Pan Seared Scallops with Chorizo

Pan seared scallops with chorizo are quick and easy to make, but also super-special. Dressed to impress in 10 minutes. Here's how to do it.

Why we love this recipe

Pan seared scallops take virtually no time to make. And once you know a few basics, they're truly easy to master. Yet they seem so special — I don't know how they do it.

This recipe:

• Brings out the natural sweetness and succulence of scallops
• Enhances it just enough with pops of chorizo and chives
• Is sheer perfection for date night, a small dinner party, or even weeknight dinner
• Loves to be nestled over a bed of basmati rice pilaf or lemony orzo

You'll find detailed instructions and advice below, but all you really need is two simple tips:

1. Success with scallops is at least 70% achieved at the store.
2. Quit while you're ahead.

I first published this recipe here in 2018. I've since updated the post for clarity, but the recipe remains the same.

How to buy scallops

• Buy a pound of the freshest scallops you can find. Like all fresh seafood, they should smell good and briny like the sea.
• Buy sea scallops, not bay scallops. (Bay scallops are much smaller and typically used in different types of dishes.)
• Perhaps most importantly, buy "DRY" scallops, meaning they haven't been injected with a chemical solution to plump them up. Dry scallops both taste way better and sear way better.
• And finally, buy "10-20" scallops which means there are 10 to 20 of them in a pound.

What you'll need

Here's a glance at the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe.

• The key ingredient here is a pound of 10-20 dry sea scallops. See the section above for everything you need to know.
• A little bit of Spanish-style chorizo adds tons of flavor and a nice textural contrast. This is a dry-cured sausage that's already fully cooked, and it's totally different from Mexican-style chorizo. If you don't do pork, you can leave it out and still have a phenomenal meal.
• Safflower oil is my high-smoke-point, neutral-tasting vegetable oil of choice. You can substitute another oil that has similar properties, such as canola, sunflower, peanut, corn, or vegetable oil blend.
• Use a really good-quality butter if you can. Here and virtually everywhere, I start with a cultured butter from grass-fed cows. This sounds fancy but doesn't have to be. Kerrygold, for example, is sold in most supermarkets at a reasonable price.
• A few snips of fresh chives brighten up the meal.

How to prep scallops for pan-searing

You don't have to do much to prep dry scallops for searing, but there are a couple of easy tricks to getting the best results. Watch the video in this post to see it all in action.

• First, you'll remove and discard the tough little muscle on the side of the scallop.
• Then you'll pat both sides dry with a paper towel to ensure they sear as well as possible.
• If you like, sprinkle the scallops with salt and pepper. (I don't usually add salt since they're naturally savory.) That's it — they're ready to sear.

How to make them

Here's an overview of what you'll do to make pan seared scallops with chorizo. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.

1. Prep the scallops according to the instructions above. Dice the chorizo and cook over high heat for a couple of minutes, until browned. Remove the chorizo and heat the oil. Add the scallops and cook for 60 seconds without disturbing.
2. Add butter and cook until golden brown on the underside, usually just 30 to 60 seconds more.
3. Turn scallops once and cook until just shy of opaque on the inside, which may only take another minute or so, depending on size. They'll continue to cook a bit off the heat, and you want them to be perfectly tender inside.
4. Arrange some scallops, chorizo, and chives over rice or orzo on each plate. That's it!

How to serve them

I usually serve these scallops perched atop a bed of basmati rice pilaf. They'd be equally good over lemony orzo or brown butter white bean purée.

Expert tips and FAQs

More favorite easy seafood showstoppers

• Oysters with mignonette granita
• Baked oysters with shallot herb butter
• Butter poached lobster tails
• Shrimp cocktail