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Get It Now- Why You’ll Love This Seared Scallops Recipe
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How To Sear Scallops
- How Long To Sear Scallops?
- Can You Sear Frozen Scallops?
- Storage Instructions
- What To Serve With Pan Seared Scallops
- More Easy Seafood Recipes
- Tools For Pan Fried Scallops
- Seared Scallops (With Garlic Butter!) Recipe card
- Recipe Reviews
I love bacon wrapped scallops, but this one is the most basic of scallop recipes. It has the most delicious, simple pan sauce — garlic butter (it’s similar to my lemon butter sauce) — and the method is so easy. Just like coq au vin or grilled lobster, this pan seared scallops recipe is elegant enough for special occasions but also comes together so fast that you can make it easily when a craving strikes. The scallops are fried on a hot pan until a crust forms, and then flipped and basted with garlic herb butter (a.k.a. compound butter). It’s as delicious as it sounds.
Why You’ll Love This Seared Scallops Recipe
- The perfect crust on the outside, tender and buttery on the inside
- Mild, sweet, and garlicky
- Irresistible garlic butter sauce
- Super easy recipe — just a few steps!
- Ready to eat in less than 15 minutes
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for simple pan fried scallops, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
How To Choose Scallops:
- Sea Scallops vs. Bay Scallops – Sea scallops are larger, higher quality scallops, and often what you will get at a restaurant. Bay scallops are sweeter and more tender and also much smaller, so often used in seafood stews, etc.
- Wet vs. Dry Scallops – Wet scallops are preserved in a solution and frozen, which makes them hold on to water during cooking. Dry scallops are not preserved in this way, making them the preferred option. It’s harder to get a nice sear with a wet scallop.
- Appearance & Smell – Fresh scallops should be firm and will smell like the sea (briny and like seaweed), but should not have any sharp odors.
- Scallop Size – Scallops are labeled with a range, so there can be 10 to 40 sea scallops per pound. They are most often sold in 10 to 20, 20 to 30, 30 to 40 ranges. Large sea scallops are considered to be more premium and are ideal for this seared scallops recipe.
- Fresh vs. Frozen – Most scallops found at the store will have been frozen at some point, even if they are sold thawed. You can buy either, but thawed scallops should be eaten within a day.
Other Ingredients For Searing Scallops:
- Cooking Oil – Use olive oil or avocado oil for searing.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
- Salted Butter – Just a couple tablespoons makes a huge difference for pan fried scallops… you just have to add it at the right time to avoid burning. I prefer grass-fed butter for best flavor and nutrition, but any salted butter will work. If the butter you have is unsalted, add a pinch of sea salt to it.
- Lemon Juice – Fresh lemon juice has the best flavor, but bottled lemon juice is also fine. Lime juice will also work. If you like extra citrus flavor, you can add a teaspoon of lemon zest or lime zest as well.
- Garlic – Fresh minced garlic adds the best flavor, but you can also use 1 teaspoon of jarred minced garlic for convenience. 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder would work in a pinch, but is not ideal for these seared scallops.
- Fresh Herbs – I used fresh thyme and fresh parsley, but you could use other fresh herbs, such as basil, chives, cilantro, dill, rosemary, or tarragon.
How To Sear Scallops
This section shows how to pan sear scallops with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Mix the garlic herb butter. In a small bowl, mash together the butter, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, and parsley. It’s okay if the lemon juice doesn’t fully incorporate, because we’re going to melt this later, anyway.
TIP: You can use this garlic butter for steak recipes if you make a double batch!
Omit the lemon juice and try it on sirloin steak, garlic butter steak bites, filet mignon, or prime rib.
- Prep and season. Use paper towels to dry the scallops on all sides. Season with sea salt and black pepper right before cooking.
TIP: Dry your scallops thoroughly.
If you don’t, you won’t get a good sear and that nice golden crust.
- Sear scallops. Heat the oil in a medium to large skillet (preferably a cast iron skillet, but a stainless steel or nonstick skillet will also work) over medium-high heat, until shimmering. Place the scallops in the pan in a single layer, and sear without moving, until a crust forms on the bottom.
- Add the herb butter. Flip the scallops and add the garlic herb butter, basting the scallops with it as it melts. Cook until the scallops are cooked through and golden on the other side.
- Serve. Drizzle seared scallops with garlic butter and serve with lemon wedges or slices. You can also top with extra fresh herbs.
