A lobster tail is terrific all by itself. But a chicken fried lobster tail is over the top decadent and delicious. Think fried chicken, but with lobster. Yeah, it's really that good.
Why Use Lobster?
Well, why not? Chicken fried anything tastes great. Why not take the very best the sea has to offer, batter it up and drop it in a fryer? Chicken fried lobster is just incredibly tender and delicious.
Try my other recipes for Crawfish Tempura and Lobster Tempura.
Ingredients
- Lobster tails
- All-purpose flour
- Rice flour
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Cayenne pepper
- Buttermilk
- Hot sauce like Cholula
- Mayonnaise
- Lemon juice
- Lemon zest
- Garlic
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Make the Aioli
Make sure to prepare the garlic aioli in advance. The lobster will cool quickly when it's out of the fryer and you want to eat this dish hot. Just add all the aioli ingredients together in a small bowl and combine with a wire whisk.
How to Prepare the Lobster
The lobster meat used in this recipe comes from the tail. Claws are just too much work to open and can easily fall apart. The lobster tail is the way to go, the meat is easy to get out and it handles the heat of frying very well.
Cut the membrane on the underside of the lobster with a pair of kitchen shears along both sides where it meets the shell.
Pull back the membrane, then gently free the lobster tail meat from the shell and separate it from the top of the shell.
Hey Batter, Batter
The batter for these fried lobster tails consists of both wet and dry ingredients. The dry flour mixture includes all-purpose flour, a bit of rice flour, some garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. The rice flour helps give the chicken fried batter a lighter texture. The wet batter is a buttermilk mixture that includes hot sauce. The cayenne pepper and hot sauce give the fried lobster tail a bit of kick. Welcome to Austin!
Dredge the lobster tail in the dry batter. Then, dip the lobster tail in the wet batter. Finally, dredge the lobster in the dry batter one more time. This will create a tasty coating that sticks.
Fry the Lobster Tails
Heat vegetable oil in a tall 4-quart pot to 350˚F. There should be enough oil in the pot to cover the lobster tail, about 2 inches. Canola oil works well for this recipe. Fry the lobster tails in the hot oil until golden brown. Carefully remove the fried lobster tails from the hot oil and drain them on a paper towel. Don't forget to deep fry the shell with the lobster tail. The shell will turn bright red and makes a nice decoration on the plate.
Dredge the tail meat in the dry coating, then the wet coating and then the dry coating one more time.
Fry the coated lobster tail until golden brown.
Place the shells on a plate then drape the fried lobster tails over the top of the shell. Serve with aioli and lemon wedges.
Try Something Different
For a completely different fried lobster experience, try making my other deep fried lobster tail recipe, lobster tempura. The texture of tempura batter is very different from the batter for chicken fried lobster. The chicken fried lobster is heavier and makes a heartier dish. The batter has substance to it. Lobster tempura, on the other hand, is soft and delicate. Both are great and both have their place in a lobster culinary lineup.
For a light, small-bites appetizer, try my recipe for crawfish tempura. It’s similar to lobster tempura, but the there is a lot more batter per bite because crawfish are so small.
Equipment
The lobster tail in the video was cooked in a counter-top deep fryer at 350°F. It could also have been cooked in a large pot on your stovetop. IMPORTANT: Make sure to use a LARGE pot. You need to have at least 3-inches of space between the top of the oil and top of the pot. The oil will bubble violently when the lobster is added and can easily bubble out of the pot and onto the burner causing a fire. It will also ruin your burner. I know this from experience. Unfortunately, I have made this mistake more than once.
Storage
Chicken fried lobster is a dish best enjoyed fresh. Leftovers do not reheat well.
Final Thoughts
Chicken fried lobster combines the decadence of lobster tails with the crispy, comforting flavor of Southern fried chicken. This dish is perfect for special occasions or when you just want to treat yourself to something indulgent. The crispy, golden exterior pairs beautifully with the succulent, tender lobster meat, creating a flavor combination that is surprising and delicious. The next time you’re looking to try something new, reach for this recipe. Enjoy!
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
📖 Recipe
Chicken Fried Lobster Recipe
Ingredients
Lobster
- 2 lobster tails shells removed
Dry Batter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup rice flour
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Wet Batter
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce like Cholula
Aioli
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbs lemon juice
- 1 lemon zest of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 1 dash kosher salt
- 1 dash black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- Mix dry batter ingredients and set aside. Mix wet batter ingredients and set aside. Mix aioli ingredients and set aside.
- Prepare lobster tails. Heat oil to 350 degrees F. Drench lobster tails in dry batter, then wet batter, then dry batter again. Drop in hot oil and cook for about 3 minutes until crust is golden brown.
- Drain and serve with aioli.
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