Grilled Lobster Tails

This recipe for grilled lobster tails is classy, elegant, and so simple. Bonus – this indulgent dish is ready in under 30 minutes.

How To Choose Lobster Tails

First, when choosing lobster tails, make sure that they’re frozen. Don’t purchase thawed lobster tails. And keep the lobster frozen until you’re ready to cook them. Once they are thawed, they need to be cooked right away.

Generally, there are two types of lobster tails available, warm water and cold water varieties.

The warm water varieties grow in the waters of Florida, the Caribbean, and Latin America. They tend to grow faster and are less expensive than their cold water counterparts. They’re readily available in most grocery stores. They do have a tendency to be less sweet and have a higher chance of getting mushy during cooking.

The cold water varieties come from North America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. They grow slower and therefore are more expensive. They tend to be less widely available in regular grocery stores. Some people, me included, think they have a slightly sweeter flavor.

Given the choice and the budget, I like the cold water varieties, however, I’ve also had great grilled warm water varieties. As a matter of fact, the variety used for this recipe is a warm water variety.

When choosing either warm or cold water varieties, make sure that the flesh isn’t discolored. No black or yellow spots. Also, if there is any graying – walk away. This is an indication that the lobster was dead before processing. Again, don’t purchase lobster tails that have been thawed.

How To Prepare Lobster Tails For Grilling

To thaw the lobster tails, place them in the refrigerator the night before you plan on grilling them. You can also thaw them by placing them in a resealable plastic bag and placing them in a sink full of cold water. Change the water every 15 minutes for 1 and 1/2 hours or until the tails are fully thawed. They should be pliable. You CANNOT thaw them in the microwave – please. ;)

Once thawed, pat them dry and then cut away the middle undershell with clean kitchen scissors, exposing the lobster meat to allow flavors to seep into it. Cutting this part away also helps make eating the lobster tails at the table a lot easier, and makes it easy to remove the tail meat in one piece. It also keeps the pretty red shell intact for presentation. (See video above.)

To ensure that the meat stays flat, run a wooden skewer through the meat lengthwise.

All that’s left to do is drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

How To Grill Lobster Tails

Fill a chimney starter with charcoal and light according the manufacture’s instructions. (Please don’t use starter fluid. This will leave a nasty chemical taste on your food.) You’ll know the coals are ready when the edges turn grey and ashy.

Pour the charcoal evenly over charcoal grate and put the cooking grate in place.

If you’re using a gas grill, set the heat to medium-high heat.

Preheat the grill for 10 minutes and then clean and oil the grates.

While the grill is heating, make the butter sauce by mixing together the melted butter, parsley, and lemon juice.

Place the lobster tails flesh side down on the grill gate and cook for 5 minutes. Turn them over and drizzle the melted butter mixture over the meat and cook an additional 3 – 4 minutes. The meat will be opaque and the shells will turn a bright orange. You can also use an instant read thermometer to test the internal temperature for doneness. It should read 140˚F when inserted into the thickest part of the tail meat.

What To Serve With Lobster Tails

This seafood dish is delicious served with grilled veggies like corn on the cob, a light salad, or if you looking for something more surf and turf, try a perfectly cooked steak.

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This post originally appeared in August 2020 and was revised and republished in May 2024.