Surf and Turf Recipe: Filet Mignon and Lobster Tail

This surf and turf recipe pairs a pan seared filet mignon with a broiled lobster tail and one batch of garlic lemon butter that works for both. You sear the steaks first. While they rest, the lobster goes under the broiler. Both hit the plate hot. Plan on about 50 minutes, and 30 of those are just the steaks sitting out on the counter.

Surf and turf is just steak (the turf) served with seafood (the surf) on the same plate. Lobster tail and filet mignon is the classic steakhouse version, and it is the one we walk through here. Below you will find how to pick the steak and the lobster, a game plan so nothing goes cold, a doneness chart, sauce ideas, and the sides that round it out.

The Best Steak for Surf and Turf

Lobster is sweet, rich, and soft. The steak should be tender too, so the two feel like they belong together. Here is how the top picks stack up.

For this recipe we use 6 ounce filets cut about 1 1/2 inches thick. That size cooks in about the same time it takes to rest the steak and broil the lobster. If you want more detail on the sear itself, see our guide to pan searing filet mignon.

How to Pick and Thaw Lobster Tails

Look for cold water lobster tails. They have firm, sweet meat that holds up well under the broiler. A 5 to 6 ounce tail is the right size next to a 6 ounce filet. It looks generous on the plate without crowding out the steak.

Most lobster tails come frozen, so plan ahead. The best way to thaw them is in the fridge overnight. If you are short on time, seal them in a zip top bag and set them in a bowl of cold water for about 30 to 60 minutes, changing the water if it gets warm. Never thaw them in warm water or the microwave, since the outside will start to cook. Our guide on two ways to thaw lobster tails covers both methods step by step.

How to Make Surf and Turf: The Game Plan

The hard part of surf and turf is not the cooking. It is the timing. Lobster cooks fast and gets tough if it sits, and steak needs a rest before you cut it. Use the rest time to cook the lobster and both will be ready together.

1. 50 minutes before: Set the steaks out on the counter. Pat them dry and season them with salt and pepper.
2. 35 minutes before: Mix the garlic lemon butter. Butterfly the lobster tails and set them on a sheet pan. Heat the broiler.
3. 20 minutes before: Sear the steaks in a hot cast iron pan, then baste them with butter until they reach your pull temp.
4. 8 minutes before: Move the steaks to a plate to rest. Brush the lobster with butter and slide it under the broiler.
5. Serve: When the lobster is opaque and white, plate everything with lemon wedges and the extra butter.

The full steps and amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

When Is It Done? Steak and Lobster Temperatures

A thermometer is the best tool you can have for this dinner. Pull the steak off the heat a little early, since it keeps cooking as it rests.

The USDA safe minimum for whole cuts of beef is 145 degrees F with a 3 minute rest. Many steak lovers still choose medium rare, but cook to 145 degrees F for kids, older adults, pregnant guests, or anyone with a weak immune system. See our ultimate guide to steak temperatures for more.

Lobster is done when the meat turns from clear to solid white and reads 140 degrees F in the thickest part. Under the broiler that takes about 1 minute per ounce, so a 5 to 6 ounce tail needs about 5 to 7 minutes. Take it out as soon as it gets there. Overcooked lobster turns rubbery fast. Our guide to broiling lobster tails has more tips.

Surf and Turf Sauce Ideas

The recipe below uses one garlic lemon butter for everything. It bastes the steak, coats the lobster, and doubles as a dipping sauce. If you want to change things up, try one of these.

• Plain drawn butter. Melted butter with the milk solids skimmed off. Simple and classic for dipping lobster.
• Bearnaise. A rich, tangy egg and butter sauce with tarragon. It is the steakhouse pick for filet and works with lobster too.
• Compound butter. Make it a day ahead and slice a coin onto each hot steak. Our compound butter for steak guide has easy mix ins.
• Lemon and herbs. If butter on butter feels like too much, a squeeze of lemon and fresh parsley keep the lobster bright.

Other Surf and Turf Combos

Lobster and filet is the classic, but the same game plan works for other pairs. Shrimp is the easiest swap. Sear large peeled shrimp in the steak pan while the steak rests, about 1 to 2 minutes per side, until pink and opaque. Sea scallops work the same way. Pat them very dry and sear them hard for about 2 minutes per side. A strip steak with shrimp, or a sirloin with scallops, makes a great weeknight version.

