How To Grill Lobster on a Pellet Grill
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For special occasions — or making an occasion special — nothing tops fresh lobster. This decadent dish is even better with the addition of wood smoke flavor from a Traeger.
How to Grill a Whole Lobster
Cooking live lobster is certainly different than, say, cooking a pre-made burger patty. Many first-time lobster cooks find the experience nerve wracking. But if you follow these tips and watch our videos, you'll be fine.
How to Choose Lobster to Grill
If you're grilling a whole lobster, you must buy it alive. That's because lobster meat begins to degrade quickly as soon as they die.
The size of the lobster is also important. Buy lobsters that are at least 1½ pounds — smaller ones cook too quickly on the grill. That same size is also a good guideline for how much lobster to serve per person.
Your local seafood market will sell you the lobster in a special storage bag. Once you get them home, they will stay alive in the fridge for as long as 24 hours.
How to Prepare Lobster for the Grill
Grilling a lobster is fairly easy, but the preparation is unique. First, you have to humanely kill the lobster. The most humane way is to drive a very sharp knife through the lobster's head and back.
This video shows the method in detail.
Do You Have to Boil Lobster Before Grilling?
Boiling the lobster before grilling helps the meat set. If you grill without boiling first, the meat may stick to the shell, making it harder to pull out.
Before you kill the lobster, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, and prepare an ice bath. Immediately after killing the lobster, add it to the boiling water, and boil for two minutes.
After the lobster has boiled for two minutes, remove it with tongs and place it in the ice bath. This will pause the cooking process (which you'll finish on the grill), and make the lobster safe to handle for the rest of the preparation process. Remove the lobster to a large cutting board when it is cool enough to handle, about five minutes.
How to Butterfly a Whole Lobster
The best way to prepare lobster for the grill is to butterfly it, so you can remove unwanted bits and have the meat directly exposed to the wood smoke of your Traeger.
Using a very sharp knife, split the lobster into two halves, lengthwise. Remove the tomalley, the soft, green bits which are the digestive organs, and discard.
How Do You Season Lobster?
We recommend seasoning lobster with what’s called a compound butter. Compound butter just means butter mixed with other delicious things. For lobster, we recommend a compound butter of several ingredients.
- Flat-leaf parsley
- Shallot
- Garlic
- Lemon
- Salt
- Pepper
See the full recipe below.
Spreading the compound butter on the lobster is the final step before cooking.
How Long Does It Take to Grill Lobster?
It takes about eight minutes -- four minutes per side -- to grill butterflied lobster at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. The exact time will vary, so be sure to check the lobster meat every few minutes to ensure it doesn't overcook.
Can You Put a Live Lobster on the Grill?
It is not a good idea to put a live lobster on the grill. For one thing, there’s a possibility the lobster will move around on the grill. It is not considered humane to kill a lobster by slowly cooking it this way.
How Can You Tell if Lobster is Cooked?
Cooked lobster is slightly firm to the touch and nontransparent. The meat will be white and can be easily separated by two forks.
If the meat is soft to the touch or still transparent, it needs more time on the grill.
Lobsters turn red when you cook them, but the pigment itself does not tell you whether the meat is perfectly cooked.
Best Grill Temperature for Grilling Lobster
We recommend grilling lobster at a medium-high temperature of 425 degrees Fahrenheit. The high temperature helps the meat cook to a firm texture but also provides enough time for Traeger wood smoke flavor to penetrate the meat.
Tips for Grilling Lobster
Following these tips will make the cooking process easier and enhance the flavor of your lobster.
- Prepare your ice bath before you boil the lobster.
- Use sea salt. Anything that comes from the sea tastes better with sea salt.
- When you grill, start with the flesh side down. Then when you finish, the flesh side will be up so you can add a small amount of additional compound butter.
- After the lobster is off the grill, and just before serving, add a final squeeze of fresh lemon and a dash of sea salt.
What to Serve with Grilled Lobster
Always serve grilled lobster with a side of melted butter for extra dipping. A little warm bread is nice too.
As far as side dishes -- frankly, when you make grilled lobster, most people won't be that interested in anything else you serve.
But having a side dish to contrast with the richness of the lobster is a nice touch. Something bright and acidic like coleslaw or 3-bean salad would be a good choice.
How to Grill Lobster Tails
If the process of grilling a live lobster doesn't appeal to you, frozen lobster tails are a good option. Quality lobster tails, prepared properly, make for an unforgettable presentation and can still have that fresh-from-the-sea flavor.
