Description
Garlic Butter Baked Scallops bring tender ocean treasures to your dinner table with a golden, buttery crust that melts in your mouth. Seafood lovers will savor this simple yet elegant dish that comes together in minutes with fresh scallops and rich garlic butter.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 pound sea scallops
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic
Seasoning:
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Garnish:
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
Instructions
- Grab paper towels and thoroughly blot 1 pound sea scallops until completely dry. This prevents steaming and ensures beautiful caramelization.
- Heat your oven to 425°F and prepare a 9×13-inch baking dish for perfect cooking conditions.
- Finely chop 3 garlic cloves into tiny, uniform pieces that will distribute flavor evenly across the dish.
- Combine 4 tablespoons melted butter with minced garlic, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and chopped parsley in a small mixing bowl.
- Arrange scallops in a single layer inside the baking dish, keeping them separated to allow even heat circulation.
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over scallops, then sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper across the surface.
- Pour the prepared garlic butter mixture directly over each scallop, ensuring complete and generous coverage.
- Transfer the baking dish to the 425°F oven and cook for 12-15 minutes until scallops transform into an opaque, light golden color.
- Check doneness by confirming scallops are just firm with a slightly translucent center – this prevents overcooking.
- Immediately garnish with additional fresh parsley and serve while the butter remains warm and aromatic.
Notes
- Drying scallops thoroughly prevents steaming and helps achieve that perfect golden-brown sear every home cook craves.
- Choose fresh, high-quality sea scallops with a sweet, clean ocean smell for the best possible flavor and texture.
- Watch the cooking time carefully, as overcooked scallops become rubbery and lose their delicate, tender quality.
- For a gluten-free version, swap regular butter with clarified butter or ghee, which works beautifully with the scallops’ natural sweetness.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12-15 minutes
- Category: Baked
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 256 kcal
- Sugar: 0.2 g
- Sodium: 310 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg