Garlic Butter Scallops — An EASY, one-skillet, 15-minute recipe that tastes restaurant-worthy, yet is incredibly SIMPLE to make at home! Even if you’ve never made scallops at home before, this is a foolproof recipe for pan-seared, tender, juicy scallops coated in garlic butter with lemon and citrus notes that’s sure to IMPRESS! A wonderful choice for a special holiday meal, an anniversary or birthday dinner, or date-night-in!
Table of Contents
- Easy Garlic Butter Scallops Recipe
- Ingredients in Lemon Garlic Butter Scallops
- How to Sear Scallops in Garlic Butter Sauce
- How to Tell When Scallops Are Done
- Tips for the Best Pan Seared Scallops with Garlic
- What to Serve with Scallops
- Pan Seared Scallop Recipe FAQs
- Pan Seared Garlic Butter Scallops Recipe
- More Easy Seafood Recipes:
Easy Garlic Butter Scallops Recipe
Wondering what to make for a special holiday meal, important family dinner, date-night at home (Valentine’s Day here’s looking at you), or a special occasion like an anniversary or birthday? Look no further than this easy garlic butter scallops recipe!
Admittedly, scallops aren’t usually my go-to. I have tons of recipes for shrimp including 10-Minute Easy Shrimp Scampi, Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp With Angel Hair Pasta, and Coconut Shrimp with Orange-Chili Dipping Sauce. See more below the recipe card section.
And if salmon is your jam, then my ever-popular Sheet Pan Garlic Butter and Lemon Salmon (similar flavor profile to this recipe) Sheet Pan Honey Lemon Salmon, or Easy Salmon and Potato Packets have you covered.
However, in advance of Christmas Eve or Christmas dinner and New Year’s Eve dinner, I wanted to have an elegant yet super quick and easy recipe that’s a little different than the norm, which is where this recipe comes into play.
In fast, this recipe will go from fridge to table in less than 15 minutes which is music to any home cook’s ears. Plus, it’s made in one skillet which makes cleanup a breeze.
This stovetop recipe for scallops highlights the fresh sea scallops natural sweetness and tenderness, while adding richness from garlic butter and gentle citrus notes. You can use either lemon or lime, based on your personal preference.
It’s a simple and elegant dish that’s sure to impress your guests or make a delightful meal for a your special person!
Ingredients in Lemon Garlic Butter Scallops
This scallops with garlic butter recipe is made with just a handful of common and easy-to-find ingredients including the following:
- Fresh sea scallops
- Salt
- Pepper
- Unsalted butter
- Olive oil
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Lemon zest or lime zest
- Lemon juice or lime juice
- Fresh parsley, for garnishing
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
What Kind of Scallops Are Best for Pan Searing?
There are three main kinds of fresh scallops:
- Sea Scallops – The largest type of scallops and what you should use for this recipe! They can range from about 10 to 40 per pound, depending on their size. But in reality, about 12 per pound is about the norm. Therefore, this recipe calls for 1 pound of fresh sea scallops, which uses about 12 scallops.
- Bay Scallops – Much smaller in size, sometimes as many as 70 to 120 per pound. This is not the type of scallops you want.
- Diver Scallops – They tend to be picked by actual divers (or at least that’s what I have read) and can range in size from small to large.
- Fresh vs. Frozen – While I am sure you can make this recipe and it will ‘turn out’ with frozen scallops, I recommend fresh. Likely you stumbled on this recipe and plan to make it for a more special event, therefore I suggest fresh scallops that you get from the butcher and seafood case of your trusted grocery store.
How to Sear Scallops in Garlic Butter Sauce
Don’t be fooled by the luxurious looking result of these perfectly seared, juicy scallops thinking that they’re impossible to make at home. Wrong! They’re very easy and the recipe moves very fast!
Step 1: Pat the scallops dry to ensure a great sear and season with a generous pinch of sea salt and pepper. Tip – Dry scallops will sear more nicely than wet scallops so give ’em a little paper towel pat.
Step 2: Over medium high heat, heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet until the butter has melted and add the scallops. Melted butter is what helps provide more browning than olive oil.
