Gluten-Free Baked, Crab and Cheese, Stuffed Lobster

Stuffed lobster tails used to be off-the-menu for gluten-free eaters, but now you can enjoy this dish that combines lump crab meat, Italian cheeses, fresh basil, crisp breadcrumbs, and lemon butter. This meal is not only elegant, it is surprisingly easy-to-prepare in about 50 minutes from start to finish.

This recipe and the accompanying photos were created by Leslie Chitoff, the cook, gardener, and recipe developer behind Culibloom. Her website brings together gluten-free cooking, garden-grown inspiration, and colorful food photography, with recipes that show gluten-free food can still be creative, approachable, and full of flavor. We are grateful to Leslie for sharing this elegant crab-stuffed lobster tails recipe with LobsterAnywhere readers.

To help ensure everything cooks thoroughly, and that you get a golden-brown top like in the photos, the recipe has you layer the crab stuffing over the exposed lobster meat before the tails are baked. This helps them remain tender and and reach the golden color. Then as this meal cooks, the cheeses melt into the crab while the gluten-free panko breadcrumbs create a lightly-crisp and texturized topping.  And a drizzle of lemon butter placed on the side adds bright, rich flavor to every bite.

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Gluten-Free Crab-Stuffed Lobster Tails Recipe

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These gluten-free stuffed lobster tails are impressive enough for Valentine’s Day, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, anniversaries, and other special occasions. Serve them with roasted vegetables, a fresh green salad, or another favorite gluten-free side dish for an elegant seafood dinner at home.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 4 Large lobster tails, about 8 to 10 ounces each
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 small sweet onion finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1¼ cups cooked lump crab meat picked over and shredded
• 5 ounces gluten-free Italian cheese blend shredded
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
• ¼ cup gluten-free panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• ½ cup fresh basil chopped and divided
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and divided
• Juice from ½ lemon divided
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Equipment

• 1 Baking sheet
• 1 Large mixing bowl
• 1 Spatula for mixing and folding
• 1 Kitchen shears
• 1 Skillet or frying pan

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and Lightly grease a rimmed baking dish large enough to hold the lobster tails in a single layer.

Open and Season the Lobster Tails

1. Using clean kitchen shears, cut lengthwise through the top of each lobster shell, stopping just before the tail fin.
   
2. Carefully spread the shells apart and gently loosen the lobster meat from each shell without detaching it at the base.
3. Lift the meat through the opening and rest it on top of the shell.
4. Remove and discard the dark intestinal vein if present.
5. Season the lobster lightly with salt and black pepper.

Cook the Aromatics (Onion and Garlic)

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the chopped onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent.
3. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
4. Remove the skillet from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for approximately 5 minutes.
5. Transfer the cooked onion and garlic to a large mixing bowl. Add the crab meat, Italian cheese blend, Parmesan cheese, gluten-free panko breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, and half of the chopped basil.
   

Make the Crab Stuffing

1. Pour in 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, the cheeses, and half of the lemon juice into a bowl with the crab meat.
2. Gently fold the ingredients together, taking care not to break the crab meat into pieces that are too small.
3. Taste the filling and season it with salt and black pepper as needed. Keep in mind that the cheeses may already add a noticeable amount of salt.

Stuff the Lobster Tails

1. Arrange the prepared lobster tails in the baking dish and spoon the crab mixture generously over and around the exposed lobster meat. Press the filling lightly so it stays in place without becoming densely packed.
   
2. If any crab stuffing remains, transfer it to a small buttered baking dish and bake it alongside the lobster tails.
3. Now combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter with the remaining lemon juice. Spoon the lemon butter evenly over the lobster tails and crab filling.

Bake and Serve

1. Place the stuffed lobsters tails into the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The exact cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of the lobster tails.

   The lobster meat should be opaque and firm, and the thickest part should reach an internal temperature of 145°F. Avoid overbaking because it can make the lobster meat tough.

   If the filling begins to brown too quickly, loosely cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. For a deeper brown topping, broil the stuffed lobster tails for 1 to 2 minutes at the end of cooking. Watch them carefully while broiling so you don't overcook them.
2. Remove the stuffed lobster tails from the oven and allow them to rest for 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining fresh basil over the top.
3. Serve immediately with the warm lemon-butter juices from the baking dish. Offer additional lemon wedges at the table so people can season to taste.

