• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Peter's Food Adventures
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Travel
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • recipes
  • about
  • travel
  • Follow and Share!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • recipes
    • about
    • travel
  • Follow and Share!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Recipes

    Cooking Crayfish (Lobster)

    Author: Peter Kolesnichenko · Published: Mar 1, 2021 · Modified: Dec 25, 2021

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    Cooking Crayfish or Australian Lobsters is easy, dressed with a tropical mango salsa, just like my grilled snapper! Everyone loves a seafood bbq. This seafood platter is a perfect summertime feast, or any celebration like seafood for Easter!

    an aussie seafood feast on a platter, grilled lobsters, king prawns and octopus
    Man Holding seafood platter
    Preparing to grill bbq lobsters

    Australian Crayfish vs Lobster

    Rock Lobsters are type of spiny lobsters that are found in Australia, NZ and South Africa. They don't have the lobster claws found on North American lobsters. This can be confusing as Aussies refer to Rock Lobsters as Crayfish. Technically Crayfish aren't lobsters, but here we are! In recipes, cooking Crayfish or Lobsters species from around the world are interchangeable. Same same but different.

    Aussie Seafood Feast

    Seafood feast is a summertime favorite here, especially on Christmas Day. As our Christmas is in the middle of summer, it's hot and not everyone wants to eat a Roast Turkey. An easy Aussie seafood barbecue is what many prefer to make for Christmas or Easter.

    • Grilled Octopus
    • Oysters Kilpatrick
    • Bbq Grilled King Prawns
    • Fresh Oyster with Asian Dressing
    • Mussels in White Wine
    • Grilled Trout or Salmon Fillet
    • Prawn and Mango Salad

    Putting a Lobster to Sleep

    It's pretty much accepted not to drop your live lobster into a pot of boiling water, although some people do. There are more humane ways to cook your lobster. I think it's always to prepare crayfish that are not alive.

    • Ask your Fisho to quickly kill your lobster by stabbing it in the head before you take it home - best for grilling
    • Place you lobster in the freezer to put it to sleep. RSPCA recommends you freeze it for 2 hours (basically frozen lobster). It's more common to freeze a live crayfish for 20-30 minutes before placing into boiling water.
    • Make a salty ice water slurry in your kitchen sink (3:1 ratio of ice to water). Submerge crayfish for about 20 minutes until not moving. Do not use fresh water as it may induce osmotic shock, which can cause suffering for the crayfish. The salty water translates to 1⅓ tablespoons of salt per 1 litres (or quart) of water.
    whole Rock Lobsters on a plate

    Salty Water for Cooking Lobster

    Always boil or steam your lobsters and crayfish in salted water. There are varying amounts of salt that are recommended. You want to mimic the saltiness of the ocean.

    Recommended Water Saltiness

    • 1⅓ tablespoons of salt per litre (or quart) of water - approx 17 grams per litre
    • For a larger pot, it translates as 5 tablespoons of salt per 4 litres (or gallon) of water

    Cooking Crayfish Methods

    There are 3 main methods that I use when cooking crayfish. Boiling, steaming and grilling crayfish on the bbq. Most crayfish sold at supermarkets are between 400-600 grams.

    Some people par-boil the crayfish for 3-4 minutes before grilling. If serving the crayfish cold, then place immediately place in ice bath to stop the cooking. The video shows my easy grilled lobster method.

    Boiling Crayfish in Water

    • Prepare salty water in a large pot and bring to a rolling boil
    • Place the whole crayfish into the pot
    • General rule of thumb - boil for 10-12 minutes until the shells turn a bright orange, and flesh is white and opaque. Refer to cooking chart for precise weight cooking guide
    • Crayfish is cooked at a minimum internal temperature of 63°C or 145°F by an Instant Read thermometer into thickest part of the tail. If flesh is still translucent, place back in water until cooked.

    How Long to Cook Crayfish

    chart of crayfish cooking times

    Steaming Crayfish

    • Prepare 2-3 inches of salty water into a large pot with steamer and lid
    • Bring salty water to a boil
    • Place whole crayfish into the steamer and close the lid
    • General rule of thumb- steam for 12-15 minutes until the shells turn a bright orange and flesh is white and opaque. Refer to cooking chart for precise weight cooking guides

    Bbq Grilled Whole Crayfish

    • Prepare the crayfish by slicing it lengthways. Lay flat on a cutting board, with the pointy end of the knife, slice through the middle of lobster, and continue through
    • Rinse the tomalley and any intestinal tracts with water
    • Spread garlic butter on the lobster tails and place on the grill, flesh side down. Grill for about 5-6 minutes. Flip the lobsters and baste with garlic butter again. Grill for another 5 minutes until the lobsters are cooked, white and opaque.
    Rock lobsters sliced in half lengthways
    Grilling lobsters with garlic butter and parsley

    Grilling Lobster Tails in the Shell

    This grilled lobster tail method is done completely differently than most recipes. Grilled upside down, whole grilled lobster tails cooked with garlic butter in the shell. The benefit of cooking with the lobster shell intact is that the lobster meat cooks in the garlic butter.

