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My pan seared scallops recipe has been a reader favorite for years, and one bite will show you why. The buttery golden scallops with that bright, fresh lemon flavor are what make this recipe stand out from all the others.
Why Everyone Loves These Scallops
- Golden Crust Every Time: The scallops get perfectly seared on the outside while staying buttery and tender in the middle.
- That Lemon Sauce: The fresh lemon flavor is what makes this recipe stand out. It’s bright, buttery, and completely irresistible!
- Restaurant Worthy at Home: These look impressive but cook in minutes, making them perfect for date nights, dinner parties, or when you just want something a little extra special.
A Reader’s Review
Best recipe I have found. Added pasta to the mix, delicious! A family favorite.
Peggy
Pan Seared Scallops Ingredients
- Scallops: Pat them dry really well! If you’re using frozen scallops, thaw them following the package instructions. Drain and pat dry.
- Capers: If you don’t love capers, leave them out!
- Lemon: Lemon pairs perfectly with seafood! The lemon juice and zest are a must in creating the delicious lemon sauce for the scallops.
How to Make Pan Seared Scallops
Once you see how easy pan-searing scallops is, you’re going to feel like a total restaurant chef in your own kitchen. That buttery lemon sauce comes together fast, so have some crusty bread ready because you’ll want every last drop.
- Dry/Season: Gently pat both sides of the scallops dry with a paper towel, then season them with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Cook: Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Heat the oil until it’s hot, then place the scallops in the skillet. Cook the scallops without moving them for 5 minutes until the bottoms are a rich golden brown. Add the butter to the pan. Flip the scallops over and cook for 5 additional minutes or until golden brown. Use a spoon to spoon the butter over the scallops as they cook. When the scallops are opaque in color and firm to the touch, turn off the heat and transfer them to a plate.
- Reduce: Reduce to medium heat, and add the minced garlic. Cook for 30 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the white wine. Simmer the wine, stirring as needed until it has reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
- Add: Turn the heat to high and add the chicken broth, lemon zest, lemon juice, and rinsed capers, if using. Cook until the sauce has reduced, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Finish: Turn the heat to medium, then whisk in the Dijon mustard before adding the scallops back to the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the pan seared scallops are warmed through. Garnish with fresh dill and lemon wedges.
Pan Seared Scallop FAQ’s
- What Is a Scallop? Scallops are a type of saltwater shellfish known for their tender texture and delicate flavor.
- What Do Scallops Taste Like? Scallops have a mild, slightly sweet flavor similar to crab or lobster. When cooked properly, they are tender and buttery, not rubbery.
- Are Scallops Good for You? Yes! Scallops are high in protein and a good source of magnesium and potassium.
- Can You Cook Frozen Scallops? Yes, but thaw them first in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. Pat them dry before cooking.
- Can I Leave out the White Wine? Yes! This is just an option for those who like the flavor and taste of a white wine.
- What Goes Well With Scallops? Scallops pair well with asparagus, green beans, broccoli, spinach, pasta, or zucchini noodles with the lemon sauce.
Must Have Tools For This Recipe
- Skillet: The key to getting that perfect golden crust on the scallops.
- Tongs: Make it easy to flip the scallops without breaking the sear.
- Microplane Zester: Easiest way to get freshe lemon zest.
- Small Strainer: Makes draining the capers quick and mess free.
Want to Brine Your Scallops?
Brining helps keep pan seared scallops extra plump, juicy, and flavorful while giving them an even better golden sear.
- Make the Brine: In a medium bowl, stir together ⅓ cup kosher salt and 1 cup hot water until the salt dissolves. Add 4 cups of ice water to cool it down.
- Brine the Scallops: Add 1 pound of large scallops and let them sit for 10 minutes.
- Dry Thoroughly: Drain and rinse the scallops under cold water. Arrange them in a single layer on a paper towel lined baking sheet, then gently pat dry with more paper towels. The drier the scallops are before they hit the pan, the better the sear!
- Let Them Rest: Lightly season both sides with salt and let them sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before cooking.
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Pan Seared Scallops
Pan seared scallops are golden and buttery with the most incredible fresh lemon sauce that makes them taste restaurant worthy right at home.
Ingredients
- 1 pound large scallops
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ½ cup white wine Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, or champagne
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest about 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons rinsed capers optional
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- fresh dill and lemon wedges for garnish
Instructions
- Gently pat both sides of 1 pound large scallops dry with a paper towel, then season them with salt and black pepper.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Heat until the oil is hot. Place the scallops into the hot skillet. Cook the scallops without moving them for 5 minutes until the bottoms are a rich golden brown.
