Garlic Scallops

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One of the best scallop recipes is garlic scallops where fresh sea scallops are sauteed with garlic butter wine sauce. Quick and easy recipe that takes 15 mins from start to finish.

Easy and quick garlic scallops.
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How To Cook Scallops

I love scallops, I would cook and make them every day if they are not so expensive. They are one of the best ingredients from the sea.

There are many ways to make scallops:


Sauteed Garlic Scallops

Sauteed scallops with garlic, butter, white wine and parsley.

One of the best scallop recipes are sauteed scallops on the stove using a skillet. I love cast-iron skillet for a simple saute recipe. All you need are some olive oil, melted butter and minced garlic.

The garlic sauce calls for white wine, salt, ground black pepper and cayenne pepper. It’s really that easy!


Dry Scallops (Natural) Vs. Wet Scallops (Soaked)

Garlic butter scallops in a cast-iron skillet.

There are two kinds of scallops available in the market:

Natural/untreated (Dry) and treated/soaked with water (Wet). When it comes to scallops, you want to get dry, natural and untreated sea scallops.

Dry scallops are milky and creamy white in color, sometimes with a slight pale yellow or pink tint. They are soft to the touch and the surface does not feel slippery. The flesh smells of the sea, and they are absolutely briny, sweet, and delightful. They are expensive.

Wet scallops are treated with water and phosphates. They are are less expensive but trust me, you don’t want to get those. They are smooth and slippery to the touch, translucent, and when rinsed with water, the water bubbles up.

Those are the clear indications that they are not natural but treated. Avoid them because they taste nothing like the natural and “real” scallops. In fact, they are bland with no sweet or briny flavors after cooking.


Frequently Asked Questions

How many calories per serving?

This scallop recipe is only 236 calories per serving.

How to make sauteed scallops?

What To Serve With Garlic Scallops

This meal is best served with a pasta or as a main dish. For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.

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4.42 from 24 votes

Garlic Scallops

One of the best scallop recipes is garlic scallops, where fresh sea scallops are sauteed with garlic butter wine sauce. Quick and easy recipe that takes 15 mins from start to finish.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 3 people
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Ingredients  

  • 1 lb (500g) scallops, natural and untreated
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 3 dashes ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Italian parsley leaves, chopped

Instructions 

  • Rinse the scallops under cold water and remove the tough ligament from the side of each scallop. Pat them dry with paper towels.
  • Heat a skillet (cast iron preferred) over medium to high heat. Once fully heated, add the olive oil and butter. Sauté the garlic briefly, then add the scallops and pan-sear until both sides are browned. Add the white wine, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.
  • Bring the mixture to a light simmer, cooking until the inside of the scallops is cooked through. Turn off the heat and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 3people, Calories: 236kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 56mg, Sodium: 609mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g

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

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About Rasa Malaysia

Bee is a recipe developer and best-selling cookbook author, sharing easy, quick, and delicious Asian and American recipes since 2006. With a strong following of almost 2 million fans online, her expertise has been featured in major publications, TV and radio programs, and live cooking demos throughout the United States and Asia.

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24 Comments

  1. Kim Donnelly says:

    What can I use in place of the white wine?

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Hi Kim. You can substitute it with chicken or seafood broth, with half a tsp of white wine vinegar for a touch of acidity.

  2. Mona says:

    What do you do with the parsley? Although it appears in the photos, I didn’t see it mentioned anywhere. Is it supposed to be cooked? For how long? With the scallops still in the pan or after they are removed?

    1. Bee Yinn Low says:

      They are not required just there on photos for photography purposes.

  3. Toni Wood says:

    I think I’ll try this recipe but first I live in a small rural area of TN about 400 miles from the closest ocean so my scallops will be frozen just like the rest of the seafood we eat. Enough garlic can overcome anything! LOL

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Frozen scallops will work just fine.