    • Flip the lobster tail side down. Cut along both sides of the underbelly of the lobster tail.
    • Pull the flap away from the meat. Using your fingers, loosen the meat around the shell, but keeping the meat still inside the shell.
    • Heat bbq on medium high.
    • Generously slather the lobster meat with garlic butter, including around the sides of the meat.
    • Place lobster tail, shell side down, on the bbq. To prevent curling, skewer the lobster tail.
    • Cook for about 10-12 minutes (shell side down) until meat is white an opaque. Cooking time can vary. The shell will turn bright orange.
    • Flip the meat side down and cook for 3-4 minutes. If flesh is still translucent, place back on grill until cooked.
    • Lobster is cooked at a minimum internal temperature of 63°C or 145°F by an Instant Read thermometer into thickest part of the tail.
    preparing lobster tails for grilling
    grilling lobster tails

    Removing Meat from Cooked Lobster

    It's easy to remove meat from a whole cooked lobster. The tail is where all the good stuff is!

    • To separate the head from the lobster tail, insert a knife into the gap between the head and the top of the lobster tail
    • Cut along the top of the lobster, cutting the flesh
    • Using your hands, twist apart the head from the tail
    • Wash the tomalley and any intestinal tracts
    • Flip tail side down, using kitchen scissors, cut down the sides of the lobster. Pull the flap away exposing the lobster meat
    • Carefully loosen the lobster meat removing from lobster shell
    • Keep an eye for a black vein (poop) and carefully pull out before serving

    Garlic Butter for Lobster

    It's easy to make a garlic butter to baste and serve with your lobster, grilled prawns or even garlic bread. Just mix these ingredients together and you're ready to go!

    • ½ cup softened butter
    • 3 cloves minced garlic
    • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    Dressing a Lobster Tail

    Lobster is usually served with melted garlic butter, as the flavor is delicate and perfectly complements seafood. However, being an Aussie, I look for reasons to use mangoes when they're in season. The Mango Salsa is easy to make, can be made the day and is easy to spoon on top of the grilled lobster.

    • 2 mangoes diced
    • 2 cups chopped tomatoes
    • ½ red onion
    • ½ red capsicum
    • de-seeded jalapeno
    • apple cider vinegar
    • ¼ cup coriander (cilantro)
    • juice of a lime
    plate of grilled lobsters, cut in half and topped with mango salsa

    Seafood Sauces You'll Love

    • Tartare Sauce - homemade Tartare always tastes better than store-bought. In addition to pickles and dill, you won't believe the secret is in the onion!
    • Thai Sweet Chili Sauce - a sweet and spicy Asian dipping and grilling sauce. Spicy Thai peppers with garlic and ginger add the perfect sweet heat!
    • Mango Chili Sauce - a perfect Aussie dipping sauce. Ripe mangoes blended with chili peppers and garlic. Tropical sweet and spicy!
    • Creamy Sweet Chili Sauce - super easy to make with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce as the base. A tasty alternative to Tartare Sauce, my new favorite seafood sauce!

    Cooking Crayfish Recipe Tips

    • It's ok to buy frozen lobster, preferably un-cooked for best results
    • If using live lobsters, make sure you euthanise the lobster humanely
    • Prepare Mango Salsa in advance, it's one less thing to worry about when you are cooking lobsters
    • Add 1 tbsp of sugar to your Mango Salsa, not all mangoes are ripe enough or sweet enough to get the right balance of flavors.
    • When to server lobsters? Perfect for your Christmas Lunch or Easter Lunch
    grilled lobsters topped with mango salsa

    Grilled Australian Rock Lobsters or Crayfish are a tasty luxurious seafood that will elevate your meal. Boiled, steam or grilled, perfectly paired with fresh mango salsa. This dish will be the crowning glory of your dinner party or barbecue. Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!

