Lemon Butter Sea Scallops (Printable Version)

Golden scallops cooked in lemon butter sauce with garlic and fresh parsley for a light meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 1 lb 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

# Step-by-Step Directions:

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

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Ready in under twenty minutes, which means you can pull off something restaurant-quality on a Tuesday night without the stress.
  • The scallops stay impossibly tender while the golden crust gives them real personality and depth.
  • Lemon and butter speak the same language, and watching them come together in that pan feels like pure kitchen magic.
02 -
  • Overcooked scallops turn rubbery and sad in seconds, so trust the timing and pull them when they're still ever so slightly translucent in the very center.
  • Crowding the pan drops the temperature and steams the scallops instead of searing them, so work in batches if you're cooking for more than four people.
03 -
  • If scallops are particularly large or thick, you can gently flatten them with your hand before searing so they cook evenly without drying out on the edges.
  • A pinch of red pepper flakes stirred into the sauce at the end adds warmth and complexity without heat, which I discovered by happy accident.
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