Scrumptious garlic scallops recipe, seared to perfection in a cast iron pan and cooked in a healthy clarified butter for the ultimate seafood meal!
To sear the scallops you will need organic Ghee like This + cast iron skillet (<–amazon)
A quick post today on how to make easy, good for you, Italian garlic scallops that are perfectly seared yet succulent, garlicky and saucy! You can serve them as an appetizer, starter, or dinner for two with angel hair pasta or over a creamy risotto!
Are you ready for the perfect garlic scallops of your life ?
Initially I planned to make some shrimp, but could not find any wild caught ones at the market, so I grabbed some large wild scallops instead.
Lucky me, I also had all that clarified butter /Ghee from the other day, so really, everything finally aligned to make this happen.
Healthy scallops, you don’t even have to worry about eating too much!
The liquid gold butter ghee, is what makes the most delicious sauce for those scallops to swim in. ( If you don’t want to bother making it, you can just order some Here from Amazon.
Then you can mop it up with some crusty bread or serve them with rice, asparagus, steamed vegetables, angel hair pasta and lots of lemon. Garlic spinach and pea puree are also lovely pairings.
So dust off that old cast iron skillet (<-amazon), it’s the only way to get perfectly seared scallops without overcooking them, and ending up with a rubbery mess.
Important: make sure your scallops are completely patted dry well on paper towels!
You can’t work with watery scallops!
Simply coated in a little bit of olive oil, seasoned well and quickly seared in a hot skillet for no more than 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Easy, simple, perfect, deliciousness, right?
Then you add your healthy clarified butter, lots of garlic and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to brighten it all up.
FAQ: Are Scallops Healthy ?
A: They are a low fat, low calorie, lean protein source, rich in vitamin B-12, essential minerals and Omega-3 fatty acids, but honestly if you look at scientific research they are far from healthy and should be avoided.
UPDATE: since first posting this garlic scallops recipe I’ve become aware of the overwhelming scientific nutritional research and evidence and can no longer support anything but a Plant-Based diet, for the human health, animal welfare and our Planet.
Italian garlic scallops, seared to a golden perfection in a cast iron pan and cooked in healthy clarified butter for the ultimate seafood meal!
- 1 lb large scallops
- 1/4 c clarified butter ghee
- 5 cloves garlic grated
- 1 large lemon zested
- 1/4 c Italian parsley roughly chopped
- 1/2 tsp sea salt + more to taste
- 1/4 tsp peppercorn medley freshly ground
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- A pinch of sweet paprika
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
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Make sure to pat dry the scallops on paper towels very well before cooking.
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Heat up a large cast iron skillet on medium flame.
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Meanwhile in a medium bowl toss the scallops with a drizzle of olive oil or butter ghee, just enough to coat it all over. Sprinkle them with the sea salt, cracked pepper, red pepper flakes and sweet paprika. Toss to coat gently.
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Add a little drizzle of butter ghee to the hot skillet, just enough to coat the bottom. Add the scallops making sure not to overcrowd the pan, and sear for about 2 minutes on each side until nicely golden. ( Use a small spatula to flip them over individually )
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Add the butter ghee to the skillet with the scallops and then add the garlic. Remove from heat and using a spatula push the garlic around to infuse the sauce for about 30 seconds. The heat from the skillet will be enough for the garlic to work its magic into the butter. This is how you avoid that pungent burnt garlicky taste we don’t like.
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We are just looking to extract all that sweetness from the garlic, and this is how you do it, without burning.
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Squeeze half of the lemon all over the scallops and move the skillet around a little so it combines with the butter. Sprinkle with the minced parsley, lemon zest and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve with crusty bread or al dente capellini noodles.
If serving with capellini noodles, make about 1/4 pound per person, and stretch the sauce with some of the pasta water the noodles cooked in.
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These look gorgeous! I’ve been thinking of scallops for a few days! Definitely giving this recipe a try!
Thank you Mira, i hope you try them, such an easy weeknight dinner recipe!
