Is there anything better than that ultimate bite of sweet succulent lobster kissed by flame? Split lobster tail is the ideal way to get tender lobster with just the right caress of char every time. With just a few simple steps, you will be able to confidently impress your friends and family with beautifully prepared lobster.
Lobster is a luxury item and an event unto itself. Whether you are looking for the perfect pairing for a surf and turf dinner or celebrating a special occasion with the king of the sea, when it comes to cooking lobster, it’s an ingredient you want to cook with love. So, get out your kitchen shears and knife, fire up the grill, and don’t forget the Bourbon Herb Compound Butter. This is also a great way to prepare your tails for Cajun Lobster Tails with Andouille Crust.
Split Lobster Tail vs Butterflied Lobster Tail
Whether you’ve been to a steakhouse and been presented with that sumptuous lobster meat crowning its crimson shell, or prepared butterflied lobster tails yourself, the piggyback style preparing lobster tails is a popular method for prepping lobster. Referred to as both piggyback and butterflying, this method for preparing lobster involves splitting the top of the shell and relocating the lobster meat from inside the shell, allowing it to rest on top. The shell acts as a plank, exposing the meat while keeping it stable.
Split lobster tail on the other hand is exactly that. It takes a single lobster tail and splits it completely in half. This leaves you with two equally portions that are self-contained in their shells.
Why Split a Lobster Tail?
Sharing is caring! It’s never been easier to share the delicate gift of lobster than with split lobster. In addition to making a pretty easily sharable presentation, here are a few other reasons why splitting lobster tails is an ideal way to prep these decadent crustaceans.
- Portion Control – There’s no denying that lobster is a luxury ingredient. By splitting lobster tails, you can easily portion them out.
- Easy Method – There is no need for any fancy equipment. All you need is a pair of kitchen shears and a sharp knife. Unlike butterflying a lobster tail where you risk tearing the meat, this method gives you more control.
- More Surface Area – Not only are you left with more surface area to season and baste with your favorite infused butters, but you also have more surface area to grill getting that additional mysterious ingredient of char.
- Presentation – There’s no denying the impressiveness of a butterflied lobster tail. However, a plate line up with sassy crimson split lobster tails is equally as impressive, begging for you to reach for one.
- Versatility – This method of preparing a lobster tail will work with any size lobster. For this post I used a monster lobster tail from LobsterAnywhere. When you butterfly larger lobster tails, you run into the risk of tearing the meat when releasing it from the shell. Splitting lobster tails works on both small tails and also the goliaths of the sea.
- Cooking Options – You have multiple options for how you can prepare your lobster tails. Unlike piggyback lobster tails where only the end of the meat is still attached to the shell, you can cook your lobster meat side down first, either getting a little char on the grill or a griddle, or in a skillet. In addition you can add compound butters to rest between the meat and shell ensuring it’s extra sumptuous.
Tools You’ll Need
Kitchen shears are going to do the majority of the work for this method of preparing your lobster. You can cut all the way through with a knife if you like, but you risk tearing the meat and also leaving little shards of shell behind. I have found that using kitchen scissors and a knife give you the most control with the prettiest result.
In addition to kitchen shears and a sharp knife you will want a cutting board or baking sheet to provide stability.
How to Split a Lobster Tail
There is something truly special about adding lobster to any menu. Is an ingredient to celebrate with, and also celebrate. With just a few tips and simple steps you will be warming up the butter and popping the bubbly.
- Position – Place your lobster with the top side up, the bottom side down on a stable surface such as a cutting board or baking sheet.
- Snip – Gently ease your finger into the shell to make room for your scissors. Insert the kitchen scissors into the middle of the shell and carefully cut all the way down until you reach the tail. Cut through the middle of the tail.
- Flip and Feet – Flip your lobster tail over. Use your kitchen shears to snip off all of the feet from the bottom of the lobster. Not only does this make for a better presentation, they also can burn when cooked over direct flame.
- Cut – Use your kitchen shears to cut down the middle of the bottom of the lobster tail shell. You can now easily spread the lobster tail open fully exposing the meat.
- Slice – The larger portion of the lobster meat will still be attached. Use a sharp knife to completely cut the tail meat in half.
- Rinse – Just like shrimp have a vein that needs to be removed, lobster does as well. Simply give both sides of your tail a quick rinse and then thoroughly dry them. This will also remove any tiny shards of shell that you might have.
- Cook – You can either cook your lobster tail right after splitting, or keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to fire up the grill. It is recommended that you cook your lobster in the same day as either defrosting or purchasing fresh. Make sure to check out how to grill lobster tails.
Tips From the Beach
Quality matters. You should always know the source of your seafood and lobster. Because lobster is usually sold frozen, or previously frozen, you also want to consider how the lobster was frozen as this will affect the texture.
I love sourcing my lobster from LobsterAnywhere. Not only are they hard shell, North Atlantic cold-water lobster, they’re also sustainably sourced. In addition, they don’t batch freeze their tails.
Looking for more seafood tips and recipes? Make sure to check out my recipe for Macadamia Crusted Hot Honey Salmon. And don’t forget to check out Lobster Panzanella Salad for an idea on what to do with your split lobster tail.
For cooking whole lobster and how to split a whole lobster, make sure to check out Grilled Whole Lobster with Garlic Herb Butter.
PrintHow to Split a Lobster Tail
With just a few simple steps and tips you will be treating friends and family to a luxury lobster dinner!
- Prep Time: 10
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Seafood How-To
- Method: How to
Ingredients
- Lobster tails
Instructions
- If you’re using frozen lobster tails, allow them to defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
- Place your lobster on a secure surface such as a cutting board or baking sheet.
- Gently insert your finger between the shell and meat to make room to ease your kitchen shears under the shell.
- Carefully cut down the middle of the top shell all the way down to the tail. Cut through the tail.
- Flip your lobster tail over.
- Use your kitchen shears to snip off the feet of the lobster.
- Insert your kitchen shears underneath the bottom shell and carefully cut all the way down to the tail.
- Gently ease the two halves aside just enough to expose the meat.
- Use a sharp knife to cut through the meat of the lobster.
- Rinse both halves of the lobster tail and thoroughly dry them.
- Cook your lobster and enjoy!
Notes
Once you have defrosted your lobster it is recommended that you cook it within 24 hours. You can split your lobster tails in the morning and keep them refrigerated until ready to cook later in the day.
how do I keep split tail from curling
You can either put a bamboo skewer into it to help it keep its shape or cut small shallow slashes in the flesh. If cooked to temp on the grill it does curl a little, but both of these methods will keep it straight.