This is the best air fryer scallops recipe! They are so juicy and tender and turn out perfectly cooked, never dry or chewy. These scallops are ready in just 10 minutes and are made without breading and are topped with the perfect lemon herb sauce to give them the most incredible flavour.
Seafood recipes like the best blacked Mahi Mahi, the best blackened cod, and tuna pasta pesto are some of my favourite meals because they are so quick and easy to make and I can't wait for you to try the scallops recipe I am sharing with you today!
Table of Contents
Why you will love these scallops:
- These air fried scallops turn out so succulent and tender and the lemon butter sauce adds a rich and delicious flavour.
- Cooking scallops has never been easier! They’re ready in under 10 minutes and you don’t have to worry about grease getting all over your counters and stove top like you do when frying them.
- This scallop recipe is healthy, gluten-free, sugar free, low carb, keto, paleo and Whole30 compliant so they are perfect no matter what your dietary restrictions. These scallops have no breading and can easily be made dairy-free too.
If you love air fried seafood you need to try my air fryer Mahi Mahi recipe or air fryer fish sticks, and if you are pressed for time be sure to learn which are the best foods to cook from frozen in an air fryer.
Ingredient notes:
For the full ingredient list and exact measurements refer to the recipe card later in this post.
Jump to the Recipe Card.- Uncooked scallops – I used frozen raw scallops that I thawed but if you can find fresh scallops that’s even better.
- Butter – you can either use salted butter or unsalted butter. You can use a vegan butter if you are dairy-free or swap the butter for olive oil or avocado oil.
- Fresh lemon juice – to make the lemon butter sauce – I used freshly squeezed lemon juice but you could also use bottled lemon juice.
- Seasonings and spices: dried thyme, sea salt and ground black pepper are all you need to perfectly season these air fryer scallops.
Recipe variations:
- For a different flavour add a clove of crushed garlic to the butter sauce to turn it into a garlic butter sauce.
- Feel free to add different herbs to give this scallop recipe a different flavour. Some other options include garlic powder, old bay seasoning, lemon zest, lemon pepper, onion powder, or seasoning salt.
How to make air fryer scallops:
- Step 1: First, rinse and dry the scallops with a paper towel and then sprinkle both sides with a little sea salt and ground black pepper.
- Step 2: Next, transfer the seasoned scallops to the tray of your air fryer and cook them at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes. If you have a basket style air fryer you will need to flip the scallops half way through.
- Step 3: While the scallops are cooking, make the lemon butter sauce by placing the butter in a microwave safe dish and heating it in the microwave on high for 30 seconds. When the butter is melted, stir in the lemon juice and thyme.
- Step 4: Once the scallops are done cooking, remove them from the air fryer and drizzle them in the melted butter sauce. Then serve and enjoy!
Top Tips:
- Every model of air fryer is different, so you may have to adjust the cooking time if you are using a different model than I do.
- For this recipe I do not preheat my air fryer. If you do preheat it, decrease the cook time by 2-3 minutes.
- Depending on the size of your scallops you may have to adjust the cooking times – for larger scallops add a bit of time, for smaller scallops use less time.
- Leave some space between each scallop when cooking them so that the air can circulate properly. You want them to be in a single layer and not overlapping.
- If food tends to stick to your air fryer use a cooking spray to spray the air fryer basket or trays before cooking the scallops.
Serving ideas:
These air fryer scallops are delicious served as is, but you could also dip them in cajun butter sauce for even more flavour. Some of my favourite side dishes to serve with scallops include:
- A side of cooked vegetables such as asparagus, air fryer roasted broccoli or an air fryer baked sweet potato.
- Scallops pair well with rice, sweet potato rice or cilantro and lime cauliflower rice.
- They can be served over noodles to make a delicious pasta dish.
- Serve them with roasted air fryer diced potatoes or over mashed potatoes.
Air fryer scallops FAQs:
Scallops turn out best when they are cooked from fresh rather than frozen in an air fryer so if you do have frozen scallops, simply thaw them first before air frying them.
It is not recommend that you cook bacon in an air fryer due to the amount of grease it produces when it cooks which creates a fire hazard. For that reason you shouldn’t cook bacon wrapped scallops in an air fryer.
That depends on the type of scallops you buy. If you buy “dry” scallops, or those without any chemical additives I simply give them a rinse first. However if you buy “wet” scallops, or those with added chemicals then it’s best to soak them in a solution of 1 quart cold water, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of table salt for ~30 minutes.
Scallops are best eaten right after they have been cooked. If you do need to store them, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Other air fryer recipes you will love:
Recipe
Air Fryer Scallops with Lemon Butter
Equipment
Ingredients
- 400 grams scallops
- salt (to taste)
- ground black pepper (to taste)
Lemon Butter Sauce
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
Scallop Instructions
- Rinse and dry the scallops and sprinkle both sides with a little salt and pepper.
- Transfer the scallops to the tray of your air fryer and cook at 400F for 8-10 minutes.
Lemon Butter Sauce
- While the scallops are cooking you can make the lemon butter sauce by placing the butter in a microwave safe dish and heating in the microwave on high for 30 seconds. Then stir in the lemon juice and thyme.
- Once the scallops are done cooking, drizzle the lemon butter sauce over the scallops and enjoy.
Notes
- Do not preheat your air fryer for this recipe. If you do preheat it decrease the cook time by 2-3 minutes.
- Depending on the size of the scallops you use you may have to adjust the cooking time.
- If food tends to stick to your air fryer, give it a spray with cooking oil before placing the scallops in it.
- Nutritional values are an estimate and will vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
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