Step 3: Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes per side or until they’re seared. While they’re searing, add and saute the shallots, and then the garlic.
Step 4: Off the heat, drizzle the scallops with the citrus zest, juice, toss to coat evenly, garnish with parsley, and serve!
How Long Should You Sear Scallops?
The enemy of all proteins, but particularly for seafood, is overcooking. When dealing with something with such a small amount of surface area and mass, it’s logical to assume that it will cook quickly!
In the case of scallops, even if you’re using ‘large’ scallops, they’ll sear in just about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes per side. Once you see they’re nicely crusted, take them off the heat and out of the pan! They’ll continue to cook due to carryover cooking even off the stove.
How to Tell When Scallops Are Done
There are a few signs to tell when pan seared scallops are done, including the following:
- Golden Brown Sear – Both the top and bottom should be seared and lightly golden brown. If you have a nice golden crust, the rest of these things (mentioned below) should naturally fall into place since it’s almost impossible to sear them properly and not have the following items just ‘happen’.
- Opaque – The white of the scallop should have turned opaque, not translucent like when they were raw.
- Edges A Bit Broken Apart – If you look at the edges by the seared areas and you see them a bit separated, with small but notable vertical cracks, yep they’re done!
- Firm, but Not Hard – If you press a finger or fork on the top of the scallop, it should be firm, but not hard (yikes, that means they’re overcooked), It should indent a bit with gentle pressure, similar to say a properly cooked boneless skinless chicken breast texture.
- Fork Tender – You shouldn’t need a steak knife to cut a scallop, which would indicate it’s probably already overcooked, womp. A properly cooked scallop is easily broken apart with a fork. Tender, buttery, and easy to break apart.
Tips for the Best Pan Seared Scallops with Garlic
Don’t Crowd the pan: In order to sear the scallops properly, you’ll want to make sure they have some literal breathing room in your skillet and don’t cram or crowd them in, which would cause them to steam, not sear. Not what you want!
Therefore, if your skillet isn’t quite large enough to accomodate roughly 10 to 15 scallops, simply cook them in two batches so that they’re in a single layer.
Fresh Herbs: I used fresh parsley, but you could try fresh thyme, chives, tarragon, or even basil if you have them on hand. I do not recommend dried herbs for this restaurant-worthy meal at home!
Non-Stick Skillet vs. Stainless Steel Skillet: For absolute insurance against sticking, use a nonstick skillet if you’re worried that your scallops may stick. Kitchen newbies, I am talking to you here. One downfall though to stainless steel is you don’t get quite as good of a sear as you would if you were using a stainless steel skillet.
For the photos, I used a nonstick 10-inch skillet. However, I also love to make this recipe in my 3-quart All-Clad Stainless Steel Saute Pan, which is my BFF. It sometimes goes out of stock, here’s the 4-quart version.
If you’re an experienced cook and have both, you may consider using your stainless steel. You could also use a cast iron skillet if you know how to cook in cast iron and your skillet is well seasoned.
What to Serve with Scallops
I recommend keeping your sides and accoutrements for this elegant seared scallops recipe on the simpler side. You really want the accompanying dishes to accentuate, not distract, from the scallops. I would serve the following:
- The Best Classic Mashed Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes
- Rice of any kind
- Cauliflower Gratin
- Cheesy Roasted Asparagus
- Roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
- Parmesan Balsamic Roasted Broccoli
- Herb-Roasted Tri-Colored Carrots
- Classic House Salad
- Garlic Herb Dinner Rolls
Pan Seared Scallop Recipe FAQs
No, I do not recommend pan searing scallops that were previously frozen. If you stumbled on this recipe and plan to make it for a special event, I suggest fresh scallops that you get from the butcher and seafood case at your trusted grocery store.
It’s really up to you. I would go with whatever flavor appeals to your more, naturally speaking. Lemon is more common, but lime has a nice little unexpected pop. You can’t go wrong with either. 
