Instant Pot Lobster Tails – 1 Minute to Pressure Cook!
Instant Pot Lobster Tails are buttery, sweet, and juicy, and done to luscious perfection. A five-star meal ready in less than 30 minutes, as these take only 1 minute to pressure cook! Not much needs to be added to make these impressive; just a good cooking technique that the Instant Pot ensures, some seasonings, and obviously butter.
I personally adore seafood; hence, I try to cook it whenever I get the chance. When planning a special dinner, I include these lobster tails, along with some Grilled Shrimp Tacos, the easiest Crab Cakes ever, or Mediterranean Salmon Foil Packets! On the side, Béarnaise sauce is an absolute must-have.
Table of contents
Instant Pot Lobster Tails will erase all of your fears about cooking lobster at home. I get it— when you’re working with such an expensive and delicate piece of seafood, you want to get everything right. Unless you’re ready to pay a small fortune at a restaurant, though, learning the pressure cooking method is so worth it. You might be surprised by how easy it can be. Feel like a chef in your own kitchen, and treat everyone to a gourmet lobster dinner that’s beyond simple to make!
Why you will love this recipe
- It looks like it came from a fancy restaurant: I love to show it off because it looks like I had it delivered from a fancy seafood restaurant. But it is so easy to make in minutes.
- Versatile: Even though it looks fancy, it takes just a few steps, and you can adjust the seasoning to your liking.
- It is so quick and easy: The cooking time is just 1 minute, and the total time is only 25 minutes. You really cannot beat that for a meal like this!
- Just a few ingredients: Besides lobster tails, all I need are butter and some seasonings to complete this fancy restaurant-style dinner.
What you will need
- Meat: I get 2 wild-caught lobster tails from my favorite farmer’s market.
- Wet ingredients: Unsalted butter enhances the meat’s delicate sweetness without making it salty. I also add water to create steam and build pressure in the pot.
- Seasonings: Besides salt to enhance the other ingredients, I also add garlic powder for a consistent savory flavor and onion powder for concentrated onion taste without extra moisture. Smoked paprika provides a warm, sweet, charred hint and a bit of color.
How to prepare
Prep the lobster tails: First, I place the trivet in the pot with the water. Then, I use scissors to butterfly the lobster, remove the vein, clean it, and pat the meat dry, making sure it sits on top of the shell.
Season and set: Then, I mix the seasonings in a small bowl, spread the mixture on the lobster tails, place the chopped butter evenly on top of each tail, and place them on the trivet. I close the lid, lock it, and set it to seal.
Cook and release: After cooking for 1 minute on high, I quickly release and open the lid, removing the lobster tails immediately so they don’t overcook.
Serve with butter: I serve the lobster tails with melted butter, lemon wedges, and chopped parsley.
Expert tip
How to butterfly lobster tails properly
Once they are completely thawed, cleaned, and dried, I use kitchen shears to cut down the middle of the shell to the base without cutting the fin. Then I slip my finger between the shell and the meat, pull the meat out, and rest it on top of the shell. Now, I make a few small horizontal slices underneath the bottom of the tail to prevent it from curling up while it cooks. Finally, I run a knife along the top of the meat to pull out the vein, similar to removing the vein from shrimp.
More tips to consider:
- For the best buttery richness, I like to add butter before and after cooking. It also helps keep the meat from drying out and works the seasonings into the meat.
- Be sure to open the shell properly so the flesh is exposed enough to cook.
- The meat should be fully opaque when it is finished cooking.
- Cook for only 1 minute, then let it rest briefly to prevent overcooking.
- Serve them right away. They are best when hot and juicy.
Recipe variations and add-ins:
- Cajun style: Popular in Louisiana, my homemade Cajun seasoning makes a perfect addition to these lobster tails for those who like spicy food.
- Sweeten the pot: For those who like their lobster a little sweeter, add a pinch of brown sugar to the seasoning. My kids love it this way.
- Barbecue tails: Add your favorite barbecue sauce for a different taste. I like to use my homemade barbecue sauce with its sweet, tangy, and spicy notes.
- Lemon pepper lobster: Add lemon zest, black pepper, and fresh lemon juice to turn these lobster tails into deliciously tangy lemon pepper lobster tails.
- Teriyaki lobster tails: To give these tails an Asian theme, brush them with teriyaki sauce just before closing the pot.
Serving suggestions:
To make this a surf-and-turf-style meal, I like to serve it with my pan-seared steak. The juicy sirloin almost melts in your mouth and has a buttery flavor that pairs well with the lobster meat. They cook in less than 30 minutes with just a handful of simple ingredients for the perfect steak-and-lobster meal. My favorite side dish for this meal is elegant and delicious oven-roasted asparagus, which is also easy to make in less than 20 minutes.
