Soul Food Lobster Tail Recipe
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Soul food lobster tail recipe – Steaming a lobster tail in the Instant Pot and whipping up a batch of Cajun garlic butter sauce is so incredibly effortless. You may find yourself rereading the instructions thinking it can’t be that easy!
You may have heard of air fryer lobster tail. Or even fancy sous vide lobster tail.
But of all the cooking methods, Instant Pot is the easiest way to prepare succulent, tender, and juicy lobster tails. For the perfect low-carb appetizer or main dish.
Serve these easy steamed lobster tails with a glass of white wine and a garlic butter sauce recipe for dipping, and you’ve got yourself a little piece of heaven!
Soul food lobster tail recipe in the Instant Pot
Can you cook seafood in the Instant Pot?
Yes, tuna, shrimp, crabs, and even a shrimp boil!
But today, I’m sharing the best Instant Pot lobster tail recipe with you.
Juicy, tender, and protein-punched lobster meat will surely leave your guests licking their fingers and asking for more! No worries, tho – it’ll only take you another one minute to steam a second batch!
How do you cook lobster tails in the Instant Pot?
It’s important to cook lobster for only a short time.
With only a cup of water and one minute in the Instant Pot, you get sweet, tender, delicious lobster tails every time!
How to steam lobster tails
Ideal as an appetizer or for a quick dinner.
Kitchen equipment for Instant Pot soul food lobster tail
- Instant Pot electric pressure cooker
- Kitchen shears (to butterfly the lobster tails)
- Instant Pot trivet rack
Shop my kitchenware!
Instant Pot Duo Nova | Instant Pot trivet rack (comes with the Instant Pot) | Amazon kitchen shears | Amazon cutting board | Amazon cooking pinch grips | Pyrex measuring glass | Pyrex similar glass ramekin | Anthropologie similar dish towel |
Ingredients for Instant Pot Soul food lobster tail
- 2 lobster tails
- 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, divided for the two tails
- 1 cup of water
Instructions for Instant Pot soul food lobster tail
- Open the Instant Pot lid and place the trivet rack inside the stainless-steel inner pot.
- Then pour the water into the Inner Pot.
- 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.
- 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.
- Serve with lemon wedges and melted butter, or Cajun butter garlic sauce, and enjoy!
How do you make a cajun garlic butter sauce?
What do you enjoy alongside a lobster dinner?
Although lobster tail meat with plain butter and lemon is my absolute favorite. That won’t satisfy folks craving flavor!
So here’s a simple soul food lobster recipe for Cajun garlic butter sauce.
Ingredients for Cajun garlic butter sauce
- 4 tablespoons of melted butter
- 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice
- ½ a teaspoon of thyme
- ½ a teaspoon of minced garlic
- ½ a teaspoon of Cajun seasoning
Instructions for Cajun garlic butter sauce
- Mix the melted butter, lemon juice, thyme, garlic, and Cajun seasoning in a small bowl.
- Serve as a delicious soul food flavor dipping sauce with lobster meat!
What do you serve with lobster tails?
It is ideal for serving lobster tails with a dish that complements the seafood flavors?
Many people serve this lobster Instant Pot recipe with a dash of Old Bay, a squeeze of fresh lemon, a garlic butter mixture, or simply melted butter.
Since it’s just the lobster tail, this recipe can be served as an appetizer or main dish.
In most cases, side dish accompaniments are served family-style and shared.
Here are a few serving suggestions for lobster tail side dishes:
- Lobster bisque – A warm soup mixture of lobster meat, butter, and cream. It complements the flavor of lobster tail meat perfectly.
- Baked potato – One of the most popular lobster tail side dishes. It’s usually lightly seasoned with butter and chives.
- Corn on the cob – Corn is a traditional seafood side dish enjoyed for its sweet and tender taste.
- Biscuits – The fluffy and crunchy texture of a biscuit goes very well with tender lobster meat. Add some cheese on top for an additional flavor punch.
- White rice – A fabulous seafood side dish that is filling, easy to prepare, and ideally light to complement the flavor of lobster.
Pro tip: You could even remove the shell and chop the steamed lobster meat to make yummy lobster mac and cheese or lobster rolls.
Instant Pot soul food lobster tail recipe FAQs
How long do you cook raw lobster tails?
It’s kind of hard to believe. So I feel the need to say it more than one time. That one minute in the Instant Pot is all you need to get sweet, tender, delicious lobster tails every time!
What temperature do you cook lobster tails?
Place lobster tails in the Instant Pot and pressure cook on high.
Can frozen lobster tails be cooked in the Instant Pot?
Obviously, you can’t buy the tail only as a live lobster. So fresh lobster meat is the better choice than frozen because it tastes far better and is less likely to be tough.
However, you can use frozen lobster tails. The only caveat I would give is that they can get a gummy texture when cooked from frozen (although it’s not the end of the world tho. It’s still lobster!)
