Have these Super Easy and Crispy Lemon Garlic Butter Scallops on your table in less than 10 minutes! Coated in a deliciously silky lemon garlic butter sauce!
Cheaper than going out to a restaurant and just as good as chef made scallops! These crispy, pan seared and juicy Lemon Garlic Butter Scallops are a mouth-watering combination of zesty and buttery. Great to serve as either a starter or a main at your next dinner party. Nothing melts in your mouth quite like these tender-crisp and buttery scallops.
SCALLOPS
With so many amazing shrimp recipes on the blog like our Creamy Shrimp Pasta, Browned Butter Honey Garlic Shrimp and our Creamy Garlic Shrimp With Parmesan, I felt it was high time to shine a light on scallops, and what a recipe to kick us off!
You have all been writing in to tell us how much you loved our Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi recipe and this Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp recipe, so we figured we would throw together a lemon garlic butter scallops recipe to shake things up.
LEMON GARLIC BUTTER SCALLOPS
Just one of the many ways we love to eat scallops! Most people are extremely intimidated by scallops, especially because of their high price tag. No one wants to spend a mint on scallops, only to have it all go hay-wire once you get them into your kitchen!
That’s also the beautiful thing about scallops, they are a luxury and when done right, are decadent and indulgent. Which is why we have put together the perfect fool-proof lemon garlic butter scallops recipe for you to follow.
HOW TO PREPARE SCALLOPS
Try to find scallops without the bright orange or coral coloured crescent-shaped part still attached (or roe). The orange part can be a little bitter, however, some people do enjoy this part of the scallop. It’s personal preference. If you can only find them with the roe attached, you can always pull it off and discard it. If you have bought whole scallops, you will need to remove the roe and the muscle that attaches the scallop to the shell. For this reason, we buy frozen, wild caught scallops without the roe.
HOW TO THAW SCALLOPS
- Thaw scallops in a bowl of cold water for about 10-20 minutes until thawed completely, or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Make sure to thoroughly pat them dry with paper towel to absorb all of the liquid before searing.
HOW TO COOK SCALLOPS
Understanding how quickly scallops cook means you’ll never be intimidated again! They only take four to five minutes to cook — that’s it! You’ll never overcook or undercook your scallops again – guaranteed.
- Heat an oiled skillet or pan until it’s sizzling. Key step right here. You want them to sizzle and crisp to a golden colour on the outside.
- The first scallop should sizzle as soon as it hits the oil. If it doesn’t, wait and let the pan continue heating before adding any more.
- Use a large pan to avoid over crowding, or cook in batches to make sure they are at least 1-inch apart.
- Sear them without moving them for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Done! The perfect lemon garlic butter scallops!
Both sides of a scallop should be seared to a perfect golden-brown ‘crust’ with the sides opaque all the way through. They should be firm to the touch, but still slightly soft with a little bounce to them.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH SCALLOPS
What to serve with your scallops is dependent on whether your lemon garlic butter scallops are the star of the show or the appetiser. If you’re enjoying your scallops as a main, they pair well with Buttery Sautéed Green Beans, Lemon Garlic and Asparagus Salad or some Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes.
Watch how we make our scallops right here!
More related recipes:
Creamy Tuscan Chicken (Low Carb)
Seared Lemon Garlic Butter Scallops
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ¼ pounds scallops
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 4-5 cloves garlic large, minced, or 1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup dry white wine or broth
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup parsley chopped
Instructions
- If scallops are frozen, thaw in cold water. Remove the side muscle from the scallops if attached. Thoroughly pat dry with paper towels.
- Heat olive oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat until hot and sizzling. Add the scallops in a single layer without over crowding the pan (work in batches if needed).
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and fry for 2-3 minutes on one side (until a golden crust forms underneath), then flip and fry again for 2 minutes until crisp, lightly browned and cooked through (opaque). Remove from skillet and transfer to a plate.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the same pan, scraping up any browned bits left over from the scallops. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant (1 minute).
- Pour in wine (or broth) and bring to a simmer for 2 minutes or until wine reduces by about half. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter and lemon juice.
- Remove pan (skillet) from the heat; add the scallops back into the pan to warm through slightly and garnish with parsley.
- Serve over rice, pasta, garlic bread or steamed vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini noodles).
Amanda Zinsli says
OMG this was to die for. Hubby is not someone who gives compliments and by him saying I can this again and again is a huge compliment. Thank you so much for sharing this. I pared it with garlic prawns, roasted potatoes and gem squash and it was Devine xx
Jessica says
This was my first time cooking scallops and this recipe was amazing for being so simple! My husband is calling his friends and bragging on how delicious they were.
Kitkat says
Made this tonight & it was absolutely delicious! It was so much easier than I ever thought cooking scallops would be! Thank you!
Katherine says
OMG! This was so simple and the flavors and taste were out of this world. The scallops seemingly melted in my mouth. Thank you for such a quick, easy and tasty recipe for dinner. Can’t wait to try out more of your recipes on the site.
Bruce says
They were great! My biggest challenge was turning them over to cook the other side. They kept slipping out of the tongs. Would it be easier to use a couple tablespoons to turn them? Suggestions?
John says
Came out great and my family was very pleased — thanks!
Gail says
I made this tonight along with your recipe for Crispy Parmesan Asparagus with garlic butter and included a couscous pilaf. My husband loves me even more!! LOL It turned out really great and is now a house fave. You are truly my go-to chef.
John Dvoracek says
Excellent! We prepared exactly per your recipe. Not much else to add. Oh, only side was scalloped potatoes; salad was tomato cucumber with green onion garnish and (homemade) white wine vinaigrette, and desert was a combination of dark and white chocolate. Rather than wine we had dry gin martinis.
Janet K. says
OMGosh, this recipe is fabulous!!! This was my first attempt at making scallops—I followed the recipe exactly & it turned out perfect! SO easy & delicious. I’ll definitely be making it again!
Manny Bernal says
Mujer, Like my son who is learning Spanish would say: you rock!! I hadn’t eaten some scallops like that in about 20 years when I was in the Catskills (Monticello, NY), and I always think about that place. Well, not any more. Now I make the best scallops in the whole wide world, thanks to you!
Thank you so much!!!!