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.

You might also be interested in these other Cast Iron Skillet Recipes:

• The Ultimate Keto Surf & Turf Recipe

• Easy Cast Iron Whole30 Shrimp

• Keto Cast Iron Skillet Pork Chops w/ Creamy Pan Sauce

• Seared Scallops & Cauliflower Risotto

Quick Seared Scallops

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Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 4 minutes

Total Time: 9 minutes

A quick recipe for seared scallops that is done in minutes. This is the perfect protein for a quick keto and low carb meal.

Servings: 4

Calories: 160kcal

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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

Nutrition Facts

Quick Seared Scallops

Amount Per Serving

Calories 160 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 9g 14%

Saturated Fat 4g 20%

Cholesterol 42mg 14%

Sodium 640mg 27%

Potassium 232mg 7%

Total Carbohydrates 3g 1%

Sugars 0g

Protein 13g 26%

Vitamin A 3.5%

Calcium 0.7%

Iron 2.4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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