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By Karly Campbell on | Updated | 11 Comments
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These air fryer scallops are quick and delectable. They are coated in a simple lemon butter sauce that really takes the scallops over the top. In just 15 minutes you will be able to enjoy a scallop dinner to rival any restaurant!
In my town, there is only one restaurant that I go to when I’m craving scallops. I have tried them at a few places, but only one local join gets them right.
So excited to have nailed scallops at home…using the air fryer, no less!
This recipe is simple, quick, and fool proof!
And that lemon butter sauce? Heaven!
I can even make more air fried seafood for those who may not love eating scallops with some chili lime shrimp or air fryer cod!
Table of Contents
Ingredient Notes:
Scallops– Don’t be intimidated if this is your first time picking out scallops. It is super easy to choose fresh scallops. We like to buy the dry scallops because they are more affordable by weight. We also like medium sized scallops. You can see in our pictures they are about double the size of the head of a spoon. This will typically be called a bay scallop or a small seas scallop.
Seasoning– Start with butter and you will also use lemon juice, salt, pepper, chives, and garlic.
How to make scallops in the air fryer:
- Rinse your scallops off then dry them thoroughly.
- Season the scallops with salt and pepper on each side.
- Spray a little bit of oil in your air fryer basket then place the scallops in the basket spread apart so air can get to all sides of the scallop.
- Cook for 10 minutes total and flip them half way through the cooking. Check after 7 minutes to see if they are done. They will have an internal temp of 145 degrees F when they are fully cooked.
- While the scallops are cooking in the air fryer, you can throw the garlic and butter in a microwave to melt it.
- Then add lemon juice and chives (optional) and stir it all together.
- Drizzle the lemon garlic sauce on the scallops after removing them from the air fryer
Answer a question:
How do you choose the right scallops?
For this recipe you want to choose the dry scallops from your market. They should be firm and smell fresh. You can use frozen also if you thaw them first.
What do scallops taste like?
Scallops are a seafood that are a bit of delacacy similar to how crabs or lobster might be. They offer a sweet tender flavor and the scallops are good at taking in whatever you flavor them with as well. So for this recipe you will get a slightly sweet, buttery, garlic flavor with a hint of lemon. Sooooooo good!
How long will scallops last in the fridge?
Scallops are best within just 1 day of purchase, but you can push it two days if you must. If you are shopping more than two days before cooking, you will need to freeze them. Just thaw them out completely before cooking.
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More recipes you might like:
- These air fryer roasted potatoes are perfect for garlic butter lovers!
- You can also add delicious garlic butter to air fried mushrooms!
- These scotch eggs in the air fryer are another delectable treat you can make in your air fryer!
- Perhaps for desert you could add air fryer pineapple!
Air Fryer Scallops
Created by: Karly Campbell
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Seafood
Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes minutes
Total Time 15 minutes minutes
6 scallops
These scallops are really easy to make and season with garlic butter. They go from your fridge to your plate in just 15 minutes.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 fresh scallops
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
Instructions
Rinse scallops and dry thoroughly.
Season the scallops with salt and pepper on both sides.
Prepare the air fryer basket with cooking spray and place the scallops in the basket, evenly apart.
Cook at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, flipping them over halfway through cooking.
While the scallops are cooking, add garlic to the butter and melt in the microwave or stove top. Add the lemon juice and chives and stir together.
When the scallops are done cooking, place them on a plate and drizzle the lemon garlic butter over them. Serve immediately.
Notes
Be sure to get dry scallops for this recipe.
This is great served with a white rice and your favorite steamed vegetable. Keep it simple with scallops and let them steal the show!
This recipe makes 6 scallops, but you can double the entire recipe as needed to serve your family.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 199kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 927mg
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Nena says
Pardon my ignorance lol. But what is a dry scallop?
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Karly says
They’re scallops that are fresh and packed dry. Some scallops are soaked in a solution of water and phosphate to keep them white.
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Fred says
Looks delicious
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Chad Campbell says
Thank you! I hope you try them, everyone loves them!
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Capt. Jerry J. Batchelder says
Preheat Air Fryer to 400 or not?
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Karly says
We don’t often bother to preheat the air fryer. It’s not necessary in this recipe. 🙂
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Terri Larimore says
I’m wondering if I can substitute shrimp for the scallops. I am not a scallops fan.
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Karly says
Hi Terri! We have a shrimp recipe here that might help. The cook time and temp is different, so you’d want to make those adjustments. https://airfried.com/maple-bourbon-glazed-shrimp/
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Delmy Wilemon says
Lovely just what I was looking for.Reply
Pip says
Yum yum! I have a bag of scallops in my freezer. Could I use them? I’m thinking I could cook them from frozen. What do you think?
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Karly says
Hi Pip! I would thaw them first. 🙂
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