Best 20 Pan Seared Scallops Recipes

PAN-SEARED LEMON AND GARLIC SCALLOPS

Steps:

• Place scallops in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Cover and let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Combine 5 tablespoons warm butter, lemon juice, and garlic in a bowl; whisk until combined. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• At the same time, remove scallops from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature, about 20 to 30 minutes.
• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat, making sure it does not smoke. Brush scallops with garlic mixture and add to the pan. Cook until the bottoms begin to sear and turn golden, about 2 minutes. Flip scallops, brush with garlic mixture, and cook another 2 minutes. Remove scallops from the heat and let them continue to cook while they rest, off the heat, for 5 more minutes. Plate and serve.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH PAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut 2 tablespoons of the butter into pea-sized pieces, put it on a small plate, and stick it in the freezer. Heat a large skillet over medium-heat high for 3 or 4 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the olive oil and wait for the butter to melt.
• Pat the scallops dry with paper towels, add them to the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper; work in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the skillet. Cook, turning once, until they are well browned on both sides but not quite cooked through, 2 minutes per side (less if the scallops are under 1 inch across; more if they're over). Transfer the scallops to a plate.
• Stir in the garlic, lemon juice, and wine and scrape all the brown bits off the bottom of the skillet with a spatula. Lower the heat to medium and cook until the liquid in the skillet thickens, a minute or two, then whisk in the butter you chilled in the freezer, one bit at a time, to make a creamy sauce, adding another tablespoon or two of liquid if necessary.
• Return the scallops to the skillet and add the chives. Adjust the heat so the sauce bubbles gently and toss to coat the scallops with the sauce. To serve, transfer the scallops to a platter and spoon the sauce over all.
• Variation:
• Seared Scallops With Cherry Tomatoes and Basil: Skip the lemon juice. Cut 1 pint cherry tomatoes in half. Add the tomatoes with the garlic and wine and cook until they wrinkle a bit and release their juice, 2 or 3 minutes. Use chopped fresh basil leaves instead of chives.
• Cooks' Notes
• Releasing From The Pan: The scallops will offer no resistance when they're ready to turn. Press down gently while the scallops cook to encourage full contact with the pan, then listen for a hiss: That's moisture heating and evaporating.
• Getting A Good Sear: The idea is to brown the scallops well on both sides without overcooking them, so keep the heat as high as you can without creating too much smoke.
• Building Sauce With Butter: After you add the liquid and deglaze the pan, the addition of butter develops fantastic creaminess and richness.
• Finishing The Dish: As soon as the scallops are cooked through completely and coated with the sauce, remove the pan from the heat; they will continue to cook. Nick-and-peek into one if you need to check for doneness.

BASIL PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS OVER PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain, rinse, and transfer to a large serving bowl.
• Meanwhile, place scallops in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper. Pour mixture over scallops. Arrange scallops in a single layer in a large baking dish or plate. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon dried basil over scallops so that only one side is sparsely coated with basil.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high, and melt one tablespoon of butter in the pan. Place 12 scallops basil-side down, and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until dark golden brown. Turn scallops, and cook the other side. Cook the remaining 12 scallops the same way.
• In a small saucepan, melt remaining butter with 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon basil, 1/2 teaspoon garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Toss pasta with butter and olive oil mixture. Divide pasta onto plates, and top with scallops.

PAN SEARED SCALLOPS WITH SESAME SAUCE AND CELLOPHANE NOODLES

Steps:

• Soak cellophane noodles in hot water for 10 minutes, until tender. Strain and set aside.
• While the noodles are soaking, in a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, garlic, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallops and season the tops with black pepper. Cook 2 minutes, until golden brown. Flip with spatula and cook 2 more minutes, until second side is golden brown. Add soy sauce mixture to pan and bring to a simmer, for 2 minutes, until sauce thickens and scallops are cooked through and have an opaque color.
• Serve half of the scallops over all of the cellophane noodles and top with scallions. Reserve remaining scallops for salad, if desired.

PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS, CORN, AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Remove tough muscle from side of each scallop if necessary and halve any large scallops. Pat scallops dry with paper towels and in a bowl toss with salt and thyme. In a large non-stick skillet cook bacon over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp and with a slotted spoon transfer to paper towels to drain. Increase heat to moderately high and in drippings remaining in skillet sear scallops, stirring occasionally, until golden and cooked through. With slotted spoon transfer scallops to a clean bowl.
• In same skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté scallions, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, about 1 minute. Add corn and tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until corn begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Return scallops to skillet and heat through, seasoning mixture with salt and pepper.
• Serve scallops sprinkled with bacon.

PAN-SEARED SEA SCALLOPS WITH CORN COULIS

Steps:

• Remove the muscle from each scallop and discard. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Place half of the scallops in the pan and cook, turning once, until golden brown, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer scallops to a plate and loosely cover to keep warm. Repeat process with remaining butter, olive oil, and scallops.
• Reduce heat to medium; add shallot and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Add wine and scrape brown bits from bottom of skillet. Add corn, cream, basil, and chives. Cook, stirring often, until cream is reduced and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Transfer half of the sauce to the jar of a blender and puree until smooth. Return pureed sauce to the skillet with the remaining sauce, add scallops and any juices that have accumulated on the plate; cook until warm about 1 minute.
• Divide scallops evenly among 4 plates. Spoon sauce around scallops and serve immediately.

PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS WITH BROWN BUTTER, HAZELNUTS AND WHITE TRUFFLE OIL WITH ROASTED FINGERLING POTATOES AND ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• For the potatoes: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, toss the fingerling potatoes with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the potatoes to a roasting pan and bake for about 25 minutes. Test with fork for tenderness. Remove them from oven to a bowl and set aside.
• For the asparagus: Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the asparagus and blanch until they become bright green, about 2 minutes. Remove and plunge into an ice bath or rinse under cold water.
• For the scallops: Heat a nonstick saute pan over medium heat until very hot and add the olive oil. Season scallops lightly with salt and pepper. When oil is hot, add the scallops and saute the first side until golden brown, approximately 2 minutes. Turn the scallops over, and after 1 minute, add the butter and the hazelnuts. When scallops are seared, transfer them to a plate and keep warm.
• Add lemon juice to the butter and hazelnuts. When the butter has browned add the 2 tablespoons of the chopped parsley. (Add 1 or 2 drops of white truffle oil to the butter, if desired.)
• Toss the potatoes and asparagus in the brown butter until heated through. Transfer the vegetables to a serving platter. Position the scallops over the vegetables and garnish with chopped parsley. Drizzle remaining brown butter over scallops and serve.

PAN SEARED PARMESAN SCALLOPS

Steps:

• Pat scallops dry with paper towels. Place cheese ¡n shallow dish or resealable food-storage plastic bag. Coat scallops with cheese. Discard any remaining cheese.
• Heat oil and butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook half of scallops at a time in oil 3 to 6 minutes, turning once, until golden brown on outside and white and opaque inside. Sprinkle with pepper and chives.

PAN SEARED SCALLOPS WITH ASIAN DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat heat oil in skillet and add scallops. season with salt and pepper cook about 3-5 minutes should be lightly browned then flip and do the same on other side.
• mean while in sauce pan combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil then remove from heat.
• serve scallops and sauce immediately.

PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS WITH BEURRE BLANC SAUCE

Steps:

• Boil first 3 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat until mixture is reduced to 1/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Add cream; reduce heat to low. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, whisking until just melted before adding more. Strain sauce, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Return sauce to pan. Season with salt and white pepper. Place pan in skillet of warm water.
• Sprinkle scallops with salt and white pepper, then dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallops; cook until golden brown and just opaque in center, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Divide scallops among plates. Top with sauce and chives.

