458 - 458Shares
I love seafood but I have often stayed away from making scallops. My time watching Hell’s Kitchen convinced me that they were hard to execute and I didn’t want to end up being one of those people having to throw them away. I mean, who wants to waste time, food, and money?
After a few not so great attempts, I’m happy to share this recipe for Quick Seared Scallops. They’re super easy to make and literally take a few minutes.
3 Keys to Making Quick Seared Scallops
- A sizzling pan – ensure that your pan is hot before adding the scallops. Adding the scallops too soon will cause them to soak up the cooking fat instead of getting a crispy sear
- A timer – scallops cook like clock-work. I recommend setting a timer and removing the scallops from the pan. For jumbo scallops, I set my stove timer for 2 minutes per side.
- Butter – salted butter is your best friend. Besides helping to crisp the scallops, butter can tell you whether your pan is too hot. Put the butter in the pan and wait for it to sizzle. If your butter turns brown when you place it in the pan, then the pan is too hot.
What are good side dishes for Quick Seared Scallops?
I love having these Quick Seared Scallops with cauliflower risotto.
Another great option would be to pair this with my cheesy cauliflower grits. If you’re following Whole30 or are cutting dairy, then you should have these with a green vegetable like asparagus.
This recipe makes one pound of jumbo scallops
For me, the amount is perfect for four, dinner-sized portions if you pair it with vegetables, cauliflower risotto, loaded cauliflower, or another side dish. A serving is about 4 oz. I got my scallops flash frozen from Trader Joes. You can feel free to buy scallops fresh.
Ingredients
- 1 lb jumbo scallops You can get these fresh or flash frozen
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Pat your scallops dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle them with sea salt and black pepper. I like to keep the spices to a minimum on this so that the flavor of the scallops is the star.
- Bring a frying pan to medium heat
- Add butter and olive oil and wait for the fat to start to bubble. This is important for getting the browned crust/sear on the outside of the scallops
- Add scallops to the pan and cook for 2 minutes per side. You should only flip the scallops once. Remove the pan from the heat so that the scallops do not continue to cook. Serve immediately.
Recipe Nutrition Facts
458 - 458Shares
