Smoked Lobster Tail

How to Butterfly Smoked Lobster Tail

The most complex part of this recipe is butterflying the tails, but I promise you it’s super easy once you’ve done it a time or two. Here’s what you do:

1. Use kitchen shears or sharp scissors to cut down the top of the tail. Slit the shell down the lobster back until you reach the tail fin.
2. Then loosen the lobster meat with your hands and pull it up over the shell. Do this part carefully – you want to leave the meat attached to the shell, but just barely. I leave the part closest to the tail fin attached and loosen up the rest to pull through the shell for maximum seasoning and flavor potential. 💯

Recipe Ingredients

1. Lobster Tails – Go with smaller tails if you can find them. Lobster tails between 4-6 ounces in size tend to have better flavor. The sweet notes are stronger and have less of a fishy taste too.  
2. Butter – Because honestly, it should be illegal to consume lobster without a good slather of butter. 🧈
3. Garlic – Another must-have for lobster tails, freshly minced, aromatic garlic makes a beautifully flavored butter sauce to douse the tails with.
4. Lemon Juice – The acidic citrus flavor contrasts with the sweet lobster meat and pairs beautifully with the butter and garlic. 🍋
5. Seasonings – Amp up the flavor with paprika, cayenne, pepper flakes, fresh thyme, and parsley.

How to Smoke Lobster Tails

Prepare the Butter Sauce

1. Heat a small cast iron pan, then add butter, oil, garlic, lemon juice, paprika, minced thyme, pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. (Photo 1)
2. Stir it for about 30 seconds until the butter melts. (Photo 3)
3. Add the parsley and set aside.

Prepare the Lobster Meat

4. Using kitchen shears or scissors, cut the top of the lobster shell lengthwise down the center up to (but not through) the tail. (Photo 5)
5. Give the meat a quick rinse and remove any grit or dirt, if necessary.
6. Flip the lobster tail over and gently press down on the ribs or belly to help release the meat.  
7. Flip the tails back over and carefully open the shell. Slide your fingers under the lobster meat and gently loosen the tail; lift the meat and lay it over the shell. (Photo 6)
8. Brush the lobster meat with the butter/garlic mixture, making sure all parts are covered with the glorious sauce. (Photo 7)

Smoke the Lobster Tails

9. Once your smoker has preheated, place the lobster tails on the grate, meat side up. (Photo 8)
10. Smoke for 45 minutes or more, depending on the lobster tail’s size.
11. Consider them done when the tail meat turns from translucent to white (or the internal temperature reads 145°F/63°C).
12. Remove and serve immediately with the leftover garlic mixture.

Recipe Variations

• Customize the seasonings to your liking. I love my butter garlic sauce with a kick of heat, but if you aren’t into spicy foods, you can omit the cayenne and red pepper flakes or replace them with your herbs or spices of choice.
• Broiled lobster tail is absolutely decadent, and it only takes about a minute per ounce. Place the lobster tails 4-5 inches from the top oven rack and broil. When the meat becomes a beautiful opaque white color, they’re ready to go. Your instant-read thermometer in the center of the lobster will say 145℉/63℃. A small tail will take around 5-7 minutes, and a larger one may take up to 10 minutes. But start checking at 5 minutes because every oven is different.
• To bake lobster tail, lower the rack and the temperature to 350℉/177℃. Smaller ones may take 10 minutes or longer, and larger ones up to 30 minutes. Again, check the internal temperature (145℉/63℃) just to be sure.

Tips and Tricks

• Don’t overcook your lobster tails because it gets tough and rubbery. If you’re nervous about going by looks alone, check it with a meat thermometer close to the 45-minute mark. When it reaches 145°F/63°C, they’re done.
• For even cooking, fully thaw frozen lobsters before smoking them.
• Smoked lobster tails are great on their own, but feel free to use the smoked meat by incorporating it into other dishes, like lobster mac and cheese. Yum! 😋

Make-Ahead Instructions

If you’re eating whole tails, I highly recommend eating these bad boys fresh off the smoker. If you’re using them for other recipes, you can make it a couple of days ahead of time. Just keep the meat in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.

Serving and Storage

Serve freshly smoked lobster tail with a side of garlic butter and sprinkled with some fresh parsley to add a pop of flavor and color.

Store leftover lobstger in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-4 days. To reheat shelled lobster tail, wrap it in foil with a pat of butter and pop it in a 350°F/177°C oven for 5 or 10 minutes, until it’s heated through. You can also microwave lobster tail, but it gets a little tougher that way.

FAQs

What Goes with Smoked Lobster Tails

For true seafood fans, add smoked shrimp to the menu. You can make it an entirely smoked meal by adding a side of smoked asparagus and smoked baked potatoes too. 

If you’re craving tropical flavors to pair with these spicy lobster tails, add a side of Caribbean coleslaw and serve some refreshing sorrel drink. You could even do shrimp ceviche for a beautiful and tasty appetizer. 

More Incredible Smoker Recipes to Try

• Smoked Turkey Wings
• Meatloaf
• Flank Steak
• Pellet Grill Tri-Tip
• Smoked Ribeye Roast

Conclusion

Turn on the smoker and get ready to cook up something bougie. This beautifully smoked lobster tail is so easy and so impressive. Already made it? Let me know how much you loved it in the comment section below. 😊