Name: Grilled Lobster Tails
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted; 3 garlic cloves , minced; ½ cup panko breadcrumbs; 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley; ¼ teaspoon table salt; ⅛ teaspoon pepper; 4 (4½- to 6-ounce) frozen lobster tails, fulled thawed and patted dry; Lemon wedges , for serving

Why This Recipe Works

When you want to cook a meal to impress—and we mean really impress—lobster is your friend. And it’s surprisingly easy thanks to frozen lobster tails, which are widely available and easy to serve. Cutting the tails in half to expose the meat enables the grill to add flavor and some browning, but it also speeds up the cooking time and makes them easier to eat. The exposed meat also makes it easy to add a good dose of butter and some garlicky bread crumbs, which makes for an even more impressive meal.

Before You Begin

For the best flavor, thaw the lobster tails slowly in the refrigerator for 24 hours before cooking. Handle the lobsters gently after the crumb topping is added in step 4.

Instructions

Combine melted butter and garlic in small bowl. Toast panko in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer panko to small bowl, let cool slightly, then stir in parsley, salt, pepper, and 3 tablespoons melted butter-garlic mixture. Using sharp knife, cut lobster tails in half lengthwise and devein (if necessary). Season lobster meat lightly with salt and pepper.

FOR CHARCOAL GRILL:Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.FOR GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high. Clean cooking grate, then repeatedly brush grate with well-oiled paper towels until grate is black and glossy, 5 to 10 times.

Place lobster tails, cut side down, on grill and cook (covered if using gas) until tail meat just begins to turn opaque, about 3 minutes. Transfer lobsters, cut side up, to rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with remaining butter-garlic mixture and gently pack panko mixture into tail.

Return lobsters, shell-side down, to grill and cook (covered if using gas) until meat is opaque and registers 140 degrees, 4 to 8 minutes. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.