Even just the phrase “lobster tails” conjures up images of luxurious fine dining in the opulent atmosphere of an upscale restaurant.

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While that might be an enjoyable indulgence, don’t let it give you the idea that you can’t make lobster tails yourself as a home cook – it’s far easier than you might think it is and is a great choice for a show stopping dinner.

However, if you are going to make it yourself, you might also be wondering “what should I serve with lobster tails?”. Good question, and we’ve got you covered here – we’ve assembled a list of great side dishes for lobster tails, so let’s get in and see what they are!

Lobster Bisque

Some people might say that this is going a little bit overkill with the lobster, but to be honest, lobster is so good that there’s nothing wrong with having even more of it.

It is a recipe that takes a bit of work, but the rich, flavor packed soup that results is absolutely worth it, with heavy cream, and various herbs to season it to perfection.

You could serve it either as an appetizer before the lobster tails or alongside them, and it’ll be 100% delicious either way you choose!

Garlic Butter

This isn’t a side dish exactly, but it is absolutely wonderful with lobster. The recipe linked here includes several different variations on the garlic butter theme, so you can pick your favorite.

Lemon, garlic, and parsley butter is an excellent choice for lobster, since citrus and seafood is such a classic pairing, but the roasted garlic butter is particularly delicious as well. With this rich butter covering and soaking into the meat of the lobster tail, you can’t go wrong!

Steamed Clams

As Principal Seymour Skinner once said, “Mmmm, steamed clams!” While they’re a delicious dish in their own right, they also go excellently with lobster tails if you want to really lay the seafood on thick.

These clams are seasoned with butter, garlic, and lemon juice and cooked with white wine, to make them flavorsome but light, so they don’t steal the show from the lobster tails themselves.

Mac And Cheese

This comfort food has a place in the hearts of millions, but that’s not the only reason that it’s a great choice to serve with lobster tails.

Lobster tails might be delicious, but they’re not all that filling by themselves, something that can’t be said of mac and cheese. The smooth, buttery, cheesiness of the dish also adds nicely to the delicate flavor of the lobster.

If you want to take things up a notch, you could even include some pieces of the leftover lobster in the mac and cheese itself, but if not, you can’t go wrong by sticking to the classic formula either.

New England Clam Chowder

We’ve seen steamed clams on this list already, but another great way of preparing clams to accompany lobsters’ tails is in the form of a thick, delicious New England clam chowder.

It’s really rich and creamy, and it’s substantial enough to provide great support to the more delicate lobster tails, in addition to being wonderfully flavorsome. This is another dish where you can include any leftover bits of lobster in the mix, if you like.

Greek Lemon Potato Salad

The Greeks know a thing or two about seafood, since it’s such an important part of their country’s cuisine.

This potato salad is lighter than most, swapping the mayonnaise for a lighter, lemon and fresh herb vibe that’s the perfect accompaniment to lobster tails. The dressing also features some mustard for extra aromatic taste.

Like many Greek dishes, this one is based on the principle of using light flavors to let the ingredients do the talking without being overwhelmed, which is exactly what you want from a side dish.

Cilantro Lime Rice

If you’re concerned about a side dish stealing the spotlight from the main event, then rice is a great choice. However, while there’s nothing wrong with plain white rice, you might find that it’s a little too bland, which is where this recipe can help you.

This cilantro lime rice is well seasoned with butter oil, garlic, lime juice, and cilantro to make a flavorsome rice that’s still simple enough to give all the lime(haha)light to the lobster tails.

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

This recipe is useful because it’s so quick and easy to prepare – it’s just a case of wrapping the ham around the asparagus, adding some seasoning, and then letting it cook in the oven.

Once they’re done, they make a great decoration for the lobster tails, and the salty taste of the delicious ham tastes great with the asparagus to anchor it. Prosciutto is a luxurious food, so it’s only natural that it goes so well with another one in lobster.

Easy Baked Risotto

You might be thinking that risotto’s not the kind of straightforward side dish you had in mind when you clicked on this article, but hold on a moment.

This one is a lot easier than most risottos and is actually baked, rather than being cooked on the stove top.

That means that you can skip all that time-consuming stirring and still have perfect, tender rice. You can add in vegetables to your taste, and the creamy, cheesy richness of the dish pairs nicely with the fine taste of the lobster for a particularly indulgent dinner.

Hasselback Potatoes

A side dish that can always be relied upon to bring the goods, hasselback potatoes give you the best of both worlds by being both crispy and creamy.

That’s quite an impressive achievement for a humble potato, but it’s all in a day’s work for this reliable side dish. Even better is the fact that, as fancy as they might look, they barely take any more time or effort to make than an ordinary baked potato!

You can include extra toppings as well, if you like – garlic and herb butter is a good start, but crispy bacon bits wouldn’t go amiss, either.

