Best 20 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.

SIMPLY SEARED SCALLOPS

Steps:

• Pat sea scallops dry with paper towels. Season with some lemon juice, salt, and pepper on one side.
• Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over high heat. Place scallops in the skillet seasoned-side down. Cook until browned on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Season with remaining lemon juice, salt, and pepper; flip. Continue cooking until opaque, about 2 minutes more. Garnish with lemon zest.

SEARED SEA SCALLOPS WITH GINGER-LIME BUTTER

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Wash sweet potatoes and wrap them tightly in foil. Roast until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. (If you are using larger sweet potatoes, they may require 15 minutes more in the oven.)
• Using a paring knife, remove the small hard "foot" from the edge of each scallop. Pat scallops dry and season on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Put on a medium pot of salted water to boil for the greens.
• Meanwhile, make the ginger butter: Combine butter, ginger, chile and lime zest and juice and stir together until well incorporated. Season with salt to taste. Set aside.
• Take a cast-iron skillet large enough to hold the scallops without crowding and place over medium-high heat. Add a film of olive oil. When the oil is nearly smoking, add the scallops in one layer and let them sizzle. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook for at least 5 minutes. Use a small spatula to check the scallops as they brown, allowing them to color gradually. They should be quite crisp and well caramelized. Turn off heat and flip scallops. Leave in pan until firm to the touch.
• While the scallops are cooking, blanch the bok choy: Cook it for 1 minute in the salted boiling water, then drain and blot on a kitchen towel. Keep warm.
• Remove and place scallops, browned side up, onto warmed serving plates. Surround with the bok choy leaves and halved or sliced sweet potatoes.
• Quickly warm the butter in the cast-iron pan and spoon over everything. Sprinkle with cilantro if desired.

SEARED SEA SCALLOPS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, oregano, thyme and lemon pepper. Roll scallops in flour mixture until lightly coated on all sides.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet or frying pan over high heat. Add 4 scallops to the pan and sear on all sides (about 2 minutes for each side). After turning scallops, add 1 tablespoon parsley and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Remove scallops from pan and place on a plate in the oven to keep warm until ready to serve.
• Repeat until remaining scallops are cooked, tossing each batch with parsley and lemon juice.

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.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH CORN CREAM

Steps:

• Stir corn kernels, chicken broth, 2 tablespoons butter, cayenne pepper, and salt together in a saucepan; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until corn is tender, about 5 minutes.
• Pour corn mixture into a blender no more than half full. Cover and hold lid down; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Puree in batches until smooth. Pour pureed corn mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a saucepan. Season with salt to taste.
• Toss scallops, Fresno pepper, canola oil, kosher salt, and smoked paprika in a bowl until scallops are completely coated. Separate pepper slices from scallops.
• Heat a large heavy skillet over high heat until very hot, about 5 minutes. Cook scallops in hot skillet until browned on one side, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook on the other side until cooked through, about 3 minutes more. Cook and stir sliced peppers on the side of the skillet while the scallops are cooking.
• Remove skillet from heat; transfer scallops to a plate, leaving peppers in hot skillet. Stir water and 1 tablespoon butter into peppers until butter melts. Drizzle lemon juice over peppers; stir to glaze peppers completely.
• Divide corn cream between four bowls. Place 3 scallops over corn puree and top with glazed peppers. Garnish with radish sprouts.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH JALAPENO VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Place jalapeno, rice vinegar, olive oil, and Dijon mustard in a blender. Puree on high until mixture is completely liquefied, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
• Season scallops with sea salt and cayenne pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over high heat. Place scallops in skillet and cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Garnish scallops with orange segments and drizzle jalapeno vinaigrette over the top.

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.

SEARED SCALLOPS IN MUSHROOM WHITE WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• Spray the scallops lightly with oil. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the scallops and sear until browned on both sides. Add the mushrooms and saute until cooked. Use a slotted spoon to put on a plate.
• Pour the wine into the skillet, add the thyme and cook, stirring, until reduced by half. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the scallop mixture back into the pan and coat with the sauce. Divide among 4 plates and serve immediately.

