What can’t you use an air fryer for? From frozen french fries to leftover pizza, the all-encompassing kitchen device seems to perform miracles on even the most unexpected foods, giving us all the ability to have restaurant-quality food right at home. Not to mention that it does it all quickly — for most recipes, air fryers seem to cook the food in half the time of an oven or stovetop. Crispy salmon in mere minutes is no longer a culinary feat but an easy dinner, and breakfast potatoes can be made before the morning coffee is even brewed. Even lobster tails can be transformed into luxurious dinners with a good air fryer.
What the air fryer does best is cook its contents with such a high heat they become crispy. With lobster, of course, the goal is never to become crispy, but rather, transform into buttery, tender meat. With the air fryer this is still possible, offering a similar cooking method to the broiler with half the guesswork. Developer Michelle McGlinn offers a simple, foolproof recipe for luxuriously butterflied lobster tails made quickly in the air fryer with a generous helping of garlicky butter. The method is perfect for last-minute special occasions that call for a fancy meal in minutes time, a scenario we’re sure happens to all of us at some point.
Gather the ingredients for air fryer lobster tails
Lobster is versatile enough to be submerged in creamy, flavorful soups and stews, but it also shines on its own with just a little bit of butter and lemon. For simple air fryer lobster tails, you will just need butter, garlic, lemon, parsley, salt, and the lobster tails themselves, which you can find fresh or frozen at your local fishmonger. Most months you’re likely to find smaller, 4 to 6 ounce tails for a reasonable price, but in late spring (May and June) and early fall (September and October) try your luck with larger, meaty tails. Because lobsters are closer to shore, abundant, and less in demand during these months, you’ll have a better chance finding large tails at reasonable prices.
Step 1: Heat up the air fryer
Preheat the air fryer to 400 F.
Step 2: Butterfly the shell
Carefully cut the tops of the lobster tails down the middle to expose the meat, stopping just before the end.
Step 3: Release the meat from the shell
Turn the tail over and gently crack the spine to release the meat from the shell.
Step 4: Lift the lobster tail over the shell
Reach into the shell and pull the meat up and over, resting the meat on top of the shell.
Step 5: Stir together the garlic butter
Combine the melted butter, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, and salt in a small bowl.
Step 6: Brush the butter onto the lobster
Brush half of the butter mixture onto the lobster meat, reserving the other half for later.
Step 7: Air fry until opaque
Air fry the tails for 3 to 5 minutes, or until opaque, with an internal temperature of 140 F.
Step 8: Brush with garlic butter to serve
Remove the lobster tails from the air fryer and brush with remaining garlic butter to serve.
Air Fryer Lobster Tails Recipe
Simplify your date night while still yielding impressive results with this air fryer lobster tail recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 (6-ounce) lobster tails
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Directions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 F.
- Carefully cut the tops of the lobster tails down the middle to expose the meat, stopping just before the end.
- Turn the tail over and gently crack the spine to release the meat from the shell.
- Reach into the shell and pull the meat up and over, resting the meat on top of the shell.
- Combine the melted butter, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, and salt in a small bowl.
- Brush half of the butter mixture onto the lobster meat, reserving the other half for later.
- Air fry the tails for 3 to 5 minutes, or until opaque, with an internal temperature of 140 F.
- Remove the lobster tails from the air fryer and brush with remaining garlic butter to serve.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 338 |
| Total Fat | 24.3 g |
| Saturated Fat | 14.7 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 277.1 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 0.8 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0.1 g |
| Total Sugars | 0.1 g |
| Sodium | 724.0 mg |
| Protein | 28.5 g |
How do I adjust the cook time for different sizes of lobster tail?
There are 16 types of lobster and their tails can vary widely in size, ranging from a small 4 to 5 ounce portion all the way to a colossal 20 ounces. It’s most common to see small to medium lobster tails in store, so this recipe is written for small to medium tails. However, it’s important to know that the size of the lobster will change the cook time.
Before proceeding, ask the fish monger, check the label, or weigh your tail to find the correct weight and determine if the tail is small, medium, large, jumbo, or (lucky you) colossal. For small lobster tails weighing less than 6 ounces, adjust the cook time down to 3 or 4 minutes. For large, 8 to 10 ounce tails, adjust the cook time for a longer 6 to 8 minute period. For colossal, go just a touch higher and set the time for 8 to 10 minutes. Note that all air fryers cook slightly differently and preheat at different times — if you’re not sure, cook at the lowest recommended cook time first and re-evaluate, adding a minute as needed.
Can I air fry lobster tails from frozen?
Because the air fryer is often used for frozen food, you may consider using it to cook lobster from frozen to speed up the thawing and preparation process. While in theory this may work (the lobster would be edible), it isn’t the best way to cook the lobster. Cooking the lobster from frozen will cause the meat to become rubbery and chewy, and may result in lost flavor due to the excess moisture from having been frozen. It would also alter the cook time, leading to possible overcooking.
Because frozen lobster is also impossible to butterfly and butter (the butter would solidify on the frozen meat), cooking from frozen would change the recipe dramatically. If you have frozen lobster to use, thaw it first in the refrigerator overnight or soak it in cool water until the meat begins to soften. Frozen can be just as good as fresh, so it’s still good to look for frozen lobster tails, you just need a little preparation first.
