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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 features pan seared sea scallops and creamy parmesan broccoli “risotto”. It’s the perfect easy keto comfort food dish that you might enjoy on a date night or special occasion. Plus, it takes just 30 minutes. I include tips for searing your scallops perfectly and a few recipe variations.
Why Make This
- Budget-friendly Date Night: one of the best ways to stay keto on a budget is to make food at home. While scallops are definitely fancy, it is far cheaper to make this dish at home than get it from a restaurant.
- Quick & easy: even though this dish is quite impressive, it requires just a little effort and 30 minutes to make.
- Perfect way to sneak in veggies: The cauliflower rice risotto will turn any cauliflower or vegetable hater into a veggie lover! The creamy sauce makes this one of my most popular cauliflower rice recipes.
Ingredients Needed
Pan Seared Scallops
- Scallops: this recipe works best with “dry scallops”, which are scallops that do not have added salt solutions. You can spot “dry scallops” at the market by looking for products where the ingredients are just scallops.
- Butter: I use salted butter for this dish, but you could use unsalted butter
- Olive Oil
- Sea Salt
- Black Pepper
Parmesan Broccoli Cauliflower Rice Risotto
- Riced Cauliflower: I have made this recipe with fresh or frozen cauliflower rice
- Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter based on your preferences
- Garlic Cloves: I’m using fresh minced cloves. You can add more to taste if you wish.
- Broccoli Florets: I’m using fresh broccoli. I cut into very small chunks, sometimes about the size of a pea.
- Green Onions: I’m using thinly sliced green onions. I keep the green tips to use as a garnish
- Organic Heavy Whipping Cream
- Parmesan Cheese: I’m using the fresh grated kind from the refrigerated section of the market.
- Natural Ancient Sea Salt
- Black Pepper
How to Make Seared Scallops & Cauliflower Risotto
For the cauliflower rice risotto:
- 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. Sauté the cauliflower rice and then combine the remaining ingredients until the cheese is melted and the rice is tender and creamy.
For the sea scallops:
- Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add sea scallops to the pan.
- Sear both sides of the scallops using a timer and the tips below.
Top Tips & FAQs
- 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.
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.
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 pan seared scallops recipe, wet scallops (those with added chemicals) are nearly impossible to sear.
Recipe Servings
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).
As I mentioned in my pan seared scallops post, you do not need to soak “dry scallops” before cooking them. In this recipe, I do not soak the scallops since they do not need to be tenderized.
The key to seared scallops is using a sizzling hot pan (I prefer a cast iron skillet), salted butter, and a timer. You can get a hot pan by preheating it for 2-3 minutes. After your pan is hot, do not move the scallops or flip them until the timer is done.
I enjoy creamy flavors with scallops. So, this scallops are perfect with this parmesan cauliflower risotto or my keto mushroom cauliflower risotto. You can also add air fryer asparagus to this dish.
Recipes to Enjoy This With
- Air Fryer Asparagus
- Air Fryer Steak
- Keto Mushroom Risotto
- Garlic Butter
- Air Fryer Garlic Butter Steak Bites
If you try this recipe, please stop back and leave it a star rating and/or a review in the comments. Stay connected & share photos of your creations with me & others on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Seared Scallops & Cauliflower Rice Risotto
Use DRDAVINAHS at checkout to save on some equipment & ingredients!
Ingredients
Seared Scallops
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.
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!
Julia Guz says
Easy to put together and delicious – now I know what I can do with all the riced cauliflower…
Dr. Davinah's Eats Team says
We’re so happy that you enjoyed this recipe. 🙂
Caitlin says
Needs salt and pepper on the veggies, not just the scallops. But it was delicious!
Dr. Davinah's Eats Team says
We really appreciate you stopping back to write such a thoughtful review. 🙂
Nikki West says
I am a huge risotto fan, and I also love cauliflower rice, so when I saw this one I knew I was going to make it immediately. It was amazing!
I opted for the shrimp version (because I was craving steak and shrimp with risotto), and my less veggie-friendly and typically high-carb-loving boyfriend loved it too. The best part is that I feel like this a great base that could easily be tweaked with your fave veggies and protein for tons of variations!
I will absolutely make this again… probably sooner rather than later because now I’m craving it. Thank you for creating easy and delicious options that absolutely satisfy.
Dr. Davinah's Eats Team says
Thank you so much for trying our recipe. We’re glad you enjoyed it.
