I love seafood, but when you drench it in a garlic butter sauce, I swear it takes it to a whole different level. Unless you live on the coast, though, often the best way to get your seafood is frozen. So, I usually whip up some air fryer frozen scallops because it’s so easy and tasty!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Scallops are one of those things that can be tricky to get just right. Overcook them, and you’ve got some rubbery seafood on your hands! When you make air fryer scallops, though, it’s actually much easier to get them perfect (and it’s ideal for those newer to cooking seafood).
While you can totally make this recipe with fresh scallops, most people don’t have ready access to them. Instead, we’ll start with frozen scallops, and they’re going to come out just as good!
I’m using bay scallops today, but if you want to use sea scallops or want to learn more about cooking from fresh or defrosted, check out my air fryer breaded scallops recipe. It features big sea scallops with panko and parmesan for a salty, crunchy crust.
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What Ingredients You’ll Need
- 1 pound frozen bay scallops (50-60 count per pound)
- 3 Tbsp butter (salted)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp minced garlic (about 4-5 cloves)
- Additional seasoning if desired (optional)
- Salt & pepper
- Lemon wedges and parsley for garnish
Special Equipment Note:
This recipe comes out best if you have a small oven safe casserole, cake pan, ramekin, au gratin pan, or similar dish that fits in your air fryer that you can cook the scallops in. If not, you’ll have to cook the scallops themselves first and add the sauce after.
Ingredient Substitutions and Tips
- Scallops. You can also use sea scallops, and can use fresh instead of frozen if desired. I’ll include alternate cooking times down in recipe notes
- Oil. You can swap in another high smoke point oil like avocado oil or grapeseed if preferred
- Butter. Unsalted is also fine, but you’ll want to add a little more salt to the recipe for flavor
- Garlic. You can use the jarred minced garlic, roasted garlic, or mince your own fresh. In the absence of fresh, use ½ tsp garlic powder. It’s all delicious!
- Seasoning. If you want to add some more spice, feel free to add ½ to 1 tsp seasoning (depending on taste). I like Rub With Love seafood seasoning for scallops, but you can also use Old Bay, Cajun seasoning, or a similar alternative you like
- For an au gratin variation, add about 1/8th cup of grated parmesan to the top in the last 1-2 minutes of cooking
How to Cook Frozen Scallops in an Air Fryer
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F
- Place the frozen scallops in a single layer in an oven-safe dish that fits in your air fryer, breaking them up a bit if possible
- Season the scallops with salt and pepper (I recommend ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper as a starting point), and any other seasoning desired
- Add the olive oil, butter, and garlic around the scallops
- Place the dish into the preheated air fryer basket
- Cook the frozen scallops on the air fry setting for 9-12 minutes at 400°F, pausing to stir and flip the scallops about every 3 minutes
- Scallops are cooked when they are opaque and their internal temperature reaches 125°F (though you should be safe up to about 145°F before they get rubbery)
- Garnish with a spritz of fresh lemon juice and parsley, and serve over pasta if desired. Don’t forget to drizzle the juices from the pan over the scallops!
What to Serve With Bay Scallops
- Cocktail sauce, tartar sauce, or other seafood sauces
- Linguine or other pasta
- Steak or steak bites
- Spinach and artichoke or seafood dip
- Roasted vegetables
- Corn or potatoes
- Green beans
- Fried seafood
- Rice or risotto
- Garlic bread
- Green salad
Try your scallops with these air fryer brussel sprouts with bacon, this creamy corn casserole, some air fryer arancini, crunchy frozen coconut shrimp, or these easy frozen garlic knots in the air fryer.
Recipe FAQs
Can You Cook Scallops From Frozen in an Air Fryer?
Yes, you can cook scallops from frozen in an air fryer, there is no need to defrost them. Cooking from frozen adds 3-5 minutes of cooking time, depending on the size of the scallops.
While you can cook from frozen, it’s not ideal if you plan to bread them, as the extra moisture tends to make breading fall off.
How Long Does It Take for Scallops to Cook in an Air Fryer?
From fresh, sea scallops take about 10 minutes to cook in an air fryer, whereas bay scallops take closer to 5 minutes.
When using frozen, bay scallops are around 10 minutes and sea scallops are about 15 minutes to cook in an air fryer.
What Temperature to Cook Scallops in the Air Fryer?
The best temperature to cook scallops in the air fryer is 400°F. This will achieve optimal browning and even cooking.
Cooking at a lower temperature is possible, but tends to dry out the scallops and isn’t as texturally good.
How Do You Know When Scallops Are Done in the Air Fryer?
