Date night quarantine style? I got you covered 😎. Get ready to up your seafood ante with these pan seared lemon garlic butter scallops!
Whenever we go out (use to go out, #precovid) somewhere fancy, Dan and I always seem to order scallops. Not the drenched in cream kind, but the simple, butter, zesty, garlicky kind with a sprig of green and lemon slice.
IMO that's all there is to a good scallop - the simpler the better. Honestly that's my general rule for seafood and I'm sticking with it!
On that note, that's really all there is to these seared lemon garlic butter scallops. The scallops themselves take literally 5 minutes in the pan. Not per side, total. And then throw in some butter, lemon juice, white wine, fresh herbs, and garlic. Whisk for a couple minutes.
Aaaaand done! Drizzle the sauce on top of your golden crusted scallops and serve with a couple lemon slices. If you want to get real fancy, maybe whip up a little parmesan risotto for extra yums.
Ready to snazz up your date night menu? Scroll down for the recipe!
Pan Seared Lemon Garlic Butter Scallops
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 1x
Description
Perfectly seared scallops done in just one pan with a zesty, buttery, garlic white wine sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 lb jumbo scallops (about 8-10 scallops)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon dry white wine or white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, roughly minced
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Remove the side muscle from the scallops if any is left. Pat scallops dry as much as possible. The drier the better!
- Heat oil in a large, non stick skillet. Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper and once the pan is sizzling hot, add them to the pan. Shake the pan gently to keep them from sticking and tearing. Cook 3-4 minutes. Flip scallops over and cook 1-2 minutes. They should have a golden brown crust on their tops and bottoms with an opaque middle. Once done, set on a paper towel to soak up any excess oil.
- Working quickly, melt butter in the same pan. Whisk in garlic and cook 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Whisk lemon juice, white wine, rosemary, and thyme, cooking until mixed and warmed through. Season with salt to taste.
- Plate scallops and drizzle with pan sauce. Garnish with any extra chopped herbs and serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
Debra says
I made this dish to try scallops for the first time. I over cooked the scallops unfortunately, but was worried that they would be a little too slimy on the inside. I loved the recipe but will stick to the timing so that I can enjoy the fish more. Very tasty!
Aberdeen says
Scallops can be tricky! It's so easy to overcook them, but I find they still manage to taste delicious no matter what. I'm glad you still liked it!
Rudy says
I made them and added red pepper flakes it was so nice in my salad with cannellini bean toast pepper and red onions while I cook a little