Lemon Butter Scallops
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All you need is 5 ingredients + 10 minutes for the most amazing, buttery scallops ever. So easy, so simple, so fancy!
As much as I love scallops, I have always been very hesitant to cook with it. At $20 per pound, there is absolutely no room for error when it comes to cooking these.
But little did I know with a few handy tricks, scallops are actually one of the easiest (and quickest) meals to whip up, and they’re just on par with restaurant-quality scallops.
And this lemon butter sauce is absolutely unreal, and the perfect accompaniment to these golden brown oh-so-perfectly seared scallops.
Just remember – you’ll want to have your side dishes and/or light salads ready to go since these scallops will be ready in a flash in just 10 minutes from start to finish!
TOOLS FOR THIS RECIPE
WHAT CAN I SERVE THIS WITH?
Any of these side dishes and/or light salads would go beautifully with these scallops. My personal favorites are the glazed carrots, roasted cauliflower, and chicken caesar salad with homemade croutons.
You can also serve this with some light crusty bread to sop up all that leftover sauce!
Lemon Butter Scallops
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 pound scallops
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the lemon butter sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
- Remove the small side muscle from the scallops, rinse with cold water and thoroughly pat dry.
- Season scallops with salt and pepper, to taste. Working in batches, add scallops to the skillet in a single layer and cook, flipping once, until golden brown and translucent in the center, about 1-2 minutes per side. Set aside and keep warm.
- Serve scallops immediately with lemon butter sauce, garnished with parsley, if desired.
for the lemon butter sauce
- Melt butter in the skillet. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in lemon juice; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Did you make this recipe?
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As a single senior male who loves to eat, I’m often loath to try/cook new things. A creature of habit so to speak.
I tried cooking scallops years ago. If my memory serves me, I believe that I fried them first then added them to a stir fry. I guess that’s why they were rubbery.
Anyway, I came across this recipe and it looked doable. I followed the directions and voila………..Excellent. Man, quick and sooooo easy. I can’t wait to have a dinner guest and impress.
I’ll also give some of your other recipes a try. The Asian Inspired looks interesting.
Thank you.
I make this recipe about every 4 months. I love the outcome.
Simple, fast and flavorful. One of my husband’s (and my) favorite meals. Have made it for guests too, and they love it as well.
I have been making scallops this way for years, I add some capers to the sauce and lightly flour the scallops before cooking.
Made this tonight with side of rice with lime and parsley. I added a touch of white wine. It was so simple and amazing and yummy. I will use this recipe again fore sure.
Delicious and so lemony!
Whipped these scallops up quickly for family with mashed potatoes and it was a hit!!!!
Today (22Sept2022) scallops were $38.00 per pound.
Skip the pepper.
Sear until no more than 120 deg f internal temperature.
Yes, serve immediatly.
So simple and so delicious!
So so SO good! I used the lemon butter sauce & my friend didn’t. We both loved the scallops. Although I want to say the sauce made them even better!!! I’ll definitely be using this recipe again & again.
Scallops are always delicious, or else you didn’t make them right.(probably too much heat.) Enjoy this recipe; it is easy-peasy!
Helpful hint : try a touch of lemon cello in this.
Hi,
is Lemon cello . Lemoncello the liqueur
Fabulous; just right amount of lemon and garlic. Flavorful yet delicate. Just right!
Made a little extra of the sauce and tossed it all together with some pasta. Delicious!
Great, simple,easy, tasty way to cook scallops.
Excellent! Only one thing added was 1/2 tbs of capers. That puts it over the top.
Yummy
I have made this scallop recipe many times. Sometimes as dinner or sometimes as a lovely appetizer for guests. I live in Maine so seafood is my thing. Here is my tip. Dry your scallops really well before you put them in the hot pan. I have a special towel I only use for this purpose. I wrap them up and squeeze until they are very dry. It makes a world of difference. This recipe is so quick and easy! Your guests will be impressed and you have minimal work!
Super easy and soooo good! This recipe is so easy and quick to make. I love it! Too bad I can’t add a picture of my dish. My scallops were frozen and thawed over night. I rinsed and pay dry. For me, the trick is to make sure to heat up pan very well and when you add scallops give them about an inch and a half or two apart from each other so that they don’t foam or boil. Do not cover. I cooked mine 2 1/2 mins each side. Perfection! Thank you!
One of my new favorite seafood dishes to whip up, incredibly easy (if you can get the scallops cooked properly, i.e. not over-done) and a crowd pleaser. The only seafood dishes I pick to cook over this, are oyster based dishes (albeit, that is a lot more work).
I’ve only had one issue with the dish and it probably comes from the fact I cringe at using 3/4 of a cup of butter to make it all. I use 1/4 cup of butter to cook the scallops and then I use another 1/4 cup to make the sauce. I’ll also throw in some minced shallots in the sauce (I recommend that), to go along with the minced garlic. What happens if you skimp on the butter is you will get more charred material from cooking the scallops. Then when you go to make your sauce, it has a slightly less appealing look, but it still taste insanely good. I bet if I added a touch of oil to go with the reduced butter amount, then this wouldn’t happen (I’ll try that next time). I have also found that using lemon/lime zest in the sauce gives it some extra citrus punch, many will probably enjoy this tweak.
I find this goes great with artichoke rice and garlic bok choy.
