Baking Lobster Tails

Since most of the meat from a lobster is in its tail, baking lobster tails can often be the most cost effective way to serve your favorite crustacean.

And, much easier. After all...

...you won't need to wrestle with digging the meat out of the claws, what to do with the tomalley, or the thought of how to kill a lobster!

When buying lobster tails, you may have a choice...

...cold water lobster tails or warm water lobster tails. Regardless of which you choose, they will likely be frozen, and your first step in baking lobster tails will be to make sure they are properly thawed.

Cooking Frozen Lobster Tail

When cooking frozen lobster tail, plan ahead. Twenty-four hours in advance of baking lobster tails move them from the freezer to your refrigerator, keeping them in their unopened packaging.

To promote quicker thawing...

Put the lobster tails (still in their unopened package) into a pan of cold water. Place the pan under the faucet and let cold water continually run into it. You will be able to tell by touch when the thawing process has started. As the tails thaw further place them in the refrigerator, either still in the pan of water, or separate.

Using the Defrost setting you can thaw lobster tails in a microwave oven. BUT, be careful they don't begin to cook.

Baked Lobster Tails

My recommendation when learning how to cook lobster tail is to keep it simple. Although baking lobster tails is very easy, many people are intimidated by the process. If you are one of these people...

...mastering easy lobster tail recipes, such as these, will give you the courage you need to experiment with others.

1. Lay your lobster tail on a cutting board, with the underside (the soft shell side) facing up.
2. With kitchen scissors cut a slit in the soft shell lengthwise down the center, leaving the hard shell on the backside of the lobster intact. Be careful not to cut into the lobster meat.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
4. Place the lobster tail on a baking sheet with the hard shell facing down. Lightly baste with butter.
5. Bake for 15 minutes and then remove from the oven.
6. Serve hot with melted butter, or clarified butter, and lemon wedges.

Or, for a more elegant presentation...

1. Lay your lobster tail on a cutting board, with its back (the hard shell side) facing up.
2. With kitchen scissors cut a slit in the hard shell lengthwise down the center, leaving the soft shell on the underside of the lobster intact. Be careful not to cut into the lobster meat.
3. Use your fingers, or a small knife, to gently loosen the lobster meat from the shell.
4. Leave the meat by the tail intact and lift the remaining meat out through the slit. Rest the meat on top of the shell.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Place the lobster tail on a baking sheet with the hard shell facing down. Lightly baste with butter.
7. Bake for 15 minutes and then remove from the oven.
8. Serve hot with melted butter, or clarified butter, and lemon wedges.

Tip on how to cook lobster tail: When baking lobster tails you may want to wrap them in well sealed aluminum foil. This is often recommended to preserve the moisture in larger tails that require longer cooking times.

Accompany your baked lobster tail with a salad, corn on the cob, garlic bread, a baked potato, or any other side dish that will not overpower the delicate, sweet taste of the lobster meat.

You may also be interested in:
Grilled Lobster Tails, How to Cook Lobster Tail, Types of Lobster Tails