- Add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter to the pan. Flip the scallops over and cook for 5 additional minutes or until golden brown. Use a spoon to spoon the butter over the scallops as they cook. When the scallops are opaque in color and firm to the touch, turn off the heat and transfer them to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium, and add 2 teaspoons minced garlic. Cook for 30 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant. Increase the heat to medium-high and add ½ cup white wine. Simmer the wine, stirring as needed until it has reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
- Turn the heat to high and add 1 cup chicken broth, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons rinsed capers, if using. Cook until the sauce has reduced, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Turn the heat to medium and whisk in 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard before adding the scallops back to the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the scallops are warmed through.
- Garnish with fresh dill and lemon wedges.
Video
Notes
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 226kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 15gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 817mgPotassium: 289mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 189IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
any advice for treating “wet” scallops to remove the chemical taste? – Dry scallops at my local fishmonger are $46.00 per pound (cdn) – a special treat. I have bought supermarket scallops and didn’t like the aftertaste. Someone told me to soak them in milk – what do you think?
Elizabeth Priddle, Barrie Ontario
That sounds like a great idea! Let me know how it turns out!
Hi Elizabeth, I’m not certain how to remove the chemical taste when one encounters treated scallops, but I was delighted to discover that Costco’s Kirkland brand of frozen raw sea scallops is pure, nothing added. Do they have Costco where you live? I found these in the frozen seafood section in a big blue and white bag; the size of scallop is 15-20 per pound. Best of luck sourcing the real thing!
Made this tonight – served over buccatini -and it came out great. I added spinach to the dish just before it was finished, long enough for the spinach to wilt. I did all the prep work will the scallops were brining, so the brining really didn’t all all that much time to the overall dish. This will definitely be on my ‘go to’ list! Thanks for an awesome website!
Since I can leave out the white wine, how do I adjust the recipe without that ingredient?
You do not have to substitute it, just leave it out.
We cooked this tonight and served over spaghetti squash for a great low carb dinner. Loved it!
Made two pounds of scallops and did one and a half of all ingredients. Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! Served with angel hair pasta. Also, bought fresh scallops from local seafood market. Cost an arm and a leg but well worth the price. They were as fresh as fresh can be and made this fish a true gourmet meal. Will definitely make again and save the sauce recipe for other fish.
Could you post the nutritional values for the scallop recipe? Doing Keto and this sounds amazing!
I like to use skinnytaste.com or myfitnesspal.com for any nutritional information. Hope you can find what you are looking for!
Can the scallops be refrigerated after first cooing (in the morning) the sauce made then also and refrigerated also. Take scallops out of fridge maybe 20 minutes before serve time, heat sauce in a chafing dish, then warm scallops and serve? Want to make these for a party but like to get as much cleaned up ahead of time as possible.
That sounds like a great idea! Let me know how it turns out! Enjoy your party!
I made this recipe exactly as written ( i did leave the scallops in a warmed oven so they wouldn’t get too cold). It was fantastic, I ended up making it with steamed green beans and quinoa/brown rice. There was a very nice amount of sauce left so I threw the beans into it and after we ate all the beans we dumped the quinoa into the sauce and loved that as well. I will definitely make this again!
Exceptional. I can see this sauce doing so much duty with other seafood, pasta etc. Thank you for the technique to get a good crust on the scallops. I had been told that only day boat scallops can get a good crust, that frozen have too much water integrated into their tissues.
Lemon in combination with capers are very strong flavors. Both are great but together they over power the flavor of the scallops. My husband did not like that fact. I followed the recipe to a tee. And I thought that adding dill and chives at the end, both distinct flavors, would cover the taste of the scallops even more so I just sprinkled a small amount of chopped chives. The sauce went well with pasta but not so much the scallops. I think chicken breast would be better than such a light seafood.
Thank you for helping me be the hero tonight! My bride of 38 years was absolutely raving about this dish and said it was a “keeper!” She’s going out to buy more scallops tomorrow! Awesome! And the sauce would be excellent over some angel hair pasta, but that’s for next time. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
That is fantastic! I am so happy for both of you! Thank you for sharing and following along with me! XOXO
These look amazing
I had friends over who are allergic to shellfish and also vegan, so I made this with scalloped king oyster mushroom stems, substituting “no-chicken broth” for the broth and a little bit of margarine for the small amount of butter needed. (And I soaked the mushroom stems in salt water with a little bit of seaweed.) It turned out fabulously! The sauce was spot on, and my friends couldn’t put their forks down. Thanks for this recipe!
I made this tonight for dinner and WOW! It was fantastic. The brining really makes a difference.
DELICIOUS! And the sauce… AWESOME! I could drink that sauce! Lol
Delish!
Thank you thank you thank you looks so delicious and easy. Can’t wait to try this