Pan-Seared Scallops with Creamy Lemon-Caper Sauce is a 30-minute ONE-PAN Pescatarian dinner. The scallops are seared on the stove top in a skillet to a nice golden crust and then smothered in a creamy sauce made with butter, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, capers, and heavy cream. This recipe is keto, low-carb, gluten-free.
This recipe is all about how to make the best seared scallops and not worry about them being rubbery or dry! This is achieved by 1) cooking the scallops on stove top using the proper technique, and 2) coating them in a creamy sauce to keep them moist and to add more flavor!
When cooking scallops, it's important to cook them really fast on a really hot skillet and then immediately remove them from the skillet (not just remove the skillet from heat). This ensures that the scallops retain their nice golden crust and are not overcooked (rubbery).
Sear Scallops are really good in a creamy sauce, and I made a simple cream sauce using butter, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, capers, some salt to taste, and, of course, heavy cream. Make sure to prepare this sauce first, and cook scallops second, in a separate large skillet.
I used my favorite stainless steel skillet to cook scallops. When heated up to the right (high) temperature and used properly, stainless steel skillets produce beautiful searing results.
Seared Scallops with Creamy Lemon-Caper Sauce (30 Minutes, ONE-PAN)
Ingredients
Scallops:
Creamy Lemon-Caper Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- â…” cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons capers drained
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice freshly squeezed, more if desired
- salt to taste
Instructions
How to cook the best pan-seared scallops:
- If using frozen scallops, make sure the scallops are thawed completely.
- Blot each scallop with paper towels to remove extra water.
- Season with salt by sprinkling each scallop with a dash of salt.
- Use a large, non-stick skillet (I used stainless steel skillet which works well for me as non-stick). Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in this non-stick skillet on high heat until hot but not smoking. Oil should not be smoking, just rolling easily around the skillet.
- Add scallops without overcrowding the pan.
- Sear on one side for about 3-4 minutes until the bottom is nice golden color. Don't move the scallops around the pan in the beginning.
- Turn the scallops to the other side and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Remove from heat and transfer the scallops to the plate immediately. Don't let the scallops sit in the hot skillet, off heat, because they will start to steam, lose their crust and harden up.
How to make creamy lemon-caper sauce:
- Heat butter, olive oil, and minced garlic on medium heat in the same empty skillet. Cook for about a minute until the garlic softens. Add heavy cream, bring to a boil, and cook for a couple of minutes until the sauce thickens a bit. Remove from heat. Stir in drained capers and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Taste, add more lemon juice and salt, if needed.
- Add cooked scallops to the cream sauce and reheat gently. Serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Added artichoke hearts and served over angel hair pasta. It was delightful! Thank you for the recipe.
Date night with hubby and I made this recipe ! Served the scallops over risotto with baby peas and a light salad! It was delicious !
Debbie, I love your side dishes! Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback and the 5-star rating! 🙂
I had an abundance of Salmon left from fishing season...so I used Salmon...Y'all, don't hesitate!! I followed the recipe exactly, except for the Salmon...this is WONDERFUL!!! Served with Fettuccine and crusty bread...HEAVEN!!
Linda, your comment made my day! 🙂 So glad the recipe was a success, even with salmon. Thank you for such a helpful and valuable comment!
Turned out wonderful. The best part was teaching us how not to over-cook scallops - something I'll take with me beyond this recipe. I didn't have heavy cream, so I used half-and-half with a little corn starch to thicken it up. I plated the finished scallops and sauce on top of some crazy-twisty noodles ("fusilli lunghi bucatti") and topped with parsley flakes and lemon zest. I satisfied my lemon craving.
Eric, I am glad you enjoyed this recipe! I love using unique pasta shapes like fusilli lunghi bucati - they make pasta look even better!
Looks delicious! can i use half-n-half instead of heavy cream?
You could use half-and-half, but the sauce would be runnier than if using heavy cream. If using half-and-half, you might want to add about 1/3 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese while the sauce simmers and stir constantly until the cheese melts (before you add scallops). This will make the sauce thicker.
OMG So delicious and easy! Made the sauce 1st as advised, great tip! I prefer stainless steel too, so seared in that. Popped cooked scallops into warming sauce heated through and plated. This is a company go to recipe!
Thank you, Micky
Micky, thank you for such a generous comment! Glad you enjoyed this pasta, and thank you for the 5-star review! 🙂
This is just an awesome dish !!!
Excellent recipe! We are on a Keto diet and this fits in perfectly! I served over Orzo from "The Low Carb Bread Co." This will be on the menu rotation! Loved it.