PAN-SEARED SEA SCALLOPS WITH BROWNED BUTTER SAGE

Steps:

• With a paper towel, thoroughly dry all sides of scallops.
• Season all sides of scallops evenly with garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper. Then evenly coat all sides with flour and pat of excess flour.
• In an oven-safe skillet (cast iron preferred), heat olive oil over medium-high heat until glistening.
• Add scallops. Cook for 3 - 5 minutes and turn over when bottom edges change color 1/4 of the way up, and seared side has turned paper bag brown.
• Lower skillet to medium heat. Add butter to pan (being careful not to burn). When butter has melted and begins to foam, baste scallops with it for 1 - 3 minutes. (The butter will become amber in color. If it seems to be any darker than "amber", reduce heat a little.)
• During the last one minute of cooking time, sprinkle fresh sage into butter and allow to crisp. Scallops are done when their sides are evenly white from top to bottom (no longer opaque) or internal temperature reaches 140°F.

PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS WITH PEPPER AND ONIONS IN ANCHOVY OIL

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil and minced anchovies in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring as the oil heats to dissolve the anchovies. Once the anchovies are sizzling, add the sea scallops, and cook without moving the scallops for 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toss red bell pepper, orange bell pepper, red onion, garlic, lime zest, and lemon zest in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle pepper mixture onto the scallops and continue cooking until scallops have browned, about 2 minutes more. Turn scallops, stir the pepper mixture, and continue cooking until the scallops have browned on the other side, 4 to 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley sprigs to serve.

PAN-SEARED SEA SCALLOPS WITH CIDER SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Using tongs, transfer to paper towels and drain. Crumble bacon. Pour off all but 2 teaspoons bacon drippings from skillet.
• Whisk apple cider and cornstarch in small bowl to blend well. Sprinkle scallops with thyme salt and pepper.
• Heat bacon drippings in skillet over high heat. Add scallops and cook until golden brown and almost cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plate. Add cider mixture to skillet and bring to boil, whisking constantly. Boil until thickened to sauce consistency, whisking occasionally, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in lemon juice. Return scallops to skillet and toss until just opaque in center, about 1 minute. Transfer scallops to plates. Sprinkle bacon over.

PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS WITH CHORIZO AND CORN

Steps:

• Cut kernels from corncobs and place in a medium bowl. Using the back of a chef's knife, scrape milk from cobs into the bowl; discard cobs.
• Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a medium saucepan over medium. Cook chorizo, stirring occasionally, until it starts to get crisp, about 2 minutes. Carefully pour chorizo oil into a small bowl (use a slotted spoon to hold back chorizo); set chorizo oil aside. Return chorizo pan to medium heat and add scallions, garlic, chile, 1 Tbsp. olive oil, and 3/4 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add corn kernels and cook, stirring occasionally, until bright yellow and softened, 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and let corn mixture cool in pan 5 minutes. Gently mix in buttermilk and cilantro. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
• Season scallops generously with salt. Heat reserved chorizo oil and remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high until just beginning to smoke. Cook scallops on one side, reducing heat if they are taking on too much color and moving around in pan for even browning, until a golden brown crust forms on the bottom, about 3 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and turn scallops over. Add butter to skillet and, using a spoon, baste scallops with butter 30 seconds. Transfer scallops to a plate. Squeeze halved lime over.
• Divide corn mixture among plates and arrange scallops on top. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.

PAN SEARED SEA SCALLOPS WITH ORANGE BRAISED SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Dry scallops well and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat olive oil in large saute pan until smoking then add the scallops.
• Don't overcrowd them.
• Brown well.
• Let cook over medium high heat until done, about 5-8 minutes.
• Keep Warm.
• In non-aluminum pan bring orange juice and concentrate to boil.
• Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Set aside.
• In a saute pan, heat olive oil until almost smoking.
• Add the shallots, browning them well on all sides.
• Add orange juice mixture and chicken stock, cover.
• Let simmer over moderate heat until shallots are nearly cooked through.
• Remove shallots and let the remaining liquid reduce uncovered to about one cup.
• Swirl in butter and serve immediately over shallots and scallops.