Note on cooking scallops: Many people will tell you to literally cook scallops for 90 seconds on each side (using medium to high heat), but that will vary dramatically based on the density and size of each scallop, even your type of cookware and stove play a role in the timing. I have seen scallops still somewhat raw after this period and I’ve seen them perfeclty cooked. I think the recommendation of ~2-3 minutes on each side, is a good average time, but you will have to adjust it based on your scallops. I’d recommend doing a small test batch before serving it to guests, if this is your first time.
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I realized the recipe calling for this much butter was on a different site, lol.
I knew it sounded insane, but I guess other sites really like their butter!
I made this recipe last night and came away with some issues/questions.
I melted the butter first and also added a bit of oil as well. Once I put the scallops in, the scallops started to foam up and release a lot of juices. After I took them out of the pan, I tried to use high heat to get rid of some of the excess juices but I couldn’t. When I put the garlic in to saute and brown, it pretty much steamed the garlic. The end result was less than great. Any thoughts?
Your scallops were what is called “wet.” That means they were treated with TSP to keep their weight up. Scallops treated this way release a lot of liquid, either when being cooked, or when they’re thawed.
The trick is to find a fish seller you can trust, and ask before buying if the scallops are wet or dry. I only buy dry scallops, for the very reason you found out.
I made this recipe with frozen scallops which thawed overnite. I did rinse and dry. There was a lot of liquid from the scallops when cooking. Next time I will try fresh scallops. They still were excellent. I was wondering if there is a way to use frozen thawed scallops so they can cook with out all the liquid. Limited skilled in kitchen but luved the quick meal.
Hey Donna, we did the same exact thing, used thawed frozen scallops and had a lot of liquid at first. My husband cleared them out of the pan after they only cooked for about a minute and we basically started fresh. Cleared the liquid out, used a new tablespoon of butter and turned the heat up a little higher. Was perfect from there, the butter started to caramelize and they were seared. So good!
Delicious! Thank you 🙂
Very quick and easy! Perfect scallop recipe
These turned out as good as or better than the best gourmet restaurant. Thank you!
Fantastic ! Made them for my girlfriend, her 1st time. She wants them again. I haven’t made scallops in years because the ones I was buying were really salty..from every place. So I served them over home made spinach linguini, so I made extra sauce. Dried them out best could, did them in 2 batches, ( 20 30 ct) so Maybe I’ll squeeze dry them next time. ThY would help. I also,like a previous poster, wondered if a little olive oil in the cast iron pan along with less butter to cook, would be a better way to go.
None the less, they were great. Thank you so kindly for posting this recipe!
Nevermade scallops before, cooking seafood is pretty intimidating for this inner continent dweller. This recipe was a breeze, and very tasty. Hubby loved it too. Thank you, that’s one more dish added to my arsenal!
Try avocado oil instead of olive oil.
I made this with fresh sea scallops, substitutingthe juice of a lime for that of a lemon, out of necessity. it was delicious.
This was wonderful! So flavorful, quick and easy. Thank you for sharing!
So good. So fast, so easy. Cook up some asparagas and supper us ready. Throw it on top of a bed of rice. Might even go good as part of a salad. I made shrimp with mine, but ate all the scallops before I even finished cooking the shrimp lol
First I’d like to thank you for not sharing your life story before sharing the recipe. Although I’m sure your story is fabulous and I’d love to hear it sometime, when I need a dinner recipe in the next 5 minutes, it sure helps when you cut to the chase!
Thanks also for the delicious, easy recipe <3
This was wonderful! So quick and easy to prepare. The butter sauce was perfect. I love garlic so added 3 more. Real butter is best. Delicious!
I’ve been making this recipe for my husband’s birthday every year for the last five years (since watching Hell’s Kitchen and seeing Gordon Ramsay annihilate some of the contestants over their ability to cook scallops properly). 😉 I have ventured out and tried others but this is the one I come back to every time. Thank you for a fast easy delicious recipe!
I love this dish, yet it’s simple to prepare and cook.
Love the recipe, just wish it included how much heat so I would not have to guess. Will be delighted to try more of your recipes, especially ones this delicious and easy!
The recipe tells you to heat a skillet on medium high heat to melt the butter. read better
FOOKYOH you are correct, the first step in the directions of the recipe instruct “Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.” However depending on stove (gas vs electric) and cookware used (heavy bottom vs thin vs cast iron, etc), the temperature may need adjustment. Too, after removing the scallops and adding the next ingredients for the lemon sauce, heat should be reduced in many instances to prevent burning the butter and garlic. Kindness is not underrated.
Kindness-yes♥️
much appreciated, very easy and served with dirty rice and garlic penne pasta
Simple, easy and delicious
Great for quick recipes and ideas for cooking that recipe!
Mommy, mmmmmm good. I added shrimp to this dish and a little white wine. What an easy and delicious dish. This one is a keeper!
I’ve made this many times and it never disappoints. Have some rice ready in the rice cooker, your asparagus broiling for alongside, and you’ll be in heaven.
This is exactly the fresh, simple and delicious recipe I was looking for. You never disappoint. Thank you!
Easy and delicious.
We loved this simple recipe so much that everyone decided it must be doubled for next time. You were right about having the side dishes ready to go — it was amazingly fast.
This was easy to fix and very delicious!!!
Best EVER!!! Served over a bed of wilted baby spinach and it was perfect—better than any restaurant!
I liked the spinach suggestion great idea!
This is the best sauce ever, it just enhances the flavor of the scallops, definitely a keeper.
AMAZING! THank you
Fun to make
Awesome recipe, straight forward, quick and delicious!!
