20-Minute Lemon Butter Scallops That Taste Like Luxury
Bright, buttery easy gourmet seafood dinner featuring perfectly seared scallops in a rich lemon garlic butter sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Seafood
- Method: Pan-searing
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Low Lactose
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb large sea scallops (patted dry)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- Optional: pinch red pepper flakes
- Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Pat scallops dry and season with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear scallops for 2 minutes per side until golden.
- Reduce heat, add butter and garlic. Sauté until fragrant, then add lemon juice and zest.
- Spoon sauce over scallops and simmer briefly.
- Garnish with parsley and optional red pepper flakes. Serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
- Pat scallops dry for best sear.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan.
- Adjust spice level with red pepper flakes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 80mg