How to Sous Vide Lobster Tail with Lemon Butter

Name: Sous Vide Lobster Tails
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 each Lobster Tails (3 - 4 oz. per tail); Kosher Salt; 1 tbsp Unsalted Butter; 2 tbsp Clarified Butter; Lemon Wedges

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Making Sous Vide Lobster Tail may sound fancy, but it is actually quite easy! Let’s dive into it!

Why Sous Vide Lobster Tail?

The protein in lobster tail is delicate and can easily be overcooked, causing the proteins to shrink and resulting in a loss of tenderness and natural juiciness. This can lead to a tough and chewy texture.

However, sous vide lobster tails provide the ability to precisely control the cooking temperature and time, it involves sealing lobster tails in an airtight bag and cooking it in a precisely controlled water bath at a consistently low temperature for an extended period.

The sous vide method ensures that the lobster tail is cooked precisely to the desired temperature without the risk of overcooking. The result is a tender, moist, and flavorful lobster tail that truly highlights the natural taste of this exquisite seafood delicacy.

How to Prepare a Lobster for Sous Vide?

First, procure a robust pair of kitchen scissors—your essential tool for this task. Position the lobster tail with its belly facing upwards. Skillfully cut along both sides of the lobster, starting from the front and working your way towards the base of the tail. Ensure your cut is precise and thorough, splitting the shell without damaging the succulent meat inside.

Next, initiate the delicate process of extricating the lobster tail meat from the shell. Do this with utmost care to maintain the integrity of the meat. Now, you’ll need to remove the vein of the lobster. This is achieved by making a neat incision along the backside of the tail. Patience and precision are key here; a hasty cut can compromise the presentation of your lobster.

For ease of handling and to ensure a firmer texture, consider placing the lobster tails into the freezer for a brief period. A stint of approximately 15 minutes should suffice. This essential step will solidify the lobster meat just enough, making it less slippery and easier to manage as you continue with your culinary creation.

What Equipment do you Need?

Good news! To make sous vide lobster tails, you’ll only need a few basic pieces of equipment and some simple ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:

Kitchen shears for cutting the lobster tail shell.
Sous vide machine: the sous vide machine I use is Typhur Sous Vide Station which is the all-in-one sous vide cooker, it combines essential elements required for sous vide cooking, eliminating the need for multiple separate tools. It is packed with an immersion circulator, vacuum sealer, water container, and vacuum bags.

Sous Vide Lobster Tail Time and Temp

After conducting thorough research and experimenting, we have found the three optimal temperatures for sous vide lobster tails. Depending on your personal preference for doneness, you can adjust the temperature and cooking time accordingly.

Soft and translucent: 122℉ (50℃) for 20 minutes

Slightly tender and moist: 131℉ (55℃) for 20 minutes

Tender and succulent: 140℉ (60℃) for 20 minutes

Temperature	Cooking Time	Doneness
122℉ (50℃)	20 minutes	Soft and translucent
131℉ (55℃)	20 minutes	Slightly tender and moist
140℉ (60℃)	20 minutes	Tender and succulent

How to Sous Vide Lobster Tail

Using Typhur Sous Vide Station to cook lobster tails has never been so easy! Its built-in 12.3-inch touch panel includes hundreds of step-by-step video sous vide recipes from Michelin star chefs, including sous vide lobster tail.

It means you can cook Michelin-level dishes with just a few clicks after putting all the ingredients in the equipment. The temperature and cooking time are all default set depending on different doneness. That’s really nice for home cooks!

See how easy is to sous vide lobster tails using Typhur Sous Vide Station on the video!

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to sous vide lobster tails:

Prepare the ingredients

Step 1. Using a pair of kitchen scissors, place the lobster tail belly up and cut the shell along each side of the lobster all the way to the base of the tail. Gently pull the lobster tail meat out of the shell. Remove the vein of the lobster by making a small cut along the back of the tail.

For easier handling, place the lobster tails in the freezer for up to 15 minutes. This will firm up the lobster meat and make it easier to handle.

Step 2. Season the lobster tails with a pinch of salt and add to the vacuum seal bag along with the butter.

Start to sous vide lobster tails

Step 1. Add enough water to the tank to ensure that the ingredients are fully submerged and the minimum quantity of water is reached. Complete the setup by securing the sous vide cooker to the tank.

Step 2. Using the handheld vacuum sealer, make sure that the lobster tails are completely sealed and that any excess air has been removed from the bag.

Step 3. Secure the magnetic weight to the bottom of the sous vide bag before carefully lowering it into the water bath. Secure the sous vide bag by inserting the bag clip into the rack.

Step 4. Allow the lobster to sous vide for 20 minutes at 122.0 °F if you choose soft and translucent doneness. Once the lobster tails have finished cooking, carefully remove them from the water bath.

Step 5. Carefully remove the lobster tails from the bag. We recommend serving with a squeeze of lemon juice and warm clarified butter.

FAQs about lobster tails in sous vide

1. Can I sous vide frozen lobster tails?

Yes, you can sous vide frozen lobster tails, but it’s essential to thaw them properly before cooking to ensure even and consistent results.

2. Can I sous vide lobster tails in the shell?

You should remove the lobster meat from the shell before cooking it sous vide. The sharp projections and edges of the lobster shells can potentially puncture or tear the vacuum-sealed bags, leading to water leakage and a compromised cooking process.

Sous Vide Lobster Tails

There is nothing quite as luxurious as a perfectly cooked lobster tail. This sous vide lobster recipe is guaranteed to deliver unrivaled flavor and tenderness. Don’t forget to bring the warm clarified butter for dipping.