Just fantastic! Have made this many times in the past. Tried this recipe and it was tried and true Served it over pasta with some marinara sauce. Would also be great with some capers. Recipe very easy to follow and please don’t overcook the scallops. They are perfect 1-2 minutes each side.
I actually followed the recipe quite closely and my scallops were perfect. I did not have any fresh garlic on hand because my husband is allergic to it, so I don’t keep it in the house. I did, however have a wonderful spice combination called ” 21 Salute ” from Trader Joe’s that had some garlic in the ingredients and it also seemed to enhance the browning aspect of the cooking. The scallops tasted better than many restaurants I have ordered them in, and looked beautiful too. I used sea scallops and admittedly had to force myself to follow the correct cooking time in the recipe, as I am notorious for overcooking my sea food. NOT this time! I will make these again. Thank you!
What an easy, amazing recipe! Thanks!
Does it matter if you use sea scallops or bay scallops?
I love sea scallops. They are much more flavorful.
Not crazy as about bay scallops. They are not the same quality or flavor as the the sea scallops.
This is my opinion.
Sea scallops are larger than bay scallops and tend to be slightly chewier. They are both delicious!
If you soak washed scallops in milk for a while, it tenderizes them; then pat dry before cooking
Well mine didn’t really brown. Not sure what went wrong didn’t crowd the pan. Still tender sweet delicious. Served with a baked potato sour cream and chives, steamed broccoli and garlic bread. I’ll try them again for sure.
We’re they frozen scallops? They are more difficult to get a sear on. You have to dry them well after thawing. I let them sit on paper towels in the fridge to dry.
Before I cook my recently purchased scallops I have a kinda dumb question…..how much lemon juice in a regular sized lemon? Approx how many t or T please…..all this in case I don’t squeeze hard enuf!!! No juicer, just my hands!! Thnx…..mary
Roll the lemon on the counter a few times, cut in half, put in the microwave for about 10 seconds or so. You can squeeze and get a good amount of juice from them.
Good luck
Finished off with garlic butter sauce in the pan it was excellent !!!
My garlic turned green – only downside – how do you prevent this from happening?
See below!
These are incredibly easy to make and super succulent!! They were juicy and full of flavour and I appreciate the simple ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions. I noticed my minced garlic was expired so I substituted garlic powder (eyeballed the measurement) and used salted butter. Wow! Can’t go wrong with this recipe. Even my picky 12 year old son devoured them and gave 2 thumbs up! 10/10 for flavour, facility and convenience!
Garlic turns green of heat is too high or its cooked too long. Gets a terrible taste too!
Best recipe I’ve tried for scallops. Like wow! Better than the restaurant ❤️ Thank you!!!
Damn delicious indeed! Whoohoo!
Excellent scallops. Loved the veggies and pilaf with it greatest clam chowder ever!
OMGGGGG never cooked scallops before and these were delicious – thank you 🙂
Delicious. The only thing I had to modify is I needed to scrape the burned bits from the pan and cool it down a touch before making the sauce. So good.
This was awesome! I made it according to the directions, but I can see I can tweak it here and there! Thanks yto the whole team for continuing to put great recipes out there to try and to enjoy!!
Hi Chungah, this scallop recipe sounds and looks absolutely yummy!
Does this recipe make enough lemon butter sauce for adding the scallops to Angel Hair pasta or Linguine if I’m using 3/4 of a Lb. of pasta? Your thoughts on doubling the sauce and adding capers?
Love your recipes and look forward to trying the scallops!
Thank you!
Myrna
I cooked the scallops with this recipe.
While eating it I had goose bumps.
Thank you!
Total Perfection!! Easy and Fast!
Delicious and so easy/fast to make!
Very easy. But I thought it was a little too sour.
You’re high!
Anthony Sabatino I I
This was super simple and easy. I used small sea scallops, which worked well for 1 person, but I’d suggest using large scallops for a crowd.
On the side, I made roasted broccoli and potatoes, which were delightful with the lemon butter sauce.
I am going to try this recipe soon! What would you recommend as a side for the scallops, to make it a whole meal? Thanks!
Una recepte tan sencilla com deliciosa !
Love, Damm Delicious is Always out of this World. “You Can Not Go Wrong”
Do Yourself A Favor Try This Just A Few Times, You’ll Be Stuck!!
“Kaye Burrell”
So easy and delicious!
Delicious! I will definitely make this again.
Super easy and super good! I will be making this again soon.
Thanks. Being that we can’t go out to eat I made this for my wife for her birthday and she love it. The lemon butter sauce is terrific. I Ended up putting some on the porter house too!
My family and I really enjoyed this meal. We had tuna steaks as well, and I used the same sauce. Crescent rolls and a broccoli cauliflower casserole with a cream sauce paired nicely. I think I would have preferred asparagus cooked with butter and garlic. I got busy and overcooked the garlic a touch and turned the butter brown. But the brown butter made the lemon really pop. Thank you. This is going in my recipe vault.
What low card side dishes would you recommend with this recipe?
Riced cauliflower
Perfect easy dinner at the end of a busy day: scallops served over Angel Hair pasta with grated Pecorino Romano & sides of Capri salad and another of sautéed greens, wine. Cubed watermelon with basil afterward.
Holy moly!!! The scallops were soft and sweet and tasted sooooo good. We said nothing while we were eating, except “yum” and “oohh”. We saved this recipe!! This was a real treat and a wonderful escape from Covid and Trump/Biden. Thank you!
