Last Updated on October 12, 2021 by Kimberly Crawford
Lobsters are a delicacy around the world. And what is better than an overpriced, restaurant-style lobster tail? A homemade lobster tail that has been cooked to perfection!
Lobsters are considered to be high-end dishes. It is also a general belief that cooking a lobster tail just right can be tricky. But, with the right amount of information and enough practice, you can even cook a lobster tail like a pro chef!
Let’s look at five different ways you can cook a lobster tail!
Thawing And Preparing Frozen Blobsters:
Before we get into the cooking part, let’s have a brief look at how you should thaw your frozen lobsters, and then prepare them for cooking.
Of course, you can also always reheat lobsters from your leftovers and have them again the next day! Or, if you have a lot of frozen lobster tails, here is how you can properly defrost them for cooking.
To defrost your lobster tails, you can either let them sit in your refrigerator overnight or let them sit in a container filled with cold water. If your lobster tails are larger in size, keep changing the water every 30 minutes until they are defrosted.
Preparing lobster tails for cooking: Butterfly Lobster Tails
I think we can all agree that a cooked lobster tail isn’t very pretty to look at, and it is just so hard to present on a plate without making it look sloppy! But, there is a way to present it in a very elegant manner – Butterflied lobster tails! Lobster cuts and prepped in this way look gorgeous on your plates, and it takes minimal effort!
All you need to do is simply cut down from the middle of the tail in a vertical line. Pull most of the flesh out except for a small portion at the end of the tail that should remain connected with the shell. Place the flesh on top of the shell and cook it in this way.
Once done, the shell partially reconnects with the flesh, and most of the meat sits on top of the shell. What a sight it is! It is also so much easier to season, plate, and eat it this way! You can learn to properly cut a lobster tail here.
How To Cook Lobster Tail?
There are many ways to cook a lobster tail, each giving different sorts of textures and flavors. Let’s look at each of these methods!
The Boiling Method
One of the simplest ways of cooking a lobster tail is to simply boil it. And, it takes minimum effort!
- Take some water in a pot and bring it to a boil. The water should be enough to cover whole lobster tails.
- Once it is boiling hot, add some salt for seasoning. You may even add pepper or any other seasonings.
- Put the whole, uncut lobster tails in this pot. Let it boil until the flesh turns almost translucent and the shell is bright red in color. This should take around 1-3 minutes depending on the size of your lobster.
- Once done, transfer it to a plate and let it cool. You can now season it and serve!
The Steaming Method
Steaming your lobster tails is one of the quickest methods of cooking it. It is also easy to bring about and monitor and requires minimum equipment. But, you should know that steamed lobsters are better for adding to rice, soups, or gravies. On their own, they may taste very bland.
- Place a pot full of water to boil, and cover it with a netted dish. You can easily find a steaming dish online. Cover the entire thing and let it boil.
- Once hot enough, place your lobster tail on the dish and cover.
- The hot steam will cook the lobster tail and make it moist and tender. The process should take you only 40-60 seconds.
- Remember that it is very easy to just overcook your lobsters. Do not leave it in the steam for too long. Once it looks pink or translucent, remove it and transfer it to a plate.
The Broiling Method
If you have a broiler at home, you can even cook your lobster tails in it from now on! It is very easy, yet broiled lobsters contain so many layers of flavors!
- Prep your lobster however you wish to and place it on the baking sheet.
- Add some oil and salt if you wish, and keep your baking sheet at a distance of at least 10 inches from the broiling radiator.
- Broiling usually takes anywhere from 2-3 minutes to 5-6 minutes, depending upon the size of your lobster. You can stick to the rule of 1 minute per one ounce of lobster!
The Grilling Method
When grilling lobster tails, you can choose to either cut them in half, butterfly them, or even put them on a skewer! You can also partially boil them to get started on the cooking process.
Grill at 350 Degrees Fahrenheit for 4-5 minutes. You can flip it after that, and if you have butterfly-cut them, let them sit meat-up the entire time.
The Baking Method
Finally, the most common method of cooking lobsters! Baked lobsters taste delectable, and there are so many things you can do with them!
To bake a delicious lobster:
- Assemble your lobster tails in a baking dish and coat them with butter or oil.
- Season it with salt and pepper. You can even add garlic if you wish.
- Pour some water or wine into the dish and bake at 415 Degrees Fahrenheit.
- Go by the rule or 1-2 minutes per ounce of lobster, and adjust the timer likewise.
- You will know that your lobster is done when it has turned translucent in color, and when the shell looks bright red in color.
- Transfer this directly to your plates, or remove the shells and serve!
Final Thoughts
Once you learn how to cook lobster tail at home, there is no going back. There are so many ways to cook a lobster tail and make it tender, moist, and irresistibly delectable. You can boil it, steam it, or even broil it. And, for healthier versions, you can even bake or grill it!
No matter which way you decide to choose, remember to not overcook it and keep a close eye on the color of the meat. Once done, you can enjoy the magic you just created with your fingertips!