My stuffed lobster tail is full of crab imperial – and it is outrageously delicious!
In the restaurants, I’ve worked in and many that I’ve dined in, lobster seems to always be King of the Menu, and when you stuff that lobster with lump crab meat you’ve just added to its crowning glory!
Thanks to places like Costco and Sam’s Club, Lisa and I enjoy lobster on a regular basis. And no matter how you cook it, grilled, broiled or sauteed, it makes for a better and more affordable dinner in your own home, then you’d get going out. You’ll even have money left over for a bottle of wine!
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So as I was thinking of what to prepare for our special Christmas Eve dinner at home (because I waited too long to make reservations….sigh) I immediately thought of a Lobster Tail stuffed with Crab Imperial. After all, I had all the ingredients already in-house.
What struck me as funny as I served up my “surprise dinner” Lisa commented that I had never made this for her before. I guess I couldn’t have picked a better time, Christmas Eve as the snow started falling we sat down to an amazing dinner in the warmth and comfort of our home, at a fraction of the price it would have cost us going out to dinner.
If you’re looking for a meal to celebrate a special occasion, for entertaining or just because you can, I urge you to give this dish a try.
This restaurant-style dish is the perfect date night dinner or just to make any night a special occasion.
We enjoyed our Stuffed Lobster with a bottle of Prosecco, but even if it’s just sparkling water make sure you raise your glass and toast to the good life as you enjoy this delicious creation!
Using a digital insta-read thermometer will help you cook the perfect Crab Imperial Stuffed Lobster and be a great help in your kitchen.
More Seafood Recipes You’ll Love!
Stuffed Lobster Tail Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 (8-10) ounce lobster tails
- 6 ounces lump crab meat
- ¼ cup Mayonnaise (Hellmans, Best foods or Dukes Mayo)
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon old bay
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped Italian parsley optional
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped red pepper or roasted red pepper optional
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- squeeze of lemon juice
- 4 ounces unsalted butter
Instructions
Crab Imperial
- Mix mayonnaise, egg, sugar, old bay, peppers and parsley together and blend well, this is your imperial sauce.
- Gently mix with lump crab meat
- Refrigerate for 1 hour before using
Lobster Prep
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Melt butter
- Split lobster tail down the middle, being careful not to completely split the lobster
- Pull the lobster meat out of the shell, leaving the end flap inside the shell.
- Fan the tail and bend it upwards till you hear a little snap, this will help keep the fanned tail in place.
- Push both sections of the shell together and place the split lobster on top of the shell.
- Spoon some of the butter over top of the lobster, place in a baking pan and into 350 degree oven.
- Allow lobster to bake for 5 minutes so that the area you are stuffing will get partially cooked.
Adding Stuffing to Lobster
- Remove lobster from oven after the partial cooking and dividing the crab imperial mixture into two portions, stuff the top of the lobster tail, making a mound with the crab imperial.
- Return lobster to the oven and continue baking for 15-20 minutes until topping has a nice golden color.
- Remove Stuffed Lobster from the oven and spoon just a little bit more of the butter on the stuffed lobster.
- Serve with your favorite side dish, and after presenting the dish to the table, gently remove the stuffed lobster completely from the shell and return to the plate.
- Serve with melted butter and a squeeze of lemon and enjoy!
Hailey Bettendorf says
Tasted amazing! But when I went to cook it the sides of the lobster seemed droopy and some of the filling fell out… do you think I didn’t cook it’s from too much stuffing?
Chef Dennis Littley says
hi Hailey
did you prebake the lobster to get it started cooking? If it was just the filling that was too loose it may have needed a little more bread crumbs to tighten it up. You should be able to form it into a mound that will hold it shape. And the last possibility could have been the lobster tails. Every now and then I get one that’s just a little bit off with darker flesh.
Michael says
Hi Chef! I noticed in this reply you mentioned using breadcrumbs but I don’t see breadcrumbs in this Imperial stuffing recipe. Should I be adding breadcrumbs in? Also, do you think the addition of Bay Scallops to the stuffing would work well? This recipe looks delicious and I’m planning to make it for Christmas dinner this week 🙂
Chef Dennis Littley says
you would only need to add breadcrumbs if you were making crabcakes. If you’re making crab imperial or stuffing, don’t add breadcrumbs.
As for bay scallops, they would make a nice addition to the stuffing. I wouldn’t fully cook them, but maybe a quick sear to get some of the liquid out of the scallops.
Michael says
Thank you!
Alex Butter says
Best ever stuffed lobster! I baked the lobster tails on a rack above a shallow baking pan filled with a cup of water. To save time, I put half a jumbo lump crab cake over each tail, instead of making crab imperial. The lobster tails were absolutely delicious. Thanks for the fabulous recipe.
Denisr says
This recipe was awesome! I am making it again using 8 6oz libster tails. Do I just triple the ingredients?
Chef Dennis Littley says
that sounds right to me, just divide up the stuffing equally. Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe
Felice says
I have 4 oz lobster tails. Is the same cooking time recommended?
Chef Dennis Littley says
hi Felice
Do not precook the tail before stuffing it; the tail will cook thoroughly, even with the crab imperial topping.
Cooking time will be close to the same, 15- 20 minutes. Check the internal temperature of the crab imperial with an instant-read thermometer, it should be a minimum of 165 degrees.
Amy H says
I bet my husband would love this for dinner! I could make this for him New Years Eve
Stephanie says
Oh! This looks so delicious! I never thought to look at Sams Club to see if they had Lobster!
Karen Morse says
This would be a nice dinner to make for a romantic night at home with your spouse. The hubs and I are both huge fans of lobster and crab or anything seafood and this would be the best recipe to make!
Mama Maggie's Kitchen says
Hmmm yum! This Lobster Stuffed with Crab Imperial looks really delicious. Wish I could eat dinner twice. I want this on my plate right now.
Barbies Beauty Bits says
This looks and sounds so yummy. Lobster is one thing I havve not made. I live near the ocean, so can eat fresh seafood all the time.
Sarah Bailey says
Now this is one interesting dish -I don’t think I’ve ever had lobster before, perhaps something I need to try in the new year.
Tomi C says
Wow! This is my kinda recipe. I love seafood and you’re right about more affordable seafood prices courtesy of the warehouse stores. I’ve enjoyed this dish at some of my favorite restaurants but never made it at home thinking it’s a complicated dish but I’m surprised it’s actually something I could make.
Beth says
That looks really impressive! My husband loves crabmeat and would really enjoy this meal!
Kathy says
This looks really good. I have actually never had lobster before. I really need to try it out soon.
Natalie says
I have a few people in my life who love seafood so I’m sure they would really enjoy this. Will be sharing this with them.
Sue Reddel says
Wow! This looks like the perfect meal to serve for New Year’s Eve too. I love the flavor combinations.
Lori Bosworth says
I would love lobster stuffed with crab for Christmas Eve dinner! I didn’t know you could buy lobster tails at Costco!