Sauteed Scallops with Garlic – Kalyn’s Kitchen

Posted by Calin Denny On June 2, 2021

This sauteed scallops with garlic was amazing, thanks to the inspiring recipe and great instructions from Mark Bateman. And I updated the recipe a bit to make it lower in carbs!

Pin the recipe to try it later!

Scallops sauteed with garlic This is a recipe I made in the early days of the blog and shot with my first digital camera (spot and shoot)! Then after some time and I had made several camera upgrades and improved my photography skills, the frozen scallops I loved so much from Costco were gone! I’ve been wanting to improve these for years, so I was excited when I recently stumbled upon frozen scallops back at Costco in Salt Lake and immediately decided to make this favorite recipe and give the pictures an upgrade!

I wouldn’t be surprised if not many people cook scallops at home. They can be a little tricky, as they are overly easy to cook which makes them chewy and tasteless. But I modified this recipe from Mark Bateman’s great cookbook, The best recipes in the world (Referral link). Pittman’s famous “simple” cooking style, where he doesn’t bother, but just prepares meticulously enough to make food memorable, really shines in a dish like this.

I originally made the recipe with the smallest amount of flour for scraping the scallops, and you can do that if you prefer; See the notes after the actual recipe on that. But when I found myself with a source of frozen scallops again, I tried enough to discover that the scallops would turn brown without the flour! And while the small amount of flour in the original recipe didn’t add much carbs, letting it out makes the recipe keto and gluten-free. Admittedly, scallops are a little pricey for an everyday dinner, but these are great for a special occasion and absolutely delicious!

What type of scallop did you use?

There are three types of scallops. Big stones like the one I’ve used are sea scallops, they always cook a little better. The medium-sized scallop is the bay scallop, and is considered the most delicious, especially when caught in the wild. Calico scallops are the little ones you might see baked and fried in place of fish and chips; Personally, I don’t think they have any flavor at all compared to the other two.

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

  • Sea scallops, thawed if frozen
  • High quality olive oil
  • butter
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Fresh garlic, finely chopped
  • Parsley for garnish optional
  • Fresh lemon slices to squeeze optional

Sauteed escalope with garlic collage shots

How this recipe works:

(Scroll down for the full recipe with nutritional information.)

  • Defrost the scallops overnight in the refrigerator if necessary. Drain them well in a colander.
  • Dry scallops between two layers of paper towels.
  • Finely chop the parsley and chop the garlic. you can use minced garlic (continued link) than a jar, but fresh minced garlic will be tastier.
  • Put the oil in a medium frying pan with the heat set to medium.
  • When the butter begins to foam, add the scallops to the skillet.
  • Cook the scallops for 2 minutes on the first side.
  • Then flip it over and let it cook for an additional minute on the second side, or a little longer for very thick scallops. Don’t overcook, the scallops should just barely hold together when garlic is added.
  • When sides turn slightly brown, add garlic (and a little butter if desired), reduce heat slightly, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring or shaking skillet until garlic is well distributed.
  • Serve scallops hot, garnish with chopped parsley and serve with lemon slices, if desired.

Sauteed scallops with garlic Scallops finished on a serving platter with tomato, cucumber and avocado salad

Make it a low carb meal:

The scallop is presented in the photo Tomato, Cucumber and Avocado Salad, which also got a photo update! This scallop would be delicious too Green beans with lemon, parmesan cheese and pine nuts or Fried broccoli with pine nuts and parmesan.

More scallop recipes to try:

Warm scallops Caesar salad
Fried scallops with chimichurri sauce From Cookin’ Canuck
Air Fryer Scallops With Creamy Tomato Sauce of two sleeves
Low carb baked scallops One step away from carbohydrates

Ingredients

  • 8 large sea scallops
  • 1 ton high quality olive oil
  • 1 ton of butter
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 tsp. Fresh garlic, finely chopped
  • Fresh chopped parsley for garnish optional
  • Fresh lemon slices to squeeze, optional (I loved it with lemon).

instructions

  1. For frozen scallops, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then drain them well in a colander set in the sink.
  2. Dry the scallops by placing them between two layers of paper towels, then gently tap to absorb the liquid.
  3. Finely chop the parsley and chop the garlic. you can use minced garlic (affiliate link) It comes in a small jar, but fresh minced garlic will be tastier.
  4. Put the oil in a medium sized frying pan over a medium heat.
  5. Add butter and wait until it melts. When the butter begins to foam, add the scallops to the skillet.
  6. Cook the scallops for 2 minutes on the first side.
  7. Then flip and cook for another minute on the second side, or a little longer for very thick scallops, until the scallops are just barely brown on both sides and starting to feel firm, but not until they are completely firm.
  8. When both sides turn slightly brown, add garlic (and a little butter if desired), reduce heat slightly, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook for another 2 minutes, either stirring or shaking skillet until garlic is well distributed around all Scallop.
  9. Serve scallops hot, garnish with chopped parsley and serve with lemon slices, if desired.

Notes

This recipe originally uses 2 tons of flour to scoop the scallops before frying. If you want to do this, put the flour in a flat bowl and coat each scallop with a little more flour on both sides. Other instructions are the same.

recipe from The best recipes in the world.

Nutrition information:

fruit:

2

serving size:

1
Amount per service: Calories: 177Total fat: 13 gramsSaturated fat: 5 gramsUnsaturated fats: 0 gramsUnsaturated fats: 8 gramsCholesterol: 37 mgsodium: 685 mgCarbohydrates: 5 gramsthe basic: 1 gramsugar: 0 gramsprotein: 11 grams

Nutrition information is calculated automatically by the Recipe Plug-In I’m using. I am not a dietitian and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, as many variables affect these calculations.

Miniature image of fried scallops with garlic oysters on a serving plate with tomato, cucumber and avocado salad

Low Carb Diet / Low Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Fried scallops with garlic are great for low-carb diets, including keto, and are also gluten-free. This recipe will also be approved for any stage of the original South Beach Diet. (If you follow the letter of the law, you can toggle the button for a certified spread or use all the olive oil, but I personally wouldn’t worry about that small amount of butter, and the butter adds flavor.

Find more recipes like these:
Uses Quick recipes For more delicious ideas with seafood. use the Diet type indicator To find recipes suitable for a particular food plan. you can too Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest To see all the good recipes I share there.

Historical notes for this recipe:
This recipe was first published in 2005, with simple pictures from my first digital camera! Updated with better pictures and improved recipe in 2021.

Sauteed scallops with garlic picture Pinterest