Air Fryer Scallops

Get ready to surprise your family and dinner guests with a very fancy seafood dinner: air fryer scallops! Cooking these scallops in the air fryer makes the whole cooking process easier and cleaner; not to mention, it helps make sure you cook the scallops perfectly. No more ‘tough to chew’ scallops for you!

Air Fryer Scallops

So far on my air fryer seafood adventure, I’ve learned to cook:

• Shrimp
• Salmon

And, even a whole seafood medley!

So, my next seafood ingredient I wanted to try cooking in the air fryer was fresh scallops! They turned out perfectly. Seasoned with a bit of salt and pepper, I was able to whip up a pound of scallops in the air fryer in no time at all.

How To Properly Clean Fresh Scallops

Before you start cooking these scallops, you want to make sure you properly clean them. Oftentimes, the sea scallops have sand and grit embed in them, and let me tell you- taking a bite out of a gritty scallop is not very pleasant. It actually can ruin the whole dish!

To avoid that from happening, here’s what you need to do:

1. After you have purchased the fresh scallops from your local grocery store or fish market, check to see if the scallops have a little side muscle attached to them. If they do, remove it by simply tugging it off. This will help avoid making your scallops very tough.
2. Once you have removed the muscle, run the scallops under cold water (about 30 seconds or so).
3. Make sure to pat the scallops down, so they are dry before you season and cook them.

How To Cook Scallops In The Air Fryer

After you have properly cleaned the fresh scallops, spray the air fryer basket with a non-stick cooking spray of your choice.

Season the scallops with your preferred seasonings and put them in the air fryer basket.

Cook the scallops in the air fryer at 400F for 8 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Frozen Scallops In The Air Fryer

• If you decide to use frozen scallops instead of fresh ones, add an extra 5 minutes to the cooking time!

Cooking Tip:

• Want to elevate these air-fried scallops? Try wrapping them with a slice of thick-cut bacon.

What To Serve With Cooked Scallops

One of my favorite side dishes to serve with scallops is buttery mashed potatoes! The silky texture of the scallops with the creaminess of the mashed potatoes is absolutely scrumptious. If you are not a fan of mashed potatoes, I recommend trying creamy grits or mashed cauliflower for those on a low-carb diet.

And, you can’t forget the veggies! I usually go for some oven-roasted rainbow vegetables. Think peppers, zucchini, broccoli, etc.

Another great dinner meal to make with these cooked scallops is linguine pasta tossed in a roasted garlic alfredo sauce and topped with juicy shrimp and lobster tails. Talk about a seafood feast!

More Seafood Recipes

If you loved this recipe for air ‘fried’ scallops, check out some of my other seafood recipes!

These are some other recipes I love to make:

• Oven-Baked Rainbow Trout Fillets
• Baked Shrimp With Garlic And Parmesan
• Instant Pot Octopus
• Air Fryer Breaded Shrimp
• Baked Blackened Tilapia

See also:

• Air Fryer Breaded Shrimp
• Air Fryer Meatballs
• Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Asparagus