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Ever wondered how to cook lobster tails right on the stove? Our Buttered Lobster Tails are the answer. With a rich combination of lemon, garlic, butter, and oil, this lobster tail recipe delivers tender, juicy results in just minutes.
Forget boiling or steaming—searing lobster tail in butter brings out a deep, irresistible flavor that’s hard to match. Much like our fan-favorite Shrimp Scampi, this method adds bold, golden flavor to your favorite lobster tail dishes. Now you can enjoy restaurant-quality seafood at home!
What Makes Our Buttered Lobster Tail Recipe Work?
What makes our Buttered Lobster Tail recipe stand out is its simplicity and bold flavor. Instead of boiling away the taste, we sear the lobster tails in a hot skillet with butter, garlic, and a splash of lemon juice—locking in moisture and adding a golden, caramelized finish. This method brings out the natural sweetness of the meat, making it one of the most satisfying lobster tail dishes you can make at home. If you’ve ever wondered how to cook lobster tails for maximum flavor, this is the technique to try.
What Goes Into This Recipe?
With just a handful of simple ingredients, these Buttered Lobster Tails come together quickly for an impressive and flavorful seafood dish. Each component brings something special to the pan—from richness to brightness to a hint of heat.
A few key ingredients to highlight:
- Lobster tails – The star of the show, delivering sweet, tender meat that sears beautifully.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter for richness and that signature golden sear.
- Garlic and lemon juice – A fresh and aromatic combo that balances the richness perfectly.
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for full list of ingredients with measurements.
How To Make Buttered Lobster Tail
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- Prep Lobster Tails: If using frozen lobster tails, thaw them in a pot of cold water. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Using kitchen shears, cut down the top shell to the tail, leaving the fan intact. Loosen the meat from the shell and lift it slightly, keeping the base attached.
- Season and Sear: Season the lobster tails generously with salt and cracked pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter with the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and place the lobster tails flesh-side down. Sear for 2 minutes until the edges are golden.
- Cook Through: Flip the tails, cover the skillet, and cook for another 1–2 minutes until the shells turn pink and the meat is opaque. If needed, rotate the tails in the pan juices to help the shells cook evenly.
- Add Garlic Butter: Melt the remaining butter, add garlic and sauté until fragrant. Stir in the lemon juice, then spoon the pan juices over the lobster. Remove from heat, garnish with parsley, and serve with lemon slices.
Buttered Lobster Tails pair wonderfully with a variety of comforting and flavorful sides. For a cozy, satisfying meal, serve them alongside a warm bowl of Instant Pot Pasta e Fagioli—its rich tomato broth and tender beans add heartiness that complements the delicate lobster meat. For something a little more elevated, Scalloped Portobello Mushrooms bring a savory, cheesy depth that enhances the buttery garlic flavors. And for a touch of sweetness and texture, Corn Casserole rounds out the plate with its creamy, golden goodness. Together, these dishes create a well-balanced, impressive spread that’s perfect for any special occasion.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes, just be sure to thaw them completely before cooking. Place the tails in a bowl of cold water for about 30 minutes, then pat them dry with paper towels before preparing.
A heavy-bottomed skillet or cast iron pan works best for a good sear. It helps evenly distribute heat and caramelize the butter and garlic beautifully.
The shells will turn bright pink and the meat will go from translucent to opaque. Be careful not to overcook—it only takes 4 to 5 minutes total on the stove.
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Butter Seared Lobster Tails
Ingredients
- 4 lobster tails
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 pinch cracked pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter divided
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh, adjust to your taste
- 4 cloves garlic large, crushed
- 3 lemon slices to serve
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped to garnish
Instructions
- Thaw out lobster tails, if frozen, in a pot of cold water for 30 minutes or more, until fully thawed. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels.
- Using sharp kitchen shears, cut the top shell down the centre of the back to the end of the tail, leaving tail fan intact. Remove vein or shell shards, if any. Run your finger between the meat and the shell to loosen it. Spread the meat slightly open. Pull and lift the lobster meat off of the bottom of the shell, being careful not to pull the tail out completely.
- Season lobster tails generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons butter and oil in a pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and sear lobster, flesh side down on the pan, for 2 minutes until edges are crisp and golden.
- Flip all tails, cover pan and let cook for a further 1-2 minutes, or until shells are pink and meat has just cooked through (opaque) — be careful not to overcook!(TIP: If shells have not completely changed colour, simply use tongs to rotate the lobster in the hot pan juices until shells have changed colour.)
- Melt the remaining butter in the centre of the pan; sauté the garlic until fragrant (about 1 minute). Squeeze in remaining lemon juice and spoon pan juices over the lobster meat.
- Take off heat immediately and garnish with parsleyServe with remaining pan sauce and lemon slices.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The family loved it and it’s easy to make. We serve s it up on a spaghetti recipe that includes white wine and sun dried tomatoes. It’s was beautiful.
Made this tonight as part of ‘surf and Turf’.. was so yum!!!
Outstanding idea. Just got done with butter seared lobster on sweet potato mash with mushrooms, asparagus and garlic. Rock on!
Thank you!
I just cooked 6 smaller lobster tails in my large sauce pan and it came out amazing!!! Followed everything to accept I added a little pizazz and butter basted the tails while cooking each side. So good thanks for the hot tips!!!!
Hi Josef, I’m thrilled to hear that the lobster tails turned out amazing for you! Adding a little pizazz with butter basting sounds like a delicious touch. Thank you for trying the recipe and for sharing your hot tips! If you ever explore more recipes or have questions, feel free to reach out. Happy cooking!
The lobster recipe looks wonderful, can’t wait to try it.
Excellent recipe! I will use it again will share it with others.
Thank you
Ron Lavarnway
Thank you for this recipe! I made this tonight and it turned out fantastic. I like to buy lobster tails occasionally when they are on sale and this will be my new go to for how to prepare them. So delicious! I really appreciated the tips you gave so they are not overcooked, something I have done at times in the past. Tonight it was perfect! Loosening them from the shell before cooking worked so well and made it so much easier to get the meat out after they were cooked without any of it sticking to the shell.
I’m making this for my husband right now just to show him how much I appreciate him wish me luck
How did it turn out?
What a wonderful idea for lobster tails as they can so easily overcook and become tough. Thanks for your recipe, I will try this next time I see lobster tails for sale.
Very good : ) first time making lobster tails, shells were very brittle and left tiny bits of shell on the flesh when I cut them so I ended up rinsing them about thee times. (absolutely hate grit in my food) My tails were soooo tiny, about 3.5 ounces each so of course I over cooked them, however, I enjoyed the flavor of your recipe as well as many other recipes on your site. Thank you for all your hard work ; ) you do what I do, research a bunch of recipes for the same dish, compare & create, rock on honey! : )
Love this recipe but recommend using medium heat instead of medium high. Also recommend adding lemon juice after pan has cooked a bit with burner is turned off to prevent oil from splattering.