High-ProteinLow-CalorieUnder 30 Minutes

Broiled Wild Cold Water Lobster Tails

Broiled wild cold water lobster tails drenched in garlic herb butter and broiled at 550°F until they hit 140°F. Juicy every time, with about 14 g of protein and 140 calories per tail.

Total30 min
Serves6 lobster tails
Calories137
Protein14g
↓ Jump to recipe
Close-up of broiled wild cold water lobster tails with golden garlic herb butter and fresh parsley on a white platter

These broiled wild cold water lobster tails are the easiest way to make a restaurant-style lobster dinner at home. You butterfly the tails, drench them in garlic herb butter and broil them at 550°F until they reach exactly 140°F. No guessing, no rubbery lobster, and each tail has about 14 grams of protein and 140 calories.

The recipe

Broiled Wild Cold Water Lobster Tails

Prep
15 min
Cook
10 min
Rest
5 min
Total
30 min
Serves
6 lobster tails
Colorful Recipes kitchen-tested
📌 Pin

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Place an oven rack in the middle position and set the broiler to 550°F.

  2. Stir the melted butter with the paprika, garlic herb seasoning, rosemary and parsley. Set a few spoonfuls aside for brushing after broiling.

  3. With kitchen shears, cut each tail through the top of the shell, straight down the center from the open end toward the tail fin. Cut only the shell, keeping the blade just under it so you don’t slice through the meat or the bottom shell, and stop just before the fin.

  4. Spread the cut shell apart with your thumbs. Slide your fingers between the meat and the shell to loosen it along the sides and underneath, leaving it attached at the tail fin. Lift the meat up and out, press the shell closed beneath it, and lay the meat on top of the shell.

  5. Set the tails on a broiler-safe sheet pan and season lightly with salt and pepper.

  6. Drench the lobster meat with the seasoned butter.

  7. Broil on the middle rack only, until the thickest part of the meat reaches 140°F, about . Go by the thermometer, not the clock.

  8. Rest the tails for . They will climb to 145°F as they rest.

  9. Brush with the reserved butter and serve.

Notes

  • Temperature is everything. Pull the tails at 140°F. They rise to 145°F while resting, which keeps the meat juicy instead of rubbery. If the thickest part hasn’t reached 145°F after resting, give it another minute under the broiler.
  • Middle rack only. At 550°F, a higher rack can scorch the butter and the tops before the center is done.
  • Timing depends on size. These tails were about 4.5 ounces each. Bigger tails take longer, so keep the thermometer in.
  • Frozen tails: thaw them completely before you start.

Equipment

  • Kitchen shears
  • Meat thermometer (a leave-in probe is easiest)
  • Broiler-safe sheet pan

Nutrition Facts

6 servings per recipe
Serving size1 lobster tail with garlic herb butter
Amount per servingCalories
137
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8.4g11%
Saturated Fat 5g25%
Cholesterol 130mg43%
Sodium 572mg25%
Total Carbohydrate 0.6g0%
Dietary Fiber 0.2g1%
Total Sugars 0g
Includes 0g Added Sugars0%
Protein 14.4g29%

* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Macro mix

  • 42% Protein 14.4g
  • 2% Carbs 0.6g
  • 56% Fat 8.4g

Protein score

10.5g protein per 100 calories

Protein powerhouse

Nutrition is an estimate per serving, calculated from USDA ingredient data and will vary with brands and portions. Optional items not included: black pepper (negligible). 1.75 lb (794 g) net weight includes the shell; about 65% is edible meat (516 g), counted using raw values. All of the butter is counted, including what stays on the pan, so the real numbers run a little lower. Salt counted as 1/4 tsp in total; garlic herb seasoning sodium varies by product. Use it as a guide, not medical advice.

Want more like this?

Pick what you're into and we'll send the good stuff. Free.

What do you want more of? (pick any)

No spam, ever. Unsubscribe anytime. We never sell or share your email.

Behind the recipe

The story, tips & photos

Close-up of broiled wild cold water lobster tails with golden garlic herb butter and fresh parsley on a white platter

Why wild cold water lobster tails?

Cold water tails are prized for their firm, sweet meat, and that’s exactly what you want under a hot broiler. For this recipe, we used 6 tails with a net weight of about 1.75 pounds in total. They need very little to shine: a light sprinkle of salt and pepper and a good amount of seasoned butter.

The garlic herb butter

Melt 1/4 cup of butter and stir in paprika, garlic herb seasoning, minced rosemary and very finely chopped parsley. Keep a few spoonfuls aside before you start, because brushing on fresh butter after broiling is the best part.

