Pan Seared Scallops Recipe
Inside: The one thing that’s critical for any recipe for seared scallops and the simple white wine-butter sauce that ties the flavors together.
If you’re looking for a pan seared scallops recipe that feels restaurant-worthy but is totally doable at home, this one delivers. Perfectly golden on the outside and tender inside, these scallops with white wine sauce cook in minutes and don’t require any fancy chef tricks. It’s the kind of dish that proves you don’t need reservations (or inflated menu prices) to put an impressive seafood dinner on the table.
When you’re looking for ideas for at-home date nights and romantic celebrations—without the reservations, look for recipes for seared scallops. They’re big, plump, sweet and tender. They feel like a celebration, and are deceptively easy to make.
Dry diver scallops brown beautifully in a hot skillet, and they don’t need a lot of hand-holding or monitoring. Extra butter, lemon and dry white wine make a silky sauce that elevates and enhances the shellfish.
While this is an easy date-night win—great for Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, or birthdays—it’s also a solid go-to anytime you want dinner to feel a little extra. I like to serve this seared scallops recipe with Creamy Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes or Creamy Whipped Sweet Potatoes and a second side dish like sautéed spinach or steamed broccolini.
Why this recipe works:
- Dry scallops–a.k.a diver scallops are naturally dry, which allows them to brown in a hot skillet. Wet scallops and bay scallops are preserved in a liquid (STPP) to prolong their shelf life, but this prevents them from searing in a hot pan.
- Better Browning – A thin dusting of flour jump-starts caramelization, giving the scallops a golden crust without masking their natural sweetness.
- Butter + oil balance flavor and heat – Olive oil raises the smoke point while butter adds richness and helps build a flavorful base for the sauce.
- Quick white wine deglaze builds instant sauce – Deglazing captures the browned bits left in the pan, creating a silky, restaurant-style white wine sauce in minutes.
- Lemon and parsley finish keep it bright – A splash of lemon juice and fresh herbs cut through the butter, keeping the dish balanced and fresh rather than heavy.
Ingredients:
- Large Sea Scallops–Look for “dry-packed” scallops (not treated with STPP preservatives) to ensure proper browning. Look for U-10 to U-12 sea scallops for an impressive serving size.
- Unsalted Butter–adds richness and forms the base of the quick pan sauce.
- Olive Oil–Raises the smoke point so the butter doesn’t burn.
- All-Purpose Flour – A very light coating helps the scallops brown evenly and creates a flavorful fond in the pan, enhancing the sauce.
- Kosher Salt–I recommend Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which is less salty by volume than Morton’s. If you have Morton’s, reduce the amount used by about ⅓.
- Black Pepper–use freshly ground for the best flavor.
- Dry White Wine–Deglazes the pan and lifts the browned bits into a simple, elegant sauce. You don’t need a lot of white wine (about ⅓ cup), so use something you’d like to drink with dinner.
- Lemon Juice–Brightens the butter sauce and balances the richness. Use fresh lemons for the juice.
- Parsley–Flat leaf or curly parsley both work well.
Step-by-step instructions:
- Dry sea scallops should be fairly dry with a slight moist tackiness. Pat them with paper towels to remove any moisture.
2. Add flour, salt and pepper to a bowl and whisk to combine.
3. Lightly dip the tops and bottoms (not the sides) of the shellfish in the flour mixture. There should be a very thin coating. Only lightly coat the flat sides of the scallops—since you won’t sear the edges, extra flour can turn gummy instead of crisp.
4. Heat a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat; once hot add the oil and butter. Once the butter bubbles, place the scallops flour-side down, in the pan. Cook for two minutes without fussing with them.
6. Use tongs to flip the scallops and sear on the other side for two minutesuntil golden-brown. Transfer the shellfish to a serving platter to rest.
7. Add the white wine to the pan and bring to a boil, whisking constantly, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the wine sauce reduces by about half.
8. Add the lemon juice and whisk in the remaining butter until the sauce is emulsified. Taste for seasonings, adding a bit of salt or pepper to taste. Stir in the parsley.
9. Spoon or drizzle the white wine sauce over the pan-seared scallops and serve.
Pro-Tips:
- Find a reputable fishmonger–I don’t recommend buying seafood from the grocery store; a seafood market stakes its reputation on selling fresh seafood. That’s what you want.
- Buy fresh (never frozen) diver scallops, hand-harvested and never soaked in a preservative or phosphate solution. Fresh scallops should be smooth and creamy-looking with no fishy or chemical odor.
- Use large U-10 to U-12 shellfish–U is a size designation that means there are about 10-12 scallops per pound. In other words, each one weighs about ⅒ of a pound, which is big. Three to four per serving is very generous for this diver scallops recipe.
- Keep the cooking time short; just enough to get a good sear on both sides, only up to 5-6 minutes. The shellfish will continue to cook on the platter through carryover cooking.
Wet Vs. Dry Scallops:
- “Wet” refers to the phosphate bath that these marine mollusks are soaked in. The phosphates act as preservatives, keeping the seafood fresher-looking (and smelling) for longer than it would organically, essentially extending the shelf-life.
- The phosphate blend is absorbed by the scallops, giving them a pure white color. Dry scallops (those that haven’t been soaked) are naturally creamy to a light tan color.
- Wet scallops absorb the phosphates and add water weight to the fish. Since scallops are sold by the pound, you’ll pay for that water weight at the register.