Wow! Bettern makein at home. Just great. We have to drive 10 miles for seafood, but geez, worth it.
Excellent dish! And very quick and easy, thank you!
Excellent, easy, and delicious! Thank you!
Simple and easy to make – then – WOW!
Simple and easy to make – then – WOW!
Great recipe, but felt that the amount of lemon juice was a little over-powering. I used a fairly big lemon and that might be why…probably go with a smaller lemon or if a larger lemon is used, would only use half of the lemon. All in all, it was lick the plate good! Thank you.
great recipy, just what i was looking for
Great recipe easy to make !
Quick, easy and delicious.
This was fantastic and quick to make! Added a tomato salad and pasta and it was a great dinner to make after work!
This recipe was absolutely delicious and quite simple.
Totally delicious!!! I forgot to trim the muscle off the scallops but it still came out sooo good!!!
First time I ever dared to cook scallops. So easy and delicious. Now it’s a fairly regular meal in our house. The only thing one has to be careful with is the garlic. It can burn so easily.
Fabulous,easy, my ME scallops have never been so good !
Was searching for a fresh recipe for scallops (the smaller size), and happened upon this recipe…okay, I don’t usually use a lot of butter, but I figured 3 TBS wasn’t too bad.
The recipe was super easy and quick – and the scallops were the best I have ever eaten. This will be my forever-recipe for scallops.
Seriously, the best scallops I have ever eaten. I know – butter makes everything great – and add garlic and parsley and it’s heaven.
Thank you for this recipe…I will be checking more of your recipes out !
This was a hit! The only thing I did differently was deglaze the pan with white wine and brown the butter. Will continue to use this easy and delicious recipe. Thank you!
Fantabulous!! Amazingly easy and tasty recipe. Bought more scallops next shopping trip for a repeat meal.
Most incredible scallop recipe I’ve had! Made it twice so far, both times came out great.
For Margret (6/3/18)… Ha, unfortunately kids in school hear, and use, much worse than “damn” on a regular basis these days, unless of course its a religious school, then listen to what is being said between classes!!! So, it”s not necessary to change your name from “Damm Delicious.” Remember, life is like a beaver colony…it’s one “dam” thing after another,” and usually happens when cooking. I’m 72 years young, and love to cook and eat (can be a bad combination LOL), so am always looking for something new to do in the kitchen. I love your website, and so does my husband. This recipe is so easy-peasy, and truly most “damn delicious,” that it is now “credited” in my own recipe book with that of my Mother’s and Grandmother’s recipes. Thank you, because I love scallops…used to only get them in a restaurant, and now I’m not afraid to cook them at home. 🙂
Oops, forgot to give this recipe 5 Stars, but I give it 10 🙂
Have made this recipe several times and it’s outstanding. Only change I made was using salted butter. Use a cast iron skillet if available. Quick easy and delicious!
Amazing recipe, very easy and delicious. I have try others scallops recipes before but this one tops everyone
Thank you for this very easy and delicious recipe! We loved it!
I made this and I’m a kid.So simple,elegant,and delicious:)
Lemon Butter Scallops – fast, easy, and delicious! These were better than any other I have tried at home.
Perfect cook on the scallops on medium heat, I would use less lemon next time.
This was excellent but cooks should know to turn down the heat on the skillet after searing the scallops. The sauce should be made on a low heat–otherwise the garlic burns and becomes really bitter.
Best Scallops I ever had!!!
Soooooo good!! Didn’t have lemon or parsley. Used lime instead of lemon and no parsley. Still absolutely delicious!
Quite tasty! I only tweaked your recipe slighly, by adding about a half a cup of dry white wine to make a little more sauce. But this got rave reviews!
Easy, yummy recipe. Don’t forget to dry the scallops with a paper towel before they hit the skillet.
The style of explaining the recipe is kind of amazing.
Love it – once a month – great
I’ve made this twice now and my wife loves them. Great and simple recipe. I made this with creamed spinach for the side. Love it
I made this and we loved it! Will make it again. Great instructions and thanks for the tip about remembering it only took about 10 minutes! I prepared basmati rice and broccoli with cheese sauce first. Delightful meal thanks!
WOW- this is truly, damn delicious. I am not a cook and seafood intimidates me but I can honestly say this was absolutely delicious. My scallops were frozen/thawed, so I spent 3 minutes on each side. I paired it with linguini and spiraled zucchini and it was very good!
Restaurant-eorthy and so easy because of your clear instructions! Thank you!
This is my third time making this and I am just so thrilled!!! Thank you!! Scallops at home … I feel like a chef!!
Made the Lemon butter Scallops dish tonight for my family was DELICIOUS! Everyone enjoyed it I couldn’t take credit for it all though. Stay safe all, in these crazy times we are in. Been cooking in a lot of late lol.
Wow, so yummy! Quick, easy, delicious. We had it with pasta. What a meal. We’ll definitely make it again!
Wow, that was really yummy! And so easy to make! We had it with spaghetti. Quick, easy, delicious. We’ll make it again.
Thanks very helpful
I made this recipe exactly as written and it is amazing. I am making it again tonight. I serve it with basmati rice and a vegetable. Thanks for a great recipe!
I didn’t make your recipe, but I’m sure it’s awesome! Just wanted to say that Aldi’s (if there is a store near you) has frozen scallops that are reasonably priced. Love scallops and I’m having them for dinner tonight – I don’t have a lemon here, and don’t feel like going to the store, so will try the recipe next time. For tonight, pan seared with a little oil and butter. YUM! And BTW, the frozen scallops are just as good as fresh, as they are flash-frozen.