So how do you thaw lobster tails?
Sit the frozen lobster tails out at room temperature to let them defrost for a few hours before cooking to get the best texture and tenderness.
How can you tell lobster tails are cooked?
What signs indicate that a lobster is cooked?
The best way to check if lobster is cooked is by checking the colors of the lobster tail meat and the shell.
- Rather than being translucent and gray, lobster meat turns bright white and pink when cooked.
- Additionally, the shell of the lobster will turn bright red.
- You can also tell if the lobster is cooked by poking it. Upon poking the tail, it should be firm instead of soft and mushy.
Why do you cut lobster tails before cooking them?
The exposed meat helps cook the meat quickly and evenly. In addition, the cooked lobster is then easier to eat!
How do you butterfly the lobster tails?
People often ask, “Do you mean split the tops?”
Yes, butterflying means you want the meat to be exposed and not covered by the shell.
- So Lay your raw lobster tails out flat and carefully cut a straight line from the top of the lobster tail shell down to the tip to expose the lobster meat.
- Avoid cutting all the way through so you leave the meat intact. Just make a deep enough cut so that you can open the shell.
- Butterfly the lobster tail by pulling open the scored area, creating a “butterflied” appearance.
What size Instant Pot do you need to cook lobster tails?
The Instant Pot comes in multiple varieties of sizes. So how big should your Instant Pot be to cook lobster tails?
Although electric pressure cookers cook food quickly, they differ in capacity. But a standard 6-quart Instant Pot is still perfect for cooking 2-4 lobster tails at one time.
2 or 4 lobster tails, how many is best?
You can comfortably fit up to 4 lobster tails in a standard 6-quart Instant Pot.
Do you place the lobster on the trivet or directly in the pot?
You won’t need a steamer basket, but the Instant Pot trivet rack should be used. It serves two purposes.
One, to keep the lobster from boiling on the bottom because of the water in the pot.
And two, to easily lift and remove the hot tails when the cooked lobster is finished.
Should lobsters be boiled or steamed?
What is the best way to cook lobster?
Lobster tail is best cooked by steaming. This is essentially the same as using the Instant Pot pressure cooker for steamed lobster tail.
Why?
A steamed lobster tail is easier to determine when it’s done by the color of the shell. So it’s almost impossible to overcook.
Steaming lobster is preferred by people who like their lobster a little softer because it can sometimes get a little rubbery when you cook a boiled lobster.
You will also get a smoother texture and a much more tender eating experience by steaming.
In addition, steamed lobster is healthier since steam reduces fat absorption. While broiled lobster tail is entirely different, similar to searing on the grill.
Are lobster tails a healthy choice?
Nutritionists say that lobster tails are good for you. In terms of nutrition, they’re one of the healthier food options. Vitamins, minerals, and magnesium are abundant, and lobster is very high in protein and low in calories and saturated fat.
A keto-friendly food!
How do you prevent lobster from being chewy?
Lobster tails should always be cooked until they are right on the edge of being well-done. Kind of like medium-rare!
Undercooked lobster will be tough and chewy, while overcooked lobster will have a rubbery texture.
So it’s important to cook lobster for only a short time. Which makes Instant Pot the perfect kitchen appliance for sweet, tender, delicious lobster every time!
What do you think about this soul food lobster tail recipe?
When people ask me what I’d like to eat? My response is always lobster (even if I don’t say that out loud)!
Do you make lobster beyond Valentines’s Day?
And if so, will you cook lobster tail in the Instant Pot?
With pressure cooker lobster tails, the cook time is unbelievably short, and the meat so tender, juicy, and sweet!
Equipment
- Instant Pot electric pressure cooker
- Kitchen shears (to butterfly the lobster tails)
- Instant Pot trivet rack
Ingredients
- 2 lobster tails
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided for the two tails
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Open the Instant Pot lid and place the trivet rack inside the stainless-steel inner pot.
- Then pour the water into the Inner Pot.
- 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.
- 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.
- Serve with lemon wedges and melted butter, or Cajun butter garlic sauce, and enjoy!
- *Instructions for Cajun garlic butter sauce are below in the recipe notes.
Video
Notes
Ingredients for Cajun garlic butter sauce
- 4 tablespoons of melted butter
- 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice
- ½ a teaspoon of thyme
- ½ a teaspoon of minced garlic
- ½ a teaspoon of Cajun seasoning
Instructions for Cajun garlic butter sauce
- Mix the melted butter, lemon juice, thyme, garlic, and Cajun seasoning in a small bowl.
- Serve as a delicious soul food flavor dipping sauce with lobster meat!
Nutrition
OMG! This will surely hit the spot if you’re craving for lobster!
Yes, and this soul food lobster recipe is so easy! (Thanks Instant Pot!)