Baked Lobster Tails Recipe
These lobster tails have a nice, crispy outer layer and tender meat inside. This is a great dish to serve at your next gathering or family dinner. Baked lobster tails are the way to go.
This recipe is easy to make and will leave your guests satisfied. Serving the lobster tails in their shells is a great way to keep them warm while still allowing guests easy access to eat. This is a great dish to serve at your next gathering or family dinner. The best part about this dish is that it can be prepared ahead of time and served at room temperature.
This recipe serves 8-10 people. You can make it ahead of time and serve it at room temperature. The lobster tails can be baked up to a day in advance, but they should not be cooked more than 24 hours before serving. This dish goes well with rice pilaf or couscous and corn on the cob.
Baked Lobster Tail Ingredients
The ingredients are pretty simple: lobster tails and a few other spices. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Lobster tails (2 per person)
- Olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika for seasoning
- Lemon juice
- Heavy cream
Directions to cook baked lobster tails
Preheat oven to 450˚.
Use a chef’s knife to split the lobster tails in half lengthwise. (You can also ask your fishmonger to do this if you don’t want to mess around with sharp knives.)
Transfer the tails to a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil; season with salt, pepper and paprika. Toss until evenly coated.
Place seasoned tails on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet, cut side up (skin side down). Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the meat is opaque throughout but not yet browned along edges (or use your preferred method of cooking lobster!).
Preheat oven to 450˚.
Preheat oven to 450˚.
Why: Heating the oven up to this temperature helps ensure that your lobster tails will cook evenly and quickly, without drying them out.
How long: For most ovens, preheating should take about 15 minutes or less. Split the lobster tails in half lengthwise. Transfer the tails to a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil; season with salt, pepper and paprika. Toss to combine. Transfer the lobster tails to the prepared baking sheet, cut-side up. Bake until the lobster is cooked through and shells are bright red, 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the sauce: Add butter and shallot to a small saucepan; cook over medium-high heat until the butter is melted and shallot softens, 1-2 minutes. Add paprika and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Reduce heat to low and whisk in lemon juice and heavy cream until combined. Whisk in parsley and season with salt, pepper and additional lemon juice if desired. Set aside.
To serve: Place lobster tails on plates or serving platters; drizzle with sauce; garnish with parsley sprigs if desired. Serve immediately with additional lemon wedges for squeezing over lobster tail meat before eating (optional).
Serve lobster tails on a platter alongside sauce for dipping.
Serve lobster tails on a platter alongside sauce for dipping. You can use a chef’s knife to split each tail in half lengthwise, then drizzle with olive oil; season with salt and pepper, then dust lightly with paprika. Toss to combine and serve immediately. Alternatively, you can use a chef’s knife to split each tail in half lengthwise, then drizzle with olive oil; season with salt and pepper, then dust lightly with paprika. Toss to combine and serve immediately.
For a tropical twist, serve lobster tails with mango salsa on top. To make this sauce: Cut 1 ripe mango into small chunks; place in a medium-size bowl. Add 1/4 cup chopped red onion, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves and 1 tablespoon lime juice to the mango; mix well. Set aside until ready to serve lobster tails.
Tips and Tricks
Use a heavy saucepan or even cast iron skillet to brown the lobster tails. This will help them brown evenly and prevent sticking.
When you’re mixing up the sauce, don’t worry about getting it super smooth. It’s okay if there are some small chunks of butter in there as long as they melt when heated up.
Baked Lobster In The Oven
Baking the tails halves in their shells helps the meat absorb flavors from the seasonings and sauces, making them taste amazing. The sauce is easy to make and contains only five ingredients: butter, shallots, lemon juice and heavy cream. It’s a great way to get more flavor into this dish without adding too many calories or fat! The lobster tails are delicious on their own, but the sauce takes them to another level.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.
