Lobster doesn’t have to be just for fancy restaurant dinners. These grilled lobster tails with garlic butter sauce are so easy to make, you can have them any night of the week right in your home. We served these lobster tails with grilled lemons that are extra juicy.
Fire up the grill and get ready for some incredible lobster. The charred flavor from the grill gives these lobster tails an extra special flavor. If you like to grill over briquettes they will have even more of that outdoor grill flavor but you can do this on a gas grill just as easily.
It doesn’t take long to grill lobster tails. We made this recipe even easier by ‘book’ butterflying the lobster tails. It opens the lobster tail up like a book and lets it lay flat on the grill. It is a fast and easy way to prep a lobster tail.
Check out our video above to see how easy this recipe is to make.
After they get spread open, they will lay flat on the grill and cook without curling up. Since the lobster meat gets spread out flat, they cook faster than other preparations for lobster tails. For instance, in this steak and lobster dinner, we pulled the lobster meat out of the shell and laid it on top of the shell.
That makes for a beautiful presentation and is pretty stunning sitting next to a thick juicy steak. In this recipe, we show you how to spread the lobster open like a book. It will cook a bit faster and it is a great way to prepare lobster for a quick dinner.
How to book butterfly and grill a lobster tail:
Thaw the lobster tails:
If your lobster tails where frozen, make sure they are completely thawed before you start. They should be thawed in the refrigerator so plan ahead. It will take about 5 to 8 hours to thaw them in the fridge.
Prep the grill:
When you’re ready to cook the lobster, get the grill ready. While the grill is heating up you will have time to make the sauce and prep the lobster tails.
Make the garlic butter sauce:
The garlic butter sauce has an extra punch of garlic flavor since it uses fresh garlic and garlic powder. It is perfect for dipping the lobster meat into. Once you have it ready, set it next to the grill or on the stovetop to keep it warm.
Cut the shell:
Use some sturdy kitchen scissors to cut down the back of the tail. Stop cutting when you reach the part of the tail that fans out. That will keep the lobster in one piece.
Now use a sharp knife to cut through the lobster meat. Start at the top of the shell where you made the cut with the scissors. Cut all the way down to the bottom of the shell but don’t cut through the belly of the shell. Now you will be able to open the lobster tail like a book and expose the meat.
Grill the lobster tails:
Drizzle the lobster meat with the garlic butter sauce then place them flesh side down onto the hot grill. Cook them for about a minute per ounce on the flesh side then flip them over and cook for about another minute per ounce.
Grill the lemons:
While you grill the lobster tails, place several lemon halves, cut side down on the hot grill. Grill the lemons for about 5 minutes until they are nicely charred.
Serve the lobster tails with the grilled lemons. The hot lemons will be extra juicy and easy to squeeze over the lobster meat.
What goes with grilled lobster?
- Serve these grilled lobster tails with a hearty baked potato or these parsley baby red potatoes.
- Wrap some corn on the cob in foil and stick them on the grill along with the lobster. The garlic butter sauce is great drizzled over the corn.
- A simple wedge salad will round out the meal.
- If you have a hearty appetite add these grilled swordfish steaks to the menu and make it a seafood night.
- Round dinner off with this easy peach crisp for dessert.
More Grilling Recipes
- Grilled Tuna Steak with Marinade
- Grilled Pineapple with Cinnamon Sugar
- Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Ribs
- Roasted Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce
- 35 Grill Master Traeger Recipes
SOME OTHER RECIPES WE ARE SURE YOU WILL LOVE:
This Steak and Lobster Dinner is a simple preparation. While the steaks cook on a hot griddle, the lobster tails get broiled in the oven. Time them so they are ready to eat at the same time.
This Spanish chorizo and shrimp pasta is a deceptively easy dinner to make. You will have dinner on the table in 30 minutes but better than that, it is incredibly delicious.
These seared scallops with romesco sauce will send you over the moon. After searing the large sea scallops they get basted with a garlic-thyme butter sauce then they swim in a smooth romesco sauce.
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Grilled Lobster Tails with Garlic Butter Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 lobster tails
- Garlic butter sauce
- 2 lemons cut in half
Instructions
- Get the grill ready. You want medium heat, (about 350°F to 400°F if you have a thermometer). If you are using a pellet grill, we recommend Maple or Apple pellets.
- While your grill is heating up, prepare your lobster tails.
- Cut down the center back of the shell with a pair of sturdy kitchen scissors. Do not cut the end of the tail. Use a sharp knife to cut down the split part of the tail and open the lobster up like a book.
- Follow the link above to make the garlic butter sauce then baste the lobster meat.
- Place the lobster tails, flesh side down onto the hot grill.
- Grill for 2 to 5 minutes (depending on the size of the lobster tails).
- Flip the lobster tails over and grill for another 3 to 5 minutes.
- When they are finished cooking, the meat will turn from opaque to white. If you have an instant read thermometer the internal temperature should be 135°F.
- While the lobster tails are grilling, slice 1 or 2 lemons in half and stick them on the grill, cut side down. The lemons will only need to grill for 5 minutes.
- Serve the grilled lemons with the lobster tails and extra garlic butter sauce.
Notes
- If you know how much your lobster weighs then you can set a timer when you cook the lobster. Lobster tails need to cook for about 1-1/2 to 2 minutes per ounce.
- If you don't know how much your lobster tails weigh then pay attention to the color of the meat. The lobster meat will be opaque when raw and turn white when it is finished cooking.
- Don't leave the lobsters on the grill too long or the meat will get tough and chewy.