Damn Delicious tasting scallops. Would make again.
Good but I thought that the amount of lemon overwhelmed the scallops a little bit. Personally I would’ve been happier with half the amount.
This was my first attempt at scallops and it went fairly well. The recipe recommended to cook them on each side until golden brown, which took longer than 1-2 mins. I did 3 on each side, and i got feed back that they could have been seared a little more. The sauce was easy and got good reviews from my friends.
Make sure your scallops are dry and you will get a good sear.
So simple and delicious!
Made this for New Years, and the lemony butter sauce, which spread around the plate, also tasted great on the roasted broccoli and pine nut couscous. Fast, easy, delicious. A winner!
Very tasty and easy. Wife says it was too lemony for her, but I really liked it and how easy it was to prepare. Thanks
Very good and easy to make.i made bake sweet potatoes and asparagus with it.
This was so good! My husband can’t eat scallops but everyone else loves them so I can’t make them the main dish. This made an excellent appetizer for the scallop lovers while he sat in the corner eating a crust of bread and thimble of water. No! I also sizzled up some shrimp just for him , but the scallops were divine!
love scallops and this my way of cooking them!
Haven’t had Lemon Butter Scallops since ’89. A regional chain restaurant/bistro, Inn Flight, offered these and my wife and I stopped in to watch The Kentucky Derby in ’83. This became a bit of a tradition which ran for six years. We missed a year and the spell was broken and I haven’t had scallops prepared as this in thirty years. Several of these Inn Flights had a pianist playing in the style of Bobby Short; everything worked in-concert to accent the food. I’m recalling this through the haze of nostalgia so there is that but those scallops were something really wonderful, spitting and sizzling as they were brought to the table directly from the broiler.
THE BEST …
FRIENDS AFTER WORK DAY DINNER !!
This recipe is perfect for scallops. We loved it and we loved that fact that the scallops weren’t smothered in butter. Thanks for posting.
So pleased that I can easily make a delicious scallop dish at home! My 14 yr old daughter enjoyed too!! Thank you!!!
Yum! I added lemon zest to the Lemon Butter. Nice!
That’s a fine idea, thank you.
These were so quick, easy and delicious! The only thing I added was about 1 Tabs 0f rinsed capers!
Will definitely be making these again! Thanks for the recipe.
Do you have any instructions for how to brine wet scallops so that they sear properly?
The recipe does not require a brine. 🙂
“Wet” scallops are already treated with a brine- like solution (sodium tripolyphosphate)before being frozen- don’t add more salt in any form.
Ask specifically for dry scallops, which are simply flash frozen with no sodium additive. Alternatively, check your labels. If any form of sodium, they are considered wet scallops.
First time cooking them.. nailed it! SOooo goood!
AmaZing!!! Easy and delicious!!!!
I’ve made this at least 7 or 8 times, and it rocks every time! Great recipe! (…and yeah, I never thought I’d be good at scallops!)
For those who don’t love lemon, try a mix of lime and orange juice.
Recipe is so accurate and easy to make. The scallops are tender and sweet.the sause comes out perfect. I will be making this again.
Off the hook!!! Mixed in with shrimp in pasta… AMAZING TY TY TY
This recipe is phenomenal. My scallops came out tender AND flavorful. So simple!!
OMG….this is amazing…perfect Valentine’s dinner!! Served with oven roasted Brussels spouts and some toasted bread..it was amazing….this recipe will definitely be a repeat in our menu…thank you for sharing!!
Makes for a great romantic dinner!
Perfect/excellent recipe
My scallops were cooked to perfection using this recipe, thank you
Very delicious. I made these for my wife and she loved them. A person wouldn’t think only 5-ingredients would taste so good.
I too am a senior citizen,(71 years young). I truly believed that I had cooked every seafood in every possible manner. I was looking for a “quickie” way to cook scallops for a guy I recently met( and since we females outlive the guys we have to snatch them up quickly with our best talents :-). ) I found this recipe, made it in 15 minutes from start to plating and WOW!!! He was impressed, but even more importantly so was I. Nope, I didn’t tell him this was the first time I made this man getting meal, I simply said that I had many more meals up my, um, ER, well you get the idea. He promptly asked me out to a dance, movie, moonlight wine and music walk on a local beach over the next 3 days and then, would I be willing to treat him to yet another wonderful meal? I’ll have to see how well he “dances” before I answer that! Regardless, thank you for sharing this super delicious & quick recipe. Sign me a new fan of yours.
That’s awesome! Enjoy those dates, sounds like so much fun!
Delicious! I will use this recipe again for sure.
Great recipe. Quick and delicious
i have always made it this whay,but i end up putting to much lemon or garlic
Very good, easy to make
Easy recipe and tasted amazing. Scallops almost melt in your mouth! Will definitely be making this again. We loved it!!!
Amazing dish. I made this with both shrimp and scallops and the results were awesome. My wife normally does not eat scallops but she loved them.
I ruined the entire dish because of the lemon quantity sugested…can do without lemon at all or add just a sprinkle…cut the butter in half…it made me almost puke…other than that very easy to prepare and with my adjustments sugested could be a very tasty dish…good luck
“puke” is such a charming word!
Rude.
2 tablespoons of butter for approximately 16 sea scallops is too much? Really, Char? And, the juice of one lemon is approximately two tablespoons, depending on the size of the lemon. Interesting.