SEARED SCALLOPS

Steps:

• Place a layer of paper towels on top of a large plate or baking sheet and gently lay the sea scallops on top to rid them of any excess moisture. With the scallops still on the paper towel, grab a large pinch of kosher salt and sprinkle it from a foot or more over the scallops. The height will help distribute the salt evenly.
• Use a pepper grinder to crack fresh black pepper in the same manner, getting every scallop.
• Flip the scallops and season the other side. This is important!
• Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed stainless-steel saute pan over high heat. Do not use nonstick-you'll never achieve the proper caramelization!
• Wait.
• Wait.
• Watch as the pan begins to smoke.
• Now, carefully, because the pan and oil are very hot, use tongs or your fingers to place each scallop individually in the pan, leaving room between them. Once the scallops are in the pan, do not move them or the pan or turn the heat down. You're going to want to, because the pan will be hot and splattering and smoking, but resist! You're getting your hard sear. Don't interfere or the scallops will stick.
• After 2 minutes, use a spatula or tongs to gently turn one of the scallops and assess how dark the sear is. If it's dark brown and caramelized, it's ready to be flipped and seared on the other side for at least 2 minutes more to achieve an identical sear.
• When the scallops have been flipped and seared on both sides, they're fully cooked and ready to eat. Remove them from the pan using tongs or a spatula. Add the butter to the pan and a squeeze of lemon juice and scrape up the bit on the pan to create a sauce. Serve the scallops hot and topped with the pan sauce and another squeeze of fresh lemon juice on top.

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.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH HERB BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat 12" nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes.
• Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and heat until quite hot.
• Pat scallops dry one more time and put them in the pan in a single, uncrowded layer.
• Season with salt and pepper and let sear undisturbed until one side is browned and crisp, 2-4 minutes.
• Using tongs, turn the scallops and sear until the second side is well browned and the scallops are almost firm to the touch, 2-4 minutes.
• Take the pan off the heat, transfer the scallops to a plate, and set them in a warm spot.
• Let the pan cool for a minutes before you make the sauce.
• When pan has cooled somewhat, return it to medium heat.
• Add a piece of the butter and the shallots and saute until shallots begin to soften, about 1 minutes.
• Add wine and simmer until reduced by half, another 1-2 minutes.
• Add the herbs and lemon zest.
• Reduce heat to low, add the remaining butter, and whisk constantly until the butter melts into the sauce.
• Return the scallops and any accumulated juices to the pan.
• Gently roll the scallops in the sauce to warm them through.
• Taste for salt and pepper and serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side to squeeze over the scallops.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH TRUFFLED POTATO CELERY ROOT PUREE

Steps:

• Melt the unsalted butter in a medium (10-inch) saute pan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and saute for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned. Add the potatoes, celery root, heavy cream, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to very low, cover the pan, and simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender. Be careful?don't let the vegetables scorch on the bottom of the pan!
• In two batches, pour the leek and potato mixture into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until coarsely pureed. Return the puree to the saute pan, stir in the truffle butter, taste for seasonings, and keep warm over very low heat. If the puree gets too thick, add a little more heavy cream.
• If it hasn't already been removed, peel off the tough strip of muscle on the side of each scallop. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels and season them generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large (12-inch) saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the grapeseed oil and, when the oil is almost smoking hot, add the scallops in a single layer. Cook undisturbed for about 3 minutes, until golden brown on the bottoms. Don't crowd the scallops or they'll steam rather than sear. Using a small metal spatula, turn the scallops and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, until just cooked through.
• Spoon the warm puree onto 3 dinner plates. Place the scallops on the puree, drizzle with the basil oil, and sprinkle with the chives. Serve warm.

