Smoked lobster tails sound fancy, but they are one of the quickest cooks you can do on a smoker. Butterflying the tails puts the meat on top, where it can soak up smoke and garlic butter. Plan on less than an hour from start to plate.
The recipe
Ingredients
- 4 lobster tails, 5–8 oz each, fully thawed
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or chives
- Smoking wood: alder, apple, cherry or pecan (chips, chunks or pellets)
Steps
- Thaw frozen tails overnight in the refrigerator, or seal them in a bag and set it in cold water for about 1 hour.
- Butterfly each tail: use kitchen shears to cut down the center of the top shell to the base of the tail fin. Gently spread the shell open, lift the meat up and rest it on top of the shell, leaving it attached at the tail.
- Set up your smoker for 225°F with alder, apple, cherry or pecan. Let the fire settle until the smoke runs thin and blue.
- Melt the butter with the garlic in a small pan over low heat for 2–3 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, smoked paprika and salt.
- Brush the lobster meat generously with the garlic butter. Divide the butter first: use half to brush and baste the tails, and keep the other half untouched for serving.
- Place the tails shell side down on the grate. Insert a probe into the thickest part of one tail.
- Smoke for 30–50 minutes, basting once or twice, until the meat is white and opaque and the thickest part reads 145°F.
- Sprinkle with parsley or chives and serve right away with the reserved garlic butter and lemon wedges.
Why this works
Lobster meat is lean and sweet, and it turns tough when it cooks too hot or too long. A low 225°F smoke cooks it gently and gives you time to baste. Butterflying the tail lets the smoke and butter reach the meat directly, and the shell underneath acts like a little pan that holds in the juices.
Best wood
Lobster has a delicate flavor, so use a light hand with smoke. Alder is the go-to for seafood. Apple and cherry are a little sweeter, and pecan adds a gentle nutty flavor. Stronger woods like mesquite can be too much. Our wood pairing chart lists more mild options.
How to tell it's done
Raw lobster meat is gray and see-through. Cooked meat is bright white with a little red on the outside, and it feels firm but still springy. The safe temperature for shellfish is 145°F. Lobster goes from perfect to rubbery fast, so check early with a good instant-read thermometer and pull it as soon as it hits 145°F.
Smaller tails cook faster. Try to buy tails that are about the same size so they finish together.
Make ahead / storage
Lobster is best eaten fresh. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and use within 2 days. Chop cold leftover meat into lobster rolls with a little mayo, lemon and celery.
Variations
- Cajun butter. Add 1 tsp of our Cajun rub to the melted butter.
- Surf and turf. Smoke the tails alongside a smoked tri-tip, adding the lobster near the end.
- Herb butter. Swap the paprika for chopped tarragon and a pinch of lemon zest.
Keep reading
The Best Fish for Smoking (and the Ones to Skip)
Which fish smoke best? Compare 18 fish by fat, flavor, best smoking style and wood, plus which lean fish to skip and how to smoke shellfish.
Beef Brisket Injection
A simple beef broth brisket injection that keeps the flat juicy, with how much to use per pound, where to inject and how to keep it safe.
Cajun Beef Jerky
Spicy Cajun beef jerky with a homemade Cajun rub, hot sauce and garlic, heated to the USDA 160°F before drying.