Brown Butter Scallops with Crispy Breadcrumbs

These brown butter scallops pair a golden sear with nutty butter and crisp, wine-kissed breadcrumbs for an easy dinner that feels extra special.

Scallops are one of the Southern husband’s very favorite things. Me? I usually head straight for the shrimp or lobster. But give those scallops a golden sear, spoon a little brown butter over them, and finish with a tumble of crispy breadcrumbs, and suddenly I’m asking whether he’s going to eat all of his.

This is the kind of dinner that feels fancy enough for a special occasion but comes together in about 30 minutes. Make the breadcrumbs first, then cook the scallops just before you’re ready to eat. They only need a few minutes in the skillet, which leaves plenty of time to warm the plates—and perhaps pour a glass of that white wine.

Jump to:

• 🔎 A quick look at this recipe
• ⭐️ Why this recipe works
• 🐚 Wet vs. dry scallops: what’s the difference?
• Ingredients you need
• 💡 Ingredient substitution ideas
• How to make this recipe
• Recipe FAQs
• 🍽️ What to serve with this recipe
• Brown Butter Scallops with Crispy Breadcrumbs
• 💫 Variations on this recipe
• 😍 Other scallop recipes we love!
• ⭐️ We want to know what you think!
• 🥣 Come on into our kitchen!

🔎 A quick look at this recipe

⭐️ Why this recipe works

• 🧈 Brown butter makes a simple dinner feel special. Its nutty flavor is lovely with sweet sea scallops.
• 🥖 Crispy breadcrumbs bring the crunch. A little white wine and butter give them flavor before they turn golden in the oven.
• 🔥 A quick sear keeps the scallops tender. They cook in just a few minutes, so dinner comes together fast once the breadcrumbs are ready.
• 🍋 A squeeze of citrus brightens everything up. Lemon or lime is optional, but especially nice with the rich butter.
• ✨ It’s date-night worthy without a long evening in the kitchen. The whole recipe takes about 30 minutes and serves two.

🐚 Wet vs. dry scallops: what’s the difference?

First of all, we need to discuss wet sea scallops and dry sea scallops.  (Sea scallops are the big ones, not the tiny little bay scallops, and sea scallops are what you want for this recipe.)

Wet scallops are scallops that are shucked and placed into cold water, sometimes with preservatives to make them last longer.  They tend to be a little tougher, and they lose some of that lovely seafood flavor, but they last longer which is why they are treated this way.

Dry scallops are exactly that – scallops that are shucked and placed into a container with no water and no preservatives.  They don’t last as long, but they have a nicer taste and consistency.  (Here is a more detailed description from my friends at The Kitchn.)

I always opt for dry scallops if they are available, but you have to ask, otherwise you don’t know which ones you are getting since they look exactly alike.  Whichever kind you buy, pat the scallops very dry before they go into the skillet so they can develop a golden sear. And that is your scallop lesson for today!

Ingredients you need

Sea scallops: Look for large dry sea scallops if you can find them. You’ll need eight for two servings. Pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels before seasoning so they sear instead of steaming.

Bread: Two slices of white bread make the fresh breadcrumbs. They may look a little mushy when you mix them with the melted butter and wine, but they’ll crisp up in the oven.

Butter: The melted tablespoon goes into the breadcrumbs; the three cold tablespoons go into the skillet after you flip the scallops. Keeping those portions separate makes this recipe much easier to follow!

White wine: Just two tablespoons flavor the breadcrumbs. Use a dry white wine you’d enjoy drinking.

Lemon or lime: A squeeze at the end is optional, but it adds a lovely little pop of brightness to the brown butter.

💡 Ingredient substitution ideas

Missing something or want to swap in something different? Check out the links below to find more ingredient substitution ideas. 👇🏻

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.

How to make this recipe

Meantime, this recipe is about as easy and elegant as it gets (I love it when those two things go together!).

You want to start by making the bread crumbs, since the scallops are going to take a grand total of about 5 minutes to cook.

Whirl a couple of slices of bread in your food processor, mix the crumbs with a little melted butter and white wine (don’t worry if they look mushy), and bake them for about 10 minutes until they are golden and crispy. Watch them carefully so they don’t get too dark brown.

Now, pat the scallops very dry, season them up with some salt and pepper and cook them in some olive oil until they are brown.  Flip them over and add in the butter, stirring the butter around gently until it melts –  make sure you get some of that nice melted butter over the top of your scallops.

Cook the butter and scallops just until the butter turns brown, which should only take about 2-3 minutes.

Now all that’s left to do is pop those scallops on warm plates, drizzle the brown butter from the pan over them, and scatter on some bread crumbs.  I like a little squeeze of lemon or lime juice to brighten everything up, but that’s totally optional.

Recipe FAQs

🍽️ What to serve with this recipe

These scallops are lovely with a green vegetable and something to soak up that nutty brown butter. Try Roasted Green Beans with Walnuts for an easy warm side, or Green Bean Tomato Salad if you’d like something fresh and bright. A scoop of plain rice underneath the scallops rounds out dinner beautifully.

Let’s grab the scallops, brown a little butter, and make a dinner that has the Southern husband asking when we can have it again!

💫 Variations on this recipe

• Add fresh herbs: Scatter a little chopped parsley or chives over the finished scallops for color and freshness.
• Try a lemony finish: Squeeze fresh lemon over the scallops just before serving, or use lime for a slightly different zing.
• Make the breadcrumbs garlicky: Toss a small pinch of garlic powder into the crumbs before baking. Keep it light so the sweet scallops and brown butter still shine.
• Serve them over rice: Spoon the scallops and every last drop of brown butter over warm rice for a heartier supper.

😍 Other scallop recipes we love!

⭐️ We want to know what you think!

If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section below.

Looking for more seafood inspiration? We’ve got you covered! 🥳 Here is our complete collection of seafood recipes.

🥣 Come on into our kitchen!

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