Elevate your dinner with these delicious seared scallops in a zesty lemon butter garlic sauce. With just a few ingredients and minimal effort, you can create a restaurant-worthy dish in no time.
Not only are they beautiful, but they taste like a little bit of heaven. If you love seafood like I do, try shrimp scampi, baked cod, and blackened mahi mahi.
Impress your dinner guests with this simple, delicious recipe for perfectly seared scallops. Get ready to elevate your cooking game! I have tried other ways to cook scallops, and they are good, but there is no comparison to the flavor of these delicacies. You can sear scallops like a head chef with just a handful of ingredients and a few minutes. Serve this dish over angel hair pasta or white rice with fresh asparagus.
What Are Scallops?
Scallops are free-swimming mollusks with hinged shells that live in saltwater environments. There are two types of scallops, and most people have an opinion on which tastes best, but I like both.
The larger ones are Atlantic sea scallops, found in shallow open waters and harvested wild. The smaller bay scallops are found in the seagrass beds of harbors and bays along the Atlantic coastal waters.
How to Sear Scallops
First, ensure that the wet scallops are good and dry. Pat dry with paper towels and sprinkle with a pinch of salt right before searing. Use a mixture of oil and butter and get it good and hot, almost to the smoking point. Then add the scallops and sear for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes on the bottom, then flip and sear the other side. They should have a golden brown crust on each side. Do not overcrowd the pan, so if it is necessary, work in batches.
Ingredients Needed
- Scallops: with the side muscle removed
- Oil: olive oil or canola oil
- Garlic: fresh is always best
- Lemons: for juice and garnish
- Seasonings: chopped fresh parsley, thyme, or dill, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation Tips
- If using frozen scallops, they should be completely thawed. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or in a bowl of ice-cold water just until thawed.
- Let scallops rest for 5 minutes at room temperature.
- Work with dry scallops. Dry sea scallops thoroughly with paper towels.
- Scallops become opaque when cooked through. They cook very quickly and become tough and chewy if overcooked.
- Try other citrus flavors like orange and lime.
More Seafood Recipes
Seared Scallops with Garlic Lemon Butter
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 lb sea scallops side muscle removed
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1-2 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley or other fresh herbs
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Pat the scallops dry with paper towels and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt right before cooking.
- Add olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter to a large sauté pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Get the fat good and hot and almost to the smoking point. Add scallops and sear for 1 1/2 -2 minutes on each side. They should have a golden crust on each side. Do not overcrowd the pan, so if necessary, cook in batches. As cooked, remove to plate.
- Wipe out the skillet. Add 2 tablespoons butter to the same skillet over low heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add lemon juice and return scallops to pan. Warm scallops for 1-2 minutes, turning several times to get them in the lemon butter. Sprinkle with parsley, salt, and pepper to taste, and serve immediately.
Notes
- If using frozen scallops, they should be completely thawed. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or in a bowl of ice-cold water just until thawed.
- Let scallops rest for 5 minutes at room temperature.
- Work with dry scallops. Dry sea scallops thoroughly with paper towels.
- Scallops become opaque when cooked through. They cook very quickly and become tough and chewy if overcooked.
- Try other citrus flavors like orange and lime.
Nutrition
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Suzy
I love how easy this came together and the flavor is just perfect!
Ashley F
I just loved the garlic, lemon and butter together! It made this so tasty!
Erin
These would disappear in our house! These are mouth watering!
Sara Welch
What an amazing and flavorful scallop recipe! This was a hit at dinner and even my picky eaters gobbled these up! Delicious!
Kim Seghers
Your scallop recipe looks delicious. I have never cooked scallops before I’ll have to try your recipe!
Catalina
I want to try these asap! These look incredible!
Dorothy Reinhold
Scallops are always my pick! This recipe is telling me that I need to hit the grocery store!
Brian Jones
It is wrong that I know want scallp0ps for breakfast? These look and sound fantastic!
Beth Pierce
Thanks! Enjoy your breakfast!
Jen
These were so delicious! The garlic and lemon were the perfect flavor combination for this dish.
Mikayla
Scallops are my favorite seafood, my husband always concedes the last one to me whenever we’re out because I just can’t get enough. Your tips are so essential for cooking great scallops at home, thanks for sharing!
Krissy Allori
I haven’t made too many scallops before, but I will definitely need to try this recipe!
Lyndsay
Delicious! I love how simple yet flavourful these scallops are. Thanks for the tasty recipe 🙂
Abby
Made the scallops and are very delicious. Love the simplicity to make them and the fact that the recipe doesn’t require many ingredients . Thank you Beth for sharing your recipe.
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome Abby! So glad that you liked them. I need to cook them this week because they are so delicious!
Julie
I think it also depends on the type of skillet you are using. When I cooked the scallops in my non-stick aluminum frying pan, I left them in too long because they didn’t brown in 1-2 minutes. I finally turned the heat to high and that worked.
Beth Pierce
Thanks for the heads up! That is good to know!
Julie Collier
Thanks for sharing this recipe Beth. Even though seafood is my absolute favorite food of all time, I only get to eat it maybe once a year (wish I was kidding) because it’s expensive and I really don’t know how to cook it properly. When I saw your post I was reminded that I LOVE scallops and not all seafood is pricey and now that I have a recipe, I plan to make them tomorrow! I can’t wait!
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine Julie. I love scallops too! They are so yummy! Sometimes every once in a while I can get them on sale usually closer to Easter. I hope you enjoy them. Make sure you read the helpful hints.
Colleen
I will be making these. Love scallops when they are opaque inside. People tend to overlook. I’ll let you know how it goes. Thanks for this recipe!
Joanne Richard
Looking delicious. Love seafood dishes.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Joanne!!