How to Butterfly Lobster Tails for Grilling
To butterfly a lobster tail, use kitchen shears to cut down the middle of the shell toward the tail.
With your fingers, gently pull the meat up (without disconnecting it from the base of the tail) so it rests on the sides of the cut shell.
Using a small, sharp knife, make a slit in the middle of the meat, then spread it further over the shell.
The meat will expand slightly during cooking, enhancing the unique appearance of butterflied lobster.
How to Prepare Lobster Tails for Grilling
Once you've butterflied the lobster tail, the only other preparation step is seasoning.
As mentioned above, we recommend making a compound butter — butter mixed with herbs and seasonings — to spoon over the meat before cooking.
You can make compound butter with whatever fresh herbs or other seasonings you like, but here's another mixture we recommend.
- Lemon juice
- Paprika
- Garlic salt
- Old Bay Seasoning
- Black pepper
- Chopped parsley
See below for the full recipe.
How to Cook Frozen Lobster Tails on the Grill
To cook frozen lobster tails, you must fully defrost them. Then, follow the preparation steps above.
Once the lobster tails are prepared, the cooking is simple. Preheat your Traeger grill to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, place the lobster tails directly on the grill, and cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until the meat is firm to the touch.
How to Grill a Lobster Tail Without Drying It Out
To avoid making lobster tail too dry, be generous with the butter mixture you drizzle over it before cooking. You can also add additional butter during the cooking process. The butter will help keep the meat moist.
Grilled Lobster Recipes
These recipes have been tested to work specifically on a Traeger. Follow along, or make your own spin.
Grilled Lobster with Lemon Garlic Butter
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients
Main
6 whole (1 1/2 lb) live lobsters
3 whole lemons, sliced
Flat-leaf parsley, for serving
Lemon Garlic Butter
1 1/8 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons minced shallot
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Grilled Lobster Tails
Cook time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
4 (8-10 oz) lobster tails
16 tablespoons (1 cup) butter
4 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
Curry Grilled Lobster
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serves: 8
1 Cup butter, softened
3 Clove garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon minced ginger
1 lime, zested and juiced
1/2 Teaspoon curry powder
1/2 Teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 Teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 Tablespoon minced cilantro leaves
2 Tablespoon finely diced chives
sea salt
4 (1-1/2 lb) live lobsters
lime wedges, for serving
fresh cilantro, for serving
Stuffed Lobster Tail
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients
6 lobster tails
1 1/2 lb. lump crab meat
3/4 cup butter
3 cups onion, diced
4 1/2 cloves garlic, minced
3/8 cup parsley, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons tarragon, chopped
3 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
3/8 cup lemon juice
6 cups butter crackers
lemon wedges
Grilled Lobster Tail
by Traeger Kitchen
4 Reviews
Prep Time
10 Min
Cook Time
25 Min
Serves
2
Pellets
Pecan
Learn how to bring the sea to your backyard with a delicious grilled lobster tail. Simply cut a slit in each tail to butterfly, pour on the butter mixture, then let our signature heat and smoke do the rest to learn how to do an expert Traeger lobster tail.
Ingredients
main
| 2 | (8-10 oz) lobster tails |
| 8 Tablespoon | (1 stick) unsalted butter |
| 2 Tablespoon | lemon juice |
| 1 Teaspoon | paprika |
| 1/4 Teaspoon | garlic salt |
| 1/4 Teaspoon | Old Bay Seasoning |
| 1/4 Teaspoon | freshly ground black pepper |
| 2 Tablespoon | Chopped fresh parsley |
1
Use kitchen shears to cut a slit lengthwise down the top of each lobster shell toward the tail. Using your fingers, gently pry the meat from the shell, keeping it attached at the base of the tail. Lift the meat so it rests atop the split shell (again, keeping it attached at the base of the tail). Use a paring knife to cut a slit down the middle of the lobster meat to butterfly it open. Place the lobster tails on a rimmed baking sheet.
2
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the lemon juice, paprika, garlic salt, Old Bay seasoning, pepper, and parsley.
3
Pour about 1 tablespoon of the butter mixture over each lobster tail. Keep the remaining butter mixture warm.
4
When ready to cook, set the Traeger temperature to 500°F and preheat with the lid closed for 15 minutes.
5
Set the lobster tails directly on the grill grates. Cook with the lid closed until the meat is white and opaque, 25-30 minutes.
6
Transfer the lobster tails to a platter and serve with the remaining butter mixture. Enjoy!