SEARED SEA SCALLOPS WITH SAUTEED WILD MUSHROOMS, FRESH HERB SALAD, AND ROASTED GARLIC BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• Beurre Blanc: Combine the shallots, lemon juice, wine, thyme, peppercorns, bay leaves, and roasted garlic in a small sauce pot. Bring to a boil and reduce until almost dry, leaving about 1/8 cup. Reduce heat to low and add the cream. Begin adding the butter, 1 cube at a time, whisking continuously. As each cube incorporates into the sauce, add another until all butter has been added. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. If you feel that the sauce is too acidic, add a bit of honey to balance the flavor. Be sure to use only a small amount of honey so as not to make the sauce taste too sweet. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.
• Mushrooms: Place a saute pan over high heat and add enough canola oil to just cover the bottom of the pan. Allow the pan to preheat until you just begin to see light wisps of smoke coming from the pan. Add the mushrooms and begin to saute until the mushrooms are cooked halfway. Add the garlic and shallots to the pan and continue to saute, keeping the mushrooms moving at all times. When the mushrooms are just cooked through add the fresh herbs to the pan and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Taste the mushrooms and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Cover and keep warm while you saute the scallops.
• Scallops: In a bowl, toss the sea scallops lightly in 1/2 cup canola oil. Season each scallop evenly on both sides with salt and pepper. Put a saute pan that is large enough to hold the scallops in 1 layer without them touching over high heat. Add enough canola oil to just cover the bottom of the pan. Allow the pan to preheat until you begin to see light wisps of smoke coming from the oil. Add the scallops to the pan carefully and allow them to get a deep golden brown color. Turn the scallops and allow the second side to get the same golden brown color. If you want the scallops to be more cooked, place the scallops in a preheated 350 degree F oven until they reach the desired doneness. Serve with mushrooms and drizzle with buerre blanc sauce.

SEARED ORANGE SCALLOPS

Steps:

• heat 3 tbsp oil in a large skillet.
• sprinkle scallops with pepper and salt.
• saute until brown about 2 minutes per side.
• transfer to a plate.
• add garlic and remaining oil to skillet, stir for 1 minute.
• add oj, soy and orange zest to skillet, stirring until sauce boils and thickens, about 2-3 minutes.
• pour sauce over scallops and serve.

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.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH MINT, PEAS, AND BACON

Steps:

• Place scallops on a paper towel-lined plate and pat very dry with additional paper towels. Season both sides with 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper total.
• Bring 1 cup water to a boil, covered, in a small pot. Add peas and 1/2 tsp. salt; cook until peas are bright green and tender, about 2 minutes for fresh and 4 minutes for frozen. Drain peas through a strainer set over a bowl; reserve cooking liquid.
• Meanwhile, add bacon to a large skillet and heat over medium-high. Cook bacon, stirring occasionally, until fat starts to render, about 3 minutes. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until softened and lightly browned and bacon is crisp, about 3 minutes more. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon and shallot to a small bowl, reserving fat in skillet. Add 1/2 cup cooked peas to bacon mixture.
• Purée lemon juice, 1/8 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. pepper, the remaining 1 1/2 cups peas, and 1/2 cup reserved pea cooking liquid in a blender. Add oil and pureé until smooth. Add 2 Tbsp. mint leaves and pureé until just combined but pieces of mint are still visible. Divide pea purée among 4 plates.
• Heat skillet with reserved fat over high until just barely smoking. Working in batches and adding more oil if necessary, sear scallops until a golden brown crust has formed and scallop releases from skillet, about 3 minutes per side. Top pea purée with scallops and bacon-pea mixture, then sprinkle with remaining 1 Tbsp. mint.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH ASIAN LIME-CHILE SAUCE

Steps:

• Soak skewers in water 30 minutes.
• Pound garlic, chile, and sugar to a fine paste with a mortar and pestle. Stir paste together with vinegar, fish sauce, water, and lime juice. (Alternatively, purée sauce ingredients together in a blender.)
• Pat scallops dry. Thread 4 on each skewer (flat sides facing out; see photo), then brush both sides with oil (2 teaspoons total for 4 skewers). Season scallops with salt and pepper.
• Brush a 12-inch nonstick skillet with remaining teaspoon oil and heat over high heat until hot but not smoking. Sear scallops, turning over once, until just cooked through, about 6 minutes total.
• Serve scallops with sauce spooned over.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH TARRAGON-BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Pat scallops dry and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper (total).
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until foam subsides, then sear scallops, turning once, until golden brown and just cooked through, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a platter.
• Add shallot, wine, and vinegar to skillet and boil, scraping up brown bits, until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Add juices from platter and if necessary boil until liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Reduce heat to low and add 3 tablespoons butter, stirring until almost melted, then add remaining 3 tablespoons butter and swirl until incorporated and sauce has a creamy consistency. Stir in tarragon and salt to taste; pour sauce over scallops.