Brown Butter Scallops with Watermelon & Tomato
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These brown butter scallops with watermelon and tomato pair golden seared scallops with nutty brown butter, sweet watermelon, juicy heirloom tomato, pickled shallots, and spicy serrano for a bright, balanced summer dish. The contrast of rich scallops and buttery sauce against the fresh, lightly spicy salad makes this an impressive yet easy dinner for warm-weather entertaining. Serve it with crusty bread and twice-baked potatoes for a complete meal. If you love easy-but-elevated dishes, you might want to save brown butter scallops with squash and farro salad or green curry scallops with corn for next time.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Restaurant-worthy – Elegant enough for entertaining but simple enough for weeknights.
- Balanced flavors – Rich brown butter contrasts beautifully with sweet watermelon and spicy serrano.
- Quick to make – Comes together in about 30 minutes for an easy elevated dinner.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Scallops – When cooking with scallops look for “dry packed” as they won’t contain any preservatives or additives.
- Heirloom tomato – With their superior flavor, heirloom tomatoes come from seeds passed down and are typically at least 50 years old. Look for a variety of colors. If you like heirloom tomatoes check out these 21 recipes using juicy summer tomatoes. In fact, I always recommend salting tomatoes or marinating them before adding them to sandwiches.
- Shallots – Shallots have a mild, slightly sweet flavor. If needed swap in yellow or red onion in this recipe. The general rule of thumb is 3 medium shallots equal 1 medium onion. FYI: you can also use my red quick pickled onion recipe for this dish!
- Watermelon – Watermelon is a refreshing summer fruit in peak season from July through August. I prefer seedless watermelon if you can find them.
- Serrano peppers – Serrano peppers are long, bright green peppers similar in flavor to jalapeños but pack about five times the punch. While jalapeños range between 2,000 to 5,00 Scoville units, serranos are between 5,000 and 15,000 Scoville units. If you can’t find serrano pepper, substitute with jalapeños.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Tips For Cooking with Scallops
- Ask for dry scallops at the seafood counter. “Dry-packed” means that they don’t have added preservatives. “Wet” scallops are those that have been soaked in a bath of phosphates to add water weight and to keep the scallops fresher longer.
- When they cook, the scallops absorb water leaving the wet scallops smaller and tougher. Since dry-packed scallops have less liquid to release during the cooking process, they end up with a beautiful caramelized sear.
- If you’ve ever seen “diver scallops” advertised, they’re scallops that are more labor intensive to retrieve. Rather than being harvested through dredging (which can be harmful to the environment!) diver scallops are gathered by actual divers. Because they require more work, they’re more expensive.
- Scallops require little cleaning before cooking. Just rinse and be sure to remove the side muscle, the rectangular tag of muscle on the side of the scallop that easily peels off. The muscle can technically be eaten but it is a lot tougher than the rest of the meat.
How to Make Brown Butter Scallops with Watermelon and Tomato (Step-by-Step)
In a small saucepan bring the vinegar, sugar, salt and ¼ cup water to a boil. Add the sliced shallots to a small bowl and pour the vinegar mixture over the top. Let sit for at least 15 minutes. Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to two weeks.
Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel then season on both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat, add the oil and heat through. Cook until the scallops are deep golden brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes.
Turn the scallops then add the butter to the pan and continue cooking, spooning the butter over the top of the scallops until they are cooked through and the butter begins to brown and smells nutty, about an additional 3 minutes. Squeeze the lemon juice over the top.
Plate watermelon, heirloom tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of the pickled shallots, serrano, and fennel on a small platter. Arrange scallops on top and pour remaining brown butter over the top. Garnish with fennel fronds and serve immediately.
How to Serve Brown Butter Scallops with Watermelon & Tomato
- As a main course: Serve plated as a light summer entrée with crusty bread.
- For entertaining: Present on a platter for a dramatic dinner party appetizer or shared starter.
- With wine: Pair with crisp white wine or rosé.
- With greens: Add alongside arugula or a citrus salad for a fuller meal.
How to Store Brown Butter Scallops with Watermelon & Tomato
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 1 day.
- Pickled shallots: Store separately in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Reheating: Gently warm scallops in a skillet over low heat to avoid overcooking.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Look for “dry-packed” scallops. They haven’t been treated with phosphates and will sear more beautifully, producing a crisp, golden crust rather than turning soggy during cooking.
The nutty aroma and rich flavor of brown butter (beurre noisette) contrasts the fresh sweetness of watermelon and acidity from tomato, creating a compelling balance of flavors. It elevates the scallops from simple to sophisticated.
Watermelon brings refreshing sweetness, while tomato adds a complementing juiciness and thinly sliced Serrano adds a subtle spicy kick that contrasts and complements the scallops and brown butter.
Yes! Pickled shallot can be made up to two weeks ahead and stored in the fridge, allowing you to simply assemble the rest before serving. You can swap pickled shallots for pickled onions. The rest should be made just before serving.
Other Recipes to Try
If you loved the fresh flavors of this brown butter scallop recipe, explore the following seafood-forward dishes for your next dinner party:
- Brown Butter Scallops with Squash and Farro
- Shrimp & Scallops in Miso Lime Coconut Sauce
- Seared Scallops with Green Apple Slaw
- Green Curry Scallops with Corn
Thanks for cooking with me! If you made this recipe, leave a 🌟 rating and share your thoughts or tips below. I’d love to hear from you!
Brown Butter Scallops with Watermelon, Heirloom Tomato, Pickled Shallots & Serrano
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Ingredients:
For the pickled shallots:
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
For the scallops:
- ¾ pound “dry packed” sea scallops, side muscle removed
- Kosher salt, as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
For serving:
- 1 pound seedless watermelon, cut into 1” cubes
- 1 medium heirloom tomato, cored and chopped
- 1 medium serrano pepper, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup thinly sliced fennel, plus fronds for garnish
Instructions:
For the pickled shallots:
- In a small saucepan bring the vinegar, sugar, salt and ¼ cup water to a boil. Add the sliced shallots to a small bowl and pour the vinegar mixture over the top. Let sit for at least 15 minutes. Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to two weeks.
For the scallops:
- Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel then season on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the oil and heat through. Cook until the scallops are deep golden brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes.
- Turn the scallops then add the butter to the pan and continue cooking, spooning the butter over the top of the scallops until they are cooked through and the butter begins to brown and smells nutty, about an additional 3 minutes. Add lemon juice.
For serving:
- Plate watermelon, heirloom tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of the pickled shallots, serrano, and fennel on a small platter. Arrange scallops on top and pour remaining brown butter over the top. Garnish with fennel fronds and serve immediately.
Notes:
Nutrition:
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Loved this!! We made some edits for house preferences but holy heck. Who knew brown butter and watermelon were so perfect together??
Amazing dish with heat and sweet. I served it with rice and I added a bag of shrimp to the pricey scallops. We also grilled peaches to go with the watermelon and had our own tomatoes. I forgot the lemon juice and skipped the fennel and it was truly delicious. It took me longer than 25 minutes with frozen shrimp etc but I want to make it every week! Thanks for the great end-of-summer recipe.
So happy you enjoyed Jayla! And those are great notes on the subs and additions – thank you for sharing!!