This easy baked stuffed lobster tails recipe is so delicious, you will be wanting to make lobster every week! Buttery ritz crackers are tossed with scallops and stuffed into the lobster tails for a moist and decadent lobster dinner idea! It’s easy, super quick and SERIOUSLY mouthwatering! This is one of the best lobster recipes ever because it takes less than 35 minutes to make!
How To Make Lobster Stuffing:
This specific stuffing recipe has been in my family for decades. My grandmother used to use it to make her famous ‘baked stuffed shrimp’ recipe every Christmas. When I tell you that I have never had a stuffing that tasted more moist and addicting, I am not lying! It is SO good!
Sauté onions until transparent, then add the bay scallops and cook for 1 minute. Toss in the garlic and cook for another minute. In a bowl, crush a sleeve of ritz crackers and add the parsley, melted butter, parmesan cheese, lemon juice and onion/garlic/scallop mixture.
Mold the stuffing onto the butterflied lobster tails, and bake! It’s seriously SO easy! I forgot to mention the best part: this can be a make-ahead stuffing!
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How To Cut A Lobster Tail:
With the hard side of the shell on the table, and starting on the wide end of the tail, cut the belly side of the shell, while also cutting half way through the meat, until just before the end of the tail.
Using your hands, carefully spread the shell open, and gently pull the tail out, making sure to keep the meat attached to the shell towards the end of the tail. Rest the tail meat on top of the belly of the shell, with the end of the meat still attached to the shell. Carefully, using your fingers and a paper towel, remove the dark vein, if there is one.
You can really butterfly it any way you like for stuffed lobster, this is just personal preference.
Frequently Asked Questions:
| What if I don’t have any scallops? | I totally get it, not everyone has fresh scallops available to them! First of all, frozen scallops are absolutely fine to use! Just thaw them before cooking. If you don’t have frozen or fresh scallops, you can use canned mushrooms! Believe it or not, the texture of canned mushrooms feels very similar to scallops, and it doesn’t drastically change the flavor of the stuffing. |
| Can I make the stuffing ahead of time? | You can! This will save you some time, making this ritz cracker stuffed lobster tails even more of a breeze! Make it the night before and place it in an air tight container. Take it out of the fridge 1 hour before you are ready to stuff the lobsters so it has time to come to room temp. |
| Do I have to remove the vein in the tail? | Yeaahhhh, I would. It’s part of their digestive tract. I don’t know about you, but I’m all set with eating lobster poo! |
| My lobster tails keep falling over! | Ugh, same! As you can see from the picture below, mine fell to the side too. I think that this could have been fixed if I packed them into a baking dish. But if they fall over mid baking, just try to sit them back upright. Some of the stuffing might fall out, but otherwise, it won’t affect how they cook. |
What To Serve With Stuffed Lobster Tails:
Baked stuffed lobster tails make for a GREAT summer lobster recipe! It is such an easy recipe, and lobster is most in season in the summertime. But don’t let that stop you from enjoying this easy lobster dinner recipe year round!
We actually served these baked stuffed lobster tails for our Christmas dinner this year! You can serve them with a side of mashed potatoes and green beans, or go all out and present them with lobster bisque and beef tenderloin!
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Baked Stuffed Lobster Tails
Ingredients
- 6 lobster tails (whatever size you want, just adjust cooking time accordingly)
- 2 sleeves original ritz crackers
- 3/4 pound bay scallops, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
- 4 tsp minced garlic
- 1 1/2 small onions, minced or small chopped
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
- 4 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Start by 'butterflying' the lobster tails. With the hard side of the shell on the table, and starting on the wide end of the tail, cut the belly side of the shell, while also cutting half way through the meat, until just before the end of the tail.
- Using your hands, carefully spread the shell open, and gently pull the tail out, making sure to keep the meat attached to the shell towards the end of the tail. Rest the tail meat on top of the belly of the shell, with the end of the meat still attached to the shell. Carefully, using your fingers and a paper towel, remove the dark vein, if there is one. See notes for further explanation.
Make The Stuffing:
- Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the minced onion, and cook until transparent. Add the chopped scallops and cook until opaque, about 1 minute. Toss in the minced garlic and cook for another 60 seconds, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, pour in the sleeve of ritz crackers. Using your hands, crush them up until they are crumbs.
- Add to the bowl the melted butter, parsley, onion/garlic/scallop mixture, parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Mix to form a stuffing. Do NOT season with salt, as the ritz crackers are very salty.
- Place the butterflied lobster tails on a baking sheet or baking dish. Scoop an equil amount of stuffing onto the meat of each tail, and pat it down so it is less likely to crumble.
- Place the sheet or dish in the pre-heated oven, and cook until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the lobster is 145 degrees F. This usually takes about 14-18 minutes, depending on the size of the tail.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- So, let me explain why I butterfly the lobster tail the opposite way that it should be. Since we are stuffing the tails with a lot of stuffing, I find that it is easier to butterfly them with the hard shell facing down. When you butterfly it with the lobster tail coming out the top of the shell, there is much less room for stuffing. Doing it this way allows for more stuffing…more stuffing means more happy!
- To make the stuffing ahead of time, make it the night before and place it in an air tight container. Take it out of the fridge 1 hour before you are ready to stuff the lobsters so it has time to come to room temperature.
Easy Lobster Bisque
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