Deep fried lobster tail - ooh weeeee! This fried lobster will give you all the feels! The lobster is extra crispy, but still very light with a moist interior texture.
Recipe video is located in the recipe card at the end.
These lobster tails are highly seasoned, well-cooked, and topped with a spicy maple syrup and hot sauce combination.
These could be served as an appetizer, but for us it's a main dish entree. Fried lobster is a great change-up to that chicken and waffles or oxtail brunch or dinner staple.
Deep fried anything might make is way on a soul food menu, but lobster is a special case!
We don't eat lobster daily or weekly for that matter, but we get the holiday brunch lit for family and visiting friends.
Beats and Eats
Fried anything is straight comfort food. Fried lobster tail is extra, next-level new school, new jack comfort food. It deserves a straight-up boss bangin beat with the lyrics to match. That Lil Kim verse on "All About The Benjamins" is the one!
Ingredient Notes
- Lobster Tails - fresh lobster is great, but frozen from a respectable seafood market works.
- Potato Starch - Starch gets you to super crunchy but light and airy. Corn starch works fine.
- Corn Flour - I like that slight corny flavor as it pairs well with fried seafood
- Panko Bread Crumbs - they add to both the look and mouthfeel while still keeping the texture light.
- Creole Seasonings - I use a combination of kosher salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, and thyme.
- Buttermilk - the sour tang is subtle but blends well with the spices and fat
- Eggs - binding agent great for crust formation
- Maple Syrup - preferred over pancake syrup. It's got a cleaner, more natural flavor.
- Hot Sauce - go for the thicker type hot sauces. I'm partial to Caribbean style ones that you might have to shake a few times
- Peanut Oil - neutral-tasting frying oil with a high smoke point and also helps the golden color of the fried lobster tail
How To Make Deep Fried Lobster Tail (Step By Step)
The process for frying lobster tails is rather simple, as it's the same basic approach to frying chicken - seasoning + egg wash + dredge then fry. The key difference is with lobster you have to remove the shell or at least expose the tail outside of the shell. I provide details in the post, but probably easier to follow the approach in the video that appears in the recipe card.
How To Remove the Shell
- Remove the shell by cutting through the spine of the shell from the top down to where the tail begins. Use kitchen shears for this.
- Flip the lobster over in your hands so that the belly side is facing you. Using your thumbs press down strongly to crack all the ribs that go across the lobster. Then using both hands squeeze both sides simultaneously working your way all the way down including the tail.
- At this point, you should be able to pull the shell apart on the belly side as if you were opening a large book with both hands. Remove all but the tail.
Preparing The Lobster tail
- Mix spices together in a small bowl or ramekin.
- Make the dredge by mixing together the corn flour, starch, and a half the remaining spice mix
- Make an egg wash by combining the eggs and buttermilk in a bowl and mixing well.
Frying The Lobster Tails
- Score the bottom side of the shell-less tail. This will prevent curling when frying.
- Dry the lobster then season it with a third of the Creole spice mix.
- Dredge the seasoned lobster tail in the flour mix, then dip into the egg wash, and lastly cover fully with panko crumbs
- Fry the lobster at 350 degrees for 4-5 minutes depending on size.
Finishing the Lobster
The lobster is good to go right out of the fryer. This step is optional but recommended for next-level flavor.
- Place the last of the spice mix in a bowl. Add a cup of hot grease from the fryer and mix well. Brush the spiced oil onto the lobster and serve.
Considerations & Tips for Frying Lobster Tails
Fresh is always best if you ask me, but fresh lobster is not required to make great deep fried lobster. However, do source from a respectable establishment.
Many fried lobster recipes call for preparing the shell the traditional way, i.e. cutting open the shell and placing lobster tail outside the shell so as not to encounter any curling during frying. I prefer to remove the shell altogether with only the fin remaining. Scoring the bottom of the lobster eliminates curling issues.
Make your own Creole seasoning mix. Store-bought ones tend to be heavy on the salty side. You can control the salt levels with homemade and use fresher more flavorful spices that stand out more.
Cooking time will depend on the size of the lobster and the frying temperature. I cooked at 350 degrees as lobster is more delicate than chicken and I didn't want to overcook to that rubbery texture.
Be mindful and check on the lobster at the three-minute mark. Seafood cooks fast and if you leave it in the fryer too long you end up with rubbery lobster. Once the lobster starts floating in the oil, then it's ready to come out.