Butter, chopped parsley and a garlic herb, rosemary and paprika seasoning on a white plate for lobster tails

How to cut the shell and put the meat on top

This is the step that makes broiled lobster tails look like they came from a steakhouse, and it only takes a minute per tail once you’ve done one. Hold the tail with the hard, rounded top shell facing up. Then:

  1. Cut the top shell only. Starting at the open end, use kitchen shears to cut straight down the center of the shell toward the tail. Keep the lower blade just under the shell so it doesn’t slice through the meat.
  2. Stop before the fin. Leave the tail fin and the bottom shell whole. They hold everything together and make the tail stand up nicely on the platter.
Cutting a raw cold water lobster tail shell down the middle with kitchen shears to butterfly it
  1. Spread the shell. Press your thumbs into the cut and gently open it, like opening a book. It may crack a little along the way, and that’s fine.
  2. Loosen the meat. Slide your fingers between the meat and the shell, along both sides and underneath, until it comes free. Leave it attached at the tail fin.
  3. Lift and place. Pull the meat up and out through the opening, press the empty shell closed beneath it, and lay the meat on top of the shell.

With the meat sitting on top, the butter soaks right in and the broiler can brown it evenly. Pour on the butter only after the meat is in place.

How long to broil lobster tails, and the temperature that matters

Broil on the middle rack only, and go by temperature, not the clock. Tails this size take around 8 to 10 minutes, but every oven and every tail is different. Take them out when the thickest part of the meat reaches 140°F. As they rest for 5 minutes they climb to 145°F, which is where you want them: cooked through, tender and juicy.

Thermometer reading showing a lobster tail at its 140°F target internal temperature

A leave-in probe thermometer is the easiest way to do this, since it tells you the moment the tails are ready without opening the oven door.

What to serve with broiled lobster tails

Brush the tails with the reserved butter and bring them to the table right away. One tail is a light serving next to a salad or vegetables. Two tails make a filling high-protein dinner at about 29 grams of protein and 280 calories.

Broiled Wild Cold Water Lobster Tails: your questions answered

How do you broil lobster tails?

Butterfly the tails with kitchen shears, lift the meat on top of the shell and drench it in seasoned melted butter. Broil at 550°F on the middle rack until the thickest part reaches 140°F, then rest for 5 minutes.

How do you cut a lobster tail to put the meat on top?

Use kitchen shears to cut through the top shell, straight down the center from the open end to just before the tail fin, without cutting the bottom shell. Spread the shell, loosen the meat with your fingers while leaving it attached at the fin, lift it out, press the shell closed and lay the meat on top.

What internal temperature should lobster tails be?

Pull them from the broiler at 140°F. As they rest they climb to 145°F, the finished temperature you want. Measure in the thickest part of the meat.

How long does it take to broil lobster tails?

Tails of about 4.5 ounces usually take around 8 to 10 minutes on the middle rack, but ovens and tail sizes vary. A thermometer is the only reliable way to know, so go by 140°F rather than the clock.

What rack should I use to broil lobster tails?

The middle rack only. It gives the center time to cook through while the butter and the tops brown instead of burning.

What is the difference between cold water and warm water lobster tails?

Cold water tails come from lobsters caught in colder ocean waters and are prized for their firm, sweet meat. Warm water tails tend to be softer and milder in flavor.

How much protein is in a lobster tail?

Each of these tails has about 14 g of protein and 140 calories, including the garlic herb butter. Two tails make a filling high-protein dinner at about 29 g of protein and 280 calories.

Why is my lobster tail tough or rubbery?

It’s almost always overcooked. Lobster goes from tender to rubbery quickly, which is why this recipe stops at 140°F and lets the rest bring it up to 145°F.

Questions & comments

Leave a comment

No comments yet. Be the first to tell us how it turned out!

Made it? Leave a comment

Tap to rate (optional)

Comments are reviewed before they appear. Links aren't allowed (it keeps the spam away).

Keep cooking

You'll love these too

Browse all recipes
Golden salmon patties drizzled with sriracha mayo and garnished with fresh parsley
Low-Calorie

Salmon Patties

⏱ 15 min 186 cal 14g protein 1 comments
↓ Recipe
Colorful Recipes stamp, established 2012

The Colorful Crew newsletter

What do you want more of? (pick any)

No spam, ever. Unsubscribe anytime. We never sell or share your email.