Oh yum these look so tasty and easy to make!
This looks so delicious. I am a fish person and I am definitely going to love this.
Your recipe has inspired me to try cooking scallops. Such a simple recipe but looks like a taste sensation. Can’t wait to give them try!
Oh Ange, so glad to hear, and i want a report back 😉 Simple is my middle name!
my mouth is literally watering at the sight of these sexy scallops. Divine. ps – Yummed this.
10 minutes girl, and you got these on the table! Pronto !
This looks delicious. I will give it a try. Beautiful photos
They look glorious!
It looks incredible!!! Now I have to try this!! Amazing pics! 🙂
Thank you Santiago! I will give your compliments to my Iphone 🙂
Looks delicious and beautiful photos!! Yum!
They looks so good! I’m going to surprise my husband with them 🙂
Boy, this looks so good …. I have never tried a scallop before, now may be the perfect time .
Oh no, you try scallops or the naughty corner is yours. Your choice 😉
Ohhhhh wow, we LOVE scallops (although getting good quality ones in Ohio can be a bit tough)… and these look fabulous!! Yay, no naughty corner for me, I have 5 cast iron skillets to choose from lol 🙂
My kind of girl! Cast Iron Forever ! xo’s
I have a whole collection of cast iron that I use everyday. I love them.
How do you make the ghee?
Hi Bobbi, here’s a tutorial on how to make your own ghee at home. So easy 🙂 http://ciaoflorentina.com/how-to-clarify-butter-ghee/
This sauce looks AMAZING!!! I love scallops and these look perfect!
I think I’m in love with this!! I love scallops but I’m the only one in the family who does love it! Maybe I can change their minds with this! 🙂
Yes you can !! I believe in you Dini 😉
This looks so good!
mouthwatering! and GOURMET healthy!
Yes that’s what i was after, to make them healthy without sacrificing the flavor. Clarified butter is my friend !
I can’t wait to try these gorgeous scallops! Stumbling NOW!
Thanks a bunch ! You rock!
Florentina, these scallops look OMG amazing, all that sauce, and the garlic flavor, and they are so perfectly browned, loving them and drooling at my screen!
Why thank you ! Mission accomplished ha!
OMG. These look INCREDIBLE! Look how juicy and sparkly and glossy they are! You totally nailed it!! And actually, this is very similar to how I make MINE! great minds think alike 😉 Pinning!
Exactly !! And really I am so happy to get a compliment like this from the queen of food photography ! Honored!
Florentina, these look outstanding! Perfect and Pinned!
I just ate breakfast and this recipe is still making me hungry! I want a piece of garlic bread to sop up that sauce too!
That’s great, don’t you love that feeling ?teeheehee
I could eat these, all day, every day, scallops are a total weakness for me, pinning for later and sharing this, they look amazing!
The lemon directions are confusing. The ingredients say 1 lemon but down below in directions it say half a lemon.
Hi Lyn, that’s because some people like more lemon over their scallops than others. So this way you can have extra on the side if you prefer an extra fresh squeeze. Enjoy the scallops- Have a great weekend !
Florentina, great recipe, with great photos. You know, we begin to eat a meal with our eyes before the food ever touches our tongues. I did not have to stand in the corner for 20 minutes, as my cast iron pot gets used often. Seasoned well, and kept oiled and ready to use. I enjoy the way you write. As if we were having a conversation. That makes it enjoyable to read. I will post some of my kitchen escapades when I have put together a recipe and photos. Mostly, I make other folks recipes. Some are from family recipes, but not many. Thanks for sharing this one. I’ll bet I could even make this while camping. Because, camping food isn’t always hamburgers, hot dogs, and smores for me. Regards, Richi Ackerman
Thank you so much Richi, so glad you enjoy the site, and so proud of you for having that cast iron skillet ready to rock and rocll 😉 For sure you can make this while camping, let me know if you do it and send us photos. That would be such a great camping trip ! ~ Florentina
I made this recipe tonight and it was fantastic and cooked to perfection with a great flavor blend. The simplicity was perfect too. Thank you!
