How Long to Boil Lobster
It takes 8 to 9 minutes to boil a one-pound lobster and an additional minute for every quarter-pound beyond that. This holds true whether you're boiling a lobster tail, lobster claws, or whole lobsters. If you're boiling a whole lobster, make sure to use a really big pot, large enough that the entire lobster can be completely submerged as it cooks. You'll know when the lobster is done when its shell turns bright red.