Quick Look at this Seared Brown Butter Scallops Recipe
- Ready In: 30 minutes!
- Serves: 3-4
- Main Ingredients: fresh scallops, butter, salt, pepper, and creamy lemon orzo!
- Best For: any special occasion – small Christmas dinner, Valentine’s Day, date-night in, etc.
- Why You’ll Love It: You have to make these incredibly decadent browned butter scallops dinner served up with parmesan lemon orzo! It looks so fancy but is actually super easy to make, even if you have never cooked scallops before. Just follow the recipe card below and you have the most stunning dinner ready in under 30 minutes!
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Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Fresh Scallops – visit your local grocery store or seafood store for the best, largest scallops that you can find.
- Butter – for best results this MUST be unsalted butter. You want to be able to adjust the salt level yourself and not have it overly concentrated once browned.
- Lemon Orzo – this is our all-time favorite side dish to serve with these perfectly cooked scallops but an easy parmesan orzo or other creamy pasta would also be delicious.
How To Make Brown Butter Scallops + Lemon Orzo
Step 1 – Cook the orzo to al dente. Drain, but be sure to keep some of the pasta water!
Step 2 – Return the pasta to the pot and add the rest of the orzo ingredients.
Pro Tip
The lemon orzo pasta will sit for a bit while making the scallops, so it is extremely important to reserve some of the pasta water. That way you can add splashes of the pasta water to the orzo before serving to keep it from sticking and give it the most amazing creamy texture!
Step 3 – Pat the scallops dry with paper towel.
Step 4 – Season with salt and pepper.
Step 5 – Melt the butter in a large skillet and continue cooking until it browns and smells nutty.
Step 6 – Place the scallops in the browned butter and cook for 3 minutes.
Step 7 – Flip and cook for 3-4 more minutes.
Step 8 – Let them cook until they start to “crack”.
Pro Tip
Have a spoon handy while cooking these scallops so you can scoop some of that browned butter goodness over each scallop as they cook!
Best Ways To Serve Brown Butter Scallops
These cast iron scallops pair well with the included lemon parmesan orzo plus some easy steamed asparagus. That is our all-time favorite plate, but feel free to enjoy with our simple steamed green beans, yukon gold mashed potatoes, or with an easy lemon pasta. There are so many delicious side dishes that would pair really well with this scallop recipe. Plus, a glass of white wine would be nice too!
Brown Butter Scallops FAQs
Yes, you can but you will want to make sure they are fully thawed in the fridge or under cold water (seal them in a bag to prevent the scallops from taking on more water). And then FULLY dry them before cooking. They may need to be dried several times. Highly recommend using fresh scallops, if you can.
No, they do not need to be rinsed. You actually want them to be dried of any liquid before cooking, so adding more water for rinsing would not be recommended.
When making browned butter for any recipe it is better to use UNSALTED butter. Water is being cooked off during the browning process and if you use salted butter it will leave melted butter highly concentrated in salt. It is better to use unsalted and control the salt amount yourself.
It is best to use a skillet that can withstand a higher heat for at least 15 minutes. I always use my Lodge Cast Iron Skillet for most recipes, including this one.
This will depend on their size. These large bay scallops were fully cooked in about 6-8 minutes total. Once the scallop tops start “cracking” that is when they are done!
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Ingredients
Lemon Orzo:
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1½ cups orzo
- reserved pasta water
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon butter, (sub plant-based butter)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, more, if desired
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- garnish: freshly chopped parsley
Brown Butter Scallops:
- 14 large bay scallops, (or large sea scallops)
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook Lemon Orzo: Add 3 cups water and 2 cups chicken broth to a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add 1½ cups orzo and let simmer, uncovered, 8-10 minutes or until cooked to al dente. Drain the cooked pasta (BE SURE TO KEEP 1 CUP PASTA WATER) and return the orzo to the pot. To the pot, add ½ cup parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons lemon zest, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, & ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Mix to combine and melt. Add splashes of reserved pasta water to make the consistency more creamy (be sure to do this right before serving).
- Prep Scallops: Put 14 large bay scallops on a paper towel and fully pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.
- Make Brown Butter: Bring a large cast iron skillet to a medium-high heat, & melt 5 tablespoons unsalted butter. Move around the melted butter, semi-continuously with a rubber spatula. The color will turn to a slightly brownish color and you will start to smell a nutty flavor. You will also notice milk solids starting to form on top.
- Cook Scallops: Carefully place the scallops in the hot, brown butter and sear for 3 minutes. Flip and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes. As they cook, use a spoon to scoop some of the brown butter over the top of the scallops. They are fully cooked when they start to "crack" on top.
- Serve: Enjoy right away with some of the lemon orzo!
Notes
- Unsalted Butter: highly recommend using UNsalted butter for this recipe because you can control the saltiness. If you use salted butter, the salt will become more concentrated as the water cooks off and be too strong.
- Lemon Orzo: love this easy side dish with these Brown Butter Scallops but feel free to serve with your favorite side dishes.
- Gluten Free: simply use gluten-free orzo pasta.
Bridget says
These were incredible!! Thanks!