Garlic Butter Lobster Tail
From the Oceanside kitchen · Lobster
Tender oven-baked lobster with garlic butter, lemon and a touch of paprika. This simple recipe is written for one 6–7 oz. lobster tail and is easy to scale for dinner.
Garlic Butter Lobster Tail
- Yield
- 1 lobster tail
- Prep
- 10 minutes
- Bake
- 10–14 minutes
- Oven
- 425°F
Prep time assumes the tail is already thawed. Multiply the ingredients by the number of tails you are cooking and arrange them in a single layer with space between them.
Ingredients
- 1 lobster tail (6–7 oz.), fully thawed
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika
- A pinch each of salt and black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley, optional
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat the oven. Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a small rimmed baking dish or baking sheet with foil. If starting with frozen lobster, thaw it in the refrigerator first, removing vacuum packaging before thawing.
- Butterfly the tail. Using kitchen shears, cut down the center of the top shell toward the tail fan, stopping before the fan. Gently loosen the meat from the shell while leaving it attached at the base. Lift the meat onto the shell and place the tail in the baking dish, meat-side up.
- Mix the garlic butter. Stir together the melted butter, garlic, lemon juice, paprika, salt and pepper. Brush the mixture over the exposed lobster meat.
- Bake. Bake a fully thawed 6–7 oz. tail for approximately 10–14 minutes. Start checking at 10 minutes; thickness and oven performance affect cooking time.
- Check for doneness. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the meat without touching the shell. Cook to 145°F. The meat should be pearly white and opaque. Use the temperature, rather than the timer alone, to decide when it is ready.
- Finish and serve. Sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve immediately with lemon wedges. Offer extra melted butter at the table if desired.
Baking times at 425°F
Use these times from our cooking guide as a starting point for fully thawed tails prepared with the meat lifted above the shell.
| Tail size | Approximate baking time |
|---|---|
| 4–5 oz. | 8–10 minutes |
| 6–7 oz. | 10–14 minutes |
| 8–10 oz. | 12–16 minutes |
| 12 oz. | 15–18 minutes |
What to serve alongside
Keep the sides simple: roasted asparagus or green beans, a crisp salad, and rice or roasted potatoes. Crusty bread is ideal for soaking up the lemon garlic butter.
Helpful questions
Can I cook two or more tails?
Yes. Use 1 tablespoon butter, ½ teaspoon garlic and ½ teaspoon lemon juice per tail. Leave space between the tails and check each one individually. The baking time does not automatically double.
Can I use a different size tail?
Yes. Use the timing chart as an initial guide and always check the meat with a thermometer. Larger tails may need more butter to coat the exposed meat.
