These baked yuzu lobster tails feature the bright citrus note of yuzu and garlicky kick in contrast to the sweet meat.
I have a weak spot for lobsters but find it too intimidating to cook at home. On the other hand, lobster tails are much easier to work with. During yuzu season, I make yuzu butter to pair with meat and seafood. For a special occasion, I love making yuzu lobster tails. Baking them in the oven is an easy method to get perfectly cooked lobster, tender with a bite instead of being rubbery. After baking, I broiled the yuzu lobster tails for a few minutes to get a nice char. The yuzu butter lends a wonderful citrus note to the lobster and plays a nice contrast to the sweetness of the meat. Take your lobster to the next level with this yuzu butter!
Ingredient Notes
- Lobster tails: use either Maine or spiny lobster tails. If using frozen lobster tails, thaw them in the fridge overnight for 8-10 hours.
- Yuzu: use fresh yuzu for this recipe. You need both the zest and juice.
How to Make Butter
In a medium bowl, combine room temperature butter, yuzu zest, yuzu juice, and sea salt. Mix well with a spoon. Set aside until ready to use.
How to Cook Lobster Tails
- Prepare the lobster tails. Use kitchen shears and a small knife to butterfly the tails and loosen the meat from the shell. Spread the yuzu butter over the meat.
- Bake the lobster tails. Place lobster tails in a large baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. Remove the baking dish from the oven. Drizzle the melted butter over the lobster tails. Broil for 5 minutes until the flesh is firm and no longer opaque.
Make Ahead and Storage
- The yuzu butter can be made 2 days ahead. Let it come to room temperature until ready to use.
- Raw lobster tails can be butterflied up to 4 hours ahead. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- The leftover yuzu lobster tails can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
For more seafood inspiration
- Japanese crab croquettes
- Gambas al ajillo (garlic prawns tapas)
- Thai green curry mussels
- Vietnamese grilled razor clams with scallion oil
Roasted Yuzu Lobster Tails
Ingredients
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic, about 3 cloves
- 1 tablespoon fresh yuzu zest, about 2 large yuzu
- 1 tablespoon fresh yuzu juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- 4 lobster tails, about 6 ounces each
- 1 yuzu, cut into wedges for serving
- freshly ground pepper for serving, optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine room temperature butter, yuzu zest, yuzu juice, and sea salt. Mix well with a spoon. Set aside until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- To prepare the lobster tails, use kitchen shears and a small knife to butterfly the tails and loosen the meat from the shell. Spread the yuzu butter over the meat.
- Spread about 1 ½ tablespoons of yuzu butter over the meat, making sure to get into the nooks and crannies.
- Place lobster tails in a large baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven. Drizzle the melted butter over the lobster tails. Broil for 5 minutes until the flesh is firm and no longer opaque.
- Transfer lobster tails to serving platter, garnish with freshly ground pepper. Serve with fresh yuzu wedges and your favorite side dish.
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