Lemon Butter Seared Scallops
Scallops cook incredibly quick. You don’t want to over cook them as they will become chewy and tough. They will turn opaque when done.
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 157kcal
Equipment
- 12" cast iron skillet
Ingredients
Scallops
- 1 lb scallops side muscle removed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoon butter
Lemon Butter Sauce
- 4 tablespoon salted butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon parsley finely chopped
- ⅕ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Add butter to the skillet over medium high heat.
- Pat scallops dry and season with salt and pepper.
- Sear the scallops, about 2 minutes per side. Cook scallops in batches, transferring scallops to a plate.
- Once all the scallops have been seared add the remaining butter, garlic, parsley, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice to the now empty skillet.
- Bring it to a quick simmer then remove from heat.
- Return the scallops to the skillet, into the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the top to coat them. Serve immediately.
Notes
Variations and adaptations
- Add different fresh herbs like thyme, dill, tarragon, or basil.
- Swap the fresh lemon juice for a crisp white wine.
- Seasoning blends like cajun or creole, herbs de Provence, or Montreal blend.
- Add some freshly chopped, chives, shallots, green onions, or even leeks to the sauce.
- Swap some of the butter for bacon renderings. Olive oil and avocado oil can also be used.
- Let our Chili Lime Shrimp tacos inspire a scallops version.
Nutrition
Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 485mg | Potassium: 176mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 429IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 0.4mg
