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This Seared Scallops and Cauliflower Rice Risotto recipe is my quick, keto-friendly take on one of my favorite restaurant meals! It’s the perfect easy keto comfort food dish that you might enjoy on a date night or special occasion.
The cauliflower rice risotto will turn any cauliflower or vegetable hater into a veggie lover! Plus, it takes just 30 minutes. I include tips for searing your scallops perfectly and a few recipe variations.
My Homemade Date Night Dish
One of my favorite restaurant dishes is Sea Scallops from Ocean Prime. It includes buttery, jumbo, seared scallops on top of what seems to be a large bowl of creamy, parmesan risotto.
The risotto usually has a green-colored vegetable, like peas or asparagus, which gives a crisp, fresh bite through all of its richness & creaminess.
It’s the perfect warm, comfort food dish that you might enjoy on a date night or when you want a restaurant-style dish at home.
This recipe for Seared Scallops and Cauliflower Rice Risotto is my quick, keto-friendly take on that date night dinner dish!
Making Risotto Without Rice and Grains
In this recipe, I’m substituting Arborio rice for cauliflower rice. Not only is it quicker to make, but, since cauliflower is a vegetable, it’s an easy way to cut grains and carbs from risotto recipes.
Across the site, you’ll find so many uses for cauliflower rice as a replacement for grains. Some of my favorites are Cheese Cauliflower Grits, Keto Shrimp and Grits, Keto Mushroom Risotto and Cauliflower Fried Rice.
After making this dish so many times, I tend to use frozen cauliflower rice from the freezer section in the market, but you can also use fresh, if it is available.
Fresh or Frozen Scallops
I’ve made this recipe with individually flash frozen scallops as well as the fresh ones from the market’s seafood counter. Both have the same great result.
Sometimes, you also save money by getting the frozen kind. With frozen, I simply thaw the scallops using the package directions then pat them dry with a paper towel.
Just be sure to pick up scallops that are “dry”. This means skip over any scallops that also include chemicals in their ingredients. As I mentioned in my scallops post, wet scallops (those with added chemicals) are nearly impossible to sear.
Top Tips for Making Seared Scallops
The key to seared scallops is using a sizzling hot pan (I prefer this cast iron skillet), salted butter, and a timer.
You can get a hot pan by preheating it for 2-3 minutes before adding butter. You can also tell that your pan is ready once your butter is sizzling, but not burning.
After your pan is hot, do not move them or flip them until the timer is done.
Recipe Servings & Variations
- This Seared Scallops and Cauliflower Rice Risotto makes four meals: I used one pound of scallops and one pound of cauliflower rice so each serving has about a quarter pound of scallops (that was 5 jumbo scallops for us) and about a quarter pound of cauliflower risotto (which is about 3/4 cup).
- You can substitute the green vegetable: This recipe includes broccoli because that is what I had in my refrigerator. However, I’ve had keto risotto with mushrooms, asparagus, and peas. Feel free to substitute the vegetable for one that you have on hand. You can also skip it altogether, since parmesan risotto tastes great too!
- Make the Ultimate Surf & Turf: Use the cauliflower risotto in my popular steak and shrimp surf and turf recipe. It includes juicy filet mignon along with keto shrimp scampi.
- Swap the scallops for another seafood or a roast: I often pair cauliflower rice risotto with any protein that I have on hand. Some that go great include: pan-seared shrimp, Ninja Foodi pot roast, and pan-seared halibut. You might also find inspiration from some of these other keto fish and seafood recipes.
Seared Scallops & Cauliflower Rice Risotto
Use DRDAVINAHS at checkout to save on some equipment & ingredients!
Ingredients
Seared Scallops
- 1 lb jumbo scallops, You can get these fresh or flash frozen or substitute shrimp
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
Cauliflower Risotto
- 1 lb package of riced cauliflower, ~4 cups of riced cauliflower
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 cup broccoli florets, cut into small chunks (optional)
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions, keep the green tips to use as a garnish
- 1 cup Organic Heavy Whipping Cream, it has fewer ingredients and carbs than non-organic brands
- 3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
- 1/4 tsp Natural Ancient Sea Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
Instructions
- Bring a medium skillet to medium heat
- Add salted butter, garlic, broccoli florets, and green onions to the skillet and cook until the broccoli pieces start to turn bright green (~3 minutes)
- Add the riced cauliflower to the skillet and continue to cook until the riced cauliflower is almost tender (~3 minutes)
- Add remaining ingredients and stir until the parmesan cheese is well incorporated. Lower the heat so that the rice does not stick and cook until the cauliflower rice reaches your desired level of tenderness. Turn off the heat.
- Pat the scallops with a paper towel. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top (about 1/4 tsp of each if you’re not sure about sprinkling)
- Bring a frying pan to medium heat
- Add butter and olive oil and wait for it to start to bubble.
- Add scallops to the pan and cook for 2 minutes per side. Remove from the heat and pan so that they do not continue to cook.
- Add a large spoon of risotto to a plate. Top with scallops, green onions, and melted butter if you are being extra fancy.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Details
The nutrition facts come from entering the recipe ingredients into Spoonacular API, a database of food ingredients. They may vary for any recipe based on the exact product used. The keto sweeteners I use have 0g net carbs & are not included because sugar alcohols do not impact most people. This is provided as a courtesy, but you can do your own calculations if you wish!
