A quick and easy appetizer or light meal that is filled with flavor! These fresh and meaty scallops are seared to perfection and coated in a delicious garlic butter sauce. They will surely not disappoint you or your guests!

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Restaurant Quality At Home

It’s nothing like going out to eat and having an amazing meal. For me, I love a good appetizer. It sets me up for the rest of my meal. Plus, I get a chance to try something new each time. But, sometimes going out to eat is not in my monthly budget. The good news is that making a restaurant-quality meal can easily be done at home with the right ingredients and steps.

I have a restaurant-worthy appetizer that will send your taste buds rolling. You can even turn this into a light meal with a few added side dishes. My Seared Garlic Butter Scallops are simple and super easy to make. With just ten minutes, you can have these flavorful and meaty scallops on your next plate.

What’s a Scallop?

A scallop is a type of bivalve mollusk. This pretty much means that they have two shells surrounding an adductor muscle. This is the muscle that we eat and call scallops. This muscle has a cream color with a cylinder shape. It is one of the easiest types of seafood to cook. But, like any seafood, it can easily be overcooked.

There different types of scallops as well. For this recipe, I used sea scallops which are typically larger and meatier. In scallops, you can taste the brininess of the sea with a touch of sweetness. I always suggest using fresh scallops, but frozen scallops can be used as well. Thaw them out in your refrigerator overnight and they’ll be ready to use. A good pat dry and season will get you ready to go.

Do not feel intimidated! Once you have mastered the technique of cooking scallops, it will be a lot easier to cook proteins. Learning how to sear correctly will make cooking so much easier. Trust me, you can do it!

Seared Garlic Butter Scallops’ Ingredients:

Sea Scallops: I decided to use Sea Scallops because they are larger and meatier. They are also great for searing! When seared correctly, they end up with a beautiful golden brown color with a slight crust.

All-Purpose Flour: The flour is not necessary for searing at all. But, they aid in creating a better overall crust and color. They just need a good dusting on each side.
Salt & Black Pepper: These are the only two seasonings that you need. Scallops have a natural brininess and sweetness to them already. The salt and pepper will only bring out the flavors more.
Cooking Oil: Searing requires some type of fat For this recipe, simple cooking oil will work fine. I suggest oils such as vegetable, canola, avocado, or grapeseed.
Butter: I used salted butter to finish the scallops. This will only make the scallops even more buttery and delectable. Basting is key. It will also aid in cooking the scallops.
Garlic: The garlic acts as one of the main flavoring agents. It pairs very well with the butter making the scallops even more delicious.
White Wine: White wine is optional for this recipe. I suggest using an acidic white wine. This will help cut some of the fattiness of the butter. Plus, seafood and acid always go great together.
Lemon Juice: The lemon juice adds some acidity to the dish. Acid and seafood is always a great combo. Plus, the acid will cut some of the fat from the butter.
Thyme & Basil: These herbs add some depth to the butter. It takes it from homemade to restaurant quality.
Parsley & Lemon Slices: The parsley and lemon wedges are used as garnishes. The bright colors help to accentuate the golden brown color of the scallops.

How to Make Seared Garlic Butter Scallops

This recipe is super simple and quick to make. You’ll want to make it all of the time with the following easy steps:

Step 1: Prep the Scallops. Remove the adductor muscles from the scallops ‘shells. Remove the smaller side muscles from the adductor muscles as well. Pat dry the scallops with a paper towel. Lightly dust the scallops with flour. Season the scallops with salt and black pepper to taste.

Step 2: Sear the Scallops. Heat a skillet with oil on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot add the scallops to the pan. They should instantly sizzle. Do not overcrowd the pan. Do not move the scallops. Allow them to cook until golden brown (about 2 minutes). When the scallops can easily be moved, they are done.

Step 3: Flip the Scallops. Season the raw side with salt and black pepper. Flip the scallops.

Step 4: Baste the Scallops. When the other side is golden brown, lower the heat to medium. Add butter and minced garlic. Allow the butter to melt. Add thyme, basil, and white wine. Baste the scallops for 1 minute.

Step 5: Garnish & Serve. Take the pan off of the heat and drizzle with lemon juice. Serve and garnish with parsley leaves and lemon slices.

I’d love to hear your feedback about these Seared Garlic Butter Scallops! Leave me a message in the comments section below. Remember to share and enjoy! Follow Be Greedy Eats on Pinterest and Instagram as well!

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Seared Garlic Butter Scallops

Yield

4 - 6 Servings

Author

Aaron Dodson

Prep time

5 Min

Cook time

5 Min

Total time

10 Min

Ingredients

1 lb - large sea scallops (about 12 scallops)
2 tsp - all-purpose flour
To Taste - salt & black pepper
3 tbsp - cooking oil (i.e. vegetable, canola, or grapeseed oil)
2 tbsp - salted butter, sliced
2 tbsp - garlic, minced
1 tbsp - white wine (optional)
To Taste - fresh lemon juice
3 each - fresh thyme sprigs
2 each - fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp - fresh parsley leaves
4 - 5 each - lemon slices

Instructions

Remove the adductor muscles from the scallops. Remove the smaller side muscles from the adductor muscles as well.
Pat dry the scallops with a paper towel. Lightly dust the scallops with flour. Season the scallops with salt and black pepper to taste.
Heat a skillet with oil on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot add the scallops to the pan. They should instantly sizzle. Do not overcrowd the pan.
Do not move the scallops. Allow them to cook until golden brown (about 2 minutes). When the scallops can easily be moved, they are done.
Season the raw side with salt and black pepper. Flip the scallops.
When the other side is golden brown, lower the heat to medium. Add butter and minced garlic. Allow the butter to melt. Add thyme, basil, and white wine. Baste the scallops for 1 minute.
Take the pan off of the heat and drizzle with lemon juice. Serve and garnish with parsley leaves and lemon slices.

Calories

290

Fat (grams)

Sat. Fat (grams)

Carbs (grams)

Fiber (grams)

Net carbs

Sugar (grams)

Protein (grams)

Sodium (milligrams)

949

Cholesterol (grams)