How Long To Sear Scallops?
Scallops cooked in a pan will take about 2-3 minutes per side.
Can You Sear Frozen Scallops?
You can sear frozen scallops, but you need to thaw them first, or they won’t cook evenly. Because they only need a few minutes on each side, cooking them directly from frozen would result in uneven cooking.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Seared scallops taste best fresh, but you can keep leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
- Reheat: Warm scallops in a hot skillet. Be careful not to heat too long to avoid overcooking.
- Freeze: You can freeze raw or cooked scallops for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before cooking or reheating.
What To Serve With Pan Seared Scallops
Serve up these easy pan fried scallops with a healthy side dish:
- Vegetables – I like to start roasted asparagus, crispy roasted brussels sprouts, or both broccoli and cauliflower in the oven before pan searing scallops, so that my whole meal is ready at the same time. Pair with green beans almondine or broccoli rabe for a fancier meal, or whip up air fryer eggplant for a quick and easy side.
- Salads – Serve pan fried scallops over a simple arugula salad or alongside a classic Caprese salad for a healthy, light meal.
- Starches – For heartier side dishes, try roasted potatoes (or cauliflower mashed potatoes), your fave pasta (or zoodles for a lighter option), white or brown rice, or cauliflower rice.
More Easy Seafood Recipes
If you like this pan seared sea scallops recipe, you might also like some of these other seafood recipes:
Tools For Pan Fried Scallops
- Cast Iron Skillet – My go-to pan for searing just about anything, shown above. It’s durable, beautiful, and makes an excellent golden brown crust.
Seared Scallops (With Garlic Butter!)
Learn how to sear scallops in just 10 minutes! This pan seared scallops recipe has a perfect golden crust & irresistible garlic butter sauce.
Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them.
Scallops:
Garlic herb butter:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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In a small bowl, mash together the butter, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, and parsley. (The lemon juice may not fully incorporate, which is fine.) Set aside.
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Pat the scallops dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
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Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, until shimmering. Keep the garlic herb butter nearby.
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Add the scallops in a single layer, without touching. Sear, without moving, for 2-3 minutes, until a crust forms on the bottom.
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Flip the scallops and immediately add the garlic herb butter to the pan around the scallops in pieces. Sear the scallops for 2-3 more minutes, basting them with the butter occasionally, until a crust forms on the other side and scallops are cooked through.
Did You Like It?
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 4 large seared scallops with garlic butter
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
70 Comments
Piper
0First time liking scallops. Cheated on the butter mix using premade garlic butter and added lemon juice and delicious. Cast iron pan bought just for this recipe and love it. Perfect scallops per my husband who LOVES them and now so do I. Perfect Christmas Eve dinner
Carol McRee
0Yum! We love scallops! I would suggest only 2-3 minutes total time rather than 2-3 minutes/side. Otherwise- yummy!
Carol McRee
0Yum! We love scallops. I would say 2-3 minutes/side is too long. Perhaps a total of 3 minutes? Otherwise they will be overcooked. They were still delicious.
Sam Flores
0This was very delicious. I will make it again.
marie seay
0I am always looking for low carb recipes and this one was very delish!!!
Nellie
0We love these seared scallops, we make them at least once a month, so yummy and easy. We like to serve them over sautéed spinach too.
Meko Kofahl
0Love scallops, so I already knew there wouldn’t be anything I would hate about this recipe. I subbed cilantro for the parsley and they were divine. My experience with scallop searing has historically been hit-or-miss, but I specifically asked for the largest ones they had and I think that gave me a bit of a bigger margin for error. Would definitely make again!
Becky
0The scallops come together so well with the garlic butter, and the texture is amazing. I added pasta and it was delicious
Becky
0These are absolutely amazing!
Al
0Nice recipe
Gigi Copeland
0Oh my these were the best scallops I ever made! They were perfectly cooked and moist with a beautiful sear. The herbed butter was delicious. Thank you Maya for this recipe. Will definitely make it again.
Alissa
0Great. Yum.
Cheryl Bettridge
0amazing! really attractive crust and full of flavour. Thanks!
Marilyn Bartlett
0Scallops are my favorite seafood. This recipe is an excellent way to enjoy them!
This recipe is so delicious and a fast way to serve up dinner. I love the buttery garlic flavor.
Lillian
0Great recipe