Air Fryer Garlic Butter Scallops
Air Fryer Garlic Butter Scallops are tender and juicy and so flavorful. Best yet, they only take 7 minutes to air fry!
Seafood in general is one of my favorite things to cook in an air fryer.
What Kind Of Scallops To Use
You want to use large sea scallops for this recipe NOT bay scallops.
How Long To Cook Scallops in Air Fryer
Air frying scallops is such a simple and quick way to cook them. They should take 7 to 10 minutes to air fry is they are large scallops. The size of your scallops and your air fryer can both effect the cooking time so use it as an estimate.
Don’t Overcook The Scallops
Be sure not to overcook the scallops or they will be tough and chewy. You can cook them medium-rare so that they are still a little translucent in the middle.
The easiest way to tell if scallops are done is by pressing down on top of them, but it takes some experience to know what they should feel like when they are done. They should feel fairly firm when pressed, but not too firm. They should still have a little give.
How To Make Air Fryer Garlic Butter Scallops
- Pat the scallops dry. This helps them to brown up. Season with salt, pepper, and a little paprika.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Air fry for 7 to 10 minutes. (I don’t flip them over but you can flip them over halfway through the cooking time if you wish.)
- Microwave the butter and garlic. When scallops are done, pour the garlic butter over them. So easy!
How To Serve
Scallops go great with Lemon Butter Broccoli, Buttermilk Coleslaw, Air Fryer Baked Potatoes, and Hush Puppies.
Recipe Tips
Don’t crowd the scallops in the air fryer basket. Space them out so the air has room to circulate around them.
If you wish, remove the small muscle on the scallops. It is edible but some people find its chewy texture to be unpleasant.
Make It Spicy
If you want to make this recipe Spicy, add 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the scallops when you season them.
Storage
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container for 3 days.
More Air Fryer Seafood Recipes
- Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp
- Air Fryer Fried Shrimp
- Air Fryer Sweet and Spicy Salmon
- Air Fryer Cajun Shrimp
Air Fryer Garlic Butter Scallops
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Materials
- 1 pound sea scallops (8 to 10)
- salt and pepper
- paprika
- olive oil
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
- lemon
Instructions
- Pat scallops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with a little paprika.Drizzle with just a little olive oil.
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees for a few minutes.Spray air fryer basket lightly with oil and add scallops.Air fry for 7 to 10 minutes. There's no need to flip them over halfway through the cooking time unless you want to.
- While they are air frying, place butter and garlic in a small bowl and microwave until melted and hot.
- Transfer scallops to a plate and drizzle with garlic butter.Sprinkle with parsley.If desired, squeeze a little lemon juice over them.
