Seared Scallops in Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce
on Feb 16, 2021, Updated Aug 09, 2024
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These seared scallops in lemon garlic butter sauce will be going into your weeknight dinner rotation! This garlic butter scallop recipe comes together SO quickly, and are just so perfect. You’ll start by searing your scallops and then making your lemon garlic butter sauce, all topped with chopped parsley. This recipe is less than 10 ingredients, and the flavors are so good!
If you’re looking for more seafood recipes, be sure to check out our Five Ingredient Habanero Prawns, and Lobster Rolls with Pickles & Tarragon Butter.
Table of Contents
What ingredients do you need for this lemon garlic butter scallops recipe?
Sea Scallops: We are using dry sea scallops for this recipe!
Unsalted Butter: This creates the most luscious sauce melted with fresh garlic cloves, minced, and fresh lemon juice.
Kosher salt and black pepper: Truly the only seasoning you will need, but you can opt to adjust with your favorite spices.
Fresh herbs: Like basil, fresh thyme or parsley.
Instructions to make your scallops
Pat your scallops dry: Pat your scallops dry with a paper towel. Season on all sides with salt and pepper.
Sear scallops: Start by heating your olive oil in a skillet, you can use stainless steel or a cast-iron skillet, over medium-high heat until piping hot. Add your scallops in a single layer, in a clockwise position, and sear scallops until a golden brown crust forms, around 2 to 3 minutes per side. Turn the scallops in your clockwise formation to keep track of the timing of each scallops. Remove and transfer to a plate. Turn the heat off the skillet, but keep on the stovetop.
Make your lemon garlic butter sauce: In the same pan, with the heat off, add in your minced garlic, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, it should soften, but you don’t want any browning here. Stir until fragrant.
Then add in your butter, constantly stirring to emulsify. You want your butter sauce to be smooth and creamy, by constantly stirring and turning off the heat to do so, will ensure your sauce doesn’t break.
Finish the sauce with lemon juice.
Add scallops back in, and warm through: Lastly, add your scallops back in the pan to heat through and toss with the sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
Tips for the Perfect Lemon Butter Sauce Recipe
This lemony, saucy butter sauce is perfect poured over seared scallops! You want to ensure that the sauce stays intact and doesn’t break! Similar to a buerre monte, which is a classic French butter sauce, this sauce has the addition of lemon juice.
You can serve this lemon garlic sauce on anything from shrimp, lobster tails, salmon, to chicken, to any protein of your choice!
- Ensure the skillet is warm, but not HOT, with the heat off as you emulsify the butter.
- If your sauce breaks, don’t panic! Just bring the heat up to low, and add in water to the skillet, constantly stirring to re-ignite your butter sauce.
- Ensure your butter is cold and cubed! This will help make your silkiest sauce!
- Add extra flavor and aroma if you’d like by adding lemon zest.
Tips, Tricks and Substitutions
Make sure your scallops are super dry! Start by heating your olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until piping hot. Add your scallops in a single layer and sear scallops until golden, around 2-3 minutes per side, remove and transfer to a plate to create your sauce.
Dry scallops are a little bit sweeter and sear a little easier than wet scallops. Wet scallops taste a tad more watery, soapy and most likely use artificial preservatives, this also gives the scallops a more rubbery finish.
You can serve your scallops over pasta, over rice, polenta, risotto, creamed spinach, roasted vegetables, salads, endless options! I am in LOVE with this recipe, it’s so cozy and comforting.
The secret to searing scallops is to really ensure they are dry before cooking them! This will ensure they are getting the perfect crust.
Check out the below seafood recipes for more inspiration!
- Pasta with White Wine and Mussels
- Sake Shrimp Scampi
- Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp with a Sweet Onion Salad
- 5 Ingredient Habanero Prawns
If you do make this Garlic Butter Scallops recipe (first of all, thank you!!), be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram and through social media so I can be sure to see what you’re making! If you’d like to stay in touch and get the latest to your inbox, sign up for our Newsletter here as well!
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Seared Scallops in Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry scallops, cleaned and dried well
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- juice of 1 small lemon, adjust with more juice according to your preference
- 1/4 cup finely chopped chopped parsley
Instructions
- Pat your scallops dry: Pat your scallops dry with a paper towel. Season on all sides with salt and pepper.
- Sear scallops: Start by heating your olive oil in a skillet, you can use stainless steel or a cast-iron skillet, over medium-high heat until piping hot. Add your scallops in a single layer, in a clockwise position, and sear scallops until a golden brown crust forms, around 2 to 3 minutes per side. Turn the scallops in your clockwise formation to keep track of the timing of each scallops. Remove and transfer to a plate. Turn the heat off the skillet, but keep on the stovetop.
- Make your lemon garlic butter sauce: In the same pan, with the heat off, add in your minced garlic, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, it should soften, but you don't want any browning here. Stir until fragrant.
- Then add in your butter, constantly stirring to emulsify. You want your butter sauce to be smooth and creamy, by constantly stirring and turning off the heat to do so, will ensure your sauce doesn’t break.
- Finish the sauce with lemon juice.
- Add scallops back in, and warm through: Lastly, add your scallops back in the pan to heat through and toss with the sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.