Lobster is delicious and expensive seafood that many people fall in love with. If you are don’t know how to cook lobster tails? Don’t worry, because this article will instruct you in detail on the 4 best ways to cook lobster tails at home.
In a medium workbowl, combine mac and cheese, mezcal, lime zest, and lobster. Hold refrigerated. FOR EACH SERVING. Place 2 cups of mac and cheese mixture inside of cast iron skillet. Add lobster tail shell to skillet, leaving bottom of tail sticking out the top. Sprinkle with panko breadcrumbs. Cook 8 ounces pasta in salted water per the package instructions. Use the longer cook time, not the al dente cook time. Once cooked, drain the water through a strainer. While the pasta is cooking, grease a 2.5 quart baking dish with vegetable oil or cooking spray. Drain the thawed langostino tails to remove any excess liquid. Pour about 1 inch of water in the bottom of a large pot and bring it to a boil. Add salt and place a steamer insert inside the pot so that it is just above the water level. Put the lobster tail (s) on the rack and cover the pot. Steam for 8 minutes.
1. FAQs When Cooking Lobster Tails
How To Thaw Frozen Lobster Tails?
Thawing the frozen lobster tails is a necessary step. To thaw, place the lobster tails in the refrigerator for an entire day, i.e., 24 hours. Here are a few tips to know that the frozen lobster tail is fully thawed and ready to cook:
- Gently press the meat in the center. If it feels very tender, it indicates that the lobster tail is thawed.
- Try to bend or curl the lobster tail with your hands. It is bends/curls without any difficulty; then, it’s fully thawed.
How do you know the Lobster Tail is Cooked?
You’ll know that the lobster tail is perfectly cooked when:
- The shell changes color to a vibrant reddish hue.
- The meat turns dense & shrinks a little.
- The meat’s color changes from translucent to opaque and pearl-like.
2. How To Cook Lobster Tails
Ingredients
Boiled Lobster Tails
- 6 Lobster tails (each tail weighing 3-4 ounces)
- Water
- Sea salt
- A pot with a lid
- A tray filled with ice
Steamed Lobster Tails
- 3-4 lobster tails (each tail weighing 6 ounces)
- Water
- Sea salt
- A deep pot with a well-fitted lid & a steamer basket
Baked Lobster Tails
- 2-3 lobster tails (8 ounces)
- 1 butter stick
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons chopped parsley leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- A pair of scissors, a spoon, & brush
Grilled Lobster Tails
- 3-4 lobster tails (8 ounces)
- Oil
- 1 butter stick
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons chopped parsley leaves (optional)
- 1 lemon (halved)
- A knife & brush
How Long To Cook Lobster Tails
The cook time varies as per the size/weight of the lobster tails. Therefore, the following list might come in handy
It takes about 1 minute to boil one ounce and takes about 1 1/2 minutes to steam one ounce of the lobster’s tail.
To bake lobster tail in the oven, it takes about 1 1/2 minutes to bake per ounce. If you use the grill, you need to grill flesh side for about 6 minutes and grill the bottom for 5 minutes
Instructions – How To Boil Lobster Tail
Step 1: Fill 50% of the pot with water.
Step 2: Place it on the stove at high. Cover and bring the water to a boil.
Step 3: Once the water starts bubbling, lower the heat to medium-low. Season with salt heavily and stir the water.
Step 4: Put the lobster tails into the hot salty water carefully. Cook for 3-5 minutes.
Step 5: Transfer the boiled lobster tails to an ice tray to stop the cooking process.
Serve your boiled lobster tails with melted butter or a wedge of lime, alongside boiled corn on the cob.
Tips: To keep the lobster tail from curling up during the boiling process, insert a skewer through the center of the thawed tail before putting it into the pot.
Instructions – How to Steam Lobster Tails
Step 1: Fill the bottom of the pot with 2 inches of water. Add 2-3 tablespoons of sea salt and give it a quick stir.
