Grilled Lobster Tails with Beer Butter might just be the most freakin’ delicious way to celebrate summer. Fresh lobster tails with a tangy beer butter sauce are just what you’re crew will love on a scorching hot day.
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This grilled lobster tail recipe is impressive without being too fussy. Although I can’t say it won’t be messy with the spicy garlic herb butter dripping down your fingers if you dive right in without cutlery. This is undoubtedly the perfect meal for special occasions, enjoyed around the fire pit with friends, cold beers in hand, and soaking up every second of summer.
This tasty summer recipe showcases my favorite beer, the Samuel Adams Summer Ale. If you’ve never tried it, don’t wait. It’s a seasonal wheat ale with the perfect balance of citrus notes to wash down the grilled, melt-in-your-mouth lobster.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love the Grilled Lobster Tails with Beer Butter
- Lobster Recipe Ingredients Round-Up
- ProTip for Cooking with Lobster
- Most Anticipated Grill of 2025
- How to Make Grilled Lobster Tails with Beer Butter
- What to Serve with Grilled Lobster Tails with Beer Butter
- Leftovers & Reheating Instructions
- More Lobster Tail
- FAQs for Grilled Lobster Tails
- Grilled Lobster Tails with Beer Butter Recipe
Why You’ll Love the Grilled Lobster Tails with Beer Butter
This is that backyard magic. You’re not messing with a live lobster or making anything complicated. Just grab a few whole lobster tails, fire up the grill, and get ready for something that tastes like a vacation in your own backyard. The flavor of the fire hits the lobster meat just right—smoky, sweet, and also tender.
Then comes the beer butter, which turns this into a full-on flavor explosion. It’s packed with garlic, fresh herbs, a little heat from cayenne and red chili flakes, and then finished with a splash of lemon juice to brighten it up. Add a cold Sam Adams to the mix, and it’s the perfect dinner for warm nights and good company.
If you’re looking for more epic lobster tail recipes, check out this post for a complete round-up: Best Lobster Tail Recipes.
Lobster Recipe Ingredients Round-Up
- Lobster — Whole lobster tails, kosher salt, garlic powder, black pepper, canola oil
- Beer Butter — For the cowboy butter with beer, you’ll need some unsalted butter, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, chopped parsley, red chili flakes, cayenne powder, and then some Sam Adams Summer Ale.
Now that you know the fresh, simple ingredients to pick up at the grocery store (or get delivery!), let’s get to it.
ProTip for Cooking with Lobster
Always start with room temperature lobster tails for even cooking. Cold meat right from the fridge will seize up on the grill on medium heat. Also, don’t walk away—lobster cooks fast. Stay close, baste often, and have your beer ready to toast when those tails hit the plate.
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Most Anticipated Grill of 2025
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How to Make Grilled Lobster Tails with Beer Butter
Start by letting your raw lobster tails sit out until they hit room temperature. This helps them cook evenly over flame. Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut down the top of the shell from the base to the tail fin, cutting into the tail meat but not all the way through. Flip and slice the bottom of the shell, too, so you can fully open it up like a book and expose the meat.
Season
Brush a little canola oil (or olive oil) over the exposed meat. Then season generously with kosher salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Keep it simple and bold. That’s how lobster likes it.
Make the Beer Butter
In a small bowl, combine your melted butter, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, chopped parsley, red chili flakes, cayenne, and the beer. Stir until smooth. This is your liquid gold—for basting and dipping. Note: I added a hot coal to my butter to make it a smoked butter. This is optional, but I dig the smoky flavor.
Grill the Lobster
To cook the Grilled Lobster Tails with Beer Butter, let’s preheat your grill to medium-high heat, around 400F. Place your lobster tails meat side down on the grill grates. Cook for 2–3 minutes, just until the meat turns white and the lobster shells turn bright red.
Then flip and baste with the butter mixture, letting that flavor soak in as you finish them off for another 1–2 minutes. Use a thermometer if needed—the internal temp should hit 145F for perfect, juicy lobster.
Serve It Up
Pull the grilled lobster tails off the grill, plate them hot, and pour some extra beer butter into a dipping bowl. Hit it all with a few lemon wedges on the side, crack open a Sam Adams Summer Ale, and you’re golden. Cheers!
What to Serve with Grilled Lobster Tails with Beer Butter
You don’t need much to make this meal shine, besides the cold Samuel Adams beer. That said, a few good sides can take it over the top. Crispy fries are always a hit, especially when they soak up that extra beer butter. A light summer salad with a tangy lemon juice vinaigrette brings some needed brightness to balance the richness of the lobster.
If you’ve got a crusty bread loaf lying around, throw it on the grill for a minute or two—then use it to mop up every last drop of melted butter. Grilled vegetables like asparagus or charred corn are also great options. And if you’re like me and want some extra heat, don’t be shy with a splash of hot sauce on the side.
Leftovers & Reheating Instructions
If you’re lucky enough to have leftover Grilled Lobster Tails with Beer Butter, don’t let them go to waste. Let the lobster cool completely, then remove the meat from the shell and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
To reheat, toss gently in a cast iron skillet with a little leftover beer butter, or steam it with a splash of water over low heat. Skip the microwave—this isn’t the time to dry out your hard-earned lobster. And for those tracking macros or on a calorie diet, lobster is a lean, clean protein—just go easy on the butter… or don’t. You do you.
More Lobster Tail
FAQs for Grilled Lobster Tails
Yes, but make sure to fully thaw them first. Let them sit in the fridge overnight or in cold water for a few hours. Cooking frozen lobster straight on the grill will lead to uneven results.
Use sharp kitchen shears or a sturdy knife. Cut down the top of the shell to the tail fin, then cut into the tail meat without slicing all the way through. Open it up like a book for grilling.
Watch the color. The meat should be opaque white, and the shells bright red. The internal temp should read 145F. Usually, this takes about 2–3 minutes per side on high heat.
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Grilled Lobster Tails with Beer Butter
Ingredients
Lobster Ingredients:
- 3-4 Whole Lobster Tails
- ½ tbsp of Kosher Salt
- ½ tbsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tbsp of Black Pepper
- Canola Oil as needed
Beer Butter:
- 2 sticks Unsalted Butter melted
- 2 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 1.5 tbsp Chopped Parsley
- 2 tsp Red Chili Flakes
- 1 tsp Cayenne Powder
- 1 splash Sam Adams Summer Ale
Instructions
- Using a knife, carefully cut lengthwise down the shell of the lobster tail. Cut until you reach the tail/fin.
- Open the lobster tails up and cut the meat of the tails along the same line as the shell. Cut the spine on the bottom as well as the same line as the meat and shell. Open the lobster tails up to show the meat.
- Slather with oil and season with salt, garlic powder and black pepper.
- Add all your ingredients for the butter sauce to a bowl and mix thoroughly. Set to the side.
- Preheat your grill to a medium high heat (around 400F).
- Add the lobster tail flesh side down to the grill and cook for about 2-3 minutes or until the meat goes from translucent to white and the sheel begins to turn red. Flip the lobster tails and begin to baste using the sauce. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or once the meat reads 145F internal.
- Pull off and serve with the butter sauce for dipping and enjoy!
