Go Back
+ servings
how to cook lobster: A photo of cooked lobster meat with lemon and butter

Boiled Lobster with Lemon Garlic Butter

Is there anything better than fresh lobster dunked in garlic butter? Definitely not. Now, you can make it at home without being intimidated. Try and get the liveliest lobsters you can, and make sure you keep them in the coldest part of your fridge until you're ready to eat. Boiling and making the garlic butter couldn't be easier.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 2 people
Calories 279 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 large pot
  • Rolling Pin
  • kitchen shears
  • or lobster crackers

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1 lb live lobsters
  • 2 tablespoon salt for the water
  • C salted butter
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • lemon zest and juice

Instructions
 

  • Just before you're ready to cook the lobsters, bring a large pot full of water to a rolling boil. Add salt to the water, and put lobsters in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to stun them.
  • Bring lobsters out of the freezer and on a large baking tray or cutting board. Placing a large, sharp knife behind the eyes where the shells meet in the shape of a cross, swiftly plunge the knife in , and bring the blade down between the eyes, cutting the head in half.
  • Place the lobsters in the boiling water. Wait until the water comes up to a boil again, and then start your timer (6-7 minutes for one pound, 7-8 minutes for 1.5 pounds, and 8-9 minutes for 2 pounds).
  • Get the lobster out of the pot and set aside until it's cool enough to handle.
  • Clean the lobsters (see video) or serve in tact, and let guests break them down (this will keep the meat warmer for longer).

For the Garlic Lemon Butter

  • Melt garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Dice your garlic, and add it to the pan. Cook until it smells fragrant, about 1 minute. Take off the heat, add 2 teaspoon of lemon juice (or more if you prefer). Serve along side the lobster, with fresh lemon slices.

Video

Notes

After you dispatch the lobster, the legs will still move. The lobster is dead, these are just involuntary muscle spasms that can occur for up to several minutes afterward. 
DO NOT overcook your lobster. The meat gets stringy and tough, we do not want that. 
Save the shells, they add great flavor to stocks and soups (you can totally freeze them for later as well. 

Nutrition

Serving: 150gCalories: 279kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 1gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 7225mgPotassium: 31mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 946IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 1mg
Keyword boiling live lobster, how long do lobsters live, how to cook a whole live lobster, how to cook live lobster, how to prepare live lobster
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!