If you didn’t see me do it you would have thought it came from a restaurant
Amazing! 🙂
This recipe was great! Simple, easy, fast – I generally don’t like cooking and am not at all good at it, but even I was able to do this. My husband thought there was a bit too much lemon (I disagree and loved the lemon), but make no mistake, we will be making this again!
That’s great!
Perhaps the recipe could recommend a half a lemon at a time (and taste / correct) since they vary in size and sourness? Looks like quite a few commenters found it sour, and many just follow a recipe without tasting their ingredients first…
Really easy and delicious! My husband loved them.
Awesome!
This is a wonderful recipe. The only thing I added was the zest of the lemon to the sauce. We served with fresh corn on the cob and steamed spinach (in the microwave). The whole dinner was done in 15 minutes! Delicious.
That’s awesome!
Never did scallops before, but at $12.99 a Lb I had to try this. Found your recipe on line and they turned out the best ever. 9 huge scallops to the Lb. Side was cheddar rice with broccoli. Wife devoured them. Thank you soooo much. P:S , Iam 75.
That’s so great!
I will triple the sauce time………..delicious but too little sauce. I also added white wine.
Thanks for sharing!
What side dish would you make with these scallops ?
You could do a vegetable or a nice salad. You can also always look through our side dish section for some inspiration: https://damndelicious.net/category/side-dish/.
I made this dish last night with some herbed small red baked potatoes on the side. Oh my God, it was delish. And the aroma of the scallops permeated my apartment…mmmm… I was in heaven.
Amazing! So happy to hear.
This was very delicious and very easy! Thank you. The only thing I have a problem with is the NAME of your website. Would you consider changing the name because as a culinary teacher at a middle school I can not recommend your site due to the bad word. Otherwise, I am impressed and thank you again because I did not not really like scallops much until this recipe tonight. Yum, yum, yum!!! I will definitely recommend it to adults and make it again.
Made this on a camp stove while camping last week. Added jumbo shrimp to it and it was OH SO GOOD!! Our neighboring campers were jealous…Served it over angel hair spaghetti because that’s all we had in the camper…I am making this again today, at home. It was a hit with my family.
That sounds delicious!
I am 13 years old, and made these as part of a dinner for my parents on Mother’s Day. I admit we were both worried because I had never cooked scallops before! They turned out great! I slightly altered the recipe, using just one clove of garlic and did not season the scallops for flavor, just the sauce. I did notice they stuck to the pan a bit. A tip: make the sauce first, so you can easily re-use the same pan.
Good for you Anya! So awesome, way to spoil the parents 🙂 Thanks for sharing with us!!
Super Easy and Super Good! Perfect Valentine’s Day dinner! Yum!
I use potato starch for coating makes a light brown color and very light amount of coating
I am looking for a recipe that uses white wine and heavy cream for the sauce. The sauce is used as a drizzle. Can you help me out?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
I know this is an older post, but feel honored to know that I made these last night for New Year’s dinner and they were wonderful. Hadn’t had scallops for years and just learned that my husband loves them so I made this! Wonderful!
Thank you for this very easy to understand recipe for my favorite in a restaurant. (Altho unaffordable).
I’m fixing this evening -doubling sauce- for sides of broccoli and gnocchi .
Can’t wait!
I made this easy elegant meal for dinner tonight. Paired with garlic roasted red potatoes & bacon wrapped asparagus! Mmmm mmm delicious!
I would have loved an email option for this recipe by itself!
Damndelious!! Just made it. Thank you very much for easy & delicious recipe.
I tried this recipe except I added onions and mushroom to the sauce. It was wonderful
How much lemon juice wwould you guess is in a fresh lemon? I’m asking because I’ll be using RealLemon 100% lemon juice.
On average, one lemon has 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in it.
What is meant by “butter campaignIcon coupons ” ?
Where will I get my answer , here or in my email?
You can disregard.
Can I lightly flour the scallops and shrimp together and then saute them? And can I do this in advance and warm them up later for dinner guests with negative effect, e.g., toughness. I’m used to making Coquille St Jacques and would like to combine that recipe with yours plus using shrimp and scallops together.
Yes, you can absolutely flour the scallops and shrimp together. But this is best when served immediately. I do not recommend reheating.
Made these tonite for a birthday dinner. Easy and so yummy!! Also made Orzo With Parmesan and Basil and steamed asparagus. Made 1 1/2 times the sauce. Will definitely make again.
Made this tonight. So easy…so tasty!
How do you keep the scallops warm while making the sauce? And do you think it would taste okay if I added spinach to the sauce or would that make it taste weird?
You can wrap the scallops in foil to retain some of the heat. And yes, spinach would be an amazing addition!
I added Snipped chives, for garnish, 20g of grated mozzarella cheese and 5 drops of lemon grated in orange syrup to add its taste. I need to say that it’s a scrumptious dish which I have tried till now. I have also tried your BAKED PINEAPPLE CHICKEN BOWLS, which was really tasty. I shared this website with my colleague Amana, who just loves trying out delicious recipes. She suggested me a website with varieties of recipe which looks delicious. I will share here the link for those who love to tryhttp://www.nestle-family.com/recipes/english/impress-your-guests-recipes.aspx
I’m sorry to say this, but the sauce ruined it. It overwhelmed the dish with lemon! Both my date and I didn’t like the sauce. On the other hand, when we tried the leftover butter from the saucepan used to make the scallops, we both thought that would’ve been a delish sauce to serve the scallops with. It would’ve been a little too plain to be ideal, but nonetheless, would’ve been tastier than the POWERFULLY lemony lemon sauce. If you want to make the sauce, I advise using only 1/4 of a lemon or even 1/8th. You just want a hint of lemon along with the butter, salt, pepper, and of course, the scallops.
