Artificial Food Coloring Free Lemon Butter Scallops
Few dishes feel as luxurious as perfectly seared sea scallops, and this lemon butter version delivers that restaurant-quality experience right from your own stovetop. Every ingredient here is exactly what it says it is — fresh scallops, real butter, garlic, lemon, parsley — with zero synthetic dyes or artificial additives hiding anywhere in the list. That matters more than people realize with seafood dishes, since pre-marinated or pre-seasoned scallops from the store can carry color additives and preservatives you'd never expect. Starting with dry-packed sea scallops and building the sauce from scratch means you stay completely in control of what goes on the plate. The technique is straightforward but satisfying: a screaming-hot pan creates that gorgeous golden crust, while a quick pan sauce of garlic, red pepper flakes, fresh lemon juice, and grass-fed butter comes together in minutes with nothing artificial required. A finish of bright parsley and a squeeze of lemon wedge keeps everything clean, vibrant, and genuinely fresh-tasting. This is the kind of weeknight dinner that feels like a special occasion without any of the ingredient anxiety.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 1 ½ lb large dry-packed sea scallops (about 16–20 count)
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
For the sauce
- 3 tbsp grass-fed unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 ½ lemons)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
For serving
- lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Pat the scallops thoroughly dry with paper towels — press firmly on all sides. Season both flat faces with the salt and black pepper.
- 2
Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch stainless steel or cast iron skillet over high heat until the oil just begins to smoke. Add the scallops in a single layer, flat side down, leaving at least 1 inch between each one. Sear undisturbed for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes, until a deep golden-brown crust forms on the underside and the scallop releases easily from the pan.
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