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smoked lobster tails on a white plate with lemon slices and clarified butter
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Smoked Lobster Tails with Lemon Garlic Butter

Lobster tails butterflied, wood smoked, and basted with a lemon garlic butter while they cook.
Whether you are using a pellet grill like a Traeger, Camp Chef, or Pit Boss, an electric smoker like a Masterbuilt, or just a conventional propane grill like a Weber, we've got you covered!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 369kcal
Author Mads Martigan
Cost $50

Equipment

  • Kitchen Shears
  • Smoker or Grill
  • Smoking Wood Chips or Chunks
  • Instant Read Thermometer
  • Smoker Box or Pellet Tube Smoker optional

Ingredients

  • 8 Lobster Tails frozen
  • 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Fresh Squeezed Lemon to finish

Lemon Garlic Butter

  • 1 Stick Unsalted Butter
  • 1 tablespoon Garlic Paste or 2-3 cloves of finely minced garlic
  • ½ tablespoon Lemon Zest from about ½ a lemon.
  • 2 tablespoon Flat Leaf Parsley finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon Chives minced

Instructions

  • Thaw the frozen lobster tails overnight in the refrigerator or in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes.
  • Start up your smoker or set up you grill for indirect cooking at 350°F.
  • Add a water pan if possible to the smoker or grill as well.

Prepare the Lobster Tails

  • Wash, rinse and dry the thawed lobster tails well.
    intact lobster tails on a wire rack set over a baking sheet
  • Cut the lobster tails down the middle of the top shell from the wide exposed end stopping at the tail fin with a sharp pair of kitchen shears.
    scissors cutting the shell of a lobster tail down to the fin
  • Flip the tails over and crack the abdomen to make it easier to get the meat out.
    gloved hands pressing down on the bones of the tail to break them
  • Remove any dark looking digestive tracts running down the center of the tail and any roe you may find.
  • Turn the tails back over and run your fingers along the inside perimeter to gently separate the meat away from the inside of the shell.
    separating met form lobster shell with a finger
  • Carefully pull most of the meat out of the shell, do not detach the rear end from the shell, and then let it rest on top of the butterflied shell.
  • Dry the lobster tail meat well and apply a thin coat of olive oil all over each tail. Season with a few pinches of salt and pepper.

Prepare the Garlic Lemon Butter

  • In a saucepan, melt the butter of medium low heat. Stir in the garlic, lemon zest, parsley, and chives.
    whisking lemon garlic butter in a saucepan
  • Set half of the lemon garlic butter aside to serve with the finished lobster tails. Brush the remaining on the raw lobster tails You can save some to baste on as they cook too.

Smoke the Lobster Tails

  • Once your grill or smoker has reached 350°F add your wood chips to the smoker box, smoker tray, or place 1 chunk on the hot charcoals. If using a pellet tube smoker, make sure it is well lit and already producing smoke.
  • Place your lobster tails in the smoker or on the grill away from the direct heat.
  • Baste more of the lemon garlic butter on the lobster after about 7-8 minutes.
    spooning lemon garlic butter over lobster tails on a wire rack over a baking sheet on the grates of a pellet grill
  • After about 10-20 minutes, depending on the size of your lobster tails, once the they reach 140°F internally, remove them from the smoker.
  • Plate and serve immediately with the extra lemon garlic butter and a squeeze of lemon.
    lobster tails on a white plate with a small dish of clarified butter and lemon slices

Nutrition

Calories: 369kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 221mg | Sodium: 540mg | Potassium: 290mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 913IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 1mg