I recommend using less lemon and maybe less garlic next time.
Made these tonight with bay scallops, tiny little morsels of yummy. This dish was divine. Served it with rice pilaf. Will make this again for sure.
I do not post comments on blogs very often but I I have found myself visiting your site so often when looking for recipes that I just had to let you know what a wonderful site you have! I have always wanted to like zucchini but have never had any success. I have tried a few different recipes but just didn’t like it. I do not eat meat but do eat seafood and so I am limited in my food choices. I tried your baked Parmesan zucchini and fell instantly in love with tit! I am going to definitely try this recipe soon! Thank you for all of your time and efforts in bringing this site to life!
OMG, these are INCREDIBLY GOOD AND SO EASY to make!!! Made this recipe tonite….followed the recipe to a T. No changes. Used Whole Foods frozen sea scallops, but thawed them for 24 hrs. 5 min before sautéing, i put them on a plate & dried with paper towels. It did take about 2 min per side to get that perfect golden color. You MUST add that very flavorful sauce….simply spoon over the scallops. Side dishes: wild rice, green beans, & a salad. Hubby said it tasted like a 5☆ restaurant meal. 🙂
This was very helpful, thank you
Thank you for mentioning the little muscle on the scallops, Chungah. I don’t know how many nice restaurants that fail to do that. I mixed a tablespoon of cilantro with a tablespoon of parsley for another taste.
Looks so good!!!!
Should frozen scallops be defrosted before searing?
Yes.
I just made these for dinner tonight and I just wanted to say.. OoooooWeeeeeee! (That’s Southern for Delicious:)
I made 12 huge scallops for my husband and I split 8/4 and my husband wanted my last of 4 after Inhaling his meal. This recipe is YUMMY and I will definitely make these again! Cooked in my cast iron skillet turning almost three mins per side then putting in my oven preheated at 400 while I made the sauce which took maybe two mins to whip up. Perfect!
I just finished making this for myself and my two children. This was very easy and delicious!!! I can’t wait till my husband come back stateside, this will probably be the first meal I make for him.
Reading the recipe literally made my mouth water! I am going to have to make it myself. I love that you put the nutrition facts on here. Very smart! I am a lover of all things seafood!
The nutrition facts do not indicate the single portion size or how many are in the package could you clarify this please? I want to try this recipe. Thank you
Chris, it’s difficult to say as 1 pound of scallops range from 10-20 so it really depends on how many scallops you use.
Can you mix in angle pasta to make a main dish.
Yes, absolutely! Sounds amazing.
I have just made this dish and it was gorgeous I added fresh jumbo King prawns poured over the sauce and garnished with samfire it looked and. Tasted really good , thanks for a great eaasy recipie…
I am a sea food lover like no other. I could eat sea food everyday! My husband thinks I have an iron deficiency since I crave sea food all the time! I need to make this recipe because it is watering my mouth!
Has anyone tried serving over pasta with Parmesan? Cooking this for girlfriend tonight and she loves seafood over pasta.
We just made this over a bed of raw spinach and noodles – no additional seasoning, although we doubled the sauce for this. SO good!
This doesn’t make enough sauce
Ashley, you can simply double or triple the sauce portion as needed to suit your preferences a little better. Isn’t that the beauty of home-cooking? 🙂
I made this tonight and was so easy and delicious!
Lemon butter scallops sounds and looks quite tasty. Both my wife and enjoy eating seafood and our passion for them started out after a friend of hers invited us to eat out at seafood restaurant. The both of us tried out certain seafood that appealed more to us and from there, my wife’s been cooking all type of seafood.
When you are making the sauce do you leave the scallops on the pan too? I’m a little confused about that. Or do you just pour it on top of the scallops once the sauce is ready??
Alia, the scallops are set aside and kept warm.
Season scallops with salt and pepper, to taste. Working in batches, add scallops to the skillet in a single layer and cook, flipping once, until golden brown and translucent in the center, about 1-2 minutes per side. Set aside and keep warm.
Doubled recipe … TOO much lemon
Shelby, if the lemon taste is too strong, you can simply reduce the amount as needed to suit your preferences.
Yum! I am going to make these this week, no questions asked. I’m not sure if my kids will eat scallops and I don’t want to waste $$ buying some for them so I’ll cook a small batch – try them and out and see for next time. I can’t wait to try the lemon butter sauce.
All of your recipes are easy to make and so yummy to taste! I especially liked these scallops–they rate a 10 for me. Thank you.
Visiting my mother in the mountains and she doesn’t get a lot of seafood there so bringing scallops and trying this recipe. Simple is sometimes the best! Gonna add a simple side salad and some garlic and parmesan pasta. Wish me luck 🙂
would a cast iron skillet work? I get better results iin it.
Yes, of course!
I made this. So so yummy! Also very easy! Yum!
We made this last night and used lime juice and cilantro in place of the lemon juice and parsley and it was delicious!!
HI CHUNGAH,
TOMORROWMORNING I USE THIS FOR SHRIMP AND WHITE RICE FOR BREAKFAST.
WE’RE LIVING IN THAILAND AND EAT MOSTLY A RICE- OR NOODLE DISH FOR BREAKFAST.
