Easy Seared Scallops

4.94 from 33 votes

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Alton Brown’s Scallops Recipe is the cat’s meow of seafood recipes. This pan-seared scallops recipe has just four other simple ingredients, including the salt and pepper. To top it off, this is a quick meal you can make in under 10 minutes!

I will show you the master’s technique for making this high-end dinner for a fraction of what you’ll pay in any restaurant. Spoiler: This is a restaurant quality meal that will probably taste better, too!

A bowl of seared sea scallops on a bed of pasta.
Learn how to make scallops the Alton Brown way.

What are Scallops?

A treasure from the sea, they are members of the bivalve mollusk, just like clams, mussels, and oysters. The beautiful fan-shaped shells that line our sandy beaches are often their former homes.

Incredibly versatile, you can make scallops in an air fryer, or even wrap them in bacon for a delicious appetizer. No wonder they are one of my favorite seafoods!

This Alton Brown recipe uses large sea scallops. Those are big ones. The smaller bay scallops are great for soups, scallop pasta dishes and so much more.

If you’re looking for other great seafood recipes, we have many for you to choose from! Be sure to see our recipe for rockfish and one of my favorite way to make salmon on the smoker!

A bunch of sea scallops being cooked in a pan.
Each bite is chewy and balanced with a sweet, briny flavor.

Ingredients

This scallops recipe has just a few ingredients. Other than the main one, you probably already have everything else you need to make this meal.

Each bite is chewy and balanced with a sweet, briny flavor.

A bunch of raw scallops in a bowl with other ingredients.
  • Sea Scallops – These are the big ones and are usually about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter.

Where to buy the Best Scallops

You can buy great scallops and other seafood from the Wild Alaskan Company. We love the quality of their products, which are delivered to your front door. With no preservatives and packaged in dry ice, this seafood is about as fresh as you can get without catching it yourself!

  • Butter – You can use clarified butter for a higher smoke point but this isn’t necessary.
  • Olive Oil – This will help raise the smoke point in this recipe.
  • Salt and Pepper

How to Sear Scallops

Searing these will provide a light and sweet crust finish to this scallops recipe. It’s a super simple technique but there are a few key steps you need to follow.

A pan of seafood being cooked.

The most important things to remember are:

  1. Dry them before searing.
  2. Use a hot pan.
  3. Use a large skillet so you don’t overcrowd the pan.
  4. Don’t move them around while searing.
Blotting scallops dry with a paper towel.
Blot each one with a paper towel before searing them.

The first thing to do when getting ready to sear these is to pat them dry with a paper towel. This will remove excess moisture and is a critical step in attaining a good sear.

Adding salt and pepper to some uncooked seafood sitting in a bowl.

After blotting dry, season them with salt and pepper. I like to use sea salt or kosher salt because the crystals are larger and have a bigger impact on flavoring.

A bunch of food sitting in a pan with oil and butter.

Use a frying pan and heat the butter and olive oil just until it begins to smoke. Place them in the hot fat in a single layer, without crowding. Then sear them for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side.

Using a kitchen tong to turn scallops being seared in a pan.
Make this scallops recipe in under 10 minutes.

Use a set of kitchen tongs and flip each one and sear on the second side for the same amount of time.

Pro Cooking Tips:

  • While they are searing, do not move them around or touch them until you flip them. Allow the searing process to form a crust.
  • While the first side is searing in the olive oil and butter, gently tilt the pan and use a tablespoon to coat the tops of the uncooked sides with the hot fat. This will give a sweet, pre-sear coat to each one.
overhead view of some food served over pasta.
Served these over a bed of linguini or pasta of your choice.

How to Buy Scallops

Fresh scallops are always best for this scallops recipe but most of us don’t have access to them. Instead, we only have frozen ones available.

Avoid Preservatives in Scallops

You will find these in the seafood cases of all the major grocery stores throughout the U.S. and they appear ever so plump and juicy, just begging to be taken home and enjoyed.

The very sad part of this scenario lies in the fact that many times their plumpness and juiciness lies not in their natural goodness, but rather in the taste-sucking evils of a preservative that goes by the name of sodium triphosphate (STP)

Besides being used as a preservative for much of the seafood we see in our grocer cases, it’s also a primary component of detergents.  Nice eh?  Not.

Look for Dry-Packed Scallops

The best scallops are fresh, but If you can’t find fresh ones, you should buy some that are dry-packed, for this scallops recipe. Dry-packed means they are shucked, packed up, and shipped on ice without chemical additives. These are the best quality scallops if fresh aren’t available.

These taste better than wet-packed alternatives, which are soaked in water and STP, meaning they become bloated with water and food additives, resulting in a dull flavor. You will also get a nicer sear with this scallops recipe if you use those that are dry-packed.

Scallops with too much moisture are also less successful in the pan, since excess water seeps out, preventing a flavorful crust from forming on the outside as it cooks.

