All recipes

Quick Lemon-Garlic Sea Scallops

Quick Lemon-Garlic Sea Scallops deliver sweet, tender bites with a rich butter base brightened by fresh citrus and a hint of pepper. The garlicky pan sauce lightly coats each seared scallop, balancing briny sweetness with clean lemon. It’s an elegant choice for a weeknight dinner or a polished starter when hosting.

  • Prep10 mins
  • Cook5 mins
  • Serves6
  • DifficultyEasy
Quick Lemon-Garlic Sea Scallops
  1. 1

    Gather all the ingredients.

  2. 2

    Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook for a few seconds until fragrant.

  3. 3

    Place the scallops in a single layer in the skillet; cook until the first side is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn the scallops over with tongs and keep cooking until firm and opaque, about 2 minutes more.

  4. 4

    Move the scallops to a platter, keeping the butter in the skillet.

  5. 5

    Whisk the lemon juice, salt, and pepper into the butter; pour the sauce over the scallops to serve.

  6. 6

    Enjoy.