For extra flavor mix together a ½ cup of the used hot oil with the remaining spice mix, then brush the fried lobster with it. This is the same technique used to make Nashville Hot Chicken or even Hot Shrimp Sandwich for that matter.
Serve deep fried lobster tail with waffles using your favorite recipe or these tasty buttermilk waffles which include an easy spicy maple syrup recipe. They also go well with fries, collard greens slaw, smashed cucumbers, or Southern fried okra.
If serving waffles, definitely make the hot sauce + maple syrup combination.
Fried Lobster Tail Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How Do You Know When Lobster Tails Are Done?
Assuming you're cooking at 350 degrees it should take no more than five minutes. When they are finished, they should float to the top. These are a fast cook, so it will be obvious to you. Just make sure you're paying attention.
What does deep fried lobster taste like?
Lobster is high in protein and mostly muscle so it can be chewy relative to other seafood items, which is why it's so important not to overcook. Otherwise, it will move from chewy to rubbery. Crab is probably the closest comparison, but lobster is sweeter and doesn't have that same strong fishy taste, smell.
How do you split lobster tails for frying?
See my detailed description of the process up above in the step by step instructions or watch the video at the end of the post. The key is on breaking that rib cage like structure.
How do you eat fried lobster tails?
I'm probably the wrong person to ask this question of. For me that long tail makes for great handles. I'm all hands with dunking the lobster in my delicious sauce.
What seasoning is good for deep fried lobster?
I personally like the Cajun/Creole spice mix I used for this recipe. However, there are several I like including my famous jerk seasoning and
How do you cook lobster tails without a shell?
People tend to cook deep fried lobster with shell on in order to keep the tails from curling. I find that scoring the bottom of the lobster in a few places does the trick.
For Similar Deep Fried Recipes
Southern Fried Catfish with Jollof Spice
For a non-fried lobster recipe try these Poached Lobster Tails. And for another brunch type seafood dish try this New Orleans style BBQ Shrimp recipe.
Make this recipe
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Ingredients
For The Lobster
- 4 Lobster Tails
- 1 cup Potato Starch
- ½ cup Corn Flour
- 1 ½ cups Panko Bread Crumbs
- 1 cup Buttermilk
- 2 Eggs
For the Creole Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme
- ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
For the Sauce
- ¼ cup Maple Syrup
- 2 tablespoons Hot Sauce
Other
Instructions
Remove the Shell
- Remove the shell by cutting through the spine of the shell from the top down to where the tail begins. Use kitchen shears for this.
- Flip the lobster over in your hands so that the belly side is facing you. Using your thumbs press down strongly to crack all the ribs that go across the lobster. Then using both hands squeeze both sides simultaneously working your way all the way down including the tail.
- At this point, you should be able to pull the shell apart on the belly side as if you were opening a large book with both hands. Remove all but the tail.
Prepare The Lobster tail
- Mix spices together in a small bowl or ramekin.
- Make the dredge by mixing together the corn flour, starch, and a half the remaining spice mix
- Make an egg wash by combining the eggs and buttermilk in a bowl and mixing well.
Fry The Lobster Tails
- Score the bottom side of the shell-less tail. This will prevent curling when frying.
- Dry the lobster then season it with a third of the Creole spice mix.
- Dredge the seasoned lobster tail in the flour mix, then dip into the egg wash, and lastly cover fully with panko crumbs
- Fry the lobster at 350 degrees for 4-5 minutes depending on size.
Finish the Lobster
- The lobster is good to go right out of the fryer. This step is optional but recommended for next-level flavor.
- Place the last of the spice mix in a bowl. Add a cup of hot grease from the fryer and mix well. Brush the spiced oil onto the lobster and serve.
Video
jamie
Monday 18th of September 2023
Oh my, this dish making me crave it! Looks amazingly delicious and very yummy! As my saying goes "When I SEA food it always makes me hungry". Love to try this at home!
Amy Liu Dong
Monday 18th of September 2023
I love this! I love eating seafoods and lobster is one of my favorites! The lobster is so tasty and amazing!
Katie Crenshaw
Sunday 17th of September 2023
Wow! I liked lobster before.... but this recipe took it to a new level! The coating on the lobster was crispy and flavorful. It turned out so good!
Lisa
Sunday 17th of September 2023
What a great idea to make fried lobster with waffles. It’s a perfect special brunch recipe!
Amanda
Sunday 17th of September 2023
Delicious! The lobster came out so good. The fried coating was nice and crispy, and the meat was perfectly cooked.