Notes

Check the cooked lump crab meat carefully and remove any small shell pieces before adding it to the filling.

Check the cooked lump crab meat carefully and remove any small shell pieces before adding it to the filling.

Avoid packing the crab mixture too firmly around the lobster so everything heats evenly and has an even texture.  

This recipe makes a generous amount of crab stuffing.  This can be turned into a mini crab cake to enjoy later by transferring any filling that doesn’t fit on the lobster tails to a small buttered baking dish, and cooking alongside the lobster tails or freezing and using later.  

Confirm that the panko breadcrumbs, Italian cheese blend, Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning are labeled gluten-free. Prevent cross-contact by using clean cookware, utensils, cutting boards, and preparation surfaces.

The crab filling can be prepared up to one day in advance and refrigerated in a covered container. Wait to prepare and stuff the raw lobster tails until shortly before baking.

Refrigerate leftover lobster and crab stuffing within two hours.

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.

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Equipment You Will Need

• 1 Baking sheet
• 1 Large mixing bowl
• 1 Spatula for mixing and folding
• 1 Kitchen shears
• 1 Skillet or frying pan

Ingredients

• 4 Large lobster tails, about 8 to 10 ounces each
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 small sweet onion finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1¼ cups cooked lump crab meat picked over and shredded
• 5 ounces gluten-free Italian cheese blend shredded
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
• ¼ cup gluten-free panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• ½ cup fresh basil chopped and divided
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and divided
• Juice from ½ lemon divided
• Salt and black pepper to taste

The Steps to Make The Gluten-Free Stuffed Lobster Tails

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and Lightly grease a rimmed baking dish large enough to hold the lobster tails in a single layer.

Open and Season the Lobster Tails

1. Using clean kitchen shears, cut lengthwise through the top of each lobster shell, stopping just before the tail fin.
2. Carefully spread the shells apart and gently loosen the lobster meat from each shell without detaching it at the base.
3. Lift the meat through the opening and rest it on top of the shell.
4. Remove and discard the dark intestinal vein if present.
5. Season the lobster lightly with salt and black pepper.

Cook the Aromatics (Onion and Garlic)

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the chopped onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent.
3. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
4. Remove the skillet from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for approximately 5 minutes.
5. Transfer the cooked onion and garlic to a large mixing bowl. Add the crab meat, Italian cheese blend, Parmesan cheese, gluten-free panko breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, and half of the chopped basil.

Make the Crab Stuffing

1. Pour in 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, the cheeses, and half of the lemon juice into a bowl with the crab meat.
2. Gently fold the ingredients together, taking care not to break the crab meat into pieces that are too small.
3. Taste the filling and season it with salt and black pepper as needed. Keep in mind that the cheeses may already add a noticeable amount of salt.

Stuff the Lobster Tails

1. Arrange the prepared lobster tails in the baking dish and spoon the crab mixture generously over and around the exposed lobster meat. Press the filling lightly so it stays in place without becoming densely packed.
2. If any crab stuffing remains, transfer it to a small buttered baking dish and bake it alongside the lobster tails.
3. Now combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter with the remaining lemon juice. Spoon the lemon butter evenly over the lobster tails and crab filling.

Bake and Serve

1. Place the stuffed lobsters tails into the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The exact cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of the lobster tails.The lobster meat should be opaque and firm, and the thickest part should reach an internal temperature of 145°F. Avoid overbaking because it can make the lobster meat tough.If the filling begins to brown too quickly, loosely cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. For a deeper brown topping, broil the stuffed lobster tails for 1 to 2 minutes at the end of cooking. Watch them carefully while broiling so you don’t overcook them.
2. Remove the stuffed lobster tails from the oven and allow them to rest for 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining fresh basil over the top.
3. Serve immediately with the warm lemon-butter juices from the baking dish. Offer additional lemon wedges at the table so people can season to taste.

It is that easy to make this crab stuffed lobster tail dinner. If you’d like more recipes, don’t forget to join our newsletter list and subscribe. And if you’re ready to try this dish, you can buy fresh lobster tails direct from us.