SPINACH SALAD W/ PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS AND WARM BACON DRESSING

Steps:

• Sprinkle Scallops with salt/pepper/garlic salt and set aside.
• In a large dry non-stick skillet crisp up bacon strips until they reach your desired crispiness. Scoop out bacon crisps onto a flat paper towel. Drain off half the bacon grease into a container or coffee mug. Set aside.
• To remaining bacon grease, add seasoned scallops in single layer to pan. Once you add to the pan, let brown for 4-5 minutes without disturbing them. Flip and repeat browning process for another 4-5 minute
• Remove from pan to reserved paper towel where you put your cooked bacon crisps.
• Add two tbsp of reserved bacon grease to hot pan. Add diced onion. Season with salt/pepper/garlic salt and saute until tender. Add garlic and stir often to avoid burning. Once garlic is soft, add white wine to hot pan and scrap up all the pits on the bottom. Bring to a boil then reduce to low heat and simmer until slightly reduced. Add butter and stir until melted.
• Add the scallops back into the dressing and cook for 2-3 minutes until heated through.
• Divide fresh spinach onto serving plates, or place in center of one large serving platter. Arrange scallops on bed of spinach. Pour warm dressing over salad and sprinkle with reserved bacon crisps.
• Serve warm and enjoy!

PAN SEARED SALMON AND SCALLOPS WITH MACADAMIA-CILANTRO PESTO

Steps:

• Prepare macadamia-cilantro pesto by placing macadamia nuts, cilantro, green onion, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and macadamia nut oil into the bowl of a blender. Puree until smooth, adding more oil if needed; season to taste with kosher salt.
• Heat two very large skillets over medium-high heat with two tablespoons of oil each until smoking. Season the salmon and scallops to taste with kosher salt. Sear salmon fillets, meat-side down, until golden and crispy, about 5 minutes. Flip over, and cook on the skin-side 5 minutes to desired doneness. Place seared salmon onto serving plates, then sear the scallops until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
• To serve, spoon some of the macadamia-cilantro pesto over the salmon, and garnish with two seared scallop pieces.

PAN SEARED SEA SCALLOPS

Steps:

• Start with fresh sea scallops, as large as you can buy. If you buy them frozen, defrost before preparing the recipe.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat. Rinse scallops with cold water, pat dry with paper towels.
• Pour pan searing flour into quart size plastic bag; coat scallops one by one with flour shaking off excess.
• Add scallops to pan; when scallops appear brown paper bag color 1/4 up flip with tongs.
• Add butter and spoon butter over scallops as "crusting" occurs.
• Transfer scallops and butter oil mixture to oven safe dish and place in oven for 7- 10 minutes and enjoy!

PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS WITH CHAMPAGNE GRAPES AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper.
• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in very large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook butter until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add scallops; cook 2 minutes per side. Transfer scallops to plate; tent with foil. Melt remaining butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and grapes; sauté until shallots are golden, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and any accumulated scallop juices. Bring mixture to boil; season with salt and pepper. Stir in almonds and parsley.
• Place 4 scallops on each of 4 plates. Spoon sauce over and serve.

CREAM OF WATERCRESS SOUP WITH PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS

Steps:

• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leeks and potatoes; sauté until leeks are tender, about 4 minutes. Add chicken broth. Bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chopped watercress. Cover; let stand until watercress wilts, about 5 minutes.
• Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Return soup to saucepan. Whisk in sour cream. Thin soup with milk to desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate.) Stir soup over low heat just until heated through (do not boil).
• Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter with oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallops to skillet and cook until golden brown and just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper.
• Ladle soup into bowls. Place 1 scallop atop soup in each bowl. Garnish with watercress sprigs and serve.