Specially Selected Wild Caught Cold Water Lobster Tails

EDITOR’S NOTE: We originally reviewed Aldi lobster tails in 2017. As of 2025, we’re in the process of updating our review of the lobster tails. Check back soon for our full new review. 

When it comes to seafood, Aldi keeps a fair stock of everyday Regular Buys — shrimp, for example. Aldi also occasionally rotates in Aldi Finds that range from the simple to the more exotic. This being Aldi, you expect competitive prices, but you also sort of expect that, when it comes to things like crab or lobster, you’re going to pay more per ounce simply because that’s what the market is.

Sure enough, Specially Selected Wild Caught Cold Water Lobster Tails aren’t cheap. Eight total ounces of lobster tail, split between two four-ounce tails, cost $12.99 in 2025. To be fair, that’s the same price they cost back when we first reviewed them in 2017. We think that’s fairly competitive for our area, but paying about $13 for half a pound of any food isn’t sustainable unless you’ve got a lot of money, so this is definitely a rare luxury food, at least for us.

The lobster tails are an Aldi Find. That means they’re only in stores for a short time. Each store should get one shipment, and after that sells out, you’ll have to wait for Aldi to bring them back later. Aldi does not offer online ordering if these are out of stock at your local store. When these are in stock, you’ll find them in the freezer section.

These are sold under the Specially Selected brand, which is not a company. Instead, it’s the name Aldi puts on gourmet food it sells, which it sources from various suppliers.

According to the packaging, the lobster tails are “certified sustainable” seafood by the Marine Stewardship Council. The product “comes from a fishery that has been independently certified to the MSC’s standard for a well-managed and sustainable fishery.” The packaging also declares that the lobster was caught using trap/pods in the Northwest Atlantic, and that lobster is its only ingredient. It’s a product of Canada.

How to Cook Aldi Lobster Tails:

The lobster came with instructions for thawing and for grilling/broiling, steaming, or boiling when we bought it in 2017, but there are no instructions in 2025. The only instructions on the 2025 package are to keep the lobster frozen.

The old instructions for thawing were in keeping with what the internet in general says. These will cook more evenly if you thaw them before cooking them. You can thaw the tails in the refrigerator overnight or by submerging them in cold water to quickly thaw before cooking. Once you’ve done that, you can cook these in a few different ways.

The old 2017 instructions gave the following options:

• Grilling and broiling both involved preheating to medium heat (about 375 degrees F / 190 degrees C), then butterflying the tails by using scissors to cut lengthwise through the top, or curved side, of the shell. After that, spread on butter, olive oil, or another marinade, then cook with the meat side up for 4-5 minutes, followed by cooking with the meat side down for 3-4 minutes.
• Steaming is simple. You steam the thawed tails with water or a little white wine for 6-7 minutes.
• Boiling involves a quart of water plus a teaspoon of salt, then submerging the tails in boiling water. After the water returns to a boil, you cook the tails for 5-6 minutes if thawed or 8-9 minutes if frozen.

As we’ve done with lobster tails in the past, we thawed the tails overnight in the refrigerator first, then boiled them.

Back when we first tried these in 2017, we thought they tasted … okay. They didn’t have as much flavor as we’ve had with lobster tails in the past, despite the fact that we used the same preparation method we’ve used in the past.

We’ve got these thawing in our fridge now, in late 2025, and are getting ready to boil them for dinner again. We’re hoping they turn out better this time. Check back soon for our update.

The Verdict:

Specially Selected Wild Caught Maine Lobster Tails are reasonably competitive in price to lobster tails we’ve purchased elsewhere. When we tried these a few years ago, they seemed a little bland on taste compared to similarly prepared lobster tails we’ve made before. We’re getting ready to try them again and will update this post soon.

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