This Butter Poached Lobster Tail recipe is a restaurant-quality lobster tail recipe! It produces tender lobster every time with very little effort! Perfect for a special occasion.

If I’ve ever made you this butter poached lobster recipe, know that I love you very much! This is one of my most prized recipes. I love to make this luxurious dish for special occasions, holiday dinners, or date nights at home.

It’s exactly the recipe you need for that upcoming date night or Valentine’s Day! Impressive, but not hard to make. We love that, right?

a photo of butter poached lobster tail with a salad

Once I tried butter poaching lobster tails, I won’t use another method! There are so many different ways to cook lobster tails. I’ve even seen recipes for air fryer lobster tails!

I stick with butter poaching because lobster is expensive and easy to overcook. So, I want to get it right! It only takes 30 seconds to take a lobster tail from perfect to overcooked! This is especially true when you’re cooking with high heat, like on a grill or under a broiler!

a photo of lobster in a butter bath

I love poaching a tender lobster tail in a butter bath because it’s so forgiving! This method gives you JUICY lobster tails, every single time. It’s one of my favorite lobster recipes because it is very difficult to overcook the tails. No stress!

a butter bath prepared for lobster tails

If you’re a landlocked Midwesterner like me, it’s fine to buy your Maine lobsters at the grocery store. I prefer to buy them frozen, then thaw them myself. If you’re a lucky coastal dwellers, check out your local fish market!

” I tried this recipe last night. I added juice from one lemon to the butter/water and a bit of “garlic wine butter spice” to the butter/water as well while it was heating up. I didn’t use the sticks. What a fantastic recipe…and I couldn’t believe how easy it was. I did make sure I used a digital thermometer.

Michele
an overhead photo of four cooked lobster tails on a bed of lettuce

Recipe Additions:

Make sure you use high quality butter for this easy lobster recipe! I’ve kept the recipe simple, but here are some suggestions to enhance the butter bath!

  • Add a splash of white wine
  • Add fresh herbs (I like rosemary and thyme)
  • Add a clove of chopped garlic
  • A squeeze of lemon juice
  • A pinch of red pepper flakes to the butter broth for a bit of heat
a photo of uncooked lobster tails on a plate

Best Side Dishes for Delicious Lobster Tails

This easy recipe is the perfect main course. I recommend pairing the sweet flavor of the lobster meat with simple sides, like:

For me, the perfect dinner combines the buttery, sweet meat of the lobster with a crisp green salad. And, a nice glass of dry white wine! I like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio with this lobster recipe.

Ways to use Leftover Lobster Meat (and Shells):

  • Save the shells and simmer them in water for 1-2 hours to make lobster stock.
  • Then, use the seafood stock to make lobster risotto or lobster bisque. Add bits of leftover lobster meat if you have it!
  • Add to lobster mac and cheese
  • Make a lobster salad for some tasty Maine Lobster Rolls
  • Use in lobster tacos!
a photo of lobster in a butter bath

Perfect Butter Poached Lobster Tail

This Butter Poached Lobster Tail recipe is a decadent, fun cooking method that produces perfectly tender lobster every time! 

4.70 from 109 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Total Time: 26 minutes
Calories: 935kcal
Author: Michelle Goth

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 pound of butter salted
  • 4 lobster tails 4-6 ounces each
  • optional juice of 1/2 lemon

Instructions

  • Prepare the lobster tails: Shuck the lobster tails. Using kitchen shears, cut up the middle of the inside of the tail. Then, gently pry the meat from the shell with your fingers. This is slow work, so allow for enough time to get it done without compromising the lobster meat. 
  • Skewer the lobster tails (optional): To keep the lobster from curling up, put it on a wooden or metal skewer. If your wooden skewer is too long, you can shorten it by breaking or cutting it to fit in your pot.
  • Prepare the butter bath: To a large stockpot or Dutch oven, add water and heat over medium for about 1 minute.
  • Reduce heat to low and add butter, whisking constantly. Do not allow the butter and water mixture to come to a boil.
  • Poach the lobster: Add the lobster tails to the butter bath and cook over low heat. Spoon butter over the top of the tails every 30 seconds. Cook for 6 minutes total (3 minutes on each side) flipping the tail in the middle of the cook time. Depending on the size of your pot, you may need to cook the tails in two batches.
  • Remove lobster tails from the pot when they hit 140 degrees Fahrenheit. I prefer to use an instant read thermometer for this.
  • Serve warm.

Video

Notes

The nutrition information is auto calculated on this recipe, and it is too high. Most of the butter will be leftover and not consumed.
Save the lobster shells! They make a wonderful homemade stock that you can then use to make a delicious lobster bisque.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 935kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 94g | Saturated Fat: 59g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 28g | Trans Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 320mg | Sodium: 922mg
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