These creamy garlic scallops are made with just a handful of ingredients in under 20 minutes! Tender scallops tossed is a rich parmesan lemon cream sauce. Serve this over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes for a restaurant-quality meal!
You guys absolutely loved this creamy garlic shrimp recipe and for good reason, so I had to do it again! Although slightly different, it is just as delicious and easy to make. You may certainly add fresh spinach, mushrooms, or any veggies you want. This is just a basic but ridiculously good recipe but you can adjust it to your liking. Did I mention that this is keto-friendly and low carb? Amazing.
Ingredients
- Scallops – fresh
- Heavy Cream
- Fresh Garlic – finely minced
- Shallots
- Lemon Zest
- Parmesan cheese – freshly grated
- Italian seasoning
- Salt and Pepper
- Fresh Parsley
How to Cook Creamy Garlic Scallops
- Discard the scallop side muscle from each scallop. It’s a bit tough and unpleasant. Pat dry the scallops with a paper towel and season generously with Kosher salt and black pepper on both sides.
- Heat some oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once you get that skillet sizzling hot, add the scallops and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. It will have an amazing caramelized crust.
- Once the scallops are done cooking, remove them from the skillet and set it aside.
- Add the shallots and garlic to the skillet and cook for 20 seconds. Stir in the heavy cream, Italian seasoning, lemon zest, and parmesan cheese. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the sauce thickens. This should take about 5-6 minutes. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.
- Place the scallops back into the skillet and spoon the sauce over the scallops. Cook for an additional 30 seconds and garnish with lemon wedges and fresh parsley, if desired.
Top Tips and Recipe Variations
- Use fresh and good quality ingredients. Fresh garlic and freshly grated parmesan cheese make all the difference!
- Don’t have scallops but have every other ingredient? Make this with chicken, shrimp, steak, or lobster tails.
- Want to make the ultimate meal? Cook some steak and serve these creamy garlic scallops on top! Toss in some jumbo lump crab meat and you’re in business.
- Don’t like lemon zest? Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Although I prefer a pinch of lemon zest because it is much more potent.
- If you like a bit of heat, feel free to add a generous pinch of red crushed pepper.
- Serve with some crusty Italian bread to soak up all that leftover sauce.
What are wet scallops?
Wet scallops are treated with a solution of water and sodium tripolyphosphate to help preserve them. I highly recommend using dry scallops because they are far superior, taste sweet, and caramelize perfectly. If you ever wondered why restaurant scallops taste better than yours it may be the fact that they use dry scallops and you used wet scallops.
Should I use sea scallops or bay scallops?
I highly recommend using sea scallops for this recipe. Bay scallops are typically used for pasta and soups, not main dishes like this one.
Can I use frozen scallops?
You can, just make sure to completely thaw them.
Storage
Place leftovers in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
More Delicious Seafood Recipes
You can find more delicious recipes and cooking tutorial videos on Youtube and Facebook.
Creamy Garlic Scallops
Ingredients
- 2 lbs scallops
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1/2 shallot finely diced
- 1 tbsp parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/8 tsp lemon zest just a pinch
- 3 tbsp oil
- salt and black pepper to taste
- fresh parsley optional
Instructions
- Remove the scallops side muscle and pat dry with a paper towel. Season generously on both sides with Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is super hot, add the scallops and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Remove the scallops from the skillet and set it aside.
- Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 20 seconds or until fragrant. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan. You can add a splash of white wine to deglaze the pan if you want. Completely optional.
- Add the heavy cream, lemon zest, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Reduce the heat to medium and cook the sauce until thickened. It should take about 5-6 minutes.
- Place the scallops back into the skillet and spoon the sauce over the scallops. Cook for about 30 seconds and garnish with fresh parsley, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use fresh and good quality ingredients. Fresh garlic and freshly grated parmesan cheese make all the difference!
- Don't have scallops but have every other ingredient? Make this with chicken, shrimp, steak, or lobster tails.
- Want to make the ultimate meal? Cook some steak and serve these creamy garlic scallops on top! Toss in some jumbo lump crab meat and you're in business.
- Don't like lemon zest? Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Although I prefer a pinch of lemon zest because it is much more potent.
- If you like a bit of heat, feel free to add a generous pinch of red crushed pepper.
- Serve with some crusty Italian bread to soak up all that leftover sauce.
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