What to Serve With Surf and Turf

Keep the sides simple so the steak and lobster stay the stars. Pick one starch and one green.

• Starch: baked potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes, roasted baby potatoes, or rice pilaf.
• Green: roasted asparagus, sauteed green beans, creamed spinach, or a crisp wedge salad.
• Bread: warm dinner rolls to mop up the garlic butter.

For more ideas, see our list of the best side dishes for a lobster dinner. A crisp white wine like Chardonnay goes well with lobster, and a lighter red like Pinot Noir works with filet. Our wine pairing guide for filet mignon has more picks.

The Shortcut: Order a Surf and Turf Package

The hardest part of surf and turf can be finding good steak and good lobster at the same store. Our Surf and Turf Packages pair two cold water lobster tails with two Premium Angus steaks, and you pick filet mignon, boneless strip, or top sirloin. Cooking for four? The Lobster Tail Surf and Turf 4 Count comes with four 6 ounce filets and four 5 to 6 ounce lobster tails, the exact sizes this recipe is built for.

Both make an easy holiday dinner or a gift for the steak lover in your life.

Surf and Turf Recipe

This recipe makes dinner for two: two 6 ounce filets and two 5 to 6 ounce lobster tails, with one batch of garlic lemon butter for the steak, the lobster, and dipping. To serve four, double everything and use two skillets or cook the steaks in batches.

Have a thermometer ready, set out your sheet pan and skillet before you start, and follow the timing in the steps. The steaks rest while the lobster broils, so both land on the table hot.

Surf and Turf: Filet Mignon and Lobster Tail

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Category

Main Course

Cuisine

American

SERVINGS

2 servings

PRE TIME

15 minutes

COOK TIME

20 minutes

Calories

700

COURSE

Main Course

Pan seared filet mignon basted with thyme and garlic lemon butter, served with a broiled butterflied lobster tail brushed with the same butter. The lobster broils while the steaks rest, so both land on the plate hot. Dinner for two.

INGREDIENTS

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 filet mignon steaks, 6 ounces each, about 1 1/2 inches thick
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil or other high heat oil
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 cold water lobster tails, 5 to 6 ounces each, thawed
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• Lemon wedges, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Take the steaks out of the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking. Pat them dry with paper towels and season all over with 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper.
2. Make the garlic lemon butter. In a small bowl, stir together the soft butter, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Scoop 2 tablespoons into a small dish for the steaks. Melt the rest (about 3 tablespoons) in the microwave or a small pan for the lobster.
3. Set an oven rack about 6 inches below the broiler and heat the broiler to high. Line a sheet pan with foil.
4. Butterfly the lobster tails. With kitchen shears, cut down the center of the top shell to the base of the tail fan, leaving the fan whole. Gently spread the shell open, slide your thumb under the meat to loosen it, then lift the meat up so it rests on top of the shell. Set the tails on the sheet pan.
5. Heat a 10 or 12 inch cast iron skillet over medium high heat until it just starts to smoke. Add the oil, then the steaks. Sear without moving them for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until a dark crust forms. Use tongs to hold each steak on its side and sear the edges for about 30 seconds.
6. Turn the heat to medium. Add the reserved 2 tablespoons of garlic butter and the thyme. Tilt the pan and spoon the foaming butter over the steaks for 1 to 2 minutes, turning them once. Check the temperature from the side of each steak. Pull at 125 degrees F for medium rare. If they need more time, keep cooking on medium and turn them every minute.
7. Move the steaks to a warm plate and let them rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Save the butter in the pan.
8. While the steaks rest, brush the lobster meat with about half of the melted garlic butter. Sprinkle with the paprika and a pinch of salt. Broil for 5 to 7 minutes (about 1 minute per ounce), until the meat is solid white all the way through and reads 140 degrees F in the thickest part.
9. Plate each steak with a lobster tail and a lemon wedge. Spoon the pan butter over the steaks and serve the rest of the melted garlic butter on the side for dipping.

Recipe Note

Total time includes about 30 minutes for the steaks to sit out at room temperature while you prep. Thaw frozen lobster tails in the fridge overnight. Calories are an estimate and depend on how much butter you use for dipping. The USDA safe minimum for whole cuts of beef is 145 degrees F with a 3 minute rest. To serve four, double everything and use two skillets.