Succulent sea scallops are seared in a hot pan until golden brown, then drizzled with a lemony brown butter sauce studded with capers. These scallops take around 20 minutes to prepare, yet feel incredibly decadent when served as an appetizer or main.
My Go-To Dish for Easy Entertaining
Originally published in Coastal Living magazine, I found this pan seared scallops recipe in my mom’s 3-ring binder of favorite recipes. She loves scallops and had jotted down, “GREAT!!” on the torn page, so I had to try it. No surprise here that I 100% agreed.
Most recipes have you serve scallops with a plain garlic butter sauce, but this version goes the extra mile by first browning the butter before adding in the garlic.
There are also briny capers in the sauce, which balance out the richness of the brown butter. I’ve used this trick before when making salmon piccata, and I think the combo of brown butter + capers is what makes this particular scallops recipe stand out from the crowd.
Enjoy! Heidi
Heidi’s Tips for Scallops Success
- Pat the scallops dry and don’t overcrowd the pan so that they brown as soon as they make contact with the hot pan instead of steam.
- We’re browning just 3 tablespoons of butter here, so don’t walk away from the pan once the butter goes in. It should turn beautifully golden in about 5 minutes (it’s easier to tell when butter has browned if you’re using a light colored skillet, FYI).
- You can serve the brown butter scallops as is for an elegant appetizer, or pair them with buttered pasta or steamed rice for a restaurant-worthy dinner.
The Scallops I Think Are Best for Searing
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
Big, meaty sea scallops are easiest to find where I live, so that’s what I prefer using. Feel free to buy fresh or frozen scallops, but if you go the frozen route you’ll need to thaw and drain them before searing in a pan.
If you live in an area that sells bay scallops, you can technically sear them as well. However, bay scallops are much smaller and will therefore sear in a fraction of the time as sea scallops.
3 Easy Steps to Perfect Seared Scallops
- Prepare the scallops. After patting each scallop dry with a clean paper towel, you’ll need to remove the “foot.” This is the tough muscle that attaches the scallop to its shell, and you should be able to remove it simply be pinching it off.
- Sear the scallops. I like to melt a little oil with the butter to prevent the butter from burning (which would ruin the entire batch of scallops!). Once hot, the scallops can be added to the pan and should be cooked just until golden on both sides (about 4 minutes total).
- Make the caper brown butter sauce. You’ll want to make the sauce after the scallops have been removed to a plate, otherwise they’ll overcook. Once the butter smells fragrant and is golden brown, add the garlic. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and capers, and spoon that luscious sauce over the sea scallops.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Seared Scallops Recipe with Brown Butter Sauce
Ingredients
Scallops
- 1 pound sea scallops, fresh or frozen and thawed
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
Brown Butter Sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 garlic clove, pressed or minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
Instructions
- Prepare the sea scallops. Pat 1 pound sea scallops dry with paper towels and remove the "foot" of the scallop (the tough muscle that attaches the shell to the scallop). Season both sides of the scallops with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- Sear the scallops. In a large, heavy skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium. Add the scallops and sear until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate, cover, and keep warm.
- Make the brown butter caper sauce. In the same skillet, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter over medium until golden and browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 2 tablespoons capers. Spoon the sauce over the scallops and serve with buttered cappellini angel hair pasta with minced parsley or fluffy white rice.
What to Serve With Scallops
Storage Tips
Leftovers will last up to 3 days in the fridge. To avoid overcooking them when reheating, preheat a pan over medium heat and add just a drizzle of oil or butter. Sear the scallops for about a minute on each side, just to warm them through.
More Stovetop Seafood Recipes
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Gail C.
Does it matter if I use salted butter, or would it be too salty when brown? This looks delicious and I want to make it soon! Thank you
Personally, I love salted butter, but if you’re unsure, use unsalted then salt to taste.