How to Broil Lobster

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Broiled lobster is one of the most expensive dishes you can order at an upscale restaurant, yet it's quite simple to make on your own. Broiling fresh lobster results in succulent, tender meat that's delicious dipped in herb and butter sauce. See Step 1 to learn how to make and serve broiled lobster tails, whole lobster, and lobster thermidor.

Ingredients

Lobster tail, fresh or frozen, or whole lobster
Melted butter
Sea salt
Lemon juice

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Broiling Lobster Tails

1
Choose fresh or frozen tails. The easiest way to make broiled lobster is to pick up some lobster tails, either frozen or fresh, from the supermarket or your local fishmonger. Lobster tails are the meatiest part of the lobster. You can certainly broil the other parts, too, but if you're looking for an easier preparation experience, you can't go wrong with tails.
- If you choose fresh lobster tails, keep them refrigerated until use.
- If you buy frozen lobster tails, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before using. This will help ensure they cook evenly.
2
Preheat the broiler. Just before you're ready to broil the lobsters, preheat the broiler. If your broiler operates inside the main part of your oven, place the oven rack in the center of the oven to ensure even broiling.

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3
Wash the tails under cool water. Wipe them clean with a paper towel.
4
Cut a "window" out of the shells. Use a sharp pair of kitchen scissors to cut a rectangular window shaped-piece along the top curve of the lobster tails. This exposes the flesh so that it will cook thoroughly under the broiler. Don't remove the shell entirely: just cut away a section that's a few inches wide and runs the length of the lobster tail.
- You can use a knife to do the job if you don't have a pair of scissors. Try a serrated knife, which is less likely to slip on the slick lobster shell.
- If you prefer, you can simply make one cut along the length of the tail, then pull the shell halves apart with your hands to expose the flesh.
5
Prepare the butter marinade. Since lobster meat dries out pretty quickly when it cooks, it's usually broiled with flavored butter to keep it moist. The most important ingredient in the butter sauce is the butter, of course - and it can be flavored any way you like. To make a delicious basic butter sauce, mix the following ingredients together in a bowl:
- 1/4 cup melted butter per lobster tail
- 1 minced garlic clove per lobster tail
- Salt and pepper to taste
6
Dress the lobster tails. Place them flesh-side up in a small roasting pan that will catch all the drippings. Pour the butter sauce over the lobster tails, allowing it to pool inside the shells.
7
Broil the lobster tails. Put the baking pan under the broil and cook the lobster tails for 10-12 minutes. The lobster tails are ready when the flesh is opaque in the middle and the butter has browned. Remove them from the oven.
- If the flesh still looks a little translucent, the lobster tails aren't ready yet. Broil them for another 2-3 minutes and check again.
- Don't overcook the lobster - the meat could become a bit rubbery. Be sure to check after 10-12 minutes to see if the lobster is done.
- As a general rule, broiled lobster requires 1 minute per ounce of meat to cook properly.
8
Serve the lobster. Broiled lobster tails are delicious with extra butter sauce, a squirt of lemon juice and a sprinkling of fresh herbs such as dill or chives. Serve the lobster immediately after cooking for best results. The meat can be left inside the shell for presentation or may be taken out.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Broiling a Whole Lobster

1
Buy fresh lobster. Look for live lobsters tanks at the supermarket or buy them from your local fishmonger. Be sure to look inside the lobster tank for lobsters that look vibrant and healthy. Avoid lobsters that are too still or have holes or black marks on their shells.
2
Parboil the lobster. This is the recommended method for prepping a live lobster before you broil it. Boiling the lobster kills the fresh lobster quickly and ensures the meat gets thoroughly cooked, which is harder to do with broiling alone.^{[1]
X
Research source} To parboil the lobster, do the following:
- Fill a large pot three quarters full with water. Add 2 tablespoons of salt for each quart of water. Bring the water to a full, rolling boil.
- One at a time, plunge the live lobsters into the water headfirst. Cover the pot with a lid.
- The length of time you boil the lobsters differs according to how much they weigh. A one-pound lobster should cook for 3 1/2 minutes, a 2-pound lobster for 5 1/2 minutes, and a 3-pound lobster for 7 1/2 minutes.
- Submerge the parboiled lobster in an ice bath to stop the cooking.
3
Preheat the broiler. Just before you're ready to broil the lobsters, preheat the broiler. If your broiler operates inside the main part of your oven, place the oven rack in the center of the oven to ensure even broiling.
4
Split the lobster in half lengthwise. Use a sharp knife or a pair of kitchen shears to split it form the head to the tail. Remove the coral and tomalley, which look like greenish horseradish. These are the intestinal materials. While they're edible, they aren't pretty, so people often remove them for the sake of having a prettier presentation. Rinse the lobster to clean off the smaller bits.
- If you want to broil the claws as well, crack them so that the heat from the broiler can reach them more easily.
5
Dress the lobster with a butter marinade. Put the lobster flesh-side up in a roasting pan. In a bowl, mix together 1/4 cup of butter (per lobster) 1 clove of minced garlic per lobster, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the mixture over the lobster to keep the meat moist while it cooks.
6
Broil the lobster. Place the roasting pan under the broiler and cook it until the flesh is opaque and the butter has browned. Depending on the size of the lobster, it will take 10-12 minutes. Broiled lobster requires about 1 minute per ounce to cook properly. Remove it from the oven.
- If the meat starts to look dry while the lobster is broiling, dress it with more butter to keep it from overcooking.
- If the meat still looks translucent after 12 minutes, return it to the broiler for another 2-3 minutes.
7
Serve the lobster. Place the whole lobster on a plate to serve. Garnish it with lemon juice and a sprinkling of chipped dill, parsley or chives. Whole broiled lobster is usually served in the shell for a striking presentation.

Community Q&A

Question

Can I reheat lobster?

Michele

Top Answerer

Yes. It should be reheated as gently as possible. A microwave set at medium for a minute or two should be enough.