Garlic Butter Scallops – Quick & Easy Restaurant-Quality Recipe
Perfect pan-seared scallops with golden crust and rich garlic butter sauce. Restaurant-quality results in under 10 minutes with simple ingredients and proper technique.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Total Time: 16 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Pan-Seared
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1.5–2 lbs large sea scallops (U-10 or U-12)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, cold
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
1. Remove side muscle from scallops and pat completely dry. Let sit on paper towels 10-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper just before cooking.
2. Heat large skillet over medium-high to high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add oil and heat until shimmering.
3. Sear scallops without moving for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Flip and cook 1-2 minutes more until just done.
4. Remove scallops and reduce heat to medium-low. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
5. Add cold butter and swirl to melt. Add lemon juice and parsley, swirling to combine.
6. Return scallops to pan and spoon sauce over. Serve immediately while hot.
Notes
Don’t overcrowd the pan — cook in batches if needed.
Scallops should sizzle aggressively when they hit the hot oil.
Don’t move them until they release naturally for the best golden crust.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 320mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 2g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
Find it online: https://paulakitchen.com/garlic-butter-scallops/