Description
A comforting and elegant skillet dish featuring buttery garlic rice and perfectly seared scallops, finished with lemon and fresh parsley.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound scallops, raw and cleaned
- 1 cup uncooked white rice
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 lemon, juiced and zested
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly cracked
Instructions
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot.
- In a medium saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil. Add rice, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until cooked. Set aside.
- Wipe skillet clean if needed. Add olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Let it melt and heat until shimmering.
- Pat scallops dry and season with salt and pepper. Sear in skillet for 2–3 minutes per side until golden. Remove and set aside.
- Lower heat. Add remaining butter and minced garlic to skillet. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Stir in cooked rice and lemon juice. Gently toss to coat rice in garlic butter.
- Return scallops to skillet, nestling into rice. Heat for 1–2 minutes until warmed through.
- Finish with lemon zest and chopped parsley. Serve hot.
Notes
- Use day-old rice for better texture and flavor absorption.
- Don’t overcrowd scallops in skillet to ensure a good sear.
- Zest the lemon before juicing for ease.
- Add a splash of broth if rice is too dry when reheating.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 740mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
Keywords: garlic butter scallops, scallop rice skillet, skillet dinner, seafood recipe, quick scallop meal