Boiled Lobster Tails

Boiled Lobster Tails

By Kath Dedon

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I had never cooked lobster tails before last night. Maybe it’s because they are not a local seafood. We live in “crab land”. Dungeness crabs are bountiful in the Pacific Northwest, so they are the shellfish we most often enjoy. But this week I noticed that one of our upscale markets was featuring lobster tails for Valentine’s Day so I decided to make Boiled Lobster Tails as part of my “Surf and Turf” dinner for Bob.

Surfing the Internet, I found all kinds of ways to prepare them, including grilling, roasting, steaming, baking, and boiling. I found an excellent video about how to butterfly them. I found a site that gave several methods of cooking and it also recommended putting a skewer through the tails to keep them straight, regardless of your cooking method. In the end, I chose this simple method from Better Homes and Gardens for boiling the lobster tails. I figured it would give me the pure lobster flavor I wanted with no danger of drying out the meat.

I loved this simple preparation! The Boiled Lobster Tails, served with a grilled steak, green beans, and a salad made our Valentine’s Day dinner feel quite special. But there’s no reason you can’t make Surf and Turf any day of the year for your honey!

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Boiled Lobster Tails

(Adapted from a Better Homes and Gardens recipe)

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Serves 2

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2 lobster tails (5 – 8 ounces each)

1½ teaspoons salt

Melted butter (optional, for serving)

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2 for $12.98. Not bad!

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1. Bring 6 cups of water to boil in a 3-quart pot.

2. Run a wooden skewer through each lobster tail lengthwise to keep them straight.

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3. When the water is boiling, add 1½ teaspoons salt to the pot. Add the lobster tails and turn the heat down a bit so they are simmering. Simmer for 5 – 8 minutes (or 1 minute for each ounce of your lobster tails).

4. Drain for a minute or so in a colander. Then use scissors to cut the shells; spread them open with your fingers.

5. Serve with melted butter, if desired.

1. February 15, 2013 10:13 am

   What a lovely treat! I’ll wager this was a delicious meal. I would have loved to join you for dinner :-). Have a wonderful day. Blessings…Mary

2. February 15, 2013 5:50 pm

   Omg, you are making me wish I had lobster instead of the chicken I have in the oven for dinner, lol. That is a good price too, most of the times the are at least $10 each here. I love how you served them with a side of butter, the only way to go. I’m thinking next week I might have to go for it and get some lobster. I boiled them once and they came out great, I did them in the oven once and they were dry, but it could have been I left them in there too long. Have a great weekend.

   -Gina-

3. Bea permalinkJune 27, 2013 5:32 pm

   wow I live in New Brunswick and buy the tails for 2.99 each!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

4. Sue, Toronto permalinkJuly 20, 2013 3:42 pm

   Thanks Kath – Just purchased lobster tails without a clue how to cook them and wanted a no-fuss-easy-to-do recipe. Am just about to plop them in the boiling water!

5. Candace Weixel permalinkDecember 22, 2013 1:10 pm

   Do you thaw the lobster first prior to putting in water?

6. Andi permalinkDecember 24, 2013 6:26 pm

   Can someone please

   tell me if you cut the hard shell or the under side of the lobster tail.

7. Jean permalinkFebruary 11, 2014 2:41 pm

   I used your directions for cooking the lobster, then grilled a filet mignon, sliced it thin and added the tail, sliced and buttered, to fettucine with Alfredo sauce and just to be a tiny bit more outrageous, served allthat with some warm croissants. Totally decadent, especially since it is snowing outside and this became a new comfort food!

8. Michelle Kopacz permalinkFebruary 14, 2014 7:48 pm

   I was just Googling how to prepare lobster tails and came upon your blog, first. My 12 year old son and I plan to celebrate our Valentines Day with filet mignon, lobster tails, green beans and Caesar salad. No Joke!! Thank you!

9. February 22, 2014 6:14 pm

   Thank you! What great tips for such a wonderful meal!

10. March 26, 2014 2:11 pm

    Why don’t you you set up this site so that anyone can print out a particular recipe? Thanks

11. Suzanne permalinkMarch 31, 2014 1:05 pm

    Hi Carol, great idea with the wooden sticks. We are fixing these for the first time tonight.

12. April 20, 2014 10:31 pm

    Thanks a simple easy and tasty way to prepare lobster tails. It worked for me.

13. Dave permalinkFebruary 17, 2015 9:00 am

    Making Lobster Newburg tonight for my honey. For a change I will boil the tails, usually bake them. Thanks for the tip about the skewers. This is way too easy.

14. Brian Roy permalinkJune 14, 2015 1:58 pm

    Great tips. Boiling tails now. Thank you.

15. February 14, 2016 8:29 pm

    Thank you. This is perfect – love the 1-minute per ounce guideline. I have 6 oz tails and look forward to enjoying them a few minutes from now with great baked squash (zuchinni and yellow) and J rose champagne followed by chocolate dipped giant strawberries for dessert. ❤

16. January 24, 2020 6:38 am

    I loved your tip about the skewers. It makes the process so much easier! I just had a shipment of lobster come in (I have to order online), and these were the first thing I made. So fast and simple, but so delicious.