Pan Fried Scallop Recipe

5 from 3 reviews

Tender Pan Seared Scallops are cooked to perfection and smothered in a flavorful lemon garlic butter sauce.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Pan Seared Scallops, Seared Scallops

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings servings

Calories 228kcal

Remove the side muscle from the scallops (if still attached).
Pat dry the scallops thoroughly with paper towels.
Season the scallops with salt and pepper.
In a large sauté pan or skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until sizzling. Add the scallops in a single layer. You may need to do this in batches to not overcrowd the pan.
Lower the heat to medium and without moving them, allow the scallops to brown lightly and form a golden brown crust underneath. This should take about 2-3 minutes. Flip the scallops and brown lightly on the other side, about 2 minutes or until cooked through (they will look opaque with a golden crust). Remove scallops from the skillet and transfer them to a plate. Keep them warm.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the same pan. Add the garlic and cook, stirring for about a minute, making sure the garlic doesn’t get brown.
Add the wine and broth and with a wooden spoon scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine/broth mixture has reduced by half, about 2-3 minutes.
Stir in the remaining butter, lemon juice and capers and turn the heat to low.
Return the scallops to the pan and warm them up for about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the parsley and season to taste.
Serve immediately with lemon slices.

Make sure you purchase "dry" scallops. Dry scallops have not been soaked in a food grade chemical so they will sear properly.
To achieve a nice thick golden brown crust on the scallops, dust the scallops with flour (about 2 - 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour), then season them with salt and black pepper. Continue with the recipe as written.