For something different, this pineapple cucumber salad is bursting with textures and flavors, from juicy blueberries and tangy red onions to spicy jalapeños and crunchy radish coins with creamy avocado chunks. The slightly sweet, spicy lime-and-chili dressing brings it all together with even more zest. I also like to serve my lobster tails with different sauces such as my sauce for salmon, garlic herb sauce, ranch dressing, and lemon cream sauce.
How to store leftovers:
- Refrigerate: These will stay fresh and plump for up to 2 days in the fridge in a tightly covered container.
- Freezing: Freezing is not recommended.
- Reheating: To reheat, I wrap mine in foil with butter and steam it over a pot filled with 2 inches of boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes. To cook more than one, I put them in an air fryer at 350 degrees F, wrapped in foil with butter, for 5 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Lobster tails can overcook quickly, especially in an Instant Pot. Remove them as soon as the timer goes off, without waiting for the pressure to release naturally. Any time they sit in the hot pot afterward, they can overcook quickly and turn chewy. When making such an expensive meal, be careful and pay close attention.
A trivet or steamer basket is recommended for the best taste and texture. Otherwise, the lobster tails will be boiled. Boiling rinses away flavor and can overcook the meat, making it rubbery. As soon as the meat is submerged in water, the flavor is diluted, and the texture starts to get tough.
This can happen if you don’t rinse and clean them properly. Rinse them well under cold water before and after butterflying to remove dirt and grit from their bodies, as well as shell fragments and digestive tracts. Don’t forget to thoroughly rinse under the tail to remove any yellow or green paste found there.
When the shell is bright orange and the meat is completely white, they are done cooking. Also, you will no longer be able to see through the meat anymore. Once it is a solid, opaque color with no gray, transparent spots, it is safe to eat—another way to check is with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should be 135 to 140 degrees F when it is ready to eat.
More Instant Pot recipes:
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Instant Pot Lobster Tails
Ingredients
- 2 lobster tails
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Place the trivet in the inner pot, then add the water.
- Using a sharp knife or kitchen scissors, carefully cut the top of the lobster tail's shell down to the tip of the tail, creating a "butterflied" appearance.
- Remove the vein and any grit if needed. Pull the shell down so the meat sits on top of it, as shown in the pictures.
- In a small bowl, combine salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika.
- Sprinkle lobster tail meat with the spice mixture. Divide the chopped butter on top.
- Place the lobster tails on top of the trivet, with the shells facing down. You can add up to four, depending on their size.
- Close the lid, secure it, and set the vent to the sealing position.
- Pressure cook for 1 minute, after which do a quick release. Remove the lid from the pot.
- Remove the lobster tails and serve with melted butter, lemon wedges, and a sprinkle of chopped parsley on top.
Notes
How to butterfly lobster tails properly
Once they are completely thawed, cleaned, and dried, I use kitchen shears to cut down the middle of the shell to the base without cutting the fin. Then I slip my finger between the shell and the meat, pull the meat out, and rest it on top of the shell. Now, I make a few small horizontal slices underneath the bottom of the tail to prevent it from curling up while it cooks. Finally, I run a knife along the top of the meat to pull out the vein, similar to removing the vein from shrimp.More tips to consider:
- For the best buttery richness, I like to add butter before and after cooking. It also helps keep the meat from drying out and works the seasonings into the meat.
- Be sure to open the shell properly so the flesh is exposed enough to cook.
- The meat should be fully opaque when it is finished cooking.
- Cook for only 1 minute, then let it rest briefly to prevent overcooking.
- Serve them right away. They are best when hot and juicy.
Those lobster tails are so good looking and perfectly cooked. I know all the seafood lovers will use this tip when cooking lobster
My family loves lobster tails. I can’t wait to make this recipe for them.
I love the idea of cooking lobster tails in an instant pot. I’m sure that’s so much easier!
I wasn’t familiar with cooking lobster tails. Sounds like it is even that much more convenient in the instant pot.
Ooh lala,this is so easy and delicious, obviously. Yum..! Thanks for the recipe.
I don’t eat lobster, but I’m amazed that you can cook them in the instant pot!
I love lobster big time. Going to save your recipe. I’m definitely going to add this to the menu.
You learn something new every day. I did not know you could cook lobster tails in the instapot, that is great information.
I love lobster tails and cooking with my instant pot! I’ll be making this soon!
Can I just say I drool over the picture! It’s been a while since I ate something like this. Let’s see if I can cook this soon too.
I would like to know the weight of the tails used.
Can you cook more than 2 at a time using this method?
Yes, sure!
I usually don’t try lobster at home because it can get rubbery. I tried this since our favorite place was booked. It cooked perfectly. I love my instant pot.
This was VERY good. I did have to cook longer. 2 lobster tails for 4 minutes. I cooked the original 1 minute still very grey so put back on for 3 minutes. Delicious! Thanks for recipe.
thank you, we also love this recipe 🙂
I made this for my husband using 2 XL lobster tails. I increased the cooking time to 4 minutes. They turned out perfectly!
Thank you for the recipe