There’s nothing more delicious than a grilled steak and lobster dinner. While dining out can be enjoyable, preparing this elegant meal at home is far more economical and can taste even better than a restaurant version. This guide walks you through an easy way to make grilled steak and lobster for a special night in.
Home-cooked meals offer many advantages: you save money, enjoy privacy and comfort, and avoid crowds and noise. You can relax in cozy socks, choose the music, light candles, and focus on the company rather than the clatter of a busy dining room. Cooking together can also be a fun way to bond and share the experience.
What goes with a grilled steak and lobster dinner?
This meal pairs beautifully with rich, creamy, and bright sides. In our version we served ricotta mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus, a Caesar salad with homemade croutons, and a warm white wine butter sauce for dipping. Other great side options include baked potatoes with toppings, roasted sweet potatoes, steamed broccoli, mustard-dill roasted carrots, a cranberry-pecan garden salad, or an heirloom tomato salad with aged goat cheese. The steak is also excellent topped with a pat of bone marrow butter.
How to make grilled steak and lobster dinner
Start by getting your grill hot so it’s ready when the steaks come up to room temperature. Allowing the steaks to take the chill off the fridge helps them cook more evenly. While the grill heats, prepare the butter sauce and the lobster tails, and set your oven broiler to the upper rack so it’s ready for the lobster.
Make the white wine butter sauce
The white wine butter sauce is simple and delicious. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine dry white wine, fresh lemon juice and minced or grated garlic. Reduce the mixture until it’s concentrated and flavorful, then remove from heat and whisk in cold cubed butter, one tablespoon at a time, until smooth and emulsified. Season with salt and ground white pepper to taste. Transfer the sauce to a small pitcher or jar and keep it warm in a pan of warm water while you cook the steak and lobster.
Prepare the lobster tails
Place a lobster tail shell-side up on a cutting board. Using sharp kitchen scissors, cut the top of the shell down the center, stopping about an inch from the tail-fan. Use a dull butter knife to separate the meat from the shell, then pry the shell open and lift the meat so it rests on top of the shell while keeping the tail end attached. Remove the dark digestive vein running down the center of the meat; it should pull away in one piece, or use a paper towel to help grip it.
Turn the tail over and trim off the little flippers. Slide a butter knife between the meat and the membrane to loosen it, flip the tail back, and lift the meat to sit on top of the shell. Slip lemon wedges and a few slices of garlic inside the hollow shell, drizzle about a tablespoon of the butter sauce over each tail, and dust with smoked paprika. Arrange the tails on a wire rack over a foil-lined sheet pan and keep them at room temperature while you grill the steaks.
Grill the steaks
Season the steaks with salt and pepper just before grilling. Place them on a hot grill over direct heat and sear for about 6 minutes on the first side. Flip and cook another 4 minutes for medium-rare, adjusting times to your preferred doneness. Remove the steaks from the grill and let them rest for about 5 minutes to allow juices to redistribute.
Cook the lobster tails
When the steaks are nearly done, transfer the prepared lobster tails to the oven under the preheated broiler. Broil the tails for approximately 1 minute per ounce of weight — a 6-ounce tail will take about 6 minutes — or until the meat turns opaque white. If you prefer to use an instant-read thermometer, the lobster meat should reach 140°F to 145°F. Avoid overcooking to prevent the meat from becoming tough and rubbery.
Once everything is cooked, plate the steak with the lobster tail, spoon the warm white wine butter sauce over both, and add your chosen sides. Serve immediately for the best texture and flavor.
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Recipe summary
Grilled Steak and Lobster Dinner — By Pat Nyswonger. Grilled steak and lobster is easier than it sounds and you can make it at home for far less than a restaurant. Prep time about 30 minutes, cook time about 20 minutes, total time roughly 50 minutes. Serves 2.
Ingredients
White Wine Butter Sauce
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
- 6 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- Ground white pepper, to taste
Lobster Tails
- 2 lobster tails (about 6 ounces each)
- 1 clove garlic, sliced
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Grilled Tenderloin Steaks
- 2 tenderloin steaks (about 6 ounces each)
- Salt and pepper
Instructions (brief)
- Prepare the grill for direct high heat (450–550°F). Remove steaks from the fridge to take the chill off. Preheat the oven broiler and place a rack about 6 inches from the element.
- Make the butter sauce: reduce wine, lemon juice, and garlic by half, then whisk in cold butter a tablespoon at a time. Keep warm.
- Prepare lobster tails: cut the shell, loosen meat, remove the vein, place lemon and garlic in the shell, drizzle butter sauce, and dust with paprika.
- Grill steaks: sear 6 minutes per side schedule (6 minutes first side, 4 minutes second side for medium-rare), then rest 5 minutes.
- Broil lobster tails: about 1 minute per ounce (6–8 minutes) until meat is opaque, or 140–145°F internal. Avoid overcooking.
- Serve steaks and lobster with warm wine butter sauce and preferred sides.
Notes
- Plan timing so both steak and lobster are hot when served: steaks need about 10 minutes on the grill plus 5 minutes resting; lobster tails broil for 6–8 minutes. Place lobster in the oven after the steaks have been on the grill for about 8 minutes.
- For a good crust on the steak, salt it right before grilling.
- If lobster tails are frozen, thaw in cold water for 20–30 minutes, then rinse and pat dry.
- Remove any shell fragments from the lobster meat and discard the digestive vein.
- Use an instant-read thermometer if unsure: lobster should be 140–145°F internal. Visual doneness is opaque, firm meat rather than translucent.
Enjoy this restaurant-style grilled steak and lobster dinner at home — it’s a beautiful, indulgent meal that’s surprisingly easy to prepare.