Lemon Butter Sea Scallops (Printable)

Golden seared scallops in a zesty lemon butter sauce with garlic and fresh parsley.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 1 pound large sea scallops, patted dry

→ Sauce

02 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
03 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - Zest of 1 lemon
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
07 - 1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

10 - Lemon wedges for serving

# How-To Steps:

01 - Pat the scallops thoroughly dry with paper towels. Season both sides lightly with salt and pepper.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot and shimmering, add the scallops in a single layer without overcrowding; cook in batches if necessary.
03 - Allow scallops to sear undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes until a golden crust forms. Flip and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes until just opaque. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely to retain warmth.
04 - Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
05 - Pour in the wine or broth, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes while scraping up any browned bits from the pan bottom, until slightly reduced.
06 - Return scallops and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Spoon the lemon butter sauce over the scallops and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
07 - Transfer to serving plates immediately with lemon wedges on the side.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • Ready in twenty minutes, which means you can actually pull this off on a Tuesday without losing your mind.
  • The scallops develop this gorgeous golden crust that tastes restaurant-quality but happens because of one simple rule: stop touching them.
  • Lemon and butter together create a sauce so bright and silky that it makes even frozen vegetables taste special.
02 -
  • Overcrowding the pan drops the temperature and steams the scallops instead of searing them, so if your skillet is small, cook in two batches without feeling bad about it.
  • The scallops keep cooking after you flip them, so when they look almost opaque in the pan, they're actually done; any more time and they become rubbery and sad.
03 -
  • Keep your scallops at room temperature for about five minutes before searing so they cook evenly instead of cold on the inside and brown on the outside.
  • If your scallops have that little side muscle still attached, peel it off with your fingernail before cooking because it gets chewy and ruins the texture.
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