Rice Free Lemon-Dill Seared Scallops
Perfectly seared scallops with a golden crust and a bright, herby pan sauce — this dish feels like something you'd order at a nice restaurant, but it comes together in your own kitchen with just a handful of clean ingredients. The technique here is everything: patting the scallops bone-dry and letting them rest before they hit a screaming-hot pan is what creates that deep, caramelized sear that makes the whole dish sing. Coconut oil handles the high heat beautifully, giving you that gorgeous browning without any of the grain-based fillers or thickeners that can sneak into restaurant versions of a dish like this. Once the scallops are done, the same skillet builds a quick pan sauce from garlic, chicken bone broth, and fresh lemon juice — no starch, no flour, just natural reduction that turns silky and slightly syrupy on its own. Fresh dill stirred in at the end keeps everything bright and aromatic, and a squeeze of lemon at the table pulls the whole plate together. It's an elegant, satisfying meal that happens to be completely free of rice and grain-based sides without ever feeling like it's missing a thing.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 1 ½ lb large sea scallops (about 12–16 count), side muscle removed
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, divided
For the pan sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup chicken bone broth (homemade or aip-compliant brand)
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 ½ lemons)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp coconut oil (for finishing the sauce)
- 3 tbsp fresh dill, roughly chopped
For serving
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
- lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Pat the scallops thoroughly dry on all sides with paper towels, then season with the fine sea salt. Set them on a clean plate and let them rest uncovered at room temperature for 5 minutes — the surface should look visibly dry before they go into the pan.
- 2
Heat 1 1/2 tbsp of the coconut oil in a 12-inch stainless steel or cast iron skillet over high heat until the oil shimmers and just begins to smoke. Add the scallops in a single layer, flat-side down, without crowding — work in two batches if needed. Sear undisturbed for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes, until the underside is deep golden-brown and releases cleanly from the pan.
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