The dry-packed variety may also have a stickier texture and a slightly more pronounced smell, which is nothing to worry about. They cost more but have a naturally sweeter taste.

If you’re wondering where to buy scallops, I always recommend getting them from Snake River Farms. Their scallops are certified to be free of preservatives and chemicals; even better, they deliver them to your door!

Common Questions About Cooking Scallops

How do you thaw scallops?

Frozen scallops should be thawed in the refrigerator. Do not thaw them at room temperature and be sure to rinse them before cooking.

Why do you soak them in milk?

Milk will help tenderize these and get rid of their fishy taste and odor. It can also help get rid of extra particles of sand. To do this, rinse them with cold water and then soak them for one hour and then blot them dry as directed above.A bowl of scallops being soaked in milk.

How long do you cook scallops?

When making this scallops recipe, you’ll want to cook them on each side for 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on their size.

How do you know when they are done?

When making this scallops recipe, they will turn opaque and become firm when done. It’s better to slightly under-cook these rather than over-cook them, which will make them tough and chewy.

Pro Cooking Tip: Remove the scallops from pan when their centers reach a temperature of 115° F. Because they are small, their carry-over cooking will take them to a perfect temperature of 125 to 130°. I love this instant-read thermometer, and it is the one I always recommend using.

A bunch of scallops on a bed of pasta.
Make this Alton Brown scallops recipe in just minutes.

Pro Cooking Tip: After soaking the scallops, pour the milk into a freezer bag (using care to leave any sand behind.) Freeze it and reserve for later use to make a seafood or clam chowder.

What to Serve with Scallops

Some easy sides dishes that go well with these can include:

Additions and Variations

You can make a super-easy sauce to complete this delicious dish using the following steps

  1. Remove the them from the pan when they are done and set aside.
  2. Add some finely chopped shallots, garlic, capers, or parsley, and a small amount of white wine, and reduce.
  3. Add a small amount of cream, being sure to stir continuously to get all the browned bits from the pan. If the sauce looks dry, add a little more cream or wine.
  4. Return the scallops to the pan and mix with the sauce, and then serve.

This simple sauce should only take about 3 minutes and can be poured over pasta or just mixed in with the scallops.

Garlic Lemon Butter Scallops

  1. After searing and removing the scallops and set aside. Add two tablespoons of butter to the pan, over medium-heat. Toss in a couple of chopped cloves of garlic and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
  2. Stir the mixture for a couple of minutes, until the garlic is soft and smells like heaven.
  3. Return the scallops to the pan and mix with the warm sauce.
  4. Plate and garnish with chopped parsley.

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Easy Seared Scallops

4.94 from 33 votes
This Alton Brown recipe is an easy and delicious seafood dinner that is ready to eat in just 10 minutes!
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 3 minutes
Total: 8 minutes
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients 

  • 1 lb dry pack sea scallops, approximately 16
  • 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions 

  • Remove the small muscle from the side of the scallop, rinse with cold water and thoroughly pat dry.
  • Add the butter and oil to a 12 to 14-inch saute pan on high heat. Salt and pepper the scallops. Once the fat begins to smoke, gently add the scallops, making sure they are not touching each other. Sear the scallops for 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Each one should have a 1/4-inch golden crust on both sides while still being translucent in the center. Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Top tips for this scallops recipe

  • Drying them (with paper towels) is critical for getting a good sear.
  • Use a hot pan to sear them.
  • Don’t crowd the pan.
  • Don’t move them around while searing.
  • Warm serving plates in the oven to preserve and maintain the heat of any seafood entrée.

Nutrition

Calories: 227kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 65mg, Sodium: 889mg, Potassium: 464mg, Sugar: 0g, Vitamin A: 125IU, Calcium: 14mg, Iron: 0.9mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Seafood
Tried this recipe?Mention @plattertalk or tag #plattertalk!
This recipe is updated from the original post of October 3, 2014

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Dan & Scott split their time between Wisconsin and Southwest Florida and are dads to six boys. Good food runs through their veins, and they love showing others how to cook easy recipes.

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4.94 from 33 votes (16 ratings without comment)

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5 Comments

  1. Soaking scallops in milk is a culinary sin. Scallops are expensive. If you need to soak them in milk to get rid of their flavour, donโ€™t waste your time or money preparing scallops. You obviously donโ€™t like scallops.

  2. 4 stars
    Taste was good. Unfortunately, “the 2-3 minutes on each side” mislead me into believing that they would still be tender after that. Nope. Try more like 1 minute per side as that works better. Mine were overcooked and tough even before 2 minutes. Sear each side quickly to keep them tender. Once they get firm, they’re overdone.

      1. In his recipe explanation he says 2-3 minutes per side. In the recipe itself it states 1.5 per side. I had to double back myself, then went with the shorter option. The recipe explanation needs to be corrected.