There are few things better than perfectly cooked tender and juicy lobster. As much as I enjoy this iconic shellfish, the thought of cooking it always used to fill me with dread. Lobster costs a pretty penny and is challenging to cook correctly which makes preparing it at home fraught with the potential for failure. Sous vide takes away any of the guesswork resulting in perfectly cooked lobster with little fuss and minimal effort.  Using Suvie and the sous vide cooking method ensures perfectly cooked lobster every time. Follow this simple guide to prepare delicious lobster every time.

Temperature and cooking times for lobster

TemperatureTimeResult
125°F*30-60 minutesVery soft and tender, still visibly translucent
130°F30-60 minutesTender yet slightly firm, milky color
135°F30-60 minutesFirm and bouncy
*Please note that some of these temperatures are lower than what the FDA recommends. Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of food-borne illness.

Lobster does not need to be cooked for long periods of time and should only be left in the water bath for a maximum of 1 hour.

Follow this link to find out more information about Suvie cooking times and temperatures

Ingredients

  • Lobster tails (frozen or fresh)
  • Olive oil or butter

Equipment

  • Suvie or an immersion circulator
  • A large pot (if using an immersion circulator)
  • A large saucepan
  • A large bowl
  • Ice
  • Freezer safe sealable plastic bags
  • A pair of kitchen scissors

Directions

Remove the lobster from its packaging and rinse in cold water. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add the lobster tails and cook for 1 minute. While the lobsters are in the boiling water fill large bowl with water and ice. Remove the lobster tails and immediately place in the bowl of ice water.

Remove the lobster tails from the icey water and pat dry with some paper towels. Carefully remove the lobster flesh from the shell being carefully not to tear the flesh (Check out our lobster roll recipe for detailed instructions on how to remove the flesh from the lobster shell). Once the flesh has been removed, discard the shells.

Place the lobster meat in a sealable freezer bag. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil or a few pats of butter to the bag and seal using the water displacement method  

If you’re using an immersion circulator, pre-heat your water bath to the desired temperature.

If you are using Suvie, place the bag in the protein pan and cover with water. Cook using the following settings:

Suvie Cook Settings

Bottom Zone: Sous Vide at 125-135°F for 30-60 minutes (based on desired doneness)

Top Zone: Sous Vide at 125-135°F for 30-60 minutes (based on desired doneness)

Once the cook is finished, remove the lobster from the water bath or pan. 

Remove from bag and serve immediately.

Note: if you would prefer to eat the cooked lobster later place the bag in a bowl of ice water for at least 15 minutes before refrigerating.

Recipes to try

Lobster Rolls

FAQs

Should I add oil during the sous vide process?

You don’t have to, but we strongly recommend it. Unlike steak or chicken, shellfish benefits from a little bit of fat during the sous vide process. 

30 minutes seems very short? 

Shellfish cooks a lot quicker than other proteins and does not require the long cooking time of other meats.

Can’t I just sous vide the lobster in its shell?

Technically you can, however there is a chance that the sharp edges of the lobster shell could pierce the bag and allow water to seap in.

Where can I get vacuum sealed proteins?

If you don’t want to fuss with vacuum sealers and ziplock bags you can skip the store and order the Suvie Protein Box. Just put together your ideal combination of preseasoned, portioned, and vacuum-packed high-quality meat, poultry, or fish. We deliver it to you frozen in a carefully-packed box.

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Tucker Snedeker
Tucker Snedeker
2 years ago

a little old bay added to the bag is also a nice touch

Abe e
Abe e
1 year ago

I dont want to cook in plastic its bad even though there are no bpa’s. Is there anyway to just cook in suvie?

Caroline Pierce
Admin
Caroline Pierce
1 year ago
Reply to  Abe e

Hi Abe, you can always roast or bake with Suvie instead of sous viding.