    Grilled Australian Rock Lobsters or Grilled Lobster Tails are the perfect summer bbq feast. Dressed with a delicious mango salsa topping, this dish will be the crowning glory of your bbq party. Make it as part of your seafood platter feast, an Australian favorite.

    Cooking Crayfish (Lobster)

    Cooking Crayfish or Australian Lobsters is easy to make, dressed with a tropical mango salsa, perfect for seafood! Grilled, Steamed or Boiled lobster. This seafood platter is a perfect bbq feast, seafood for Easter or Christmas!
    5 from 27 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Course: Dinner, Lunch
    Cuisine: American, Australian, Seafood
    Keyword: Cooking Crayfish, grilled lobster, grilled lobster tails, grilled rock lobster
    Servings: 4 people

    Equipment

    • Bbq or Grill

    Ingredients

    • 2 Crayfish Lobsters

    Garlic Butter for Lobster

    • ½ cup butter softened
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • 2 tablespoons parsley chopped
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    Mango Salsa Topping

    • 2 mangoes peeled and diced
    • 2 cups ripe tomatoes chopped
    • ½ red onion
    • ½ red bell pepper or capsicum
    • 1 jalapeno pepper de-seeded and finely diced
    • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
    • juice of a lime
    • ¼ cup cilantro chopped
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    Garlic Butter for Lobster

    • Prepare garlic butter by mixing butter, garlic, salt and parsley.

    Cooking Crayfish

    • Preheat grill to medium-high.
    • Prepare the crayfish by slicing it lengthways. Sedate or kill the crays before slicing them. Lay them flat on a cutting board, with the pointy end of the knife, slice through the middle of lobster, and continue through.
    • Rinse the tomalley and any intestinal tracts with water.
    • Spread the garlic butter on the lobster tails (or olive oil) and place on the grill, flesh side down. Grill for about 5-6 minutes. Flip the lobsters and baste with garlic butter. Grill for another 5 minutes until the lobsters are cooked, white and opaque.
    • Serve immediately and spoon the Mango Salsa over the grilled lobster.

    Mango Salsa

    • Mix all the mango salsa ingredients together and allow to sit at least 30 minutes before serving. Best made the night before.

    Video

    Tried this recipe?Mention @petersfoodadventures or tag #petersfoodadventures!
    Grilled Australian Rock Lobsters or Grilled Lobster Tails are the perfect summer bbq feast. Dressed with a delicious mango salsa topping, this dish will be the crowning glory of your bbq party. Make it as part of your seafood platter feast, an Australian favorite.
    Grilled Australian Rock Lobsters or Grilled Lobster Tails are the perfect summer bbq feast. Dressed with a delicious mango salsa topping, this dish will be the crowning glory of your bbq party. Make it as part of your seafood platter feast, an Australian favorite.
    Grilled Australian Rock Lobsters or Grilled Lobster Tails are the perfect summer bbq feast. Dressed with a delicious mango salsa topping, this dish will be the crowning glory of your bbq party. Make it as part of your seafood platter feast, an Australian favorite.

    More Recipes

    • cabbage pie served on a plate
      Cabbage Pie
    • coleslaw dressing in a jar
      KFC Coleslaw Dressing
    • bowl of korean fried rice with a fried egg
      Kimchi Rice
    • Slow Roast Leg of Lamb recipe, perfect for a Sunday Roast, an Easter Lamb lunch, or for dinner tonight. Roast Lamb with pierced with fresh rosemary and garlic, roasted with vegetables.
      Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb

    Primary Sidebar

    Peter's Food Adventures - where you'll find Russian recipes, Slavic and International favorites with some fun travel and cooking videos. A Russian Food Blogger.

    Hi, I'm Peter!

    Are you looking for a little inspiration in the kitchen? Let me show you how to create tasty meals for your family!

    Food is the ingredient that brings people together. I love authentic foods, and have a very multicultural food background. I am genuinely happy to share the recipes of foods that make me and my family happy. And hopefully yours too. 

    Learn more about me →

    As Featured On

    As Featured On various magazine brands

    Popular Recipes

    • A Hungarian classic summer dish - paprika peppers with with ground beef, rice and paprika spice. Cooked in a delicious tomato passata sauce. Summer comfort food - Hungarian Stuffed Peppers (töltött paprika)
      Hungarian Stuffed Peppers (töltött paprika)
    • Greek Meze Plates
    • pineapple fried rice served inside pineapples
      Thai Pineapple Fried Rice
    • black caviar on a plate served with blinis
      How to Eat Caviar

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Intellectual Property

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Peter's Food Adventures

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    434 shares
    • 261