Name: How to Clean and Prepare Lobster Tails
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: Kitchen Shears; 4 frozen Lobster Tails - (about 6 to 8-ounce each)

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How to Clean and Prepare Lobster Tails is easier to do than you may think. Cooking lobster tails in your kitchen may seem intimidating, but don’t let that uneasiness prevent you from trying a new skill. Once you master how to defrost, clean, and cut them, cooking the tails will be easy to execute. Today, we’ll show you how to properly clean frozen lobster tails with step-by-step instructions.

4 raw lobster tails sitting on a paper towel, draining.

Make these Lobster Tails Special…

Serving lobster tails for dinner on special occasions will always make an elegant presentation. With these easy steps, I will guide you through the process so you too can enjoy making them all year round.

There’s something very impressive, and even worth the extra bucks to serve lobster to the people you love.

You can serve lobster tails alone, with a side of melted butter for dipping, along with your favorite sides.

Or you can easily try our new recipe for lobster tails sauce to serve over spaghetti as we did here, (the recipe for Lobster Tails Sauce is included below).

How To Clean and Prepare LOBSTER TAILS?

Learning how to clean lobster tails is easier than you may think!

First, you should know, that there are different methods of cooking lobster tails:

Broiling, baking, and grilling: Any of these methods will brown both the meat and its shells.
Boiling them: When you boil tails in the water, it will cook them quickly but they will lose some of their flavor. However, here is a link on how to steam and boil “fresh whole” Lobsters with our recipe for Lobster Cobb Salad.
Sauteing lobster tails: When you saute them in a skillet, you will get the most depth of flavor from their shells. And we have a new recipe for you at the bottom of this post.
But first, let’s learn how to properly clean and prepare them!

How To Defrost and Thaw Frozen Lobster Tails?

1. First, remove lobster tails from the freezer and allow the package to slowly defrost overnight in the refrigerator. It’s easier to clean them once they are mostly thawed.

2. Then open the package and transfer them to a pot or bowl, place it into your kitchen sink, and run cold water over them, continuously for about 10 minutes to thaw thoroughly and to remove most of the iodine.

3. Keep them in cold water for about 20 to 30 minutes. Then discard the water and refill with running water again to give them a good rinse, and make sure they are no longer frozen.

4. Place them onto paper towels to drain.

How to Clean and Prepare Lobster Tails?

This is a simple process that is only done with a good pair of scissors. ***For your safety and protection, we recommend wearing gloves when cleaning lobster.*

Using a good pair of kitchen scissors works best for this recipe.
First, cut and remove ALL the attached fins on the sides and ends of their shells and discard them. NOTE: These little fins including the large one at the end of the tail are the smelly part of the lobster.

Steps to cutting lobster tails by 2sistersrecipes.com

Next, cut the top (or the back) of each tail down the center. Cutting is easier and safer with a quality pair of scissors, rather than using a knife. Do not use a knife when cleaning and cutting lobster tails.
Then toss them back into a bowl or pot with running water once again, to give them a good final rinse. This cleaning process should be done with frozen lobster tails, no matter how you prefer to cook them.
You will notice that the nasty smell to them is now gone, once they are properly cleaned.
Place them onto paper towels to drain and soak up any excess water, for at least 10 minutes. You may even lightly press down to push out some of the excess liquid.
Next, change the paper towels, leave them on a dish layered with new paper towels, and keep them chilled in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook them.

Additional Notes for Lobster Tails…

Whether you cook lobster tails on your barbecue, in the oven, or a skillet on the stovetop, this method of cleaning them is the best way and the easiest.
Lobster tails always come frozen, even if you buy them at your local fish market.
Keep in mind, that lobster flesh – like shrimp and other crustaceans, cooks rather quickly, anywhere from 8 to 12 minutes or less depending on their size, and how thick the pieces are.
They can get tough if overcooked, so keep an eye on them while cooking.

How to Clean and Prepare Lobster Tails by 2sistersrecipes.com

Once you know how to clean and prepare lobster tails, you’ll be able to cook them into delicious dishes and meals for years to come.

And, for an easy and delicious recipe for you to try, don’t miss our Best Lobster Tails Sauce, along with our step-by-step instructions and photos.

ENJOY!!

More Delicious Seafood Recipes to Try!

Tried our method on How To Clean and Prepare Lobster Tails? If you do, please let us know and leave a comment with a FIVE⭐ stars rating. This recipe is original.

How to Clean and Prepare Lobster Tails

Yield: 4 lobster tails

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

How to Clean and Prepare Lobster Tails is easier to do than you may think. Cooking lobster tails in your kitchen may seem intimidating, but don't let that uneasiness prevent you from trying a new skill. Once you master how to defrost, clean, and cut them, cooking the tails will be easy to execute.

Ingredients

4 frozen Lobster Tails - (about 6 to 8-ounce each)

Equipment Needed:

Kitchen Shears

Instructions

HOW TO DEFROST FROZEN LOBSTER TAILS:

First, remove lobster tails from the freezer and allow the package to defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Once they are fully thawed, you can begin.
Then open the package and transfer them to a pot or bowl, and run cold water over them for about 10 minutes to remove the iodine.
Keep them in cold water for about 20 to 30 minutes. Then discard water and refill with running water again to give them a good rinse, and make sure they are no longer frozen.
Place them onto paper towels to drain.

HOW TO CLEAN LOBSTER TAILS:

*For your safety and protection, we recommend wearing gloves when cleaning lobster.*

First, we must cut off the tail fins on the bottom and the little fins on the sides, and discard them. These little fins including the large one at the end of the tail are the smelly part of the lobster. Do this to each one to clean them properly.
Then toss them back into a bowl of running water once again, to give them a good final rinse. This cleaning process should be done with frozen lobster tails, no matter how to cook them. You will notice that nasty smell to them is now gone, once they are cleaned properly.
Place them onto paper towels to drain and soak up any excess water, for at least 10 minutes.
Next, change the paper towels, leave them on a dish layered with new paper towels, and keep them chilled in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook them.

Notes

NOTES & TIPS:

For your safety and protection, we recommend wearing gloves when cleaning lobster.
Whether you cook lobster tails on your barbecue, in the oven, or a skillet on the stovetop, this method of cleaning them is the best way and the easiest.
Lobster tails always come frozen, even if you buy them at your local fish market.
Keep in mind, that lobster flesh - like shrimp and other crustaceans, cooks rather quickly, anywhere from 8 to 12 minutes or less depending on their size, and how thick the pieces are.
They can get tough if overcooked, so keep an eye on them while cooking.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 servings Serving Size: 1 lobster
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 60Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 100mgSodium: 345mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 14g

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Happy Cooking! 🙂

thanks for stopping by…

xo anna and liz

Welcome! From Anna and Liz

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