Quick Glazed Pan Seared Scallops With Garlic

Need a super fast dinner option? These Glazed Pan Seared Scallops with Garlic and Honey take only 10 minutes to make and taste AMAZING! Scallops are seared for a crispy, caramelized crust on the outside and then glazed with a sweet and succulent thick sauce. Garlic, lemon, and honey are added to the pan to create this easy glaze that pairs perfectly with the sweet scallops with their salty sear. Try these with my Velvety Barley Recipe with Bacon and Gruyere and you have a delicious family dinner!

HOW TO BUY SCALLOPS

Scallops are an indulgent treat and a great option when you need something fast! They are high in protein, rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, and provide other vitamins and nutrients, such as B12 and magnesium.

I prefer to buy Fresh Sea Scallops (not Bay scallops that are smaller) if possible. If you can only find frozen, try to find those that are flash frozen when fresh. You can ask the Fish Monger that at the seafood counter in your grocery store. They should smell like the sea, not fishy at all, and look to have firm (not torn) flesh.

They are sold similarly to shrimp in count per pound. You generally will see them in 10-20, 20-30, or 30-40 per pound. For this recipe, I like the 20-30 per pound, as they are a nice plump size and you will get at least about 5-6 scallops per person. They may or may not have the small muscle attached to the side of the scallop still. This is what the scallop uses to attach to the shell. You will want to remove this muscle and discard it as they are very tough and not pleasant to eat.

Scallops can typically be swapped into most pan seared shrimp recipes, such as this Best Orange Brown Butter Shrimp Pasta Recipe!

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

Nothing special for this one! Just a large skillet/frying pan for making the veggies and curry sauce. I use my absolute favorite 12″ Ceramic Pan, which is great because food really does slide right off with minimal oil and I don’t have to worry about food sticking and burning. It comes with a glass lid, which is perfect for watching your dinner cook!

And mincing garlic is made super easy with a Garlic Press.

PREP-AHEAD TO MAKE YOUR CARAMELIZED ONIONS & MUSHROOMS COOKING KIT

We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights! (See the full recipe below)

There really isn’t much to prep ahead for this. Scallops cook so incredibly fast and they do not reheat very well as they can become very rubbery if overcooked.

You can mince the garlic and cut the lemon in half.

Check the scallops and remove any muscles that may still be attached to the sides. These are small muscles that attach the scallop to the shell and they are really tough, so you want to discard those.

COOK YOUR GLAZED SCALLOPS

Right before you are ready to sear your scallops, pat them dry using a double layer of paper towels. Then gently season with salt and pepper on both sides.

Preheat a large skillet or frying pan. Add the olive oil and then gently place the scallops in the oil in a single layer. Don’t overcrowd the pan, keep the scallops spaced so not touching. Cook about 2 minutes until golden brown, then flip and cook another 2 minutes. Remove them and place on a plate and continue to cook the rest of the scallops.

To the same pan used for the scallops, turn the heat to medium-low. Add the garlic, lemon juice, and honey. Stir to combine and cook for 2 minutes until the honey is warm and liquidy. Add the scallops back to the pan and coat with the glaze. Turn off the heat and serve!

Can I cook scallops ahead?

Unfortunately, scallops can overcook and get rubbery very easily. If you make them in advance and then reheat them, you are more than likely to overcook them. However, they only take a few minutes to cook, so as long as you prep everything ahead, you will spend no more than 10 minutes to cook them!

ENJOY! 😍 Carrie