Broiled Lobster Tails with Garlic Butter
Butterflied lobster tails basted with lemony garlic butter and broiled on one pan with asparagus. It looks impressive and takes about 25 minutes.
Nutrition per serving
1 lobster tail + asparagus- Net carbs
- 3.4g
- Calories
- 300kcal
- Protein
- 22g
- Fat
- 22g
- Total carbs
- 6 g
- Fiber
- 2.6 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Surf & turf: Add a pan-seared steak to each plate for a steakhouse-style special-occasion dinner.
- Season the steaks with salt and pepper and let them sit 30 minutes at room temperature while you prep the lobster.
- Sear them in a smoking-hot cast-iron skillet with 1 tbsp oil 4–5 minutes per side, until well crusted and 145°F (63°C) in the center for medium. Rest 5 minutes while the lobster broils, then spoon a little of the reserved garlic butter over each steak.
Dairy-free with chimichurri: The tails are brushed with garlic-lemon olive oil and topped with a bright parsley-oregano chimichurri instead of butter.
- Warm the garlic in the olive oil instead of butter, add the lemon and seasoning, and set half aside. Brush the rest over the lobster for broiling.
- Stir all the parsley, the vinegar, oregano and a pinch of red pepper flakes into the reserved garlic oil to make the chimichurri, and spoon it over the cooked tails. See our chimichurri for a bigger batch.
- Lobster
- Garlic butter
- Asparagus
- Nice to have (optional)
- Lobster
- Garlic butter
- Asparagus
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
- Lobster
- Garlic butter
- Asparagus
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $56.77 for 4 servings ($14.19 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Position an oven rack so the tops of the tails will sit 5–6 inches (13–15 cm) below the broiler, and heat the broiler to high.
-
Butterfly the tails: with kitchen shears, cut straight down the center of the top shell to the base of the tail fan, without cutting the bottom shell. Gently spread the shell, slide a finger between the meat and shell to loosen it, then lift the meat up to rest on top of the shell, still attached at the tail. Make a shallow slit down the center of the meat.
-
Melt the butter with the garlic in a small saucepan over low heat for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant. Off the heat, stir in the lemon zest, juice, salt and pepper. Pour half into a small bowl for serving; use the rest for basting, so the dipping butter never touches the raw lobster.
-
Toss the asparagus with the olive oil and a pinch of salt and spread it on a sheet pan. Nestle the tails among the spears, brush the meat generously with the basting butter and dust with paprika.
-
Broil 7–9 minutes (about 1 minute per ounce of tail), basting once halfway, until the meat is opaque white, lightly browned on top and reads 145°F (63°C). If thin asparagus is done first, move it to a plate.
-
Sprinkle with parsley and serve with the reserved garlic butter for dipping and lemon wedges.
Tips for success
-
Thaw frozen tails overnight in the fridge, or seal them in a bag and submerge in cold water for 30–60 minutes. Cooking them partly frozen makes the meat tough. - Adjust the broiling time to the size: 4 oz (115 g) tails need about 5–6 minutes, 8 oz (225 g) tails 8–10. Overcooked lobster turns rubbery, so check early.
- The nutrition is calculated on the meat, which is about two-thirds of the tail’s weight in the shell. Save the shells for a quick seafood stock.
Nice to have, not needed
- Sturdy kitchen shears make butterflying the shells easy — a sharp knife works with care.
Storage & meal prep
- Keeps 2 days in the fridge
- Doesn’t freeze well
Reheat: Use the meat cold in a salad, or warm it gently in a little butter over low heat for 1–2 minutes.
Best eaten right away. Refrigerate leftover lobster meat up to 2 days and use it cold in a salad or warmed gently in butter.
Variations
2 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosSurf & turf
ProteinAdd a pan-seared steak to each plate for a steakhouse-style special-occasion dinner.
- + 4 filet or sirloin steaks (5 oz / 140 g each)
3.4 g net · 603 kcal · 50 g protein · 42 g fat · ≈$18.68 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
Dairy-free with chimichurri
DietThe tails are brushed with garlic-lemon olive oil and topped with a bright parsley-oregano chimichurri instead of butter.
- butter → extra-virgin olive oil
- + ¼ cup extra fresh parsley
- + 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- + 1 tsp dried oregano
3.5 g net · 270 kcal · 22 g protein · 18 g fat · ≈$14.38 per serving (+0.1 g net carbs vs the original)
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Pin this recipe to your keto board so it’s there when you plan next week.
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