I am so glad to hear ! Thank you for stopping by, hope you enjoy more of our recipes ~ Florentina
Hi,
Looks amazingly tasty, what is best served with scallop dishes or with this specifically ?
Thanks,
Billy
Thanks Billy, these scallops are perfect over a bed of polenta or mashed potatoes. You can also make some thin capellini noodles to toss together. Enjoy ~ Florentina
I cannot cook in a cast iron skillet. I have a genetic illness where my body has too much iron – hemochromatosis. Can I use a stainless steel pan instead and get equally good results?
Hi Margi, so sorry to hear that. You can definitely still cook the scallops, I do not recommend stainless steel in this case just because it is difficult to work with because of sticking. I would say go for a skillet with enamel or ceramic, something that won’t stick. Also make sure your scallops are patted dry very well and at room temperature for a good 20 minutes. Then coat them well in olive oil so they won’t stick. Let me know how it goes ~ Florentina
I made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious. This will definitely be a go to for scallops. Making this dish in the cast iron fry pan really gave the scallops a beautiful browning; which I never achieved in other pans. We had rice and oven roasted broccoli with it and it made a great pairing.
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I am so glad Ginny! Cast iron really does its magic here. Roasted broccoli sounds so good with scallops, gotta try that combo myself! Happy Weekend! ~Florentina
Scallop recipe looks delicious, can’t wait to try it! Thanks for sharing!
thank you, report back when you try it 🙂
Just got home from the grocery store picked up all the ingredients can’t wait to try these they look amazing!!
Enjoy!!!
This Garlic Scallops recipe was the most amazing scallops we have ever had! I would totally recommend it to anyone who loves scallops. Yum
Doing the happy dance right now! I happen to agree 😉 ~ Florentina Xo’s
We made this recipe tonight and it was delicious!! Will definitely make it again. Thank you.
Woohoo! So happy, garlic scallops are a major hit for us every time too 🙂
Looks delicious! I am going to try asap… but my question is butter ghee? Thank you!
Hi Mel, I’m not sure I understand the question. Ghee is clarified butter that is good for you 🙂 You can quickly make your own or just purchase it at the store. Hope that helps!
I can’t afford the butter on Amazon! How do I substitute?
Hi Mary, you can make your own clarified butter/ ghee at home. It is very easy actually, just follow this guide: https://ciaoflorentina.com/how-to-clarify-butter-ghee/
I loved this recipe…..Whole 30 Compliant and delicious….thanks for sharing
This is such a wonderful recipe- I’ve used it more than once (with halibut, too) but its FAR from healthy with all that butter and oil!
These were amazing. Every scallop I have ever tried in fancy or not so fancy restaurants have been a disappointment. Made these at home with this recipe and for first time I have enjoy scallops!! Thank you!
I made this twice already. It has so much flavor and goes together so fast. It’s a keeper.
I was so nervous about how these would turn out. They came out amazzzzzing! My fiancé LOVED them. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe:)))
Love this recipe! It was easy to put together and so flavorful.
This recipe was awesome! I love the lemon zest, and adding the garlic at the end made it perfect. The only thing I didn’t care for was the Italian parsley, and I will leave it out next time. Everything else was awesome! My husband and daughters loved it too!
These were fabulous!
Made this recipe tonight — delicious, nutritious, looks professionally prepared, and couldn’t be easier to make. Highly recommended!
Made this tonight and it turned out wonderfully .I added shrimp so that I could have the scallops and shrimp with pasta. Made ghee for the 1st time and what a really nice addition..should not be missed. Adds a lovely buttery nutty flavor. Thanks for the recipe! I am new to your website look forward to seeing what else is there. Thanks.
Made this tonight for the second time in a month I n one of my many cast iron pans. So delicious! Added extra garlic as you can never have too much garlic. Had the scallops and sauce over long grain wild rice and a side of asparagus. Oh and bread to wipe up the garlicky sauce on every inch of my plate