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You are here: Home / Recipes / Main Dishes / Best Ever Seared Scallops

Best Ever Seared Scallops

Published: May 26, 2020 | Updated: January 28, 2021 | By: Jordan

32.7K shares

This post may contain affiliate links which will not change your price but will share some commission. Please read my privacy policy.

Jump to Recipe

Pan Seared Scallops are quite simple once you learn the trick to cooking them perfectly. They only take 5 minutes to cook!

If you’re looking for more scallop recipes, make sure you try these: Scallops And Spaghetti Squash, Beet Pappardelle With Scallops, and Linguine With Clam Sauce and Scallops.

seared scallops in a black skillet

Scallops are one of my favorite things to order at a restaurant. I always felt like they were such a delicacy and would be challenging to make at home.

I was wrong. They aren’t the least bit challenging to make! But they sure are special and will impress anyone you have over when you tell them you’re making scallops for dinner!

Seared Scallops Recipe

You are going to be blown away by how easy it is to cook scallops! You don’t even need to season them before cooking, you can add some salt and pepper if you like but they don’t need much.

If you want to season them, you can try making a garlic butter sauce to pour over them once they’re finished cooking, like I did with these Garlic Butter Shrimp.

In this post I’m sharing all my tips and tricks for making the best scallops. From how to buy scallops to how to cook them better than a restaurant.

What Are Scallops?

Scallops are a type of mollusk, meaning the interior muscle is surrounded by two shells⁠—just like clams, oysters, and mussels.

There are two types: bay scallops and sea scallops. I prefer sea scallops because they are larger, more tender, and very sweet.

Are Scallops Shellfish?

Yes, if you or someone you are dining with has a shellfish allergy, you might want to avoid cooking scallops!

What Does A Scallop Look Like?

A scallop comes in a large shell with a fanned out shape. The part we eat, is round and plump, and usually has a white coloring.

What Do Scallops Taste Like?

Scallops are sweet, tender, and less firm than clams, oysters, and mussels. They have a slightly briny flavor and are best paired with something savory like bacon or steak.

Are Scallops Healthy?

Scallops are more than 80% protein! There’s 20 grams of protein in just three ounces of scallops. They’re also a great source of magnesium and potassium.

How To Buy Scallops

Before you can think about cooking them, you’ll need to get your hands on some quality scallops. The fresher they are, the better they’ll taste.

I usually look for the largest dry packed sea scallops I can find because they are the sweetest. When you see scallops in the store sitting in a murky liquid, you can expect them to shrink while they cook.

raw scallops on a paper towel and a white cutting board

If you didn’t get dry packed scallops, before you start cooking lay them all flat on a paper towel and let them sit for about 10 minutes to pat them dry.

If you can’t find dry packed, frozen scallops will work too. The best way to thaw scallops is by placing them in the refrigerator overnight the day before you plan to cook them.

How To Sear Scallops

1. Melt butter and olive oil. Heat a large non-stick pan with olive oil and half the butter on high heat. When the pan is HOT, arrange the scallops in a single layer and cook for 2-3 minutes undisturbed.

2. Sear the scallops. When the scallops are mostly opaque, flip them and add the rest of the butter, and cook for 1 minute undisturbed until they are completely opaque.

3. Make the butter sauce. Reduce the heat to low and melt 3 tbsps of butter with 1.5 tbsps of chopped parsley. Spoon the parsley butter over the scallops and serve hot.

Garlic Butter Sauce is also delicious with scallops!

seared scallops in a black pan

Note: keep an eye on how much liquid is in the pan, if there is a good amount of oil in there, you might not need the full tablespoon of butter after you flip the scallops.

Tips For Searing Scallops

1. It’s important not to keep too much liquid in the pan, because then the scallops will just steam up and you won’t get a nice sear on them.

2. If you see there is too much liquid in the pan, just stick the corner of a paper towel in the pan to soak it up.

3. As the scallops are cooking, you’ll notice they begin to turn opaque. This means they are just about finished! You want to let the scallops cook about 90% on the first side (usually 3-4 minutes), so once all but the top of the scallop is opaque, flip and finish cooking on the other side only about 1 minute.

seared scallops in a pan and a grey napkin

4. If you weren’t able to find dry packed scallops, before you start cooking lay them all flat on a paper towel, lay a paper towel over them, and let them sit for about 10 minutes.

5. This is the pan I have been cooking my scallops in for years, I swear by it!

More Seafood Recipes To Try

  • Blackened Shrimp
  • Air Fryer Chilean Sea Bass
  • Lemon Orzo Salad With Garlic Butter Shrimp
  • Air Fryer Blackened Salmon
  • Basil Pesto Shrimp Pasta
  • Salmon Cakes Recipe

WANT TO TRY THIS SEARED SCALLOPS RECIPE?

