If you want to bring an air of sophistication and celebration to your dinner table without spending hours in the kitchen, a surf and turf dinner might be the perfect solution.
With the right ingredients and a bit of planning, you can pull off an effortless meal that looks (and tastes!) over the top—and we’ve got just the recipes to show you how.
As a seafood lover, I’ve always wondered how much succulent meat I can get out of a whole 1 pound lobster Is the meat mostly in the tail and claws like many people assume? Or are there tasty morsels hiding in the body and legs too?
To satisfy my curiosity, I did extensive research on lobster anatomy and typical meat yields. In this article, I’ll share everything I learned about how much lobster meat you can expect from a 1 pound lobster. Read on for a complete breakdown!
An Overview of Lobster Sizes
Lobsters are categorized by their weight, which normally ranges from 1 to 5 pounds for whole lobsters bought at markets and restaurants. Here are the common size names:
- Chick Lobster: 1.0 – 1.2 lbs
- Quarter Lobster: 1.2 – 1.4 lbs
- Half Lobster: 1.5 lbs
- Three Quarter Lobster: 2 lbs
- Jumbo Lobster: 3+ lbs
The smallest legal harvest size for a lobster is around 1 pound. After that, lobsters grow about 1 to 1.5 pounds per year until reaching 5+ pounds at over 15 years old. The biggest lobsters can exceed 20+ pounds and 100 years old!
Total Meat Yield from a 1 Pound Lobster
Many sources indicate that a 1 pound hard-shell lobster will yield approximately 3-4 oz of meat. That equates to about 15-20% meat from the entire 1 pound lobster. The remaining 80-85% is primarily shell with some inedible guts and body parts.
Here’s a breakdown of the typical total meat yield percentages from a 1 pound lobster:
- Hard-shell lobsters: 15-20%
- Newly molted soft-shell lobsters: 10-15%
- Minimum legal harvest lobsters (~1 lb): 15%
Meat Yields from Different Parts of a 1 Pound Lobster
Where does all the meat come from on a 1 pound lobster? Here’s an overview:
- Tail: 35-40% of total meat
- Claws: 25-30%
- Knuckles and legs: 15-20%
- Body and head: 5-10%
The tail and claws contain the largest share of meat, while the knuckles, legs, and body have smaller portions. The head has minimal edible lobster meat.
For a 1 pound lobster, you can expect approximately:
- 1.5 oz meat from the tail
- 1 oz from the claws
- 0.5 oz from the knuckles and legs
- 0.25 oz from the body
Although the tail and claws get the most attention, there’s a decent amount of tasty meat throughout the whole lobster. Don’t forget to crack the knuckles, legs, and body to get every last morsel!
Tips for Getting the Most Meat from a 1 Pound Lobster
Here are some tips to maximize the quantity of lobster meat from a 1 pound lobster:
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Choose hard-shell lobsters when possible – they yield more meat than soft-shell lobsters.
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Carefully crack open and extract all the meat from the knuckles, legs, and body cavities – don’t leave any behind!
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Consider ordering “cull” lobsters which are missing one claw. They provide just as much good meat at a discount.
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Learn how to properly extract the body meat if desired. It takes some effort but results in a bit more meat.
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Weigh your lobster before cooking – larger 1 pounders will give you more ounces of meat.
With some lobster meat picking skills, you can get every last bit of delicious goodness out of a 1 pound lobster!
Estimating Ounces of Meat for Lobster Dishes
When dining out, lobster dishes are often listed with the meat weight rather than the whole lobster weight. Here’s a guide to estimating how many ounces you’ll get:
- 2-3 oz lobster meat: Suitable for an appetizer or side salad
- 4-5 oz: Provides a single main course serving
- 6-8 oz: Can feed two people or provide extra large portions
A 1 pound lobster yields around 3-4 oz of meat after shelling. So you’d need two 1 pound lobsters to equal two 4-5 oz main servings. Getting 6-8 oz of meat would require purchasing over 2 pounds of whole lobsters.
Keep these serving size estimates in mind when cooking lobster yourself or ordering restaurant dishes. It will ensure you get properly portioned recipes and quantities tailored to your needs.
Does the Meat Weight Change After Cooking?
Lobsters are most commonly prepared by boiling or steaming. You may wonder if cooking significantly alters the amount of meat.
The good news is that cooking does not change the meat weight drastically. Lobster meat is already over 80% water before cooking. The small moisture loss during cooking reduces the weight by only a few percent.
So you can reliably use the raw meat weight from a whole 1 pound lobster to estimate the quantity of cooked meat for serving. Just be sure to remove all the meat thoroughly from the shells after cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about how much meat you get from a 1 pound lobster:
How many pounds of live lobster does it take to make 1 pound of meat?
It takes about 5-7 pounds of live 1 pound lobsters to produce 1 pound of cooked lobster meat.
Which has more meat, 1 two-pound lobster or 2 one-pound lobsters?
The two individual 1 pound lobsters will have slightly more meat overall. The meat yield percentage decreases a bit as lobsters get larger.