- To me, the biggest advantage of dry scallops is in the flavor and cooking. Dry scallops will SEAR. Wet scallops WON’T.
- The dry are tender, sweet and just a bit briny — definitely worth the effort of sourcing them and any extra cost.
Swaps and Variations:
- Swap avocado oil, grapeseed oil or Canola oil for an even higher smoke point than olive oil (higher smoke point means you can get more browning).
- Sweat minced shallots in the pan sauce, then finish with a few teaspoons of fresh-chopped tarragon as an alternative.
FAQs
It depends on the size of the shellfish and appetites. Usually, a quarter to a third of a pound is a sufficient serving, so if you have U12 scallops, 3 or 4 per person works fine, especially if you’ve got more than one side dish.
I recommend a combination of both – the oil will raise the smoke point for a better sear, and the butter adds a sweet nuttiness to the dish.
The key is using the “right” shellfish. Any scallops packed in liquid won’t sear because they’re soaked in a preservative that prevents browning. Use dry sea scallops and lightly dust the top and bottom of each shellfish with seasoned flour to help develop a crust.
Storage:
- Store leftover scallops in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating:
- Reheat the shellfish in the microwave in 20-30 second bursts, being careful not to cook them, but rather just to rewarm the seafood.
- I recommend reheating the pan sauce in a small saucepan rather than the microwave, as it can break. Heat, stirring constantly. If the sauce breaks, whisk in a small pat of butter until it emulsifies again.
Freezing:
- Do not freeze the seared scallops recipe.
More seafood and scallop recipes to try:
Seared Diver Scallops with Root Vegetable Mash
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
- heavy bottomed skillet
- tongs
- whisk
INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE SEARED SCALLOPS RECIPE:
- 1 pound dry scallops preferably U10-15
- 2 teaspoons olive oil or a neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
FOR THE WHITE WINE SAUCE:
- ⅓ cup white wine
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon parsley minced
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
FOR THE SEARED SCALLOPS RECIPE:
- Pat 1 pound dry scallops with paper towels to remove any excess moisture (they should already be mostly dry).
- Combine ¼ cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl; whisk to blend. Set aside.
- Dip the flat side of the shellfish lightly into the flour mixture to coat one side; flip and coat the other; transfer to a platter.
- Heat a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add 2 teaspoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon unsalted butter. When the butter starts to bubble, place the scallops, flour side down, into the hot pan and cook for 2 minutes.
- Flip them with a pair of tongs and cook for an additional two minutes. Transfer the scallops to a serving plate.
FOR THE WINE SAUCE:
- Deglaze the pan with ⅓ cup white wine. Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to dislodge any browned bits. Reduce the wine by about half, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes.
- Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice and t1 tablespoon unsalted butter; whisk to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in the 1 tablespoon parsley.
- Drizzle the butter and wine sauce over the scallops to serve. Add an additional sprinkle of parsley if desired.
RECIPE VIDEO:
NOTES:
- Store leftover scallops in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat the shellfish in the microwave in 20-30 second bursts, being careful not to cook them, but rather just to rewarm the seafood.
- I recommend reheating the pan sauce in a small saucepan rather than the microwave, as it can break. Heat, stirring constantly. If the sauce breaks, whisk in a small pat of butter until it emulsifies again.
- Do not freeze the seared scallops recipe.
NUTRITION:
Pin it for later!
It was an easy and simple way to make the scallops. I can’t wait to make them myself.
I am with you, I also consider Valentine’s – and the week before and after – to be amateurish. My husband and I each take turn cooking a nice meal at home. We both love to cook so why not? I was actually thinking about doing something with scallops for my meal this year, and I think this post has won me over!
I’m in total agreement with you on all counts. Cooking a nice dinner at home for Valentines Day is way better than fighting the crowds. And, doing as much prep ahead of time is another thing I love about this dish. Looks awesome!
Those scallops are seared to perfection and that mash sounds amazing! Can’t wait to make this recipe!
Ok that mash has me all super intrigued!!! So much healthier than just potatoes or cauliflower, I suppose! This goes to the top of my list!
I never made scallops at home (it’s quite hard to find around here, but possible), but your recipe looks delicious and easy enough for me to try, I just love scallops! Thanks for a great recipe!
I am all about not going out for Valentine’s Day! It’s so much more fun and intimate to enjoy a nice dinner at home like these pan-seared scallops!
This looks amazing! I am definitely going to have to try this, as soon as my mouth stops watering!
LOL! It’s always a hit here!
Oh my, this looks amazing!!!
They don’t suck, Suzy!
I absolutely love scallops. You have inspired me! Thanks for sharing this recipe
I hope you enjoy them, Katrin!
That looks simply amazing, Lisa! Scallops are among my all time favorite meals! I agree, we never go out on Valentine’s Day!
Mine, too Beth! I love them because they taste like the sea and they’re so meaty!
Wow you got an amazing sear on those scallops! Beautiful! Love that root veggie puree too! And that sauce is fabulous, I love that you used cilantro in it.
Emily, the key to getting a good sear (aside from a hot pan) is using dry scallops. Be sure to ask your fishmonger. Wet scallops will steam, not sear — ever.
Yum! My husband and I have been watching tons of Master Chef and they always seem to be making scallops. I’ve gotta start making them for us and this seems like a great place to start. 🙂