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Here’s how to make pan seared scallops with a brown crust every time! These simple tips work with fresh or frozen scallops for a fast and easy dinner.
Here’s how to make your favorite restaurant style scallops at home: easy pan seared scallops! Scallops have a beautiful, mild sweet flavor that’s easy to love, and there’s nothing better than that perfect seared crispy outside.
Scallops are simple to cook, but they can be tricky to get right. I’ve certainly botched them more than once! It takes a little know-how to get that golden brown crust without under cooking or overcooking them. Once you have the technique though, they’re easy and takes only 5 minutes to cook. Here’s what you need to know about pan seared scallops, done right!
5 Star Reader Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “OMG….this recipe was amazing! The brining process was flawless, The sauce turned out silky and delicious. I used wild rice for the side, placed the scallops on a bed of the rice and poured the sauce over. The perfect meal.” -Michelle
What Kind Of Sea Scallops To Buy
What type of scallops should you buy for searing? There are lots of options you’ll see at the store:
- Sea scallops: Sea scallops are large and the variety to use when pan searing. Avoid bay scallops: they are very small and mainly used in stews.
- Fresh vs frozen scallops: You can use either! Many frozen scallops are wet (see below). If you use frozen, thaw them in the fridge overnight or day of, place the package or bag into a large bowl with cold water and wait for 30 minutes.
- Wet scallops vs dry scallops: Wet scallops are treated with water and sodium tripolyphosphate, which can give them a soapy taste and bouncy texture (read more here). Buy dry scallops if you can find them, but you also can freshen wet scallops using a trick (see below).
- Wild caught vs farmed: Fish that is wild caught in your country is usually a sustainable choice. There are also quality options in well-regulated farms; see Seafood Watch Consumer Guide.
Why I Brine Scallops Before Searing
Here’s a trick to making the best flavor for pan seared scallops: brine them first! You’ll simply let them sit in a solution of salt water for 10 minutes before cooking. Here’s why I like to brine my scallops:
- This freshens up the flavor of wet scallops. If you buy wet scallops, it evens out the flavor and removes the chemical taste. You can also add a little lemon juice to really get the flavor to pop.
- It helps season the inside of the scallop. If you just season before cooking, sometimes only the outside retains flavor.
The Best Pan For Seared Scallops
Last up: you’ve got to have the right equipment for seared scallops. Here’s what type of pan I use:
- Use your largest stainless steel, copper, or cast iron skillet. You’ll want it to be as large as possible to be able to cook as many scallops as you can at once.
- Avoid using a non-stick pan for seared scallops. The non-stick surface does not allow the scallops to stick to the surface of the pan, creating that gorgeous crust through the Maillard reaction.
How To Cook Pan Seared Scallops
Now that you know the scallops to buy, the pan to use, and the secret brining step: let’s make pan seared scallops! Here’s what to know about how to cook scallops:
- Pat the scallops dry (very dry!). This is perhaps the most important step. If there’s any water on the scallops, they will steam instead of browning. This is a huge no-no!
- Keep the scallops as far apart as possible in the pan. You may find you need to do 2 batches. If the scallops are touching, they also risk steaming instead of browning.
- Cook for 2 to 3 minutes without touching them! Yes, just stand back and don’t do anything. Do not move the scallops around in the pan! Not moving the scallop allows the brown crust to form. This is called the Maillard reaction, a chemical reaction that creates that beautifully browned flavor on seared proteins.
- Flip and cook another 2 to 3 minutes without touching. Same deal, this forms the crust on the other side!
And voila! Perfectly seared scallops that are crispy golden brown on each side. See, it wasn’t that hard!
The Best Sauces For Seared Scallops
The recipe below has a very simple butter sauce. I also have a lemon herb sauce recipe: you’ll remove the scallops from the pan, make the sauce, and then add them back to the warmed sauce. To make it, go to Lemon Herb Sauce for Scallops.
You can also make a brown butter sauce by melting butter until it smells nutty, then adding capers and lemon. Or try my Lemon Butter Sauce and place it under the scallops instead of over.
What To Serve With Pan Seared Scallops
Here’s the fun part: making a meal around these beautifully pan seared scallops! They’re healthy, light and have a Mediterranean-vibe. Here are a few side dishes to serve with scallops:
- Salads: Try Easy Arugula Salad or Fennel Orange Salad for the ideal sweet and tangy flavor pairings. Blackberry Salad is another great option.
- Rice or quinoa: Try Spinach Rice with Feta or Seasoned Quinoa
- Pasta: Add seared scallops to pasta for a stunning one-dish meal. The best option? Scallop Pasta with Lemon & Herbs. Or try the scallops over Creamy White Sauce Pasta.
