How to Steam Lobster Tails the Gentle Way

Steaming is the gentlest, most forgiving way to cook a lobster tail, which is why it is the method we recommend on our own product page. This guide covers how to steam lobster tails from the thaw to the thermometer, plus the workarounds for when you do not own a steamer basket.

Moist heat wraps the tail evenly, so the outside does not seize up and turn tight before the center is done, and for raw, in-shell tails that even, hands-off cook is hard to beat. Get the water depth and the timing right and a tender tail is almost guaranteed.

TL;DR

• Thaw the tails, then steam them shell-side down over about 1 inch of salted boiling water.
• Cover and steam 8 to 10 minutes, a couple minutes more for jumbo tails, until opaque and 145°F.
• No steamer basket? Crumpled foil balls under a heatproof plate work just as well.
• Steaming keeps the meat from getting waterlogged, so it is ideal for lobster rolls.
• Pre-cooked tail meat is only warmed to about 140°F, not steamed hard.

Why is steaming the gentlest method?

Moist heat wraps the tail evenly, so the outside does not seize up and turn tight before the center is done, which makes steaming the most forgiving thing you can do to a raw, in-shell tail. This guide is for our raw 8-10 oz tails and the other in-shell tails we sell, which arrive raw and flash-frozen, so you cook them from scratch to an internal 145°F. If you have our pre-cooked lobster tail meat instead, skip to the pre-cooked section, because that already-cooked meat only needs warming.

How do you thaw the tails first?

Steam a rock-solid frozen tail and the thin edges overcook while the middle is still cold, so move the tails from the freezer to the fridge about 24 hours ahead and let them thaw slowly. Short on time? Seal them in a bag, press out the air, and sink them in cold water for 30 to 60 minutes, changing the water about every 30 minutes. Never thaw lobster on the counter, which USDA guidance warns leaves the surface too warm while the center is still frozen.

How do you steam lobster tails step by step?

You need a pot with a tight lid and a steamer basket or insert that holds the tails above the water. Here is the whole process.

• Pour about 1 inch of water into the pot and salt it well, roughly a tablespoon per quart, which mimics seawater and seasons the meat.
• Set the steamer basket in the pot and bring the water to a hard, rolling boil over high heat.
• Add the thawed tails in a single layer, shell-side down, and clamp the lid on tight.
• Steam 8 to 10 minutes, until the meat is opaque and tender, adding a couple of minutes for 20-24 oz jumbo tails.
• Check the thickest part with an instant-read thermometer for 145°F, then serve with drawn butter and lemon.

What can you use instead of a steamer basket?

You do not need dedicated equipment, just something that holds the tails about an inch above the water and a lid that traps steam. The one thing that does not work is setting tails on the bottom of the pot in an inch of water, because that is a shallow boil that scorches the underside of the shell. Most kitchens already have one of these three setups.

• A collapsible metal steamer insert. The fan-shaped kind folds to fit any pot from 3 to 8 quarts and stores flat.
• A metal colander inside a stockpot. Check that the lid still seats, since a lid propped open by a handle bleeds steam.
• Three balls of crumpled foil. Golf-ball sized, with a heatproof plate resting on them. It costs nothing and works as well as anything.

How much water, salt, and seasoning?

One inch of water is the number, and it is not arbitrary. Less than that and a hard boil can run the pot dry in ten minutes, which scorches the pan; more than that and the water creeps up to touch the tails, which turns steaming into boiling and pulls flavor into the pot. Salt the water like seawater, roughly a tablespoon per quart, because the steam carries a little of that salinity onto the meat, so the tails come out seasoned rather than flat.

You can season the steam further, within reason. Two lemon halves, a bay leaf, a smashed garlic clove, or a splash of white wine scents the meat lightly, and Old Bay or a spoonful of peppercorns does the same. Heavy aromatics like rosemary overpower a delicate tail, so use a light hand.

How many tails fit at once?

Steam has to move around the tails, so they need room. In an 8 quart pot with a standard insert, four 8-10 oz tails sit in a single layer with a finger of space between them, and two 20-24 oz jumbo tails is a full load. Overlap them and the ones underneath finish two to three minutes ahead, so you either pull everything early and serve one raw in the middle, or hold for the top layer and turn the bottom rubbery. More tails than pot means batches: hold the first batch on a warm platter under loose foil for up to 10 minutes. Group mixed sizes and run each on its own clock, since 4-5 oz tails come off at the early end of the window and jumbos a couple of minutes past the late end.

