Grilled Whole Lobster with Garlic Herb Butter
Get the taste buds salivating over smoky succulent seafood kissed by fire with this Grilled Whole Lobster with Garlic Herb Butter recipe.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4-8 1x
- Category: Seafood
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 2–4 1 1/2-2 pounds live lobsters
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Seafood seasoning
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chives, snipped
- Lemon halves for serving
Instructions
- Place the lobsters in the freezer for 10-15 minutes on a sheet tray.
- Remove from the freezer. Place a lobster on a stable cutting board.
- Locate the X or cross on the top of the lobster’s head. Use the tip of a sharp chef’s knife to firmly slice through the spot and cut down, splitting the head in half. Continue slicing down through the body and tail.
- Use a spoon to remove the sac in the head, the green tomalley, and pull out the intestinal track along the tail. Remove the roe if present. Quickly rinse out the lobster and pat dry. Remove the claw bands.
- Use the blade of your knife to firmly smack the claw, creating a slice in the claw shell. This will make it easier to crack the shell open after cooking.
- Keep the split lobsters stored on a baking sheet until ready to cook.
- Prepare your grill for two zone grilling. If using a charcoal grill spread your charcoal along the bottom but not all the way across leaving a cooler zone. If using a gas grill heat the grill to 400 degrees and leave a burner off. Make sure your grates are clean and fully heated.
- Place a grill safe pot on the grill with the butter, lemon zest, crushed red pepper, and garlic. Stir until the butter is melted. Stir in the fresh herbs and remove from the heat. Keep it near the grill as you’ll need it soon.
- Pat the lobsters dry. Brush them with olive oil and lightly season the with seafood seasoning.
- Place the lobsters flesh side down over direct heat. Allow the meat to sear for 2 minutes or until the lobsters easily release from the grill and the part of the shell that was in contact with the grate is beginning to turn red.
- Flip the lobsters over so they’re now shell side down, flesh side up. Spoon the herb butter into the cavity of the head and tail, careful not to splash to prevent flair ups. Allow the lobsters to cook for 8-10 minutes or until the thickest part of the tail is between 130-135 degrees.
- Carefully rotate the lobsters so the tail portion is over indirect heat and the claws are over direct heat. Allow them to cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and let cool enough to crack the claws. Garnish with extra herbs if desired and serve with lemon wedges and additional melted butter.
Notes
- You’ll want to cook your lobster within 24 hours once split. Live lobsters should also be cooked within 24 hour ideally.
- For extra flavor char your lemons on the grill.
- You can use your favorite combination of herbs for this. Stick to soft herbs like chives, dill, basil, parsley, tarragon, cilantro, or the leaves of thyme.