How to Cook Scallops

5 from 8 votes

Learn how to cook scallops like a pro so you can dazzle the family, a dinner date or friends with crispy on the outside, soft on the inside seared scallops. All you need is a pan, butter or oil, and fresh sea scallops. These restaurant-quality seared scallops are ready in just 2 minutes.

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Total Time15

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, tips & tricks

Cuisine: New England, seafood

Servings: scallops

Author: Grace Vallo

Equipment

Large pan (preferably stainless steel)

Ingredients

12 fresh sea scallops
3 tablespoons butter
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Dry off your scallops with a paper towel. Dabbing them dry will help them sear evenly.
Remove side muscle. Each scallop will likely have a side muscle, which is edible but extra tough. Find the crescent-shaped muscle on the side of each scallop and tear it off.
Preheat a large pan over medium-high heat until screaming hot (about 5 minutes). A few droplets of water thrown on your pan should “dance” when your pan is hot enough.
Add a few tablespoons of butter and swirl it around in your pan until melted.
Add scallops at least an inch apart from each other. Immediately set a timer to 90 seconds. As soon as your timer goes off, flip your scallops and sear for about 30 more seconds. Your scallops should still have a jiggly texture when poked with tongs but not as jiggly as raw scallops. Immediately remove the scallops from your pan onto a plate.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve right away.

Video

Notes

Although not necessary but preferred, let your scallops rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Don’t use olive oil to sear your scallops! I recommend butter as the best option, but you can also use vegetable, canola, or grapeseed oil.
The cooking times above are for sea scallops, not diver or bay scallops.
If you’d like a simple lemon butter sauce, pour out any extra brown butter from your pan after searing scallops, leaving the drippings. Turn heat to low and add 4 tablespoons of butter. Let melt, adding in the juice of ½ a lemon, a handful of chopped chives or parsley, and salt and pepper. Other scallops sauces and preparations listed in my post above!
This recipe can be used for as many scallops that can fit comfortably in a pan without crowding it (typically 6-12). You can also cook scallops in batches if needed.

Nutrition