Nicki Jelsma says
This is my most favorite recipe! It tastes like real deal risotto, my husband had no idea it was cauliflower rice. I just love the flavor and this meal seriously melts in your mouth.
Dr. Davinah's Eats Team says
We’re glad you enjoyed it. It’s one of our favorites as well.
Diana says
I have made this recipe so many times. It’s quick, easy and absolutely delicious. A family favorite
Dr. Davinah's Eats Team says
It’s one of our favorites as well. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment.
Angie Palmer says
I made this for dinner and it was soooo good! My husband loved it so much he asked me to keep it at the top of list for dinners 🙂
Dr. Davinah's Eats Team says
Thank you so much for trying our recipe. We’re glad you enjoyed it.
Selma Abinader says
This is the go-to celebration meal in my house. Making it for my husband for his Father’s day meal.
Thanks and so yummy! And Easy!!
Dr. Davinah's Eats Team says
We’re so happy that you enjoyed this recipe.
Pamela Roche says
Love this. Changed up the veggie to mushrooms & scallions but otherwise the same. A definite keeper.
Dr. Davinah's Eats Team says
We’re so happy that you enjoyed this recipe.
Linda says
Delicious!!!!!
Dr. Davinah's Eats Team says
Thank you for taking time to leave a review.
Laura Mirfield says
I love this cauliflower risotto so much! We’ve had it a few times now with different toppings; scallops, prawns, fish. I’ve tried a couple of different cauliflower risotto recipes now and this one definitely works best. Delicious and low carb!
Dr. Davinah's Eats Team says
We really appreciate you stopping back to write such a thoughtful review. Thank you for trying our recipe.
Kayla says
This recipe is perfect for my whole family to enjoy! It’s so hard to make food for my gluten free husband that my two kids enjoy as well, but this recipe everyone loves! Thank you!
Dr. Davinah's Eats Team says
We’re so happy that you enjoyed this recipe. We really appreciate you stopping back to write such a thoughtful review.
Paul liebergot says
Absolutely mouthwatering. Prepared it with scallops and shrimp. Included a touch of crushed red pepper which added a hint of heat. Will be making this often for sure.
Dr. Davinah's Eats Team says
Thank you so much for trying our recipe. We’re glad you enjoyed it.
Lisa H says
Absolutely amazing 🤩 The “risotto” was phenomenal 🥰
Dr. Davinah's Eats Team says
We really appreciate you stopping back to write such a thoughtful review.
Sylvia Ann says
Awesome dish and the entire family cleaned their plates! I made with French green beans not asparagus.
Dr. Davinah's Eats Team says
Thank you for trying our recipe. We’re so glad you enjoyed it.
Cindy says
This was amazing! I found your recipe on Pinterest and so glad I found it. This is a keeper! I’m
Davinah says
Cindy,
I’m really happy to be connected. Thanks so much for circling back and taking the time to rate and review the recipe. Have a great day!
Best,
Davinah
Kelly says
Never made scallops before so I was hoping they turned out well. They sure did! This meal was so delicious! It was like eating at a fancy restaurant. Will definitely be making it again. 🙂
Davinah says
Yay! Kelly!! I’m too happy that this tasted great and that your scallops turned out well. Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and leave a review.
Angela says
Davinah,
This is the second time that I’ve made your delectable cauliflower risotto and scallops recipe. My husband and I loved it 🙂 This is so easy to make and tastes delicious!
Davinah says
Hi Angela!
I’m so happy that this meal is on repeat in your house. Thanks for letting me know that you enjoyed it. Appreciate you for taking the time to write a review!
Best,
Davinah
Steffany says
Is there another cheese that can be used in place of Parmesan? My husband can’t eat Parmesan !
Davinah says
Hi Steffany,
I haven’t tried using another cheese for this recipe and wouldn’t want to send you in the wrong direction. I do use cauliflower rice to make cheese “grits” and that pairs well with seafood. You can check out my shrimp and grits recipe here.
Dana says
This recipe really knocked it out of the park! I’ve never cooked risotto or scallops even though I love both in a restaurant, but you made it so simple! I also cooked some shrimp the same way to add to the dish to stretch it out a little.
So good I had to write about it, too! Thank you for making this all-star dish so easy to make! My kids think I’m all fancy now!
Davinah says
Ha! Cheers to your kiddos thinking that you’re fancy! I really appreciate you taking the time to write this review. Happy that you enjoyed the dish!
