How to De-shell a Lobster
Lobster parties are enjoyable, but the preparation can be stressful if you don’t know how to de-shell a lobster efficiently.

This step-by-step guide is especially suitable for beginners and will show you how. Prepare yourself and get a large cutting board, a chef’s knife, sturdy scissors and a kitchen towel ready.
The first time might be a little messy because the cooked lobster will release some of its cooking juices. As always, practice makes perfect!
Related: Best way to poaching lobsters
Step by step guide
- Twist gently and pull the head from the tail. Keep the head aside.
- Use scissors to cut the soft, pliable shell on both sides of the belly over the length of the tail.
- Peel away the soft belly shell and carefully extract the lobster tail meat.
Twist and pull the head Cut the soft shell on both sides Peel away the soft shell Extract the lobster tail meat
- Use your scissors again to cut the thin legs from the head.
- Twist the large pincers gently and pull them away.
- Break the pincers at the joints.
- Use your scissors to cut the softer part of the leg and extract the meat easily.
Cut the small legs of the head Twist the large pincers gently - Cut the softer part of the leg
Extract the meat
- For the big claw, wiggle the smallest part of the pincer and pull carefully. The shell should come and extract the feather-like internal bone at the same time.
- Use a rolling pin, a meat pounder or the back of a chef’s knife to crack the main claw shell on both sides, but don’t crush it.
- Remove small bits of shell, if any, and gently pull the whole claw meat from the shell.
- Use the rolling pin to squeeze the meat from the thin legs.
Pull the smallest part from the claw Tap the big part and pull gently Use a rolling pin to squeeze the meat from the small legs A fully de-shelled lobster
Parts to remove
- Each lobster has an intestinal tract which is similar to shrimp. Make a shallow cut along the back to remove it or cut the tail in the middle to remove it easily.
- There is the grit or stomach behind the eyes and mouth which needs to be removed.
Parts to keep
- The lobster meat!
- The shells from the body, the claws and legs can be used to make stock or bisque. Use it directly or freeze for later use.
- Roe or coral is not found in every lobster, but if this deep red delicacy is there, use it to colour and flavour a sauce or you can pan fry it and serve with the lobster meat. It can be eaten cold but it usually doesn’t look very nice.
- The liver is the greenish part of a cooked lobster. It is also seen as a delicacy and can be scooped out, but personally we are not fans.