Smoked Lobster Tails With Garlic Butter (Printable)
Tender smoked lobster tails with aromatic garlic butter—an elegant dish perfect for celebrating special moments.
# What You Need:
→ Seafood
01 - 4 lobster tails (about 6 oz each), thawed if frozen
→ Garlic Butter
02 - 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
03 - 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
04 - 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
05 - 1 tsp lemon zest
06 - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
07 - ½ tsp smoked paprika
08 - ½ tsp kosher salt
09 - ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
→ Garnish (optional)
10 - Lemon wedges
11 - Extra parsley, chopped
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat your smoker to 225°F using mild wood chips such as apple or cherry.
02 - With kitchen scissors, cut down the center of the top shell of each lobster tail, stopping at the tail fin. Gently pry the shell open and lift the meat, resting it on top of the shell.
03 - In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to create the garlic butter.
04 - Brush each lobster tail generously with the garlic butter mixture, reserving some for basting and serving.
05 - Place the prepared lobster tails directly on the smoker grates, meat side up.
06 - Smoke for 40–45 minutes, or until the lobster meat is opaque and reaches an internal temperature of 140–145°F. Baste with more garlic butter halfway through cooking.
07 - Remove from the smoker and drizzle with any remaining garlic butter. Garnish with lemon wedges and extra parsley if desired. Serve immediately.
# Helpful Tips:
01 -
- The smoker does most of the work while you look like a culinary genius
- That garlic butter alone is worth keeping in your back pocket for everything else
02 -
- Overcooking lobster is heartbreaking, use that thermometer religiously and pull them at 145°F
- The butter mixture can burn if your smoker runs hot, so keep that temperature steady at 225°F
03 -
- Butterfly the tails completely flat for more surface area and better smoke penetration
- Let the garlic butter sit for 10 minutes before brushing to let flavors meld