Easy Pasta Salad

This recipe brings a delightful mixture of light, delicious Mediterranean flavors to the table to make a great lobster side dish.

The holy trinity of olive oil, lemon, and garlic team up with other seasonings like Dijon mustard and Italian herbs to produce a wonderful taste.

In addition to the pasta, the salad features chickpeas for extra crunch, and the bright colors that make it up mean that it’ll look great served alongside lobster tails.

Maple Glazed Baby Carrots

Baby carrots have a natural sweetness to them, and this dish plays on that by coating them in a glaze made from maple syrup.

This sweet side contrasts with the richness of the lobster in such a pleasing way that you’ll want to try them with everything!

This is also one of the most child-friendly dishes on the menu, and, to top it off, is very simple to prepare, needing only a short list of ingredients and minimal effort.

Garlic Sauteed Spinach

This is another brilliantly simple side dish that you can have done in 10 minutes. It’s not literally just garlic and spinach, but it’s not far off.

The garlic is joined by its flavoring friends butter, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper.

Easy to make in any quantity, ready in minutes, and simple to serve, there’s hardly an easier side dish than this anywhere.

Garlic Parmesan Butter Gnocchi

Gnocchi are a kind of Italian dumpling, usually made from potato. They’re soft and just the right amount of chewy, and are perfect for soaking up the flavors of whatever they’re cooked with.

This recipe sees them soaking up a sensational garlic Parmesan butter flavor, which is also a perfect partner for lobster, so you might even be able to kill two birds with one stone with this recipe.

The recipe is another simple one, with only a few ingredients, most of which you probably have in your kitchen cupboard already.

Slow Cooked Boston Baked Beans

Baked beans are a humble dish, but that doesn’t mean that they’re not fit to serve with lobster! As the title says, this dish is slow cooked, which means you can start it off long before you need to serve it and then wait for it to finish.

It’s a great, hearty dish with a welcome meat flavor from the salt pork that’s used in it, and it provides a full-bodied contrast to the lightness of a lobster tail.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are Tobster Tails?

That’s actually more of an interesting question than you might think, because the answer isn’t just “the tail of a lobster”. In fact, in most cases, lobster tails are specifically not the tails of lobsters.

Most lobster tails sold in the United States come from a species called spiny lobster, which, despite its name, is not a lobster but is actually a crayfish, and isn’t closely related to true lobsters.

And it doesn’t end there because the so-called “tail” is actually the spiny lobster’s abdomen. So, now you know the truth, but it doesn’t mean that lobster tails aren’t good to eat!

How Do You Cook Lobster Tails?

There are many different ways you can cook lobster tails – boiling, steaming, baking, and grilling are all good options.

If you’re not sure which is best for you, then boiling is probably the best way to go – it’s the easiest way to do it, and it also has the least chance of the flesh of the lobster tail sticking to its shell.

That being said, grilling, stealing and baking all have their advantages and disadvantages too, and the best choice for you can depend on the means you have available and the ingredients you have to cook it with.

How Can I Choose Good Lobster Tails?

There are a few pieces of advice to keep in mind when you’re choosing lobster tails for your meal. Since this is such a luxurious dish, you might be serving it at a dinner party or something like that, so you need to choose the best to impress!

It might sound obvious, but the main thing to look out for as any discoloration in the flesh. If the meat looks yellowish, or if there are any black spots, then don’t buy it. Similarly, if the tails look grayish, then they’re probably not good quality.

Thawed lobster tails are also not the best, since once they’re frozen, lobster tails should ideally be thawed only when they’re about to be cooked. Naturally, buying your lobster tails from a trustworthy source is the best way to make sure you don’t have any issues.

Final Thoughts

Now that you’ve finished reading this list, you’re all set to get started dreaming up your ideal side dish for your next lobster tail dinner!

Whether you’re going to have all the time you need or will be pressed to whip something up in just ten minutes, there are options on this list for you.

There are so many great choices that you’ll want to try them all!

What To Eat With Lobster Tails (19 Amazing Side Dishes)

We’ve gathered together 15 of the greatest, tastiest, side dishes for lobster tails so that you can choose what to eat with lobster!

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Jess Smith

Hi, my name is Jess Smith, and I love cooking in my spare time. Around three years ago, I decided to give up my day job as a teacher to pursue my passion for food. While I have enjoyed sharing tips and tricks on Social Media, I have decided to expand my horizons through this blog.

Through this blog I hope to help others learn the basics and more intricate details of cooking. I know from personal experience how frustrating it can be to cook a meal, only to realize you are missing one ingredient from your list. This is why I love to write articles chatting readers through some great substitutes that can be used in an emergency.

I hope you will find this blog useful, and that it will help you to develop your culinary skills, to help you cook up a storm!