Learn how much lobster per person (per serving) is needed to buy some confidently without worrying you won't have enough! Regardless of how the lobster is prepared, I will walk you through exactly how much you should grab to serve your guests! From frozen lobster tails or packaged lobster meat to live whole lobsters, here's how much lobster meat you need per person!
Estimating How Much Lobster Per Serving
While lobster can be enjoyed at any time, it is common to see it prepared for special events or occasions. If you are making a nice dinner for a large group, you could easily be overwhelmed at the thought of figuring out how much you need to purchase!
Appetizers and dinners need a different amount of lobster per person, which can get confusing quickly! Don't worry, in this post, I am going to break down exactly how much you are going to need.
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Live Whole Lobsters
Live whole lobsters are sold by weight. In the United States (outside of Florida), you will almost always be purchasing Atlantic lobster (also called Maine lobster).
A standard lobster will weigh between 1½ and 3 pounds. It is important to keep in mind that the weight of the crustacean itself is not the weight of the meat you will have available to eat. Instead, they have a yield of roughly 20-30%.
If the lobster is to be used as the main course, aim for purchasing a 1½-2 pound lobster per guest. This will give each person about 6-10 ounces of meat. A 1½ pound lobster should suffice for a normal dinner, while a 2-pound one could be more for a special occasion meal.
If it is intended for an appetizer or salad, a 1-1½ pound lobster per person would be ideal as this will yield about 4 ounces of meat.
Table 1: Size Information
| Name | Size | Uses |
| Canners | <1 pound | *Too small |
| Chickens | 1⅛ pound | *Too small |
| Quarters | 1¼ pound | Lobster bake |
| Halves | 1½ pound | Dinner |
| Dueces | 2-2½ pounds | Special Occasion |
| Large Selects | 2½-3½ pounds | High-end restaurants |
| Jumbos | 3½+ pounds | Hard to find, impressive dinner |
| Large Jumbos | 6-10 pounds | Too large for a lobster pot |
Lobster Tails
As a general rule, one tail per person is suitable for an appetizer. For dinner or a main course, aim for 2 tails per person.
The number of tails that you'll want to serve per person will vary based on a few different factors. If the tail is the main course, you'll need more per person. However, if it is being served as an appetizer or alongside some other side dishes, you won't need as much.
Table 2: Tail Portions
| Tail Weight | Serving Size | Uses |
| 4-5 ounces | 1 tail per person | Enjoy as an appetizer with side dishes, average appetites |
| 6-8 ounces | 1 tail per person | Larger appetizers, fewer side dishes |
| 8-10 ounces | 1 tail per 2 people | Fewer side dishes; use 1 tail per person for large appetites |
| 10-12 ounces | 1 tail per person | Special occasions, large appetites |
| 1-2 pounds | 1-2 pounds per person | Adjust based on the number of side dishes |
| 2-2½ pounds | 2-2½ pounds per person | Main course |
Canned Lobster Meat
When using canned lobster meat, you'll purchase the exact amount of meat you need (as opposed to getting a smaller portion of meat once the shell has been removed from a whole lobster).
One serving is equivalent to 4 ounces, so that would be a good general guideline for how much canned lobster meat to purchase. Of course, check the recipe you are following to see how much meat is needed.
Cooked Lobster Meat
You can purchase raw or cooked lobster meat online in addition to the grocery store. When buying from online sources (2-day shipping typically), you'll receive packaged frozen lobster meat.
Already cooked meat would be great for making dishes such as a bisque, pasta, macaroni and cheese, and more! Refer to your recipe for how much meat you will need, though 4 ounces is considered one serving.
Lobster Facts:
- A 1½-pound lobster is the most popular size purchased. This weight is a great base when buying lobsters per person, as it is an ideal dinner size.
- A hard shell 1½-pound lobster will yield roughly 1⅓ cup of meat.
- One serving of lobster is considered 4 ounces of meat.
- It takes about 4-5 lobsters to make 1 pound of lobster meat.
- If making a surf & turf meal, a 1¼ pound whole lobster would be a great choice.
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Now you know how to estimate how much lobster you are going to need! Leave a comment down below and let me know your favorite recipes using this amazing crustacean!
🦞 Amazing Lobster Recipes
- Smoked Lobster Tails - Fire up the smoker for an extra unique way to enjoy these decadent tails!
- Broiled Lobster - An easy way to prepare lobster with minimal effort!
- Lobster Chowder - A rich and decadent comfort food that is perfect for feeling cozy!
- Lobster Risotto - If risotto wasn't elegant enough, go ahead and add in some tender lobster!
- Lobster Artichoke Dip - A upgraded version of a popular appetizer!
- Broiled Lobster Tail - A simple and tasty lobster dish that is ready to enjoy in only 15 minutes!
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📖 Recipe Card
How Much Lobster Per Person: Broiled Lobster Tail (+More Helpful Info)
Ingredients
- 4 lobster tails (fresh or thawed)
- ¼ cup butter (½ stick, melted)
- 1 large lemon (juice of half, serve with wedges from remaining half)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 pinch ground white pepper
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Place your oven rack in the upper ⅓ of the oven and turn the broiler on to high.
- Prepare your lobster tails by using sharp kitchen shears to gently cut through the top half of the lobster shell, down to the base of the tail. Keep the tail attached at the end and be careful of the lobster meat while cutting!
- Devein the tail and remove any dirt or grit if needed. Flip the lobster tail over and press on the ribs gently. Then flip back over and use your fingers to separate the lobster meat from the shell, leaving it attached to the tail.
- Lift the meat above the shell then pinch the shell together under the meat to hold it in place. Lay the meat over the shell and set the lobster tail on your baking sheet. Repeat for each lobster tail.
- Brush melted butter over prepared lobster tails then squeeze lemon juice onto each and season with sea salt and ground white pepper.
- Place baking sheet with lobster tails under the broiler and broil for 1 minute per ounce (3 minutes for a 3-ounce tail, 5 minutes for a 5-ounce tail). The lobster meat will turn opaque when done. *Lobster should be 140°F (60°C) when done, do not go over 145°F (63°C) as your lobster meat will be over-cooked.
- Remove from oven when done and serve immediately.
Notes
- Unsure of the best lobster to use? You’ll typically have options between cold water and warm water lobster. Cold water lobster is preferable because they have a more tender, white meat that has a cleaner flavor. Warm water lobster is softer and can sometimes have an off flavor.
- You can ask the fishmonger at your grocery store if the lobster they provide is cold water or warm water – you can also tell a warm water lobster by the black spots that cover their shells!
- Lobsters have their digestive tract running through the tail (also called the vein). While it’s not harmful to eat, it doesn’t taste the best, so you might want to remove it! You can also ask your fishmonger to prepare the lobster tails for you if using fresh.
- Never used white pepper? White pepper is simply regular peppercorns with the black shells removed! It has a milder flavor and white color that is great for dishes where you want pepper flavor with no black specks!
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