8 Best Scallop Recipes For Seafood Lovers

There's something uniquely satisfying about good seafood, and scallops should be at the top of any seafood lover's grocery list. We've come across plenty of mouthwatering scallop recipes over the years and decided it was time to bring the family together. From pasta to purée, scallops are a surprisingly versatile ingredient that's sure to satisfy your craving for a breezy seaside meal. Although there are some tips worth remembering when cooking with scallops, they're a fairly easy protein source to work with and these eight recipes take out any guesswork. 

You can go for a simple sear that fits nicely into your weeknight schedule or stretch your culinary muscles with a consommé or crudo. If you're looking for something simple but don't want to sacrifice on taste, there are lots of ways to add more flavor to scallops that don't require you to clear your calendar to get them right. There's a recipe for every occasion and for every skill level on this list, so don't be put off if you don't immediately find something you're looking for.

By far the easiest and simplest recipe on this list is a straightforward seared scallops dish. This is a good option if you're looking for a seafood appetizer or side dish since they don't require a lot of time or effort but are still interesting and delicious enough to make your dinner table feel fresh and new. While most people are familiar with scallops, they aren't used all that often — which translates to you looking like a creative genius, especially if you use sea scallops, which are the ideal variety for searing.

Recipe: Seared Scallops

Here we enter into main dish territory with a light but flavorful pasta that incorporates shrimp with the scallops. The dish has the added benefit of coming together in under 30 minutes, making it perfect for when you're hungry on a time crunch. The main seasonings are lemon and garlic with a touch of red pepper and parsley, which all complement the more subtle flavors of the seafood without overpowering them. This is a lighter dish, so having a side plate or two isn't a bad idea.

Recipe: Shrimp and Scallop Scampi

If you're craving the subtle sweetness of scallops but everyone else wants something hearty and bold, this bacon and scallops dish could be just the trick. This recipe is essentially baked scallops topped with bacon and breadcrumbs, but the rich flavors come from baking the scallops in the rendered bacon fat, which makes these indulgent little bites of goodness about as decadent as scallops can be — everybody wins. This is another dish that benefits from having a side or two, despite its richness.

Recipe: Bacon-Baked Scallops

These little morsels use bacon fat to improve the scallops' flavor in a similar way to the previous recipe, only this time they're plated as bite-sized pieces with the bacon wrapped directly around the scallops and held together with a toothpick. This makes them the perfect finger food for your next get-together or a fun way to mix up your game day snack routine. Just remember to remove the scallops' side muscles before you cook them to avoid an overly chewy texture.

Recipe: Bacon-Wrapped Scallops

Apart from having one of the most enticing names on this list, a yuzu scallop crudo is easily one of the best ways to enjoy a pure scallop flavor profile. Yuzu is an Asian citrus fruit that's somewhere between a lemon and a lime, while crudo is similar to sashimi wherein the scallop is served raw. The yuzu will "cook" the scallops in much the same way that ceviche partially cooks its fish meat with citrus acids. It sounds a lot more complicated than it is, but you don't need to tell your friends that.

Recipe: Yuzu Scallop Crudo with White Soy

If the above recipes sounded delicious but you're looking for something more challenging or daring, this dish created by chef Steven Satterfield of Atlanta's Miller Union may be what you're searching for. On its face, the recipe is relatively straightforward. The scallops are treated with a nice sear and served with a butternut squash purée. That said, with proper plating, this dish looks like it could be featured at a Michelin-star restaurant. It only takes 30 minutes to prepare, but you are sure to impress your date with a beauty like this.

Recipe: Scallops with Butternut Squash Purée

It may not look like much, but this scallop consommé is easily the most challenging recipe on this list. If you're a rising star in the cooking world and are looking to test your talent, this dish is from Daniel Humm's three-Michelin-star restaurant, Eleven Madison Park. Not for the faint of heart, this broth bowl is a highly niche piece of work that only those in the know will truly appreciate. But hey, we're not gatekeepers. Show the world that you've got what it takes.

Recipe: Scallop Consommé

We already featured one pasta dish on this list, but this sweet and spicy seafood pasta recipe adapted from Alamos, The Wines of Catena mixes it up by adding Chilean sea bass into the mix as well as a splash of pineapple juice for an interesting tropical twist. The spice comes from red pepper flakes, and while they do add flavor, it isn't going to burn your tongue off. The addition of fish bulks up the protein content enough that this recipe can easily shine as your main dish while retaining that light seafood flavor profile you're looking for.

Recipe: Sweet and Spicy Seafood Pasta