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Garlic Scallops Recipe

Scrumptious garlic scallops recipe, seared to perfection in a cast iron pan and cooked in a healthy clarified butter for the ultimate seafood meal!

Garlic Scallops in Healthy Clarified Butter in a Cast Iron SkilletTo sear the scallops you will need organic Ghee like This + cast iron skillet (<–amazon)

A quick post today on how to make easy 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, the Universe aligned itself to make this happen.

Healthy scallops, you don’t even have to worry about eating too much!

Garlic Scallops Healthy

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.

Garlic Scallops Healthy

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.

Cast Iron Pan Seared Garlic Scallops

Golden Brown Cast Iron Pan Seared Garlic Scallops in Clarified Butter

5 from 6 votes
Garlic Scallops Healthy
Print
Garlic Scallops Recipe
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
10 mins
 

Scrumptious garlic scallops, seared to a golden perfection in a cast iron pan and cooked in healthy clarified butter for the ultimate seafood meal!

Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 2
Author: Florentina
Ingredients
  • 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
Instructions
  1. Make sure to pat dry the scallops on paper towels very well before cooking.
  2. Heat up a large cast iron skillet on medium flame.
  3. 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.
  4. 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 )
  5. 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.
  6. We are just looking to extract all that sweetness from the garlic, and this is how you do it, without burning.
  7. 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.
Recipe Notes

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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Comments

  1. These look gorgeous! I’ve been thinking of scallops for a few days! Definitely giving this recipe a try!

    Reply

  4. 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!

    Reply

  11. 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 🙂

    Reply

  18. 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!

    Reply

  22. The lemon directions are confusing. The ingredients say 1 lemon but down below in directions it say half a lemon.

    Reply

    • 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 !

      Reply

  23. 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

    Reply

    • 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

      Reply

  24. 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!

    Reply

    • 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

      Reply

  26. 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?

    Reply

    • 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

      Reply

  27. 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.

    Reply

    • 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

      Reply

  29. Just got home from the grocery store picked up all the ingredients can’t wait to try these they look amazing!!

    Reply

    • 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!

      Reply

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