Pan Seared Scallops sautéed in a delicious browned butter with garlic in under 10 minutes. Restaurant level food made easy!
If you’ve enjoyed my Seafood Recipes before by trying my Easy Shrimp Broil, Crab Salad, or Crispy Fried Calamari, you’ll remember how easy it is to turn everyday seafood into a classy Dinner with little effort.
Sabrina’s Pan Seared Scallops Recipe
Pan Seared Scallops are a quick and easy dinner option you may not immediately consider when thinking of your next weeknight meal (I know, most people would think salmon or shrimp when they think seafood), but scallops are just as easy and I would argue more delicious than both salmon and shrimp!
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds dry sea scallops , approximately 12
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
Instructions
- Remove the small side muscle from the scallops, rinse with cold water and thoroughly pat dry.
- Add the butter and olive oil to a large skillet on high heat.
- Add the salt and pepper to your scallops.
- Sear the scallops for 1 minute then flip, and sear the second side for 1 minute.
- Lower the heat to medium, add the garlic and cook for an additional 20 seconds then remove from heat and serve.
Nutrition
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Table of Contents
About this Recipe
This is an easy recipe to try for weeknights or when you’re in a rush, since scallops are a delicious, quick dish that will make it look like you spent hours preparing them when they really only take a few minutes. The most important part is making sure the scallops get up to the right temperature before you eat them. Pan seared scallops are a great way to eat gourmet without paying the gourmet price. Even if this is your first time cooking, you’re sure to impress.
Chef’s Note: Picking Scallops
When buying your ingredients, look for large sea scallops. You can tell whether or not they are good in a few different ways. Here are ways to tell if they are not good.
- Shiny or Wet-looking: This means they are not too fresh, unless you’re buying live ones that are in water when you get them. Wet scallops that have been out water for a long time are leaking something.
- Soft: Scallops should be firm. Squishy scallops are a no-no. This means that the meat is not fresh and has started to go very bad.
- Stinky: If you go to buy your scallops and they smell like old fish, that is a definite sign that they are, at best, not fresh and, at worst, a gastrointestinal nightmare. Fresh scallops should smell a lot like saltwater.
What to Pair with Pan Seared Scallops
- Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes: Rich and creamy, with garlic notes that will match the scallops, this mashed potato recipe is a winner.
- Spaghetti Squash: This is a lighter side dish that still brings out the garlic and butter flavors. However, this squash goes well with almost anything.
- Rainbow Roasted Vegetables: Fun to make, pretty to look at, tasty to eat. All you have to do is cut them up, arrange them and roast them.
How To Store
- Serve: For the good of you and your insides, don’t leave scallops at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Store: You can store cooked scallops in the fridge for up to 3 days before it becomes a bad idea to eat them.
- Freeze: If you keep them in an airtight container, cooked scallops are good frozen for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Scallops are basically only made up of water and protein, with a tiny bit of fat. They can be up to 80% protein with relatively low calories and, depending on what you cook them with, they have no carbs. They are also pretty obviously gluten-free. If you remove the butter in this recipe and just use olive oil, my Pan Seared Scallops are a healthy, low-fat dinner. Another very good reason to eat them is because they’re delicious.
With proper preparation, you can eat some seafood raw. However, for this scallop recipe you definitely want the internal temperature to be 145 degrees F (62.7 degrees C), which is a universally safe temperature for cooked fish and shellfish, according to the USDA’s website. Cooking scallops is also a good way to make sure that bacteria is properly removed from your meal before you eat it.
Scallops don’t naturally have a very strong taste. They are a little sweet, a little buttery, and taste a little bit salty like the sea. Due to their light flavor, you can add scallops to a lot of other dishes without overpowering the flavor. Try them in pasta, chowder, or as a garnish for other proteins, like steak.
Variations
- Lemon Juice or Lemon Wedges: Adding just a little citrus to seafood amplifies the natural flavor. Lemon especially goes great with the garlic and butter here and makes a great pan sauce. For some texture, you can use lemon zest as well. Go light on the zest, as a little bit goes a long way.
- White Wine: Use white wine with melted butter and olive oil mixture to give the scallops a very different flavor.
- Shallots or Chives: Try finely chopping up these onion varieties if you want to give this dish a kick.
- Parmesan: Sprinkle a little parmesan onto the scallops right before you take them out of the pan and let the leftover heat melt it for a mild, but delicious addition.
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These images were used in previous versions of this post:
Excellent! So yummy! Perfectly cooked. I used lemon not garlic the last t minute of cooking.
i will give it a try
Gave you five stars cuz who should question the queen? But i have a question: When I flip scallops after one minute, the bottom side is still opaque white, no sear. I am using a cast iron skillet and I do not place the scallops on the pan until the butter and olive oil is almost at smoking point. It sizzles loudly, but no sear after one minute. Seems to me they need to be left alone at least three minutes per side to get them seared.
First off, you just made my day!
As far as the sear, my recommendation would be to ensure your scallops are fully dry before adding the to the skillet (MOST important step). I would even pat them dry to remove any excess moisture. Also, even if your pan sizzles, it still might have needed to get a bit hotter. If your pan is hot enough and the scallops are dry, you’ll get that sear after 1 minute. Hope that helps for next time.
I just want to chime in on this one comment that the scallops would not sear, you need “dry” scallops far to many retail stores have scallops treated with TSP which adds water and weight. It’s easy to tell if the fresh scallops were treated just by seeing if their is a white milky liquid in the tray. TSP treated scallops are fine for salads or enchiladas but perfect pan seared scallops need to be “dry” scallops. IMO
I went to Alton B first…then read your instructions. I have to say, both similar (great) recipes, but you added some needed additional information. Great Job! I will look for more of your recipes.
So glad you found it helpful.
I prepared this wonderful dish the other night and it was delicious! I added a tad of white wine when I seared the scallops and I served it with a Parmesan risotto. Thank you for sharing your fabulous recipes!
You’re welcome, Crystal. Thanks for the 5 stars.
Thanks for a thoughtful explanation of how to buy scallops and how to cook them! I’m always scared to buy seafood and over-cooking it!
You’re welcome, Alina!
What a simple, healthy, nutritious, and tasty recipe! Thank you, Sabrina!
You’re welcome, Milica. I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
They look so caramelized and perfect! Can’t wait to try these.
I hope you enjoy them!
I know what I will be having for dinner tomorrow night! This looks so savory and perfectly juicy; love it!
Enjoy!!
Delicious!! They were so quick and easy to prepare and loved the browned butter & garlic flavour.
So glad you enjoyed them Lyndsay!
I see that you have a tablespoon of olive oil in the recipe but don’t see where or when to put it in. Do you add it to the butter?
Add it in with the butter. It helps to raise the smoking point of the butter so it doesn’t become bitter while cooking on high heat.
For a quick meal, I will sometimes sautee shrimp or scallops and add them to a pesto sauce on top of fettuccine. It’s very tasty and I imagine pan seared might be better.
Whoever takes your photos does a great job of presenting the food. They make me want to get out a pan.
Thank you so much, Edwin!
Did I say Fettuccine?? I meant of course Linguine, sigh.