Garlic Butter Scallops Lemon (Printable)
Seared scallops in fragrant garlic butter sauce brightened with fresh lemon zest and herbs.
# What You Need:
→ Seafood
01 - 1.1 pounds sea scallops, patted dry
→ Aromatics & Seasoning
02 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 - 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
04 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
05 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
06 - 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
→ Finish
07 - Zest of 1 lemon
08 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
# Directions:
01 - Pat scallops dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper.
02 - Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until foaming.
03 - Place scallops in a single layer without overcrowding and sear for 2 minutes unturned until golden crust forms.
04 - Turn scallops over, add remaining 1 tablespoon butter and minced garlic, and sear 1 to 2 minutes while basting with butter.
05 - Remove skillet from heat, stir in lemon juice and zest gently to combine.
06 - Transfer scallops to serving plates, spoon sauce over, garnish with chopped parsley and additional lemon zest if desired, then serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Ready in under twenty minutes but tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen.
- Scallops cook so fast they stay impossibly tender if you don't fuss with them, which honestly makes cooking easier not harder.
- One skillet, barely any cleanup, and somehow still elegant enough for a date night.
02 -
- Scallops release moisture as they cook, so if the pan looks wet when you first add them, that's normal—keep the heat medium-high and resist the urge to flip too early or you'll stew them instead of searing them.
- Don't crowd the pan, ever; I learned this the hard way by trying to cook six scallops at once and ending up with a poached mess instead of seared beauty.
03 -
- Buy the largest, driest scallops you can find, preferably from a fishmonger rather than pre-packed, because their quality directly translates to how well they sear and taste.
- If you're nervous about cooking scallops, remember they go from perfect to rubbery in about thirty seconds, so it's actually better to undercook them slightly and let them coast to doneness on the plate.