How do you tell when a tail is done?

Raw lobster meat looks glassy and translucent, with a grey-blue tint. As it cooks it turns firm, white, and opaque all the way through, and the shell shifts from mottled brown to bright red; those two changes together are your signal. If you want a number, 145°F in the thickest part is the temperature the FDA gives for cooking seafood. Pull the tails a touch early if you are unsure, because carryover heat keeps cooking them for a minute after they leave the steam.

How do you handle pre-cooked tail meat instead?

This is where people trip, so it is worth being blunt. Our in-shell tails are raw and need to reach 145°F. Our lobster tail meat is different: it is already cooked, hand-picked, and flash-frozen, so you only warm it through to about 140°F. Steaming it hard would wring out the moisture and leave it rubbery, so a gentle warm in butter is all it needs, or eat it cold in a roll or salad. Save the 8 to 10 minute steam for the raw, in-shell tails.

What should you serve with steamed tails?

Drawn butter is the classic, and it takes two minutes: melt a stick of butter, let it settle, skim the foam, and pour off the clear golden layer, with a squeeze of lemon to cut the richness. Steamed tails also make a clean base for a lobster roll or salad, since steaming keeps the meat from getting waterlogged the way boiling sometimes does. Want a browned top instead? Butterfly and broil them, or bake them using our full cooking guide.

Should you steam or boil lobster tails?

Both methods get a tail to 145°F, but they do different things on the way. Submerged in water, a tail leaches some flavor into the pot and takes on water, so the meat can come out slightly diluted and wetter. Steam surrounds the tail with vapor instead, so nothing washes out and nothing soaks in. That shows up in a lobster roll: steamed meat holds its own moisture and does not thin the dressing, and it pulls out of the shell more cleanly. Boiling still earns its place, because it moves heat faster and suits a big pot of many tails or a seafood boil, and our guide to boiling lobster tails has the times by ounce.

What if steaming goes wrong?

Rubbery meat means too long, almost every time, since lobster crosses from tender to tight within a minute or two above 145°F, so start checking at 8 minutes rather than trusting the clock to 10. Meat that clings to the shell usually means the tail went in still partly frozen or came off a shade early, so another minute of steam releases it. A watery tail points at water depth, so check the level before the next batch. And if you cook above about 3,000 feet, add time: water boils cooler at altitude, roughly a degree lower per 500 feet, so at 5,000 feet your steam is near 203°F instead of 212°F. Add 1 to 2 minutes and go by the thermometer.

Ready to steam a couple of tails?

Now that you know how to steam lobster tails without overcooking them, all you need is a good raw tail and an inch of salted water. Maine Shelled Lobster's 8-10 oz raw Maine lobster tails arrive wild-caught and flash-frozen. Thaw them overnight, steam them 8 to 10 minutes, and serve with drawn butter.

Frequently asked questions

Do you steam lobster tails shell up or down?

Shell-side down in the basket. The shell shields the meat from the most direct heat and helps it cook evenly. Leave the shell whole for steaming; there is no need to butterfly first.

How long do you steam lobster tails?

8 to 10 minutes for 4-5 oz and 8-10 oz tails, and a couple of minutes more for 20-24 oz jumbo tails. Judge by opaque, firm meat and a 145°F reading rather than the clock alone.

Should I thaw lobster tails before steaming?

Yes, for even cooking. Thaw in the fridge about 24 hours, or in a sealed bag under cold water for 30 to 60 minutes. In a pinch you can steam from frozen and add roughly half again the time.

Why is my steamed lobster tough?

Almost always too much time. Lobster goes from tender to rubbery fast once it passes 145°F. Pull it the moment the meat is opaque and let carryover heat finish it.

Can you steam pre-cooked lobster tail meat?

Warm it gently, but do not steam it hard. Our tail meat is already cooked, so a few minutes in butter to about 140°F is all it needs.

Can you steam lobster tails without a steamer basket?

Yes. Sit three balls of crumpled foil in the bottom of the pot and rest a heatproof plate on them, or use a metal colander that still lets the lid seat. Anything that keeps the tails about an inch above the water works.

Do you need to salt the steaming water?

It is worth it. About a tablespoon of salt per quart mimics seawater, and the steam carries a little of it onto the meat. Unsalted steam gives you a noticeably flatter tail.

How much meat is in a steamed 8-10 oz tail?

Roughly 5 to 6 ounces once it comes out of the shell, a full main course for one person. A 4-5 oz tail yields closer to 3 ounces, better suited to surf and turf.