Remove the side muscle from scallops, if still attached. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the scallops and sear until golden brown, about 3 minutes.
Gently turn each scallop using tongs. Add the butter and garlic. Cook, basting the scallops with butter, until golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add lemon juice and swirl to mix in. Garnish with parsley.
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Notes
Make sure the scallops are not crowded or touching each other in the pan during cooking. The scallops will boil instead of sear if they’re too close.
Try not to disturb the scallops once placed in the skillet for the best sear. You want continuous contact with the skillet for the best browning.
It’s important to give the pan and oil time to heat up. The scallops should sizzle when you add them to the pan, so they’ll get a nice sear.
Scallops cook quickly, so make sure you have all your ingredients measured and ready to go as soon as you start.
Remove the scallops from the pan once done so it doesn’t continue cooking from the pan’s residual heat.