PIN IT to your scallops recipes, easy seafood recipes, or dinner recipes board to save it for later!
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seared scallops pinterest short pin

Did you make this recipe? Post a photo on Instagram and tag me @JZEATS or #JZEATS so I can see! Leave a comment below and let me know what you think, too!

seared scallops on a black plate
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4.76 from 33 votes

Best Ever Seared Scallops

Pan seared scallops are quite simple once you learn the trick to cooking them perfectly, and they only take 5 minutes to cook!
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time5 mins
Total Time10 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Scallops, seared scallops
Servings: 4
Calories: 144kcal
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Author: Jordan

Equipment

  • Non-Stick Pan

Ingredients

Scallops

  • 1 pound large sea scallops
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Parsley Butter

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1.5 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

Instructions

  • Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper.
    drying scallops with a paper towel
  • Heat a large non-stick pan with 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and 2 tbsp of butter on high heat. When the pan is hot, add the scallops and cook for 3-4 minutes undisturbed. When the scallops are mostly opaque, flip them and add the remaining 1 tbsp of butter, and cook for 1 minute undisturbed until they are completely opaque. Remove the scallops from the pan and transfer to a large plate tented with foil to keep them warm.
    cooking scallops in a pan
  • Reduce the heat to low and melt 3 tbsps of butter with 1.5 tbsps of chopped parsley. Spoon the parsley butter over the scallops and serve hot.
    drying scallops with a paper towel

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 144kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 445mg | Potassium: 232mg
Nutrition information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.
Tried this recipe?I’d love to see your dish, mention @jzeats or tag #jzeats!
32.7K shares

Published: May 26, 2020 Filed Under: Main Dishes, Seafood Tagged With: 15 minutes or less, 30 minutes or less, easy recipes, healthy, scallops

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Alexandra

    August 13, 2020 at 12:22 am

    5 stars
    Scallops are just wonderful –
    Thank you for all of your tips to achieving the perfect cook every time!

    Reply
  2. Jeff Albom

    August 13, 2020 at 1:18 am

    5 stars
    These are great cooking tips. I have overcooked scallops and these directions makes them perfect.

    Reply
  3. Tracy

    August 13, 2020 at 1:39 am

    5 stars
    These scallops are PERFECT. Great instructions, so easy to follow!

    Reply
  4. Anjali

    August 13, 2020 at 4:16 am

    5 stars
    Thanks for these tips on cooking scallops!! Super helpful and gave me confidence to replicate this at home!

    Reply
  5. Jovita

    August 13, 2020 at 4:34 am

    5 stars
    I must say I have never tried scallops in my whole life mainly because I am afraid to ruin them (they are pretty expensive where I live). But yours looked so tempting and the recipe looked really easy so I tried them and I’m SO glad I did!!

    Reply
  6. Laurie

    December 30, 2020 at 10:59 am

    5 stars
    Thank you for sharing these great tips!! Love these scallops!!

    Reply
  7. Kathleen Neville

    April 26, 2021 at 7:41 am

    5 stars
    I made these last night for dinner, and they were absolutely delicious! You couldn’t ask for an easier dish to prepare, and the aroma alone is enough to get your tastebuds tingling. I paired this up with a lemon risotto and it was a match made in heaven.

    Reply
    • JZ Eats

      April 28, 2021 at 12:53 pm

      Thank you! So glad you enjoyed 🙂

      Reply
  8. Kate james

    November 7, 2021 at 12:11 am

    1 star
    Worst ever. And I had to s roll through all that stupid drivle to try to find how to cook them. Sounds like an ignorant fnon English speaker wrote the stuff. Then finally is a recipe at the far, far end. Who the hell does this? You are trying to force us to read all that garbage. And the recipe did not come out very good at all. We’ll never use this website again. You sound like a stupid moron

    Reply
    • JZ Eats

      February 21, 2022 at 3:53 pm

      Lol, I think we all know who the “stupid moron” here is 😉

      Reply
    • Jamie

      April 22, 2022 at 8:49 am

      5 stars
      Someone has got their panties in bunch

      Reply
    • Mike Colgan

      June 21, 2022 at 7:04 pm

      You can skip straight to the recipe and if you can read it’s not hard to make . You are missing out on some good sea food

      Reply
    • Laurie

      March 24, 2023 at 6:23 pm

      5 stars
      No offense- but you are confused about who the stupid moron actually is.
      If you have been on Pintrist before, you would have realized “the story” always comes before the recipe. Hint number two- if you can read, where it says at the beginning of each story “”jump to recipe” – that’s your clue to press that button.!!