For the more elegant type of flavor profile they lend, you should use them. White or yellow onion would be the next closest thing and you can technically sub onion for shallots on a 1:1 basis, but onions are more potent whereas shallots are more mellow and mild. For the more delicate flavor of the scallops, shallots are a superior choice so you don’t drown it out.
Neither of these cooking methods (but especially a slow cooker) work well with the delicate and quick-cooking nature of scallops. Avoid both!
This recipe is designed to be pan seared on the stove. It’s so fast and easy this way, that I don’t know why you’d want to bake them. You would need to experiment on your own if for some reason you want to bake them.
No. This is a recipe that is best consumed immediately after it’s ready and seafood – actually most proteins – doesn’t taste anywhere nearly as good after they have sat compared to fresh. The recipe moves quickly and in less than 15 minute it’s done. No need to make it ahead of time.
As written, this recipe for 1 pound of scallops (about 10-12 scallops), serves about 2 people (about 5-6 scallops each).
If you’re planning on serving this for a dinner party or a group, yes you can certainly double or triple the recipe. My tip for this is to be sure you don’t crowd your skillet. Sear and cook the scallops in as many batches as you need to ensure they sear, not steam which is what happens if you crowd them.
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Pan Seared Garlic Butter Scallops
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh sea scallops*, about 10 to 12 scallops
- Kosher salt or sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons finely minced shallots
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon or lime zest
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
- Fresh parsley, finely minced; optional for garnishing (or another fresh herb of your choice such as tarragon, chives, basil, mint, etc.)
Instructions
- Blot dry the scallops with paper towels which helps them sear better.
- Evenly season the scallops on both sides with salt and pepper, to taste.
- To a large skillet, add the butter, olive oil, and heat over medium-high heat to melt the butter, swirling the pan to help it along. Skillet Tips – For the photos, I used a nonstick 10-inch skillet. However, I also love to make this recipe in my 3-quart All-Clad Stainless Steel Saute Pan, which is my personal go-to for most cooking. It sometimes goes out of stock, here’s the 4-quart version. You could also use a cast iron skillet if you know how to cook in cast iron and your skillet is well seasoned.
- After the butter has melted, add the scallops to the skillet so that they are not touching and have space between them. Tip – Do not crowd the scallops because it will cause them to steam rather than sear.
- Allow the scallops to cook (or sear) for about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes per side, or until a golden browned crust forms. Tip – Once you place the scallops in the skillet, just allow them to sear and do not try to 'check' on the underside too much; you'll be able to see the outer ring of brown crust when the time is right, but if you keep 'checking' the sear won't develop as nicely.
- While the scallops are searing on the second side, add the shallots, and allow them to saute for about 30 seconds. Then add the garlic, and allow it to saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. By this time your scallops should be done. Do not overcook!** (See Notes for determining doneness)
- Take the skillet off the heat, evenly sprinkle the zest over the scallops, evenly squeeze the juice over the top, and gently toss the scallops to evenly coat them with zest and juice, spooning the sauce back over them with a small spoon, or as necessary.
- Optionally, evenly garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately. Scallops are best fresh and warm. While they will technically keep airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days, they're simply best when eaten after they've been freshly made.
Notes
- Golden Brown Sear – Both the top and bottom should be seared and lightly golden brown. If you have a nice golden crust, the rest of these things (mentioned below) should naturally fall into place since it’s almost impossible to sear them properly and not have the following items just ‘happen’.
- Opaque – The white of the scallop should have turned opaque, not translucent like when they were raw.
- Edges A Bit Broken Apart – If you look at the edges by the seared areas and you see them a bit separated, with small but notable vertical cracks, yep they’re done!
- Firm, but Not Hard – If you press a finger or fork on the top of the scallop, it should be firm, but not hard (yikes, that means they’re overcooked), It should indent a bit with gentle pressure, similar to say a properly cooked boneless skinless chicken breast texture.
- Fork Tender – You shouldn’t need a steak knife to cut a scallop, which would indicate it’s probably already overcooked, womp. A properly cooked scallop is easily broken apart with a fork. Tender, buttery, and easy to break apart.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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