When people think of a fancy dinner, date night or the main course for a special occasion, they think of lobster. And those people may tell you that a whole lobster with melted butter is the perfect dinner, but we definitely don’t stop there. These lobster recipes — grilled, smoked, stuffed and more — take what you expect about lobster and kick it up a notch (or seven) to the most freakin’ delicious seafood platter you can think of.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love The Best Lobster recipes
- Tips for Sourcing Lobster
- What Should I Do with All These Lobster Shells?
- This sauce is FYR!
- How to Cook The Best Lobster Recipes
- My Favorite Lobster Recipes
- Grilled Lobster Recipes
- Smoked Lobster Recipes
- Stuffed Lobster Recipes
- Cast Iron Skillet Lobster Recipes
- What to Serve With The Best Lobster Recipes
- More Seafood!
- Leftovers and Reheating
- FAQs
- Flavor X Fire & FOOD X Fire
Why You’ll Love The Best Lobster recipes
Boiling lobster is the traditional way to cook it, but cooking it over fire brings out some epic flavors. Unlike boiling, grilling or smoking lobster concentrates the flavor. You also get that smoky flavor from the grill, which I know we all love. Finally, the dry heat makes the texture of the lobster meat a little chewier but still really tender. Sounds to me like a triple win for grilled lobster.
If you want to have the fanciest dinner out there, go surf and turf! Check them out in my roundup of the Best Surf and Turf Recipes.
Tips for Sourcing Lobster
If you want the best lobster dinner ever, you want live lobster. Maine is the U.S. lobster mecca, and there are plenty of places that will ship from New England anywhere in the country. If you can’t get fresh lobster tails, frozen is a great option, but make sure the tail meat is properly thawed before cooking.
What Should I Do with All These Lobster Shells?
Make a lobster stock! Because we don’t want to waste any of that great flavor, I like to throw the empty lobster shells into a pot with onion, celery, some thyme sprigs, kosher salt and enough water to cover. Then, simmer your lobster stock for about an hour. You can store the stock in airtight containers in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to a month. Once you’ve got lobster stock, you’re ready to add extra flavor to lobster bisque, lobster mac and so much more.
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This sauce is FYR!
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How to Cook The Best Lobster Recipes
- Grab Your Tools: A cutting board, a pair of sharp kitchen shears to break through the hard shell, and a small saucepan for melting butter are essential when you’re making any lobster tail recipe.
- Butterfly Lobster Tails: For even cooking and a beautiful presentation, butterfly your lobster tails by cutting down the top of the shell with a pair of kitchen shears and spreading the meat open.
- Season Generously: Lobster meat is sweet and delicate, so garlic, butter, black pepper, fresh parsley and fresh lemon juice can enhance its rich flavor. You can also experiment with some of my seasonings for an easy way to get complex flavor!
- Watch Your Temperature: Because lobster meat is delicate, you also don’t want to overcook it. You’ll know you’re done cooking lobster tails when the meat is opaque and firm. The recommended internal temperature of the lobster is 140 degrees F.
My Favorite Lobster Recipes
Here it is: a roundup of the best recipes for lobster. We’ve got grilled lobster, smoked lobster and stuffed lobster, and every method is so freakin’ delicious. Be sure to let me know your favorite in the comments!
Grilled Lobster Recipes
Cooking lobster tails and whole lobster over charcoal gives the sweet meat a deep and satisfying flavor. There’s a reason grilled lobsters are some of my most popular recipes! With its high heat, the grill cooks our lobster pretty quickly, so just be ready when it’s go time.
Grilled Lobster with Hot Honey Butter
Grilled Lobster Recipe
Grilled Lobster Tail Skewers
Grilled Lobster Tails with Honey Cajun Butter
Grilled Lobster Tail
Steak and Lobster in a Pizza Oven
Bison Ribeye and Lobster Tails
Lobster Skewers with Bang Bang Sauce
Coal Roasted Baja Lime Lobster
Dirty Lobster Tails with Hatch Chile Butter Sauce
Sriracha Butter Lobster Tails
Smoked Lobster Recipes
Smoking may take more patience than grilling, but it’s worth it every time. That smoky flavor is so freakin’ delicious. In fact, sometimes I think smoking is easier, because the lobster tails cook slower and it’s more difficult to overcook the meat. You’ve still got to keep an eye on the butterflied lobster tails though!
Smoked Lobster Tails with Esquites
Honey Cajun Smoked Lobster Tails
Smoked Lobster Tails with Spicy Garlic Butter
View Recipe
Smoked Lobster Tails
Wood Plank Lobster Tails
Stuffed Lobster Recipes
Stuffed lobster is many things: delicious, filling and fun. It’s also the best way to impress your guests, because stuffed lobster is easier than it looks!
Stuffed Lobster Tail with Garlic Butter
Bacon Stuffed Lobster Tails
Cast Iron Skillet Lobster Recipes
My cast iron skillet is a kitchen workhorse, so this is a tried-and-true method for the perfect dinner.
Stuffed Cajun Lobster Mac and Cheese
Parmesan Crusted Lobster Tails
What to Serve With The Best Lobster Recipes
Classic sides like garlic mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus or a simple garden salad go great with lobster’s tender meat. Hot jasmine rice and crusty bread are the easiest way to sop up a lemony sauce or a butter mixture too. Or, you could pretend you’re eating lobster rolls at your favorite clam shack and grab some potato chips and coleslaw! Whatever you do, don’t forget a glass of white wine, a cold beer or a refreshing cocktail to complete your insanely good meal.
More Seafood!
Leftovers and Reheating
Leftover lobster tails can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two days. To reheat, gently warm in the oven at medium heat — about 350°F — until heated through. Avoid the microwave, since it can make lobster tough and rubbery. You can also use leftover lobster meat in salads, sandwiches, lobster stew, or with hot cooked linguine in pasta dishes like lobster fra diavolo. Lobster mac and cheese, here I come.
FAQs
This video from the Marine Stewardship Council, which promotes sustainable seafood, is a great step-by-step tutorial. If you’re using live lobsters, it’s better to clean and season them sooner rather than later. The lobster’s nervous system won’t shut down immediately after cleaning and halving it. Placing the lobster halves in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes will help prevent you from cooking a lobster half that is still slightly twitching.
Because lobster tails get larger as the lobster gets older, bigger isn’t always better here. The meat of an older lobster is tougher and chewier, which isn’t ideal for our lobster recipes. I’d recommend buying tails in the 4-5 ounce range. That’s the sweet spot (pun intended) for the sweetest lobster meat.
Those icy, nutrient-rich waters of the North Atlantic provide the ideal environment for lobsters to grow slowly, which results in tender, sweet meat. Gotta love that cold water lobster!
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