Darlene says
Holy Yum!!! This was delicious! I used shrimp and made the risotto with mushrooms. I drizzled some truffle oil over it before serving. My husband and I both loved it. Thanks so much for the fabulous recipe!
Davinah says
Truffle oil sounds AMAZING! I’m going to have to do that the next time I make this. Thanks so much for taking the time to stop back and review this, Darlene!
Michaela says
Hi! I am very excited to try this recipe! My only question is I have fresh cauliflower. is it possible to use that? if so whats the best way to do it?
Davinah says
Hi Michaela,
I often use fresh cauliflower too. The only thing that changes is that you don’t have to spend time in the beginning defrosting (2-3 minutes) the rice in the pan.
Thanks,
Davinah
Lizzy says
My favorite recipe and my husband loved it
Davinah says
Thanks, Lizzy! I’m so happy that you enjoyed this! 🙂
Amanda says
Made the risotto tonight with your shrimp scampi recipe, and both are fantastic! My cauliflower hating hubby is taking some for lunch tomorrow, so you know its good! Both my kids are tearing it up as well!
Davinah says
YES! I’m so happy that your family enjoyed this. I always love hearing when cauliflower haters enjoy this one. Really appreciate you taking the time to come back and review this.
Best,
Davinah
Deanna Dykes says
Can out great! I loved it!
Davinah says
Thanks, Deanna! Really happy that you enjoyed it 🙂
Tabitha says
This is absolutely fantastic. I’d easily pay $30ish a plate for this at a restaurant and keep going back for it. Delicious!
Davinah says
Thanks so much for stopping back to let me know how much you enjoyed this. Have a great day!
Naina says
Can you use whole milk instead of whipping cream?
Davinah says
Hi Naina,
Yes. I’m using heavy cream since it has fewer sugars. I haven’t tried this with whole milk, but it is generally a bit looser than cream so I’d start with 3/4 cup and then add the rest only if needed – the end result should be a bit creamy like in the video.
Thanks,
Davinah
Naina says
Thank you 🙂
Heidi says
Really yummy flavors, thank you for this recipe! I added a little chicken broth, cause I feel risotto should have the flavor if chicken broth or white wine. But this was great!
Davinah says
Hi Heidi!
Happy that you enjoyed this. Adding broth or white wine sounds like a fabulous idea!
Best,
Davinah
Nancy says
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It is delicious and didn’t take that long to prepare.
Davinah says
Happy you enjoyed this, Nancy! Appreciate you for stopping back.
Tina H says
Absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing!!
Ashley says
This is a new favorite dish in my house…even my picky 2 year old daughter loved it!! Thank you so much for sharing it! Super easy, quick, and looks beautiful on the plate. So happy to have a new healthy dish to add to the rotation!
Davinah says
Hi Ashley!
So happy that you enjoyed this dish and appreciate you for stopping by the site to rate & review it! Love to hear when kiddos love a recipe too!
Thanks,
Davinah
Charlotte Hutchison says
This was super fantastic! The flavors are amazing. I was pleasantly surprised. One of the best recipes I’ve made in a long time. I can’ twait to make it for my boyfriend who loves risotto and begs me to cook it all of the time, but I won’t because it takes too long.
Davinah says
I’m so happy that you enjoyed this dish, Charlotte! Ha! I agree re: cook time! This is actually one reason I really enjoy swapping regular rice with cauliflower rice!
Doreen says
This was amazing!!!’ Best keto recipe ever! My entire (non-keto) family loved it!
Davinah says
Yayay! That sounds like a huge win! So happy that you all enjoyed the dish!
Thanks,
Davinah
Pat Griffey says
Omg that is wonderful thanks for the idea. I used shrimp, frozen and frozen riced cauliflower one pkg. and one package riced broccoli and cauliflower mix.
Dianne says
Can this be made ahead and reheated?
Davinah says
Yes! I tend to make enough for two days. I heat the shrimp or seafood separately though since the risotto takes a bit more time to get hot.
Nancy says
I cannot WAIT to make this!
Katie says
Easy to make and amazingly delicious. Definitely makes a solid substitute for real risotto. This will be s new side dish staple for my family. Thanks Dr.!
Davinah says
Hi Katie!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them! Thanks for taking the time to write this comment!
Best,
Davinah
Adean Holloway says
I could eat my weight in this risotto recipe. I prefer it over regular risotto. I interchange the recipe between scallops and shrimp. I have also added baby portabello mushrooms to the risotto. It’s jus brilliant. I could eat it everyday!
