Eight ingredients and thirty minutes, for two tails.
Lifting the meat onto the shell lets it bake evenly and brown on top, and the butter pools in the shell underneath.
Why This Recipe Works
- Cutting the shell and lifting the meat out exposes it to direct heat.
- Keeping it attached at the tail fan holds the meat in place as it cooks.
- Brushing generously with garlic butter bastes the meat as it bakes.
- A 425°F oven cooks the tails through in minutes without drying them.
- Paprika in the butter gives the golden colour on top.
Ingredient Notes
- Lobster tails
- Two, five to six ounces each. Tail size sets the bake time, between 10 and 14 minutes.
- Melted butter with grated garlic, parsley, chives and paprika
- Three tablespoons with two cloves, a tablespoon of each herb and a quarter teaspoon of paprika. Brushed on generously; the rest is served alongside.
- Lemon
- One, cut into wedges and served with the tails.
How to Make It
Oven to 425°F
Heat oven to 425°F.
Shells cut, meat loosened and lifted over the shell
Cut the top of each shell lengthwise, loosen the meat, and lift it over the shell while keeping it attached at the tail fan.
Garlic, herb and paprika butter brushed over the meat
Mix melted butter, garlic, parsley, chives, paprika and salt and brush generously over the exposed meat.
Baked ten to fourteen minutes until pearly-white and opaque
Bake 10 to 14 minutes, depending on tail size, until the lobster flesh is pearly-white and opaque.
Broiled no more than a minute, only if more colour is needed
If more surface color is needed, broil no more than 30 to 60 seconds while watching closely.
Served with lemon wedges and the rest of the butter
Serve with lemon wedges and the remaining garlic butter.
Four Moments That Decide a Lobster Tail
Lobster is expensive and unforgiving: a minute too long and it turns rubbery. The method is built around that - THE MAIN METHOD IS BAKING AT 425°F, WITH ONLY AN OPTIONAL VERY BRIEF BROILER FINISH. Each checkpoint below is a place where a tail goes right or wrong.
Butterflying
Is the meat lifted OVER the shell and still attached at the fan?
The TOP OF EACH SHELL CUT LENGTHWISE, THE MEAT LOOSENED AND LIFTED OVER THE SHELL WHILE KEEPING IT ATTACHED AT THE TAIL FAN. Piggybacked is the form this recipe uses. The meat perched on top cooks evenly and browns; still attached, it stays in place instead of sliding off.
Basting
Is the exposed meat brushed GENEROUSLY?
3 tbsp MELTED BUTTER mixed with 2 FINELY GRATED GARLIC CLOVES, 1 tbsp PARSLEY, 1 tbsp CHIVES, 1/4 tsp PAPRIKA and 1/4 tsp SALT, BRUSHED GENEROUSLY OVER THE EXPOSED MEAT. The butter bastes as it bakes and pools in the shell below; the paprika gives the golden top.
10 to 14 minutes at 425°F
Is the flesh PEARLY-WHITE AND OPAQUE?
BAKED 10 TO 14 MINUTES, DEPENDING ON TAIL SIZE, UNTIL THE LOBSTER FLESH IS PEARLY-WHITE AND OPAQUE. That is the doneness cue for shellfish, and the moment it arrives is the moment to take the tails out.
The broil - only if needed
Is it NO MORE THAN 30 TO 60 SECONDS, watched?
IF MORE SURFACE COLOR IS NEEDED, BROIL NO MORE THAN 30 TO 60 SECONDS WHILE WATCHING CLOSELY. The limit matters: AVOID EXTENDING THE BROIL AFTER DONENESS BECAUSE LOBSTER OVERCOOKS QUICKLY. Then SERVED WITH 1 LEMON CUT INTO WEDGES and the remaining garlic butter, with no starch or vegetable on the plate.
Success Tips
- Use kitchen shears to cut the shell — they're safer than a knife.
- Keep the meat attached at the tail fan so it stays perched on the shell.
- Pull the tails as soon as the flesh turns opaque; lobster toughens fast.
Serving Ideas
Two butterflied lobster tails with the meat baked golden over the red shell, basted in garlic-herb butter, scattered with parsley and chives, with lemon wedges and the remaining butter.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know lobster is cooked?
The flesh turns from translucent to pearly-white and opaque all the way through. That usually takes 10 to 14 minutes at 425°F depending on the size of the tails.
Should I broil the tails?
Only if the top needs more colour, and for no more than 30 to 60 seconds while you watch. Lobster overcooks quickly under a broiler.
What should go on the plate with it?
Lemon wedges and the leftover garlic butter. The recipe plate has no starch or vegetable.
