Pan-Seared Scallops with Lemon Butter Sauce

Perfectly pan-seared scallops served with a lemon butter sauce… this scallop recipe is the easiest gourmet dish you can make on a weeknight in just 15 minutes.

Have you ever ordered a gourmet scallop dish as a main in a decent restaurant? It is usually three large sea scallops with some vegetables presented in a beautiful way, right? And it’s never cheap.

What if I told you that you could easily create a fancy scallop dish at home within just 15 minutes and save a bunch of money?

Once you learn the technique of pan searing scallops and making a simple pan sauce afterward, you are in fancy business!

And this Pan-Seared Scallops with Lemon Butter Sauce recipe is going to get you started on cooking many more easy and elegant scallops meals.

The secret is a good sear.

How to Pan-Sear Scallops

There are many ways to cook scallops. You can grill them or roast them. But the simplest cooking method is pan-searing them on the stove. There’s no preheating your oven or grill. Just turn on the stove and sear them in an oily, flat-bottom pan.

The trick is to wait until the cooking oil is sizzling hot before you put your seasoned scallops (salt and pepper to season is just perfect) into the pan. The outside of the scallops gets cooked immediately, quickly forming a nice golden brown crust while the inside is cooking.

One way of testing if the oil is hot enough is to put one scallop in the pan and see if it sizzles right away. If not, wait for a couple more minutes before adding more scallops. Make sure to leave enough room between each scallop (at least one inch) when searing. Therefore, use a large pan or do it in batches.

Scallops cook really fast in such a hot pan. Sear undisturbed on each side for 2-3 minutes, and your scallops are done.

How to Make the Lemon Butter Pan Sauce

You may enjoy your seared scallops as they are. But I found that making a pan sauce to drizzle over them takes it to a whole next level. That’s when the “fancy” feeling comes into play. In this recipe, let’s try a simple lemon butter sauce.

You need only five ingredients for the pan sauce—butter, garlic, dry white wine, lemon juice, and salt.

After your scallops are seared, remove them from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, add a couple of tablespoons butter. Since your pan is still hot, it will start melting right away. Keep your heat at medium-high. Now add some minced garlic to infuse the butter. Stir gently and scrape off any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

Pour a quarter cup of dry white wine into the pan, followed by some freshly squeezed lemon juice. Cook until the alcohol evaporates and the sauce is reduced by half. By then, the lemon butter sauce should be thickened. Season with salt to taste.

I love cooking with wine, but if that’s not your cup of tea, substitute chicken bone broth for the wine. The sauce will not be disappointing.

What to Pair with Scallops

Wondering what to serve with these amazing scallops for a balanced meal? Here are a few ideas for inspiration.

• Pasta. Toss some cooked linguine into the lemon butter sauce and top with the pan-seared scallops.
• Garlic bread or garlic naan. Scoop up some of that sauce with the bread on each bite.
• Sweet potato puree and a side of vegetables. In the photo below, I used purple sweet potatoes and chicken bone broth to make the puree. My choice of vegetable was sautéed asparagus.
• Mashed potatoes
• Zucchini noodles
• Cauliflower rice

Here you have it—one of the easiest fancy dinners you can whip up on a weeknight. Enjoy!

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