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Pan-Seared Scallops & Lemon Butter Sauce

Pan-Seared Scallops & Lemon Butter Sauce

with Crème Fraîche Mashed Potatoes & Roasted Asparagus
4.5(7.1K)848 Reviews
Recipe Development Team
Recipe Development TeamUpdated on April 02, 2026
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Calories
480 kcal
Protein
20g protein
Total
35 minutes
Difficulty
Medium
Allergens:
  • Milk
  • Shellfish
  • Fish

If you think perfectly cooked scallops are only achievable with a dinner reservation at a fancy restaurant, think again! Here, you’ll master the art of the perfect sear, cooking the scallops until they form a beautifully caramelized, golden crust. The garlic-lemon pan sauce that’s drizzled over top is also delicious swiped through bites of crème fraîche mashed potatoes and chili roasted asparagus. Our compliments to the chef… oh yeah, that’s you!

Produced in a facility that processes eggs, milk, fish, peanuts, sesame, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, and wheat.
Serving amount

12 ounce

Potatoes

2 clove

Garlic

¼ ounce

Chives

1 unit

Lemon

2 tablespoon

Crème Fraîche

(Contains: Milk)

6 ounce

Asparagus

1 teaspoon

Smoked Paprika

8 ounce

Jumbo Sea Scallops

(Contains: Shellfish)

1 unit

Seafood Stock Concentrate

(Contains: Fish, Shellfish)

1 teaspoon

Chili Flakes

Not included in your delivery

4 teaspoon

Olive Oil

2 tablespoon

Butter

(Contains: Milk)

Salt

Pepper

per serving
Calories480 kcal
Fat25 g
Saturated Fat11 g
Carbohydrate46 g
Sugar6 g
Dietary Fiber5 g
Protein20 g
Cholesterol70 mg
Sodium970 mg
Due to the different suppliers we purchase our products from, nutritional facts per meal can vary from the website to what is received in the delivered box, depending on your region.
Zester
Medium Pot
Potato Masher
Strainer
Baking Sheet
Aluminum Foil
Large Pan
Paper Towel

Cooking Steps

Prep
1

• Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry produce. • Dice potatoes into ½-inch pieces. Peel garlic; finely chop half and leave remaining whole. Thinly slice chives. Zest and quarter lemon.

Make Mashed Potatoes
2

• Place potatoes and whole garlic in a medium pot with enough salted water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes. Reserve ½ cup potato cooking liquid, then drain and return potatoes to pot. • Mash with crème fraîche and 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings) until smooth, adding splashes of reserved potato cooking liquid as needed. Season with salt and pepper. • Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.

Roast Asparagus
3

• While potatoes cook, trim and discard woody bottom ends from asparagus. Toss on a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of chili flakes, and salt. • Roast on middle rack until tender and lightly browned, 10-12 minutes.

Cook Scallops
4

• Meanwhile, pat scallops* dry with paper towels. Season all over with half the paprika (all for 4 servings), salt, and pepper. • Heat a large drizzle of olive oil in a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium-high heat. Add scallops and cook until opaque and cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side. • Turn off heat; transfer to a plate. Tent with foil to keep warm. Wipe out pan.

Make Sauce
5

• Heat a drizzle of olive oil in same pan over medium heat. Add chopped garlic and half the lemon zest (all for 4 servings). Cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. • Add stock concentrate, a big squeeze of lemon juice, and ¼ cup water (1⁄3 cup for 4). Simmer until slightly reduced, 1-2 minutes. • Turn off heat; season with salt and pepper. • Stir in 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4) and half the chives.

Serve
6

• Divide scallops, mashed potatoes, and asparagus between plates. Top scallops with sauce. Garnish dish with remaining chives. Serve with remaining lemon wedges on the side.

Scallops are fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 145º.

Customer reviews

Review summary

Updated on Apr 2026
  • Flavor: The lemon butter sauce gets rave reviews and pairs beautifully with the scallops. Some found the smoked paprika overpowering; consider using less for a more delicate flavor.
  • Ease of prep: Simple and straightforward to make, though timing all components together can be tricky. Cook scallops 2-3 minutes per side to avoid overcooking and chewiness.
  • Suggestions: Use a whole lemon for extra brightness, and some added white wine to deglaze the pan. Consider cooking asparagus on the stovetop instead of roasting to prevent overcooking.
  • Portions: Many felt the scallop portion was too small for the premium price; consider supplementing with extra seafood.
AI-generated from customer reviews

Reviews from our home cooks

K
Karen JohnsonCooked for 2 people
|Mar 18, 2024

Always love nearly any meal with scallops. The mashed potatoes had good texture, as did the scallops. The lemon butter sauce was very tasty. Only minor complaint is the asparagus spears were so skinny; it's more difficult to roast them to be crisp rather than limp. But their flavor was still good.

A
AnonymousCooked for 2 people
|Sep 16, 2022

So so good! The potatoes were definitely better than usual and the sauce to go with the scallops was incredible. I'd recommend not dusting the scallops with Paprika as it just burns, but it is a great addition to the sauce you make afterwards.

K
Katherine MancusoCooked for 2 people
|Nov 16, 2023

Skipped the sauce packet because butter and lemon is plenty for scallops. Keeping it simple I put the potatoes and asparagus in the air fryer. Roasted potatoes are easier and better. Served with creme fraishe on the side of the potatoes topped with chives.

V
Valerie KetkarCooked for 2 people
|Jan 22, 2024

One of my favorite recipes. I love the easy simple sauce that I cooked the scallops in so good. I like the quick method to make the mashed potatoes

D
Diane LloydCooked for 2 people
|Jul 22, 2023

My husband doesn't like scallops much at all, but THIS had him raving!! The scallops were a good size and they seared up beautifully, nice and crisp on the outside. The mashed potatoes and asparagus were especially well-chosen sides for this meal. I will definitely order again now that I know how much he liked it!

A
AnonymousCooked for 2 people
|Oct 28, 2025

This recipe was incredible - more scallop dishes please!! Never realized how simple it was to make scallops taste good, was blown away! (maybe not worth the upgrade price unless I have a reward/discount though...)

C
Chelsea MagnanCooked for 2 people
|Sep 28, 2025

Very tasty and easy to make. I would have liked more asparagus so I get my daily veggies. The lemon butter sauce did not disappoint.

J
Jennifer GreshamCooked for 4 people
|May 5, 2024

The scallops were very fresh and the sauce was incredibly tasty. Might want to adjust the cooking time on the asparagus when it is very thin however--it got burned, although it was still tasty.

S
Staci JohnsonCooked for 2 people
|Sep 25, 2025

Scallops came in pieces rather than whole scallops. Potatoes are still scarred up and not good quality. I paid EXTRA for this particular meal. The recipe for the sauce was the saving grace.

K
Kathryn HenzlerCooked for 2 people
|Aug 22, 2025

Loved this. I've always been scared to cook scallops and this helped ease my fears. Delicious and easy

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