Garlic Lemon Scallops: the flavorful seafood recipe everyone will love

Garlicky, lemony, and rich. These Pan Seared Garlic Lemon Scallops are everything you want in a seafood recipe. Depending on where you live, scallops might be more expensive, but they’re worth the cost. It’s the perfect ingredient for a fancy seafood dish. They’re easier to make than bacon-wrapped scallops, and the flavors of garlic and lemon accentuate the scallop flavor instead of overpowering it. Searing the scallops in a hot pan creates a crispy, buttery crust, while the lemon and butter also bring out the rich seafood flavor. To make it you only need a handful of ingredients: scallops, butter, lemon, garlic, and broth. Ready to impress your guests with this fancy appetizer? Then make this Easy Garlic Lemon Scallops recipe today.

How to make Garlic Lemon Scallops

Olive oil is heated in a skillet until it starts to sizzle (you can add an extra knob of butter at this point). Scallops are added one by one, making sure not to overcrowd the pan, keeping them 1-inch apart from each other is the best way to do it. The scallops are seared without moving for the first few minutes. Once they develop a nice crust, tongs are used to flip them over and sear the other side.

The remaining ingredients are added to the pan to create a silky, rich seafood sauce. This sauce is then drizzled over the cooked scallops and it’s ready to enjoy!

Tips for Easy Garlic Lemon Scallops

– If you’re using frozen scallops, you can thaw them in a bowl of cold water for about 10-20 minutes (do not use hot water!). Alternatively, thaw them overnight in the fridge.

– The scallops need to be completely dry before you start searing them. Do this by patting them with a kitchen towel or towel paper.

– To turn this appetizer into a main, serve them with rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes. Any carb that will soak up all that sauce! For a low-carb option, use zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice.

How to store Garlic Lemon Scallops

Scallops are best enjoyed immediately after cooking. To prevent food poisoning, you can store them in the fridge, but no longer than 3 days.

Can you freeze Lemon Garlic Scallops?

While you can freeze raw scallops, it won’t work freezing cooked scallops. It will ruin the texture. That said, if you absolutely have to freeze them, place them in an airtight container, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown scallops on both sides, seasoning them with salt and pepper between flipping.

Try not to overcrowd the pan to achieve a brown and crispy crust.

Remove scallops from the pan, pour broth, lemon juice, add garlic. Stir, lifting pieces that stuck to the pan. Cook the sauce until thick and smooth.

Pour the sauce over scallops and garnish with parsley.

Notes

If you want a richer sauce, you can add a bit of cream at the end of cooking the sauce.