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    Home » Mains

    Author: Emily Krill | Published: Sep 6, 2019 | Modified: Nov 21, 2021

    Keto Scallops with Butter Herb Sauce

    Jump to Recipe

    This recipe for Keto scallops in a browned butter herb sauce is a great low carb fish entree with only 3g net carbs.

    Low Carb Keto Scallops with Herb Butter Sauce

    Greetings!

    I just had the most delicious lunch of pan seared scallops with a browned butter sauce and some fresh herbs on top.

    I went straight to the source for this recipe: the venerable Cook's Illustrated. 

    They took a deep dive into the best way to pan sear scallops.  Then I found a simple recipe for a browned butter sauce on Epicurious.  And finally, I sprinkled the top with fresh parsley and chives from my garden.  It was a quick and easy way to eat seared Keto scallops.

    Cook's Illustrated spent a lot of time coming up with a way to mask the taste of STP, the chemical used to keep scallops fresh.

    The solution to getting rid of the STP taste is to brine the scallops in a mixture of salt, lemon juice and water.  The result still has STP, but the flavor is masked by the lemon juice.  Clever.  But if you use "dry" scallops that haven't been packaged in STP, then you can skip the brine.

    Alright, let's get cooking!

    Big-Chef-Orange-Square

    Ok, chow for now!

    Big-Chef-Orange-Square
    (But let's keep in touch.)

    Print

    📋 Recipe

    Keto Scallops with Butter Herb Sauce

    Low Carb Keto Scallops with Herb Butter Sauce
    Print Recipe

    ★★★★★

    5 from 1 reviews

    This is a low carb dish of scallops with herb butter sauce. It's a great entree with only 3g net carbs.

    • Author: Emily Krill
    • Prep Time: 15
    • Cook Time: 15
    • Total Time: 30 minutes
    • Yield: 4 servings 1x
    • Category: Entree
    • Method: Stovetop
    • Cuisine: Amercian
    • Diet: Low Calorie

    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 1 ½ pounds scallops, tendons removed
    • 1 quart water
    • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoons salt
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
    • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
    • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
    • 1 teaspoon fresh chives, chopped
    • salt and pepper
    • lemon wedges

    Instructions

    Step 1.  If the scallops are "dry" and not packed in an STP and salt water solution, then move on to step 2.  If they are "wet" scallops, then brine them in a mixture of 1 quart water, 2 tablespoons salt and ¼ cup fresh lemon juice for 30 minutes.

    Step 2.  Place scallops on a rimmed baking sheet lined with clean dish towel. Place second clean dish towel on top of scallops and press gently on towel to blot liquid. Let scallops sit on the counter for 10 minutes while towels absorb moisture.

    Step 3.   Sprinkle scallops on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking.  Add half of scallops in single layer, flat side down, and cook, without moving them, until well browned, 1 ½ to 2 minutes.

    Step 4.  Add 1 tablespoon butter to skillet. Using tongs, flip scallops; continue to cook, using large spoon to baste scallops with melted butter (tilt skillet so butter runs to 1 side) until sides of scallops are firm and centers are opaque and register 115 degrees, 30 to 90 seconds longer (remove smaller scallops as they finish cooking).  Transfer scallops to large plate and tent loosely with aluminum foil.  Wipe out skillet with paper towels and repeat with remaining  scallops, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter.  Keep them tented under tin foil as you make the butter sauce.

    Step 5.  Use a small egg pan for the browned butter sauce.  It's good to use a light colored pan so you can easily gauge the color of the sauce.  Add remaining ¼ cup butter to the pan and cook over medium heat.  Let the butter melt and cook, stirring often, until it's nutty and browned, 4 to 6 minutes.

    Step 6.  Pour the browned butter sauce over the scallops and sprinkle fresh parsley and chives on top.  Serve with lemon wedges.

    Nutrition

    • Calories: 363
    • Fat: 26
    • Carbohydrates: 4
    • Fiber: 0
    • Protein: 29

    IF YOU LIKED THIS LOW CARB FISH RECIPE, THEN YOU MIGHT LIKE MY RECIPES FOR KETO CLAM CHOWDER, KETO FISH STICKS OR SHRIMP SCAMPI.

    « Ratatouille [Low Carb, Paleo & Keto]
    World's Greatest Keto Waffle Recipe »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sarah says

      October 25, 2018 at 7:04 am

      I love scallops but my husband is allergic so I don't make them anymore. This recipe makes me want to eat them so bad!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • EmilyKrill says

        October 26, 2018 at 7:49 am

        Make them and make something else for him! They are too good to pass up.

        Reply
      • Debra says

        October 03, 2019 at 2:45 pm

        Sarah, I can't believe your willing to live without scallops due to your husbands allergy. I understand but I couldn't do it. If he can tolerase the smell (which I don't think is that bad) then I'd cook 2 separate main courses. If he can't tolerate it I'd make a single serving just for me for lunch. Them air out the kitchen or spray Fabreze. Nothing better than fresh, sweet, succulent scallops.

        Reply
        • EmilyKrill says

          October 03, 2019 at 5:02 pm

          I'm with Debra on this one. You need to do whatever it takes.

          Reply

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    I'm Emily, the diabetic behind Resolution Eats. Many years ago, I made a New Year's resolution to switch to a low carb diet. It improved both my health and my outlook on life. Since then, I've come up with hundreds of Keto recipes for everything from soup to nuts. And this blog is a way for me to share the low carb love. Cheers!

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