Scallops are done when they are opaque, firm to the touch, and slightly golden on the edges.
To be certain, you can check with a meat thermometer; scallops are fully cooked when they reach an internal temperature of 120–130°F.
Are Scallops Good in the Air Fryer With No Breading?
Yes, scallops are delicious in the air fryer even without breading. Cooking them this way allows their natural sweetness and delicate texture to shine.
Adding a light sauce like the garlic butter sauce in this recipe served as the perfect compliment. The air fryer gives scallops a perfect sear without the need for heavy coatings.
Recipe Pro Tips For the Best Air Fryer Frozen Scallops
- If you are using fresh or thawed bay scallops, reduce cooking time to 5 minutes to start and make sure to pat them dry with a paper towel before cooking
- For sea scallops instead of bay scallops, cook for 6-8 minutes for fresh, or 10-15 minutes for frozen (depending on size)
- My frozen bay scallops took 10 minutes to be perfectly cooked in my Ninja Foodi Dual Zone air fryer. Other brands and models may vary slightly
- The scallop edges sticking out of the garlic butter sauce will brown. For a browner crust, only stir them once during cooking
- If you don’t have a dish you can use in the air fryer to contain the sauce, season the scallops and cook them on their own. While scallops are cooking, melt butter, olive oil, and garlic in the microwave or a saucepan on the stove. Once scallops are cooked, add them to the sauce and serve
Bay Scallop Storage and Reheating
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 2-3 days
- Reheat scallops in the air fryer for about 3 minutes at a lower temperature of 350°F on the air fry setting. I recommend using a small oven safe dish if you want to heat the sauce along with them (or you can heat it separately and combine afterwards). Try not to reheat more than once, as the texture will become more rubbery each time as they dry out
Other Frozen Seafood Air Fryer Recipes
Final Thoughts
These tasty bay scallops with garlic butter are so easy to cook from frozen in your air fryer. Take all the guesswork out and make an easy meal anytime (even on a weeknight)!
I love to serve mine with some fettuccine or rice and some steamed broccoli to soak up that extra garlic butter, but feel free to pair it with other sides you’ll enjoy as well! This air fryer frozen scallop recipe is Keto friendly if you don’t add a bunch of carbs when serving!
Katie’s Tip
If you love cooking scallops, make sure to check out my compilation of the Best Air Fryer Scallop Recipes for some other great ideas to try!
Air Fryer Frozen Bay Scallops in Garlic Butter Sauce
Equipment
- Casserole dish (or similar baking dish that fits in your air fryer) – optional but highly recommended
Ingredients
- 1 Pound frozen bay scallops (50-60 count per pound)
- 3 Tbsp butter (salted)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tsp minced garlic (about 4-5 cloves fresh)
- ½ Tsp seafood seasoning (optional)
- Salt and pepper (approximately ½ and ¼ tsp respectively, or to taste)
- Lemon wedges and parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F
- Place the frozen scallops in an oven-safe dish that fits in your air fryer, breaking them up a bit if possible1 Pound frozen bay scallops
- Season the scallops with salt, pepper, and any other seasoning desiredSalt and pepper, ½ Tsp seafood seasoning
- Add the olive oil, butter, and garlic around the scallops3 Tbsp butter, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 2 Tsp minced garlic
- Place the dish into the preheated air fryer basket
- Cook the frozen scallops on the air fry setting for 9-12 minutes at 400°F, pausing to stir and flip the scallops about every 3 minutes. Scallops are cooked when they are opaque and internal temperature reaches at least 125°F
- Garnish with a squeeze of lemon and fresh parsleyLemon wedges and parsley for garnish
Notes
- You can also substitute sea scallops, or use fresh instead of frozenÂ
- If you are using fresh or thawed bay scallops, reduce cooking time to 5 minutes to start. For sea scallops instead of bay scallops, cook for 6-8 minutes for fresh, or 10-15 minutes for frozen (depending on size)
- My frozen bay scallops took 10 minutes to be perfectly cooked in my Ninja Foodi Dual Zone air fryer. Other brands and models may vary slightly
- The scallop edges sticking out of the garlic butter sauce will brown. For a browner crust, only stir them once during cooking
- If you don’t have a dish that fits in your air fryer, season the scallops and cook them on their own in the air fryer. While scallops are cooking, melt butter, olive oil, and garlic in the microwave or a saucepan on the stove. Once scallops are cooked, add them to the sauce and serve
- Exact nutritional values will vary based on brand of ingredients, seasoning amounts, and total quantity consumed, so please consider this a guideline only
Nutrition