Davinah says
Hi Adean!
Thanks so much for taking the time to write a review here! I love that you included mushrooms as they add so much flavor! So happy that you enjoy this as much as I do! See ya on IG! 🙂
Best,
Davinah
Jena Renee White says
Made this last night! It was sooo good!
Davinah says
Hi Jena!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it & really appreciate that you came back to comment on it!
Best,
Davinah
Casey says
Rather than heavy whipping cream, would it still work with half &half? Wanting to cut down on the fat.
Davinah says
Yes! You can also swap the cream with broth.
Kay says
I cannot stress how delicious this turned out. It’s hard
to get children to eat their veggies and they loved it too. Even my picky niece. This just might become one of my favorite meals. I cannot wait to make this again. Simple, fast and so delicious!!!! Thank you for making healthy eating and keto fun and easy.
Davinah says
Hi Kay,
I’m so happy that you all enjoyed this! I really appreciate you taking the time to comment & rate the recipe! This is one of my favorite quick meals too! It’s so hard to believe that it’s mostly veggies! Have a great day!
Thanks,
Davinah
Chrissy says
By far, one of my favorite dishes made in quite a long time. A lovely Spring meal, delicious and elegant. Instead of broccoli, used diced spring asparagus. Otherwise, followed your recipe exactly. Thank you + this will go into heavy rotation!
Chrissy
Davinah says
Hi Chrissy!
Thanks so much for sharing this feedback! I’m so happy that you enjoyed this dish as much as we do! Have an awesome weekend!
Best,
Davinah
Jackie says
AMAZING! I made this two nights ago and could not believe how good the “risotto” was…so good I am making it again tonight! And the best part…it impresses my cauliflower hating husband! 🙂 Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Davinah says
Hi Jackie!
Thank you sooooo much for taking the time to share this with me! This is by far one of our favorite recipes. I’m so happy that you and your hubs enjoyed it! It was a game-changer for my husband too lol! Have a great evening.
Best,
Davinah
Nadine Dillon says
Hi there! Going to make this tomorrow and I’m super excited! Do I need to thaw the scallops first if i get the frozen ones?
Davinah says
Hi Nadine!
Yes. I purchased frozen scallops for this dish. I thawed the scallops according to the package directions and patted them dry when I was about to cook! I’m so happy that you’re going to make this!
Thanks,
Davinah
Nichole says
This was creamy and delicious! I was really surprised at how well the risotto came together and this is way easier than making traditional risotto. I substituted broccoli because I couldn’t get fresh asparagus. Can’t wait to try more recipes!!
Davinah says
Thanks so much for taking the time to share that Nichole. I really appreciate it! 🙂
Yvette says
Made this recipe last week, AMAZING!!! Very easy to follow. Heading into my 3rd week of keto and having great recipes like this is making it so easy!! Thank you Dr. Davinah
Davinah says
Thanks so much for taking the time to share that! I’m super excited to hear that you enjoyed this dish as much as we did! 🙂
Donna Massengill says
How much is one serving? How many scallops? How much risotto?
drdavinahseats says
Hi Donna,
This recipe makes 4 servings and I used 1lb of scallops and 1lb of cauliflower rice so each serving has about 1/4 lb of scallops (that was 5 jumbo scallops for us) and about 1/4 lb of cauliflower risotto (which is about a 3/4 cup).
Thanks,
Davinah
Kekei says
Delicious! I made this tonight! Yummy! Doesn’t even taste like cauliflower…
Davinah Smith says
Yay! I’m so happy that you loved this as we did! I got the ingredients to make it again this week! Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂
Jessica says
If I’m using frozen cauliflower do I steam it in the bag first or throw the frozen cauliflower into the pan to cook? Thanks!!
Davinah says
Hey Jessica!
When I’m using frozen riced cauliflower, I just put in in the pan as is. I stir it for a few minutes just to break it down + defrost it, then continue with the rest of the steps.
Thanks,
Davinah
Denise says
Holy cow, this is so freaking delicious!!! It was quick and easy. I only fixed 2 servings and my BF had the idea to add the ahai tuna. Literally cost 20 bucks for entire meal. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Davinah says
I absolutely love that you added ahi tuna to this dish! It’s one of my favorite ways to have date night at home. I’ll have to add tuna next time. Thanks so much for stopping back to write a review!