What is the oldest age of a one-pound lobster?
A one-pound lobster is typically 5-7 years old. Lobsters reach 1 pound at around this age before growth starts slowing down.
What parts of a one-pound lobster contain edible meat?
The tail, claws, knuckles, legs, and body cavity have edible lobster meat. The tail and claws have the largest share.
Get Cracking and Enjoy That Tasty Lobster Meat!
Now you know exactly how much succulent lobster meat to expect from a 1 pound lobster. Whether cooking at home or dining out, use this knowledge to pick the perfect lobsters and portion recipes appropriately.
Arm yourself with lobster crackers, small forks, and melted butter. A mouthwatering lobster feast awaits! Carefully extract every morsel of sweet delicate meat from the shells.
Then sit back, relax, and savor the heavenly flavor of fresh lobster – one of the sea’s tastiest bounties. The experience is well worth the effort to get every last ounce of lobster goodness out of a 1 pounder.
Steak and Lobster Tails
If you’re really aiming to impress, serve up restaurant-quality steak and lobster for dinner. A brilliant red lobster tail makes a statement on the plate. Add a homemade oven-broiled steak and you have an all-around winning combination for every palate that’ll satisfy even the most pretentious New England seafood chef.
We make this show-stopping dinner easy to pull off with our ready-to-prepare Captain’s Tails and Turf package. This combo includes two buttery-soft fillets with the meatiest Atlantic cold water lobster tails and a zesty key lime pie to finish things off.
Here’s how to prepare steak and lobster tails for dinner:
First, prep and season your lobster.
- Make a deep lengthwise cut in the top of the lobster tails.
- Gently pry the shells apart and season the meat with melted butter and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. If you like, you can add a dusting of Old Bay seasoning, smoked paprika, or any dried herb you love.
(For more tips on how to properly prepare lobster, Checkout our recipe How to cook Lobster Tails .)
Meanwhile, fire up your broiler to high and prepare the steaks.
- Place an oven rack two to three inches from the heat source.
- Place the steaks on a baking sheet and generously season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Place the baking sheet under the broiler.
- Use this chart to determine the best cooking time for your steaks.
- Remove the steaks from the oven just before they reach your desired doneness, transfer to a cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and let the meat rest while you broil the lobster.
Cook the lobster.
- Place the prepared lobster tails on the same baking sheet.
- Place them under the broiler and cook until the meat is opaque, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Finally, plate everything up and dig in!
Steak and scallops might be a more unusual approach to surf and turf, but it still fits the bill. In fact, plump, fresh sea scallops have a soft and flaky texture that pairs well with steak.
Since scallops are so naturally buttery on their own, you can swap the more traditional fillet with a high-quality New York strip steak.
This surf and turf pairing calls for the stovetop. Use a large, heavy-bottomed cast-iron pan or skillet to sear both your steaks and scallops.
Here’s how to cook it:
- First, pat the scallops and steaks dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper. Brush them with a thin coating of canola oil or another high-heat oil.
- Heat your pan over medium-high heat for a good 3 to 5 minutes, until hot.
- Gently place the steaks in the skillet and sear for 4 minutes, or until you have a nice brown crust on one side. Use tongs to flip the steaks and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the other side.
- Add a 2-tablespoon pat of butter to the skillet and as it melts, spoon the butter over the steaks for another minute.
- Remove the steaks from the skillet when they are 5 to 10 degrees away from your desired doneness. Place on a cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and rest while you sear the scallops.
- Return the skillet to medium-high heat.
- When the oil is hot, gently place the scallops into the skillet, leaving several inches of space between each scallop.
- Sear for 2 minutes undisturbed, then add 1 tablespoon of butter to and gently flip the scallops with tongs or a thin fish spatula to sear for another minute, until cooked through but still soft in the center.
Plate up your steaks and scallops and serve hot!
Fillet and Crab Cakes
Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes come packed with flavor and seasoned to perfection. This means you can rely on crab cakes for an easy yet impressive surf offering. Pair them with tender fillet for a well-balanced meal that comes together in minutes.
Before you start cooking, make sure your crab cakes are thawed in the refrigerator. This way, they’ll cook in 10 minutes or less.
Use a large heavy cast-iron skillet for both the steak and the crab cakes.
Here’s how to do it:
- First, pat the steaks dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper. Brush them with a thin coating of canola oil or another high-heat oil.
- Heat your pan over medium-high heat for a good 3 to 5 minutes, until hot.
- Gently place the steaks in the skillet and sear for 4 minutes, or until you have a nice brown crust on one side. Use tongs to flip the steaks and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the other side.
- Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and as it melts, spoon the butter over the steaks for another minute.
- Remove the steaks from the skillet when they are 5 to 10 degrees away from your desired doneness. Place on a cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and let rest while you cook the crab cakes.
- Melt another 2 tablespoons of butter in the empty skillet.
- When the butter is melted, place the crab cakes in the hot pan and sear for 4-5 minutes per side, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through.