Yes, You Can (and Should) Grill Scallops!
Cooking sea scallops can seem tricky. Scallops are pricey, so right away you’re worried about ruining your precious bounty. You really want to do right by those milky-hued, stout and meaty cylinders, but the question is how best to cook them? While grilling those delicate mollusks may sound crazy, it’s actually the perfect way to cook scallops! Quick, high heat is ideal for a food that you do not want to overcook, and a light, quick kiss of char and smoke brings these gorgeous, sweet and tender shellfish to life.
I originally created this recipe as a part of a more elaborate dish, where the grilled scallops are served as part of a whole meal, complete with Lemon Aioli and Arugula. But on their own, grilled scallops are a wonderful thing, so this post is all about that pared down technique. Try serving them as part of a tapas style spread, along with a salad, and these simple Marinated Olives.
The Most Delicious Grilled Scallop Marinade, Ever
I would never want to overpower their sweet, delicate flavor, sea scallops can benefit from a quick marinade made from a few carefully chosen ingredients. Before these scallops hit the grill, I give them a quick marinade in a combination of:
- Olive oil: Richness and flavor, and it helps keep the scallops from sticking to the grill.
- Honey: I added honey to the marinade because scallops have a natural sweetness that I wanted to coax out.
- Lemon juice: Lemon and seafood are a time-tested combo, and it was a must!
- Garlic: Do I ever cook without fresh garlic cloves? Gosh I hope not.
- Pimentón: Spanish smoked paprika is a super star of my pantry. Sweet and smoky, it gave the marinade just the oomph it needed without overpowering the delicate flavor of the sea scallops.
How To Grill Scallops
If the idea of grilling scallops calls to mind an image of standing over a hot fire while trying to keep 25 little individual sea scallops from falling between the grates of your grill, we’ve got one word for you: SKEWERS. There! Now you’re feeling more confident about this scallop recipe already, aren’t you? Here’s how to do it:
- Marinate the scallops for an hour in the fridge. Don’t let them marinate more than an hour or the scallops will be tough. Less time is OK, more time is not.
- Skewer the scallops! I can fit about 4 or 5 sea scallops on a skewer, and you can use bamboo skewers or metal reusable skewers if you have them. TIP: Work somewhat quickly, as the scallops will be easier to grill if they’re still cold from the fridge.
- Grill the scallops! Brush the grill with oil, then lay the skewered scallops on the grill. On a nice, hot grill, they take just about 3 minutes per side. If you’re feeling unsure about doneness, you can always slice one open to check for doneness.
- Eat the scallops right away! The best part!
How To Buy Scallops, For the Mollusk-Curious
Think of this as your Scallops 101! Scallops, like oysters, clams and mussels, are bivalve mollusks, meaning they’re soft-bodied invertebrates that live inside of a two-part shell that hinges in the middle. Unlike its other bivalve counterparts, though, the part of the scallop we eat is the abductor muscle, which is the part of the scallop that opens and closes the shell. Globally, there are hundreds of species of scallop, and they can be found in all sorts of conditions, from shallow seabeds, to deep water. But I’m just sharing all this scallop info for fun. For this grilled scallop recipe, all you need to know is to buy scallops labeled “sea scallops”, NOT the sweet but small bay scallops, which are far too small to grill on skewers. As far as making a sustainable choice (always a consideration when it comes to buying seafood!) the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s wonderful Seafood Watch site says to buy farmed sea scallops and weathervane scallops caught in Alaska. Although inexpensive or bulk frozen scallops may seem like a deal, they’re often pumped full of salt-and-water preservative solutions that actually mean you’re getting a less-flavorful product and are also ultimately paying extra for the bulk that the addition of a preservative adds.
The bottom line? When in doubt, go to a fishmonger you trust, and just buy the very best you’re able to afford.
Variations + Tips
- Change the flavor profile by playing with the marinade ingredients: Try using lime juice instead of lemon and add a little cilantro for a cilantro-lime version, or add a little hot sauce to the marinade if you want dinner to be a little spicy. You could substitute maple syrup, agave nectar, or brown sugar for the honey depending on what’s in your pantry.
- Storage and freezing: Don’t freeze leftover scallops, but do store them in the fridge and eat them the next day (I prefer leftover scallops cold) on a big delicious salad. Yum.
- If you’re using wood or bamboo skewers, you’ll need to soak them in warm water before you use them. Usually the package they came in will include directions about this, but give them at least 30 minutes and ideally an hour in water before you thread the scallops on.
- If you don’t have a grill or it’s not grilling season where you live, you can cook these in a skillet on the stove top. Just remember to keep the heat pretty high and watch the scallops closely, as they cook fast.
And Because We Cannot Live on Grilled Scallops Alone...
Wondering what to serve with grilled scallops? Here are my favorite starters and side dishes to serve with these luxurious, restaurant-worthy grilled scallop skewers:
Look At You And Your Fancy Scallops!
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