Description
Lemon Butter Scallops bring restaurant-quality elegance right to your dinner table with minimal effort. Delicate scallops seared golden and drizzled with zesty butter sauce make an impressive meal that feels special without complicated techniques.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 pound scallops
Cooking Fats:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Seasonings and Garnish:
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet at 400°F, creating a perfect searing surface for your scallops.
- Pat 1 pound scallops completely dry with paper towels to ensure a beautiful golden-brown crust during cooking.
- Sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper evenly across your scallops, ensuring each piece gets seasoned.
- Carefully place seasoned scallops into the hot skillet, allowing them to sear undisturbed for exactly 2 minutes until a rich golden color develops.
- Flip each scallop and cook the opposite side for an additional 2 minutes, maintaining the same 400°F temperature.
- Transfer seared scallops to a clean plate, keeping them warm while preparing the sauce.
- Reduce skillet heat to 350°F and add 2 minced garlic cloves, stirring quickly for 30 seconds to release their aromatic flavors.
- Pour the juice and zest from 1 whole lemon into the skillet, adding the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to create a vibrant sauce.
- Swirl the sauce until butter completely melts and ingredients blend smoothly.
- Return scallops to the skillet, gently coating them with the lemon-butter sauce for 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley over the scallops just before serving for a bright, fresh finish.
Notes
- Pat scallops completely dry with paper towels to ensure a perfect golden-brown sear without steaming.
- Use a heavy-bottomed skillet like cast iron for the best heat distribution and crispy exterior.
- Choose fresh, high-quality sea scallops and avoid frozen varieties for the most delicate texture.
- Keep cooking time short to prevent scallops from becoming tough and rubbery, aiming for a translucent center with a golden crust.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Sautéed
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 275 kcal
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg