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
Large cast iron skillet
Lemon Butter Scallops: Frequently Asked Questions
Unsalted butter allows you to add as much salt (or as little) salt in your dish. It allows for more control and consistency.
Any of these side dishes and/or light salads would go beautifully with these scallops. Our favorites include 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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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! 🙂