Instant Pot Sous Vide Buttery Lobster Tails
Tender lobster tails cooked precisely at 130°F using Instant Pot sous vide for three hours, then finished with herbed butter. Vacuum-sealed or water-sealed bags keep meat moist while tarragon or thyme infuses subtle flavor. Restaurant-quality results at home with minimal hands-on time.
Ingredients
- water
- 4 lobster tails (4-5 ounces each), raw frozen in shells, thawed
- ¼ cup butter
- 4 tarragon or thyme sprigs, large
- kosher or coarse sea salt, for garnishing
- ground black pepper, for garnishing
Instructions
- 1
Fill Instant Pot two-thirds to Max Fill line with water and set trivet in bottom.
- 2
Latch lid and set machine to sous vide function at 130°F for 3 hours.
- 3
Press start and let water reach temperature.
- 4
While heating, remove lobster tails from shells using kitchen shears by cutting pale underside from thick end toward tail, then peel open shell sides and loosen meat.
- 5
Divide tails between two bags, adding butter and herb sprigs to each.
- 6
Seal bags using vacuum sealer on regular setting, or use water displacement method with zip-closed plastic bags.
- 7
When water reaches temperature, use tongs to carefully place each bag on trivet, ensuring bags don't touch and water can circulate around them.
- 8
Latch lid and cook for 3 hours.
- 9
Remove bags with tongs and split open.
- 10
Use tongs to pull out tails and discard bags, herbs, and liquid.
- 11
Garnish with salt and pepper before serving.
Tips
Ensure bags have space between them on trivet for water circulation—this is critical for even cooking.
Do not press down on bags with trivet handles as this compromises the seal and cooking environment.
Kitchen shears make removing meat from shell cleaner than a knife.
Good to Know
Store cooked lobster tails refrigerated in airtight container up to 2 days. Reheat gently at 54°C if using sous vide, or in warm water.
Prepare bags with tails, butter, and herbs up to 8 hours before cooking. Cook according to instructions when ready.
Serve immediately after cooking while warm, with lemon wedges and additional melted butter for dipping.
Common Mistakes
Do not allow bags to touch or rest against cooker sides to avoid uneven cooking from blocked water circulation.
Do not skip the water displacement sealing method if vacuum sealer unavailable—air pockets prevent proper temperature transfer.
Do not open lid during cooking to check progress—this disrupts temperature stability.
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
General Alternatives
water displacement method shown in recipe