TOMORROWNIGHT I’LL MAKE IT WITH THE SCALLOPS, INCLUDING THE ORANGE FLAG ON THE SIDE.
HAHA, BEING DUTCH, THAT’S THE RIGHT COLOR.
NOW, CAN YOU TELL ME WHY YOU READ MANY TIMES(NOT ALL THE TIMES THOUGH) TO REMOVE THAT MUSSCLE??
THANKS FOR ALL YOUR GREAT RECIPES.
LOUISE VAN DER MAREL
The muscles should be removed as they are a little tough to chew, but are safe to eat.
what sides did you make with this?
We served this with a salad and a side of roasted vegetables.
I’m making a parmeasean roast tomatoes with seasonings, basil, oregano, and fresh parsley. Takes but a few minutes in the oven. Goes great with seafood dishes.
I would love to do more with my home grown tomatoes. The scallops and your tomato recipe sounds wonderful. Please tell me more about your recipe.
The Bishops wife.
You had me at butter and lemon!!!!
Oh boy does this look good!
Chungah, what size scallops did you use – or recommend – for this dish?
Sea scallops would be really great for this dish.
i have been doing scallops similar to this recipe for years (I also add a tsp of white wine or vermouth to the sauce). The key is to have your scallops really dry, paper towels help with this.
very and very nice – many thanks
This recipe sounds delicious. What would you serve with it?
We served this with a salad and a side of roasted vegetables.
I’ve always been afraid to cook scallops, but this looks so easy!
I’m tempted to make these for dinner every night this week. They look SO GOOD.
What pan would you recommend for this? I have a non-stick ceramic skillet, but don’t like to use it with temperatures over medium.
Christy, I used a Calphalon Tri-Ply Stainless Steel 12″ Omelette Pan.
Cast Iron
Ceramic skillets work well over heat higher than medium!
Cast iron would be your best bet.
It doesn’t take many ingredients to make an amazing dish. These sounds (and look!) amazing!
I have frozen jumbo scallops that seem to leech out liquid when cooking so I can’t get a nice golden color. I’ve tried gently squeezing them and patting them dry with paper towels. Can you suggest anything to help? Or simply not use these scallops? Thank you!
It may be best to use fresh scallops, patted dry, to get that really nice sear.
I use frozen scallops all the time. Thaw, Pat dry then throw in a zip lock bag with basting flour. Shake to cover, put in cast iron fry pan, cook as directed. Beautiful sear!
What’s basting flour?
I used frozen bay scallops with great results. Be sure to dry them very well and put into a medium hot skillet.
Basting flour….1-2 Tbs white flour (to baste scallops) in plastic bag with salt, pepper, and other seasonings you want. Place scallops in bag and shake.
You really do not need to baste scallops! If they are patted dry and the pan is hot enough, you will get a nice sear without flour. Any chef would look at you like, “What do you think you’re doing using flour on a scallop?” You’d ruin a perfect piece of very expensive seafood. Don’t do it. Google it – see if Gordon Ramsay or Bobby Flay would baste a scallop. No, they would not.
Basting is not the correct term. Basting is to occasionally brush or spoon a liquid over a food while cooking such as basting a turkey. I believe this commenter means to suggest dredging in flour which can often help result in a crispy coating while also doubling as an agent to thicken the sauce.
I haven’t decided how to cook my scallops yet and will return to review if I decide to use this recipe. I do know I won’t be dredging them in flour though.
Wash, gently dry off, season with salt and pepper. Wait about 3-5 minutes so moisture will come to the top of scallop. That is what makes it sear. Put scallops in a hot, hot oiled pan. Don’t crowd them or they will steam instead of sear. Once in pan don’t touch for 2-4 minutes. Salt and pepper on the other side to get that layer of moisture, turn them for 2-4 minute depending on the size, not touching them until they are ready to come out of pan.
Sounds like you bought wet scallops instead of the preferred Dry scallops. That’s why there’s extra liquid coming out. Not your fault!
I am making this tonight! The scallops were 24 bucks a pound, so I bought 6 for only me. What a treat!
Really easy…really delicious! Thanks!
Sounds wonderfully delicious. Until I can get scallops, I’m going to try it with salmon.
Scallops… my favorite seafood (well, tied with shrimp maybe). This looks so easy! Yum.
Sounds delicious. Do you use the same skillet without rinsing it first?
Yes, that’s exactly right. You want to use up those browned up bits for the sauce.
The lemon juice and a wooden spoon lifts the brown off and into the sauce. Great recipe..worked like a charm for a nice dinner for 4.
These look great! I think I will try this with shrimp. I made your Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta last night, but served it over rice instead of pasta. Delicious! My husband really liked the sauce. I will be trying your other Bang Bang recipes.
What an elegant meal. It’s hard to believe it only takes 10 minutes! Sounds perfect!
I CANNOT BELIEVE IT! my daughter and family are coming and they love scallops. being 72 years old and on a budget, scallops are not on our menue very often. i looked and looked for a simple but delicious recipe and once again you came through! now i can hardly wait to master this art of damn delicious cooking! Thank you again.
That was about as heartwarming as it gets Jeanette! I wish I knew you, I would cook you scallops every week!! Hope they appreciated that effort!! Rich.
I want someone who cook me scallops every week!:)) This recipe is delicious!
U can get a big package for 12 dollars at cosco!
Thanks for the tip! Are they fresh or frozen?
They are frozen, but they still work! I bought them too for $27. I figured it was a very special treat for myself!
Mmm lemony and buttery – what more could you want!