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How to cook lobster in the Instant Pot (without overcooking it)

Instant Pot Lobster With Cajun Garlic Butter

This Instant Pot lobster is tender, juicy, and finished with a bold Cajun garlic butter sauce that brings serious soul. Ready in minutes, it’s the easiest way to make restaurant-style lobster tails (or whole lobster) at home. No fuss, just flava!
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 minute
Total Time: 6 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Instant Pot recipe, Seafood, Soul Food
Servings: 2
Calories: 171kcal
Author: Shaunda Necole • The Soul Food Pot®

Equipment

  • Instant Pot electric pressure cooker
  • Kitchen shears (to butterfly the lobster tails)
  • Instant Pot trivet rack

Ingredients

Lobster Ingredients

  • 2 lobster tails
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided for the two tails
  • 1 cup water

Cajun Garlic-Butter Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons butter unsalted, melted
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice fresh preferred
  • ½ teaspoon thyme dried
  • ½ teaspoon garlic minced
  • ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning

Instructions

Instructions for Instant Pot Lobster

  • Open the Instant Pot lid and place the trivet rack inside the stainless-steel inner pot.
  • Then pour the water into the Inner Pot.
  • Optional butterflying the lobster tails (steps 3-4): Using a sharp knife or kitchen scissors, carefully cut a straight line from the top of the lobster tail shell down to the tip of the tail to expose the lobster meat.
  • Devein and remove any grit, if applicable, then pull the shell down so the lobster meat sits on top of the shell, creating a "butterflied" appearance. (Ideally, you want the lobster meat exposed on top of the body, but if not, the slit down the shell is all you need for proper pressure cooking.)
  • Arrange the lobster tails on top of the trivet with the shells facing down and the lobster meat up.
  • Place pats of butter on top of the lobster meat.
  • Close the Instant Pot lid (make sure the valve is up – in the position for sealing) and pressure cook on high for 1 minute. (Make the Cajun butter sauce while the lobster cooks.)
  • When the cooking time is finished, do a quick pressure release to open the Instant Pot lid: move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release the remaining pressure.
  • Remove the lobster tails from the Instant Pot using the trivet rack handles with an oven mitt.

Instructions for the Cajun Garlic Butter Sauce

  • While the lobster is cooking, mix the melted butter, lemon juice, thyme, garlic, and Cajun seasoning in a small bowl.
  • Serve this delicious Cajun garlic butter by spooning it generously over the hot lobster tails, or serve it on the side as a dipping sauce.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 307mg | Potassium: 190mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 672IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 0.4mg

❤️ Shaunda's Soul Food Standard

Created and tested by Shaunda Necole, creator of The Soul Food Pot® (real cook, real kitchen). Rooted in African American culinary traditions, with modern shortcuts that never sacrifice flavor or legacy. No AI-generated instructions. Every measurement, timing note, and technique is written, cooked, and verified by Shaunda, with make-it-your-way guidance so you can cook confidently with the tools you have.

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