Air Fryer Lobster Tail
Lobster tails stuffed with panko crumbs that have been tossed in butter and white wine, then air fried and sprinkled with chives, lemon zest and sea salt. The buttery panko crumbs are a perfect match with the tender and sweet lobster meat.
Equipment
- 1 air fryer
Ingredients
- 2 5-6 ounce Maine (or New England) lobster tails if frozen, thawed (cold water lobsters)
- 4 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 1 tablespoon white wine dry, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup plain panko crumbs
- 1 tablespoon sliced chives
- 1 lemon zest of, and cut into wedges
- Sea salt for garnish
- Parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 390 degrees F.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the white wine, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and pour half the butter into a small serving bowl – reserve this for serving the lobster. Add the panko crumbs to the saucepan with the remaining butter mixture. Stir to combine.
- Using kitchen shears, cut down the center of the top shell of the lobster tails (between the meat and the shell) to split the shell in half. Stop cutting once you get to the tail fin. Naturally you will cut through some of the lobster meat while cutting through the shell, this is fine. If there is a long, thin vein running down the center of the tail, remove that with your fingers or a paring knife. Using your hands, gently separate the two sides, allowing more access to the lobster meat (the bottom shell will crack a bit when you are doing this). You don’t want to completely split the shell apart, you just to make room for the panko stuffing that you'll add later. Using a culinary brush and the reserved butter, brush the lobster tails with melted butter (don't double dip the brush, one dip is sufficient - you don't want to contaminate the raw lobster juices into the butter that you'll use for the cooked lobster).
- Spray or wipe the air fryer basket with cooking oil. Add the lobster tails to the basket (cut side up) and set the timer for 4 minutes. Open the basket and carefully (air fryer and lobster are hot!) spoon the panko mixture into the butterflied lobster. Close the basket and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, until the lobster is cooked through. Lobster is fully cooked when it is white and opaque throughout (not transparent) and the shell turns bright red. For these lobster tails, the easiest way to tell they are done is by inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the tail. It should read 135-140 degrees F. Cooking time will vary depending on your air fryer and the size of your lobster tails.
- Remove lobster tails from air fryer. Sprinkle with sea salt, lemon zest, chives and parsley (optional). Serve with reserved melted butter and lemon wedges.
Notes
Recipe can easily be doubled to serve 4 people.
Nutrition
Calories: 107kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 10gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 580mgPotassium: 232mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 64IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 104mgIron: 1mg
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