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Ready to eat in under 20 minutes, these scallops are pan-seared and then topped with a zesty combination of herbs, garlic, and lemon. Impressive for guests, but easy enough for weeknights!

Seared scallops topped with green herb sauce served on a bed of creamy yellow polenta, arranged on a white plate with a fork on the side.

Waiting for the garden to start producing can be one of the more frustrating parts of spring, especially after long winter months without a perfectly juicy tomato.

There’s something you can get started cooking with right away though: herbs!

Dollar for dollar, herbs might be one of the best choices for a garden. My sage plant popped right back starting in February, and I let my dill self-seed into multiple new baby plants. Adding fresh herbs to dishes give flavor you just can’t replicate from a jar!

Parsley is one of those herbs that is incredibly versatile across cuisines. For these seared scallops, the parsley is combined with just a few other ingredients to make persillade, a French topping that’s especially good on seafood. Similar to chimichurri in flavor, it pairs beautifully with the buttery taste of scallops.

This recipe takes less than 20 minutes to prepare, so it’s perfect for making even a regular weeknight dinner feel more special.

Ingredient notes & tools

This is just an overview. For full measurements and step-by-step instructions, scroll down to the printable recipe card, or use the button on the side.

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A plate of raw sea scallops, a bunch of parsley, a lemon, a bulb of garlic, a small bowl of olive oil, and a stick of butter arranged on a light surface.

Look for fresh sea scallops at the seafood counter of your grocery store. You don’t want bay scallops, which are much smaller. Dry, unsoaked scallops have the best quality. If you can’t find fresh, you can use frozen, but make sure to thaw according to package directions and never in hot water.

You’ll want fresh flat-leaf parsley, not curly parsley. It’s usually right next to the cilantro, so don’t mix them up! I like to use a mezzaluna for chopping herbs, as the rocking motion of the curved blade makes it quick and easy.

The lemon juice in this is optional, but you’ll need lemon zest so go ahead and grab a small lemon. If you have extra zest, you can freeze it or use in another recipe.

You’ll also need:

Olive oil
Unsalted butter
Fresh garlic
Salt and pepper

Four seared scallops with green herb topping served on a bed of creamy yellow polenta, on a white plate next to a blue-striped napkin and a fork.

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How to make this recipe

If your scallops have the side muscle attached, carefully pull it off and discard. Pat the scallops dry on all sides with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper.

Add olive oil to a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the scallops, making sure there is some space between them.

Let the scallops cook for 2-3 minutes, until a nice brown crust forms. Don’t be tempted to flip the scallops early! If you try to turn them before the crust has developed and the muscle has tightened, they will stick and tear.

Seared scallops cooking in a stainless steel pan with browned butter, next to a bunch of parsley and a striped kitchen towel.

A bowl containing chopped parsley, minced garlic, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes sits on a gray striped cloth next to a spoon and fresh parsley.

After turning, add the butter and cook for 1-2 minutes more while basting with the melted butter and turning the scallops a few times to baste on all sides. If you need to check for doneness, cut one open—it should be just opaque in the center. Transfer to a plate and tent to to keep warm.

Combine parsley, garlic, olive oil, and lemon zest (plus lemon juice and crushed red pepper, if using), along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to mix well. If you like, you can pulse this all together in a small food processor and add just a bit more olive oil to make it more saucy.

Serve the scallops on polenta with the persillade spooned over the top.

Four seared scallops served on creamy polenta, topped with a spoonful of green herb sauce on a white plate. Fresh parsley and a bowl of sauce are nearby.

Recipe tips

Make sure to not turn the scallops until the crust has formed and they loosen from the pan on their own. This is a common problem with searing proteins, so be patient! It takes just a couple of minutes.

Don’t overcook the scallops or they will be rubbery instead of tender. The color should be lightly opaque.

If you’re using frozen scallops, thaw the package in the refrigerator overnight. If you forgot (hey, that’s me all the time!), you can thaw them under COLD water. Don’t use hot water!

A plate of creamy polenta topped with seared scallops and green herb garnish, with a fork about to pick up a scallop.

These seared scallops go great with simple creamy polenta, but you can also serve them with lemon orzo. Don’t forget some roasted asparagus on the side!

Seared Scallops with Persillade

Quick-cooking scallops are topped with a zesty herb topping for easy weeknight elegance.

Author : Megan Myers

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 8

Total Time 18

Servings to 3

Calories per serving 347 kcal

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use
10 to 12 sea scallops, side muscle removed and patted very dry
Fine sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, optional
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes, optional
Cooked polenta, for serving

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat until shimmering.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Season the scallops with salt and pepper, then add to the skillet, spacing them evenly. Cook without moving for 2-3 minutes, until a deep golden crust forms.
10 to 12 sea scallops, Fine sea salt and ground black pepper
Add the butter and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, gently turning the scallops and basting with the melted butter, until just opaque in the center. Transfer to a plate.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Combine the parsley, garlic, remaining extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, optional lemon juice, and optional crushed red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to form a loose, spoonable mixture.
1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Spoon the persillade over the warm scallops and serve immediately over polenta.
Cooked polenta

Notes

If using frozen scallops, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

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We’ll email a link to you, so you can come back to it later! Plus, we’ll send new recipes to your inbox weekly.

Nutrition

Calories: 347 kcalCarbohydrates: 4 gProtein: 10 gFat: 33 gSaturated Fat: 10 gCholesterol: 48 mgSodium: 302 mgPotassium: 229 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 0.2 gIron: 1 mg

Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate based on online calculators. Any nutritional information found on Stetted should be used as a general guideline only.

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