED it. I made the Lobster Dipping Sauce recipe to go with it and it was the perfect combination! YUM!

I would rather steam the lobster than do this again. Putting it in the broiler made the shell smell really funny.The taste was not what I thould it would be like and I love lobster.

These were fantastic! Bought the $5 lobster tails from Albertsons. Had to cook just a little longer than on recipe. Bathed in a salt brine for one hour first and used a little Old Bay.

Absolutely delicious. I made a few variations. I used Old Bay seasoning and liquid zatarain crab boil. I did not measure anything just eye balled it.

Very good for a romantic dinner and easy too! It took about 10 minutes for broiling and I used Old Bay instead of paprika.

I have never made any type of lobster before and I had no idea how to cook it. So I tried this recipe for a special valentines day menu and it was great. I followed the recipe as written, but I added some extra Old Bay Seasoning for a little more flavor. The lobster was nice and juicy. This will definitely be my go to recipe for Lobster Tails. :)

Easy and tasty! 5 to 10 minutes is a pretty big range, so we split it down the middle and cooked them about 7 minutes (medium sized tails). Perfect!

need dipping dish of butter & parsley but otherwise very tasty

Fast Easy and Delicious!

WOW, wanted to do something special for Mothers day. These were 9oz from Costco. About 22 minutes. Really easy, do it today....

The meat was flavorable however when I pulled them out they were half cooked and half raw

This was so easy, but it made me look good. I used everything but the white pepper, which I dislike. I used black pepper instead. But doing the preparation and broiling per the directions worked flawlessly! We had planned to grill our lobster tails, but rain kept us indoors. But this was probably better than the grill. Will definitely use this again.

This came out really good, I used Old Bay Seasoning instead of Paprika.

Absolutely delicious. Substituted Old Bay Seasoning for the paprika and omitted the pepper

Simple and tasty!!

Easy.

a very good dish. I had never fixed lobster tails, and this turned out fine. I'll do it again.

I have never cooked lobster before. Our friends gave us six lobster tails from the Keys. Ofcourse I came right to Allrecipes to search for an easy to prepare lobster tail recipe. These came out so delicious! My family was very impressed and I was am very thankful!

Just made this. First, I had the giant Costco lobster tails. I am glad I read the comments first. I moved the rack down two levels from the heat element. At about 15 min the shells were burning and the meat was not finished. I suggest that this be made with the more petite grocery store lobster tails. I expect that those will cook nicely under the broiler. These big tails should be boiled or cooked on the out door grill.

okay this is a keeper, I will definitely make this again. YUM

Tried this recipe and it was great. I used paprika and the old bay and it gave it a really nice taste. I agree you do have to watch them because they can easily burn. My husband loved them and we will have them again.

Super easy and great taste. We placed the lobster tail on the middle rack and broiled for about 20mins. Our lobsters were about 1/2lb each. I had two on the pan.

Our lobsters were small and took 5 minutes, but glad to know that 10 oz. takes 10 minutes and 1 pound lobsters take 20. We made these for Father's Day and tested one first. Then we made the rest--in a pyrex dish, which exploded all over the kitchen. Father's Day meal was ruined, but the one lobster we did try ahead of time was FANTASTIC! Note to self: Never broil in pyrex!

Entire kitchen smokes up!

Easy, good, a winner!

So here is what I bought and how I prepared it. My store had a sale...4 oz lobster tails that were previously frozen and now thawed on ice. So...semi fresh? They looked pretty fresh. Anyway...this was the first time I have ever made these and this recipe plus the first two helpful reviews talked me through it easily. My stove has a choice...low or high broil. I chose low. Second rack from the bottom. Cracked the shell down to the fin. Drizzled the butter in the crack. Mixed the butter with the paprika but through in one clove of garlic minced. Didn't pour ALL of the butter in it. After ten minutes...checked. Had NO idea what I was looking for. haha Drizzled more butter and stuck it back in for another five minutes. The shell went from very dark, almost black to a bright red and orange! I figured...it was done! I kept the door shut the entire time except when taking it out. The extra butter was for dipping. However...it was so perfect that there was no need for dipping!!! There was no curling either. Not too shabby for my first time and I impressed my husband!!!

Worked out great! Had to mind the spices from being blackened.

This was very good. I moved my first shelf to about 5 1/2" below the broiler and broiled my lobster tails for about 1 1/2 minutes per ounce. Turned out great, not rubbery, even though they were previously frozen.

Broiling cooks the lobster perfectly, however the lobster will be very bland if you do not season it more. Beautiful presentation if you extract the meat and sit it on top of the shell before broiling.

great recipe, moist and very tender lobster. so simple too!

As other reviews said I "basted" lobster half way through cooking time. Cooked about 10 mins. Great easy recipe.

This method works really well! Simple, pure.

Easy and Excellent! My husband and teenagers loved this recipe. We had surf and turf for Christmas dinner, and everyone devoured the lobster while the beef tenderloin reposed in the shadows.

This recipe was simple and so tasty. I made lobster for 10 people and it was a smash! I paired the broiled lobster with a bacon risotto! Yummy!

The tricky think about this lobster is in only 3 bites its gone! Excellent recipe. Make sure you watch your lobsters.

This is my first time cooking lobster and it was very easy. Everyone that ate it liked it.

This is a delicious way to cook lobster tails. Very easy too.

Tried this recipe but my lobsters were a little large so the top half was perfect yet the bottom half was not fully cooked. For larger lobsters, broil the underside(still having the lobster tail in the shell with the meat pulled out) for a few mins. then follow the recipe...