      Reply
  9. Michael Madison

    December 16, 2021 at 6:13 pm

    5 stars
    Just made the seared scallops. This is a great and easy recipe. Mine took a little longer than 5 minutes. Thank you for the recipe

    Reply
    • JZ Eats

      February 18, 2022 at 1:32 pm

      Thank you! So glad you enjoyed.

      Reply
  10. Lori

    December 31, 2021 at 11:09 am

    5 stars
    Thanks for the great tips! My scallops were perfect!!

    Reply
    • JZ Eats

      January 5, 2022 at 10:21 pm

      YAY! I’m so glad to hear it!

      Reply
  11. Wanda

    January 11, 2022 at 6:43 pm

    5 stars
    Love cooking scallops! These look fantastic!

    Reply
  12. Caitlin

    January 11, 2022 at 7:34 pm

    5 stars
    Such great tips, so easy to follow for my first time cooking scallops!

    Reply
  13. Heather Perine

    January 11, 2022 at 7:40 pm

    5 stars
    Love scallops but never can get a good sear when I make them..these turned out perfectly! Thanks for the tips!

    Reply
  14. Katie

    January 11, 2022 at 9:54 pm

    5 stars
    Love scallops, and this recipe is so tasty! Your combination of flavors is perfect!

    Reply
  15. Shadi Hasanzadenemati

    January 11, 2022 at 11:13 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you so much! The flavors are perfect and I can’t wait to try this recipe!

    Reply
  16. Patricia Morton

    January 22, 2022 at 6:06 am

    I can’t wait to make these again!

    Reply
  17. Char Zupetz

    January 30, 2022 at 3:39 pm

    What is the trick to soak them in milk?

    Reply
    • JZ Eats

      January 30, 2022 at 9:27 pm

      I don’t think I’ve heard that one before.

      Reply
      • Grammie D

        February 4, 2023 at 5:31 pm

        Soaking scallops in milk washes away the fishy taste/odor. Thats usually reserved for fresh scallops that may have been sitting for a few hours (refrigerated, of course). I’ve skipped soaking in milk and tasted no difference. Don’t make more work for yourself if you don’t need to.

  18. Chad

    February 13, 2022 at 9:58 pm

    1 star
    Burnt to a crisp in less than 3 minutes. Thanks for ruining dinner.

    Reply
    • JZ Eats

      February 18, 2022 at 1:30 pm

      Hm. Did you follow the recipe exactly as written? Were you using sea scallops or bay scallops? What kind of pan did you use?

      Reply
  19. Darla

    February 23, 2022 at 4:37 pm

    Best and easiest recipe for scallops. I substituted the regulars butter for coconut butter and it was perfect. Thanks for the recipe

    Reply
    • JZ Eats

      March 23, 2022 at 2:59 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  20. Dallas

    February 27, 2022 at 11:39 am

    Excellent tutorial! I hadn’t ever made these before and was feeling intimidated. This was the best article on how to do it! Thank you!! They came out beautifully!

    Reply
    • JZ Eats

      February 27, 2022 at 8:52 pm

      Thank you SO much!!

      Reply
  21. David Miller

    December 31, 2022 at 3:35 pm

    5 stars
    I made these a few months ago and they were absolutely amazing!!! I’m actually making them again tonight for my family so they can taste these delicious scallops!! Obviously the few people who have complained didn’t follow the recipe or used bay scallops. The majority of us know how delicious they are so don’t let those idiots bother you lol

    Thanks again,

    David

    Reply
    • JZ Eats

      February 20, 2023 at 2:20 pm

      Thank you so much, David!

      Reply
  22. Amy

    January 17, 2023 at 2:59 pm

    yes we do! Maybe someone doesn’t know how to follow a recipe… because mine turned out amazing, I am making them for the second time tonight. ❤

    Reply
    • JZ Eats

      January 17, 2023 at 3:01 pm

      Thank you so much!

      Reply
  23. Bg

    February 14, 2023 at 6:13 pm

    5 stars
    It’s Valentine’s Day and preparing this recipe right now.

    Reply
  24. Jeni

    February 14, 2023 at 6:41 pm

    5 stars
    Best scallops I’ve ever made!!! I need these on the regular now. Thank you for my new addiction

    Reply

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about meI’m that girl behind the camera and the creator of all the delicious recipes on this website. I’m a Baltimore food blogger who enjoys nothing more than food!
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