Air Fryer Scallops
These air fryer scallops are tender and buttery with a simple salt and pepper seasoning and topped with a vanilla infused citrus butter!
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 299kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound sea scallops
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Citrus Butter:
- ¼ cup grapefruit juice substitute any citrus juice
- ¼ cup white wine
- 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
- 1 inch piece vanilla bean substitute ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter cold
Instructions
- Pat the scallops dry and sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
- Lightly spray the air fryer basket with oil.
- Place the scallops in the basket in a single layer and lightly spray with oil.
- Cook at 400°F degrees for 6 minutes, tossing halfway through to ensure they're not sticking.
- Serve drizzled with the citrus butter and a few grapefruit segments (optional).
Citrus Butter:
- Combine all the ingredients, except the butter, in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer 5-7 minutes, or until the mixture has reduced to about 1 ½ tablespoons of liquid.
- Turn down the heat to low and whisk in the butter, one tablespoon at a time until each tablespoon is melted. *Make sure to add the butter slowly or you risk the sauce breaking.
- Serve over top of scallops.
Notes
- The scallops have a simple salt and pepper seasoning. While you can add more or different seasonings, be careful not to overdo it. You want the flavor of the citrus butter to shine through!
- Pat the scallops dry with paper towels before seasoning them.
- For even cooking and browned outsides, air fry the scallops in a single layer. Depending on the size of your air fryer, this may require more than one batch.
- To make sure the scallops don’t stick onto the air fryer basket, lightly spray the basket and scallops with oil.
- When using oil, make sure you use a good quality spray oil (not PAM or equivalent) to avoid damaging the air fryer. I like to use an oil sprayer and fill it with my favorite oil.
- I recommend removing the side muscle on your scallops before cooking as it can be tough. This is just a little flap of tissue that can easily be torn away.
- If your air fryer model requires preheating, you should preheat it before adding the scallops.
- Different air fryer brands and models will vary slightly, so you may need to adjust the temperature and air frying time slightly.
- When making the sauce, make sure the butter is cold as you add it slowly. This will ensure stable emulsion for the sauce.
- You’ll also want to remove the sauce from the heat as soon as it’s done. Overheating the sauce can break it (cause it to split or separate).
Nutrition
Serving: 4scallops | Calories: 299kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 885mg | Potassium: 276mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 704IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg