Name: Garlic Butter Scallops
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 11 min
Ingredients: 1 lb fresh large scallops* (removed the side muscle); Coarse salt and ground black pepper to taste; 1 tbsp olive oil; 4 tbsp butter (or ghee for Whole30 and paleo); 3 garlic cloves (minced); 1 tsp freshly chopped parsley; 2 tbsp lemon juice

Cooked in 6 minutes, this quick and easy Scallops Recipe is the perfect dinner. Easy enough for a weeknight meal but fancy enough for entertaining guests! Make this delicious scallop recipe with just 7 simple ingredients.

For tasty seafood recipes, try my Pan Seared Salmon recipe, Simple Garlic-Butter Salmon recipe, Blackened Salmon Recipe, and Dijon Mustard Salmon recipes. Enjoy delicious meals with these easy recipes.

golden pan seared garlic butter scallops in a cast iron

Cooking scallops can be tricky, but this blog post will help you avoid overcooking them. Don’t worry about ruining your meal – follow these tips for perfectly cooked scallops every time! This post will help you make restaurant-quality, delicious golden pan-seared scallops for a fraction of the cost.

For this garlic butter scallops recipe, I use my cast iron skillet because to get a nice sear on them, just like I use it to make my Pan Seared Scallops, Pan Seared Salmon Fillets, and Pan Seared Steak with Mushrooms.

How Do Scallops Taste?

Sea scallops have a sweet and delicate flavour to them and taste almost like a cross between lobster and crab meat. Scallops easily absorb flavors, so you don’t need a lot of garlic and butter to make them taste like garlic butter. They are smooth in texture.

How Do You Pick Them?

Scallops are pretty easy to find at most grocery stores, both in the fresh fish counter and the frozen section. For this scallops recipe, you’ll want large fresh scallops instead of the smaller bay scallops, as the cook time will be different. If you cannot find fresh scallops, frozen ones work just as well.

Wet scallops have been soaked in a bath of phosphates to preserve their freshness, while dry scallops have not. The dry scallops sear much nicer as it isn’t waterlogged and taste much sweeter than their wet counterpart.

Ingredients to Make this Scallops Recipe

Fresh large scallops — remove the side muscle
Coarse salt and ground black pepper to taste
Olive oil
Butter — be sure you use unsalted butter as you’re seasoning with salt and pepper
Garlic cloves — minced
Freshly chopped parsley – or you can use other fresh herbs such as thyme and basil.
Fresh lemon juice — really helps brighten up the flavor of the garlic butter scallops, so don’t skip it.

close up of garlic butter scallops recipe

Instructions to make scallops recipe

Prep the Scallops

Remove the scallops from the fridge about 30 minutes to 1 hour before cooking.
Place them on a paper towel-lined cutting board and pat them dry with paper towels.
Season well on all sides of the scallops with coarse salt and set aside.

Prep your Cast Iron

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Sear Your Scallops

When the hot pan is ready, add the scallops in a single layer.
Sear (cook scallops) for 2-3 minutes on each side. They will be golden and cooked through to get the best golden brown crust.

Make the Garlic Butter Sauce

Add the butter, garlic, fresh parsley, and lemon juice. Saute for 1-2 minutes and add the scallops back to the pan and heat through.

close up of garlic butter scallops in a cast ion skillet

Tips For Making The Best Scallops

Pat dry your scallops before adding them to your pan. If your scallops are wet, they will steam on the pan, and you won’t get a nice golden crust on them.

I recommend using a cast iron for searing scallops because it helps to make the best scallop recipe.

Garlic butter scallops cook in just about six minutes, so it’s important to keep a close eye on them to avoid overcooking.

Recipe Variations

Change up the seasoning: You can season these scallops in so many delicious ways. Try swapping in paprika, Cajun seasoning, or cayenne pepper.
Use shrimp: If you don’t have scallops, you can make this recipe with shrimp, like my Garlic Butter Shrimp recipe.
Use white wine: This recipe calls for lemon juice to brighten up the dish, but you can use white wine instead if you prefer.
Add it to pasta or rice: Turn these garlic butter scallops into a fresh, restaurant-quality meal in no time by adding them to a delicious pasta or rice dish.

What Can I Serve Scallops With?

You can serve this seared scallops recipe with so many side dish options like pasta, rice, risotto, salad, and so on. See below some good recipes to go with it.

Green beans: These rich and delicate scallops taste so good with fresh, flavorful green beans. My Garlic Butter Green Beans Recipe or Roasted Parmesan Green Beans would go perfectly with this dish.
Roasted veggies: For a simple and tasty dinner, try serving garlic butter scallops with roasted cauliflower, roasted vegetables, or roasted sweet potato.

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