How to Cook Live Lobster: Boiling and Steaming Times by Weight
Cooking a whole lobster is simpler than it looks. The two things that matter most are starting with a lively lobster and timing the cook by the weight of each lobster, not the weight of the whole pot.
Start with a live lobster
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises buying lobsters live, because they spoil quickly after they die. A healthy lobster moves its legs and tail when handled. Keep it cold and damp, and cook it the same day you buy it if you can.
Boiling times
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a full rolling boil, add the lobsters head first, and start timing when the water comes back to a boil. These times are the Maine Lobster Council’s guideline for hard-shell lobsters:
| Lobster weight | Boiling time |
|---|---|
| 1 lb (450 g) | 10 minutes |
| 1¼ lb | 12 minutes |
| 1½ lb | 14 minutes |
| 1¾ lb | 16 minutes |
| 2 lb (900 g) | 18 minutes |
| 2½ lb | 22 minutes |
| 3 lb | 25–30 minutes |
| 5 lb | 40–45 minutes |
Some suppliers suggest a few minutes less for tender meat, especially with new-shell (soft-shell) lobsters, so treat the table as an upper guide and check doneness.
Steaming instead
Steaming is gentler and keeps more of the flavour in the meat. Put an inch or two of salted water in the pot, set the lobsters on a rack, cover tightly and time from when steam builds again. Steaming takes a little longer than boiling, so add a few minutes to the times above.
How to tell it is done
- The shell has turned bright red all over.
- The meat is opaque and white with no clear, glassy patches.
- A thermometer in the thickest part of the tail reads 145°F (63°C), the FDA’s general target for cooked seafood.
If in doubt, crack the shell where the tail meets the body and look at the meat. Undercooked lobster can go back in the pot for a minute or two.
Safety reminders
- Do not cook or eat a lobster that died before cooking.
- Throw away any seafood that smells of ammonia, raw or cooked.
- Refrigerate leftover cooked lobster promptly and eat it within a day or two.
Planning to keep some for later? See how to freeze lobster, or try one of our simple lobster recipes.