Step 2: Now, set the steamer basket inside the pot, just above the water. Seal the pot with the lid and bring the water to a boil.
Step 3: As soon as the water starts boiling, uncover the lid and cautiously place the lobster tails (shell side up) on the steamer basket.
Step 4: Re-seal the pot with the lid and let the tails cook for 6 minutes.
Step 5: Finally, uncover the lid and transfer the nicely steamed lobster tails to an ice tray.
Serve the steamed lobster tails with clarified butter and your choice of steamed veggies.
Tips: Adding lots of salt to the water is compulsory as it adds natural flavors to the lobster tails and helps keep them plump. For additional characters, you may add some white wine, champagne, or seafood stock to the water.
Instructions – How To Bake Lobster Tail
Step 1: Prepare Lobster Tail
- Place the lobster tails on a baking tray. Prep the lobster tails by cutting the shell (with scissors) in a straight line through the center until the portion where tail fin starts. Avoid cutting the tail fin.
- Now, gently separate the shell from the meat using a spoon. Next, hold the meat and bring it up, close the cut shells by joining them beneath, and lay the meat on top of the tank.
- Finally, make a light cut through the flesh and using your fingers, peel the meat’s thin orange top layer and rest it to the sides.
Step 2: Set the oven for preheating at 230°C (450°F)
Step 3:While the oven preheats, prepare the flavorful butter topping by mixing butter, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, lemon juice, chopped parsley, salt, & pepper. Brush the butter topping on the exposed white meat of the lobster tail has been prepared.
Step 3: Put the tray in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. Serve with baked carrots and lemon wedges. Small-sized lobster tails bake within 10 minutes while medium-large sized tails need some extra minutes to bake. A definite hint to know that the lobster tails are well baked is by poking a digital thermometer into the meat and check it the internal temperature reads 140°F.
Best Way To Cook Lobster Tails For Mac And Cheese
Instructions – How To Grill Lobster Tail
How To Cook Lobster Tails For Mac And Cheese
Step 1:Prep the lobster tails by cutting through the middle of the meat without splitting the tail. Now spread out the two halves to bring the meat side up.
Insert your thumb and finger in between the meat and flesh to separate/loosen up the meat from the shell. Insert skewers all the way through each tail.
Step 2: Now, turn on the gas grill then Brush some oil on the flesh-side of the prepped lobster tails and sprinkle salt & black pepper.
Step 3: Place the tails (meat side down) on the grill and sear for 6 minutes.
Step 4: Next, flip the lobster tails (shell side down). Baste the lobster meat (every 2 minutes) with the seasoned butter and grill for 5 more minutes. The best trick to ensure that the lobster tails are accurately cooked is to use a thermometer. The internal temperature should read 140°F. Serve the hot grilled lobster tails by squeezing fresh lemon juice on the meat.
The way to cook lobster although complicated, but if you try to practice cooking it many times, you will become skilled, and you will have the best lobster tails in your meal. Let’s share how to make perfect lobster tail at home with everyone around and enjoy the wonderful taste together.
Read More: How To Cook Shrimp
- Preparation Time10 mins
- Cooking Time35 mins
- Serves6
- DifficultyEasy
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the macaroni until still very firm; the macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Butter a 9-by-13-inch pan generously.
3. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it just starts to brown, throw in the lobster and stir and cook for 1 minute. Set the lobster aside.
4. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter to the same skillet. Sprinkle in the flour, whisking to combine. Let the roux cook for a minute or so, whisking constantly. Pour in the milk, whisking constantly, then cook the white sauce until thick and bubbly, 3 to 5 minutes. Next, add the half-and-half, 1 teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper, and stir to combine. Add the Parmesan (holding back some for the topping), cheddar, fontina and goat cheese and stir them around to melt. Stir in the lobster and macaroni.
5. Pour the mac and cheese into the prepared pan and top with the reserved Parmesan. Bake until bubbly and a slight crust forms on top, 20 to 25 minutes.