Pan-Seared Scallops with Lemon-Garlic Butter over Zucchini Noodles

Sea scallops are one of the fastest, most satisfying proteins you can cook: a hot pan and a few minutes per side gives you a deep golden crust and a sweet, tender center. Here they're finished with a quick lemon-garlic butter sauce built from just a touch of butter plus a splash of broth and lemon juice, so the sauce stays light and bright rather than heavy or cream-based. Fresh garlic, lemon zest and a little parsley do the flavor work, no cream or thick sauces needed. Underneath, spiralized zucchini noodles are sautéed for just a minute or two, enough to soften slightly while keeping a bit of bite, and they soak up every bit of that garlicky pan sauce. The whole dish comes together in about 20 minutes in a single pan plus a quick noodle sauté, making it an easy weeknight option that still feels like something you'd order at a restaurant. This is a naturally portion-friendly plate: a satisfying serving of scallops delivers plenty of protein without being oversized or greasy, and the zucchini noodles add volume, fiber and water without starch or added carbs. It's light enough to sit easily but flavorful enough to feel like a real dinner.</long_description> <parameter name="meta_description">Quick 20-minute seared scallops in lemon-garlic butter over zucchini noodles. A light, high-protein keto dinner with restaurant-style flavor.

Ingredients

• 12 ozSea scallops, about 10-12 large scallops, patted very dry
• 0.5 tspsalt
• 0.25 tspblack pepper
• 1 tbspolive oil
• 1.5 tbspunsalted butter, divided
• 3 clovegarlic, minced
• 0.25 cupchicken broth, low sodium
• 1.5 tbsplemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 0.5 tsplemon zest
• 3 mediumzucchini, spiralized into noodles
• 1 tbspfresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
• 0.125 tspred pepper flakes, optional

Method

1. Pat the scallops very dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Spiralize the zucchini into noodles and set aside.
3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add scallops in a single layer, leaving space between each.
4. Sear the scallops undisturbed until a deep golden crust forms. 2:00
5. Flip the scallops with tongs and sear the second side until just opaque in the center. Transfer to a plate. 1:30
6. Lower the heat to medium, add half the butter and the garlic to the skillet, and stir until fragrant. 0:45
7. Pour in the chicken broth, lemon juice and lemon zest, and simmer briefly to form a light sauce. 1:00
8. Add the zucchini noodles to the skillet and toss until just softened but still slightly crisp. 1:30
9. Stir in the remaining butter until melted and glossy, then season the sauce with a pinch of salt if needed. 0:30
10. Divide the zucchini noodles between plates, top with the seared scallops, and spoon the lemon-garlic butter sauce over the top. Garnish with parsley and red pepper flakes if using.