- Roasted Veggies: Add Rosemary Roasted Potatoes, Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower, Roasted Fennel or Parmesan Broccoli.
Storing And Reheating Leftovers
Pan seared scallops are best the day of making, but you can store leftovers up to 2 days in the fridge. Reheat them in a skillet over low heat with a little butter. Be careful not to overcook them as they can get rubbery.
Dietary Notes
This pan seared scallops recipe is gluten-free and pescatarian. For dairy-free, omit the butter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Oil, then butter. The butter can burn at the high searing temperature, so start with a high-smoke-point neutral oil. Then add butter at the end.
I’ve had this happen before! Either the pan is not hot enough, the scallops are not patted dry enough, or the pan is too crowded (cook scallops in batches if you don’t have a large enough pan).
You don’t need to. Use my brining method below.
Yes they’re just cooked in the center: it should be just barely opaque and still tender. Try not to overcook because they can get rubbery.
Pan Seared Scallops (Tips & Tricks!)
Here’s how to make pan seared scallops with a brown crust every time! These simple tips work with fresh or frozen scallops for a fast and easy dinner.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Seared
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1 pound sea scallops, thawed if frozen
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Thaw the scallops, if frozen (see above).
- Brine the scallops: In a shallow dish, mix together 4 cups room temperature water and 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Place the scallops in the water and wait for 10 minutes.
- Remove the scallops and dry thoroughly. Lightly season with a several pinches kosher salt.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. If using a medium skillet, cook the scallops in two batches. Once the oil is hot, add the scallops and cook without turning for 2 to 3 minutes, until an even brown crust clearly forms on bottom.
- Flip scallops with tongs. Cook additional 2 to 3 minutes on the other side, until a crust just forms on bottom and the center of the scallop is almost opaque.
- Turn off the heat and add the butter. When it melts, spoon the melted butter over the scallops and serve with a squeeze of lemon. Or, go to Lemon Herb Scallop Sauce to make a 2 minute pan sauce.
Just made these for the umpteenth time for Hubs’ birthday. He LOVES them.
Thank you from BOTH of us.
Love that!
Thanks will try recipe. Instead of salted butter, can I use garlic butter? Thanks.
Yes
Great tutorial – first time cooking scallops. Lots of good information. Hubs not over fond of sauce. Will use just garlic butter next time.
Thank you.
OMG….this recipe was amazing! The brining process was flawless…I used my chephelon frying pan w Avacado oil, seared perfectly. I deglazed the pan w a little white wine added lemon and a little elephant garlic. The sauce turned out silky and delicious. I used true wild rice (Thousand Lakes) for the side, place the scallops on a bed of the rice and poured the sauce over. Also has some yellow squash w it. The perfect meal…very rich and delicious. Enjoy 😉
So glad you enjoyed it!
Nice job on the scallop sauce. Seems so right. I have never really gotten my version to click. Do not know why. Tiny block I guess. Thinking you have addressed all my issues. And, not that typically present, the serving ideas are helpful. Part of my problem has been tangling with Jonathan Waxman’s famous scallop chablis (on pasta)-talk about mayhem. I have not knowingly run into you guys before. Will have to take a look at your books. Stuart Itter
Thanks for making it!
We find 2~3 minutes of cooking per side at high heat yields scallops too well-done for our tastes.
We crust our scallops by using clarified butter or vegetable oil and heat pan until butter/oil starts to smoke. We then back off on the heat a tad, add room-temp. scallops and sear for 90 seconds per side.
We will try brining scallops next time (if we’ve wet scallops). We already brine chicken, turkey and shrimp; we add a little sugar and dash of lemon juice when brining shrimp.
I have to disagree here on brining,moisture(water) is the enemy of browning anything.
I made this dish with sea scallops that had been frozen and it was wonderful!!! I followed the advice and brined them for 10 minutes. The brining step is important (especially if you bought wet scallops). I read and re-read the “tips” portion of this blog and was really glad I did. After brining in kosher salt (also really important that you use kosher and not table salt), make sure to thoroughly blot the scallops with paper towels to remove the water. You are right that you want to be sure to remove water from the scallops, but blotting them well with the paper towels does the trick. I think you may not have read the full blog, which states: (Brining) “freshens up the flavor of wet scallops. If you buy wet scallops, it evens out the flavor and removes the chemical taste. You can also add a little lemon juice to really get the flavor to pop.
It helps season the inside of the scallop. If you just season before cooking, sometimes only the outside retains flavor.
Bon apetit!!!
Soaking in hypertonic salt water draws water *out* of the scallops because of osmosis.