Surf and Turf Dinner

With a Decadent Garlic Butter Sauce

By
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 07/2/21
surf and turf dinner

The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 2 servings
Yield: 2 plates
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1451 Calories
117g Fat
11g Carbs
83g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 1451
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 117g 150%
Saturated Fat 54g 268%
Cholesterol 363mg 121%
Sodium 1073mg 47%
Total Carbohydrate 11g 4%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 83g
Vitamin C 10mg 49%
Calcium 75mg 6%
Iron 6mg 36%
Potassium 1275mg 27%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This surf and turf steak and scallops dinner is super easy to prepare, but it looks and tastes sophisticated. Everything is made in a cast-iron skillet, then topped with a decadent garlic butter. 

We’ve got all the tips and tricks for making perfectly cooked steak and scallops, so that everything is prepared with ease. While we used NY strip and scallops you can easily use filets and shrimp or a combination of either. The cook times change slightly, but the garlic butter tastes delicious over any of the combinations.

Serve it alongside creamy mashed potatoes, cheesy polenta, pasta, or just some crusty bread. Add a vegetable on the side like asparagus or creamed spinach for a complete meal with greens. It’s the perfect romantic meal to share with the one you love. Or, you can double the recipe to serve to a dinner party. It all comes together in under 30 minutes and you can even eat it right out of the skillet if you want to! 

Ingredients

For the Steak and Scallops:

  • 1 pound New York strip steaks

  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, for seasoning

  • Ground black pepper, for seasoning

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 2 tablespoons oil , or other neutral oil

  • 1/2 pound scallops

For the Garlic Butter:

  • 1/4 cup white wine

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 4 clove cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

  • 2 tablespoons chives, chopped

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Steps to Make It

Prepare the Steak and Scallops

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    surf and turf dinner ingredients

  2. Pat the steaks dry, then generously season on both sides with salt and pepper.

    steaks seasoned with salt and pepper

  3. Melt the butter in a large (10-inch or more) cast-iron skillet over high heat until. Add the steaks and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until seared and browned on the bottom. Flip and continue to cook on high heat until the internal temperature is to your liking. For medium rare, remove the steaks at 125 F and for medium 130 F internally.

    Remove from the stovetop and allow to rest, tented with foil, while you cook the scallops.

    seared steaks in a cast iron skillet

  4. Dry the scallops with paper towels until they are as dry as you can get them. Season all over with salt and pepper.

    towel dried scallops

  5. Wipe out the same skillet, then heat the grapeseed oil over medium-high until very hot. Add the scallops and cook for 2 minutes or until seared on the bottom.

    seared scallops

  6. Flip the scallops and finish cooking for 1 more minute. Remove to plate with steaks and tent with foil to keep warm.

    seared scallops in a cast iron skillet

Prepare the Garlic Butter

  1. Quickly prepare the garlic butter as the steaks and scallops rest. Add the wine to the skillet over medium-high heat and gently scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet to deglaze. Add the butter and garlic; cook for 1 minute or until the butter is completely melted and fragrant.

    white wine and garlic sauce in a skillet

  2. Turn off the heat, then add in the parsley, chives, and lemon juice; stir to combine. Don’t cook for too long or you’ll lose the brightness of the herbs.

    herbs and garlic in white wine

  3. Pour the herbed garlic butter over the steak and scallops and serve immediately.

    surf and turf dinner