Sautéed Sea Scallops Provençal are the fancy dinner that we can make at home in 20 minutes! These sweet and tender scallops are finished in a silky, garlic butter wine sauce that will rock your world.
This sea scallop dish is based on an Ina Garten classic. I've taken just a few liberties with my version, adding chives to my fresh herb mix and increasing the garlic and wine, to ensure we have a little extra sauce and an excuse for serving a little extra baguette.
It's a remarkably simple recipe to prepare. Be sure to dice your shallots, garlic and fresh herbs before starting your skillet because the process is fast and furious and super simple if all of your ingredients are ready to go.
Try these delicious scallop recipes next!
- Broiled Scallops with Italian Salsa Verde
- Baked Scallops with White Wine, Citrus and Basil
- Brown Butter Seared Scallops with Charred Corn Polenta
- Seafood Pasta in Garlic White Wine Sauce
Ingredients for This Recipe:
Before we get to the step-by-step instructions for this recipe, few notes about the ingredients:
Scallops: fresh sea scallops are perfect, but if frozen is your best option, just follow the instructions in the recipe card for thawing gently. Bay scallops can be used in this recipe, but cook time should be reduced by half.
Herbs: flat leaf parsley and fresh chives are my preferred mix here, but almost any soft herb will work, including basil or tarragon.
Wine: if you prefer cooking alcohol-free, substitute broth or stock with an extra squeeze of lemon juice.
Full ingredient list and measurements included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to make this dish:
1. Prep and cook scallops
Dry scallops well with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Ensure the small side muscle is removed from each scallop. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge seasoned scallops in flour. Set aside.
Ensure your garlic, shallot and herbs are diced and ready to go! Heat a large skillet (cast iron skillet or stainless steel are best) over medium-high heat with neutral oil. Add seasoned and dredged scallops to the hot pan in single layer. Sear first side without moving the scallops for 2 minutes, until you see a golden crust. Reduce to medium heat and turn scallops.
Add butter, diced shallots and garlic to pan. Sauté all for 2 minutes, until scallops are just cooked through. Remove scallops and tent with foil.
2. Make garlic butter wine sauce
To the pan of butter, garlic and shallots, add white wine, fresh parsley and chives. Bring to a rapid simmer for 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Return golden brown scallops to pan and coat in garlic butter sauce with fresh herbs.
3. Garnish and serve
Serve sea scallops in sauce with lemon wedges, a sprinkle of lemon zest and a warm baguette.
FAQ's and Serving Suggestions:
Substituting shrimp for sea scallops in this recipe and making a Garlic Butter Shrimp Provençal would be a wonderful dish. Adjust cooking time based on the size of your shrimp. Serve with lemon wedges and baguette to soak up every last drop of sauce!
Scallops should be cooked until they are opaque and firm to the touch. If you have an instant-read thermometer, the FDA recommends that most seafood be cooked to a finished temperature of 145℉. I find with scallops that they turn pearly and opaque around 130℉, so if you're using a temperature pen, remove from the skillet when the scallops are around 120℉ and let them rest for a few minutes. The carryover cooking will get you to the perfect, tender scallop. The size of the scallops and the heat level will dictate the total cooking time, but generally sea scallops need 2-3 minutes on the first side and 1-2 minutes on the second side.
Scallops pair well with a variety of side dishes, including fancy green beans, grilled asparagus, creamy rice, garlic quinoa, or a simple Mediterranean salad. Check out my Best Side Dishes to Serve with Scallops: 31 Recipes next!
A neutral oil with a high smoke point like sunflower, canola or grapeseed oil will get you the best sear on the scallop, then add butter once you reduce heat for the silky sauce so it doesn't burn. The perfect balance!
Frozen scallops are best when thawed slowly in the refrigerator to prevent them from getting an unpleasantly mushy texture. Place them in the refrigerator for 24 hours before you plan to cook them. This will allow them to thaw slowly and evenly.
If you're short on time, you can thaw the scallops in a bowl of cold water (keep them in their original packaging!) for 30 minutes to an hour, or until they are completely thawed. Do not use warm or hot water to thaw scallops, as this can partially cook the scallop, affecting their texture and flavor and potentially introducing food safety concerns.
To store leftover sauteed scallops, transfer to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to two days. Once thawed and cooked, scallops should not be re-frozen.
Sautéed Sea Scallops in Garlic Butter Wine Sauce
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2
Ingredients
1 pound large sea scallops
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons neutral oil
4 tablespoons butter
½ cup shallots, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh chives, diced
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, diced
Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Dry scallops well with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Ensure the small side muscle is removed from each scallop. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge seasoned scallops in flour. Set aside.
- Heat large skillet (cast iron skillet or stainless are best) over medium-high heat with neutral oil. Add fresh scallops to the hot pan in single layer. Sear first side without moving the scallops for 3 minutes, until they achieve a golden crust. Reduce to medium heat and turn scallops. Add butter, diced shallots and garlic to pan. Saute all for 2 minutes, until scallops are just cooked through. Remove scallops and tent with foil.
- To the pan of butter, garlic and shallots, add white wine, fresh parsley and chives. Bring to a rapid simmer for 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Taste and adjust seasoning. Return golden brown scallops to pan and coat in garlic butter sauce with fresh herbs.
- Serve pan-seared scallops in butter wine sauce with lemon wedges, a sprinkle of lemon zest and a warm baguette.
Notes
Scallops should be thawed slowly in the refrigerator to prevent them from getting an unpleasantly mushy texture. Place them in the refrigerator for 24 hours before you plan to cook them. This will allow them to thaw slowly and evenly.
If you're short on time, you can thaw the scallops in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes to an hour, or until they are completely thawed. Do not use warm or hot water to thaw scallops, as this can partially cook the scallop, affecting their texture and flavor and potentially introducing food safety concerns.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: lunch, dinner
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American, French
Lynn
My husband's favorite meal! We love the sauce with the added chives. So flavorful!
Christina Jolam
Thanks so much, Lynn. I agree about the chives - a great option for just a little more freshness and flavor in the wine sauce. So glad you and your family love it! Thanks for the great review.