Smoked Scallops
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Get that Traeger going and put these Smoked Scallops on the menu for a delicious appetizer or main dish that everybody will be raving about! Lightly seasoned and swimming in a garlic lemon butter sauce – these smoked scallops are a scrumptious!
What You Will ❤️ About Smoked Scallops
- Easy! This dish is great for beginners because it’s quick and easy – as are most things on the Traeger!
- Savory! This lemony garlic butter sauce will have you melting along with the butter!
- Smoky Flavor! You’re only smoking for 30 minutes – so it’s a subtle smokiness that you’ll love!
Ingredients for Traeger Smoked Scallops
Scallops are simple to make and don’t need much to make them even tastier. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Sea Scallops – Sea scallops are the big ones! They are usually 1 1/2-2″ across and much thicker.
- Old Bay Seasoning – I like these Old Bay Herb Seasonings – they’re very light and flavorful
- Canola Oil – You can use canola or vegetable oil – you want something with a higher smoke point than olive oil when you sear the scallops.
- Sauce: Butter, Garlic, Capers & Lemon – this is my favorite combination of flavors for scallops! Always use FRESH lemon when it’s such a big part of the flavor.
- Capers are actually immature flower buds. They have a flavor similar to a green olive.
Smoked Scallop Recipe Variations
Whether it’s how you serve them or how you cook them – you can mix it up! Here are some ideas:
- Skewers – you could skip the sear and grill these at 425º on skewers. Cook time will only be 10-12 minutes at that higher temp so they won’t get much smoky flavor.
- Fresh Herbs – add a few sprigs of fresh thyme into the garlic butter sauce to impart that fresh herb flavor!
- Orange – swap the lemon out with an orange and add a list zest with the juice.
- Salad – I had these scallops over pasta but they’d be delicious on a salad of spring greens and arugula with a light vinaigrette.
How to make Smoked Scallops on the Traeger
- PREHEAT: Preheat your Traeger to 225º
- PREP: Remove side muscle from scallops (see FAQ for more details) and give the scallops a quick rinse and pat dry with a paper towel. Season with Old Bay (or can even use a pinch of salt & black pepper!).
- SEAR: Heat a cast iron skillet (smoker-safe) over high heat. When hot, add canola oil. Place scallops into skillet and sear on each side for 45 seconds. Remove skillet from heat.
- SAUCE: To the skillet, add butter, garlic, lemon juice and capers. Whisk together as butter melts.
- SMOKE: Open your preheated Traeger and place the cast iron skillet on the grill grates. Shut the lid and smoke at 225º for 25-35 minutes.
- Be sure to check the internal temperature of the scallops with an instant-read thermometer. The scallops are done at 125 degrees F.
- SERVE: Serve scallops over pasta or rice and pour garlic butter sauce over the top for a delicious dinner!
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Tips, Tricks & FAQs
Sea scallops are the big ones! They are usually 1 1/2-2″ across and much thicker. They are caught year-round up to in deep, cold sea waters. Bay scallops are the little guys! They’re about 1/2″ in diameter and are caught in cold, shallow waters and bays (thus the name).
Place scallops in the refrigerator overnight or – to speed it up – run the packaging under cold running water for a few minutes or set in a bowl of water and they should thaw in 20-30 min.
Yes – on the sea scallops, there’s a little side adductor muscle – you can barely see it in this pic. The best way to remove this muscle is to hold it in your hand and delicately pull it off. It comes off very easily but be sure to remove as they’re tough and chewy.
There are many flavors of pellets that work in Traeger grills. I keep it simple and always use the Traeger Signature Blend which is a blend of Maple and Cherry. That said if you’re looking for something specific for seafood – the best are Pecan, Apple and Cherry. I would avoid Hickory as it’s a bit strong for shellfish and better suited to beef and pork.
Wood chips – Soak them in water for 30 minutes before starting the grill. One cup of wood chips will last for about 20 minutes. Keep adding chips to the grill throughout the process.
If you use a charcoal grill, light the coals, when the coals are ready, place them on one side of the grill. Place some of the wood chips on top of the coals. Place your food on the side without the coals to cook it with indirect heat.
Store leftovers in an airtight container (I like these glass storage ones) in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes (as little time as possible so they don’t get rubbery).
20 Must-Have Traeger Accessories
I absolutely love my Traeger Pellet Grill and you can pretty much use it right out of the box! But over the years I’ve definitely found that there are some Traeger smoker accessories that make everything a lot easier!
Sides to serve with Scallops
- Air Fryer Smashed Brussels Sprouts
- Little Caesar’s Italian Cheese Bread
- Panera Greek Salad
- Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts & Bacon
More Seafood Recipes
Smoked Scallops
Ingredients
- 12 oz sea scallops thawed
- 1/2 tsp Old Bay Lemon Herb Seasoning
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp capers
- 2 tbsp lemon juice 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp garlic minced
Instructions
- PREHEAT: Preheat your Traeger to 225º
- PREP: Remove side muscle from scallops (see FAQ for more details) and give the scallops a quick rinse and pat dry with a paper towel. Season with Old Bay (or can even use a pinch of salt & black pepper!).12 oz sea scallops, 1/2 tsp Old Bay Lemon Herb Seasoning
- SEAR: Heat a cast iron skillet (smoker-safe) over high heat. When hot, add canola oil. Place scallops into skillet and sear on each side for 45 seconds. Remove skillet from heat.1 tbsp canola oil
- SAUCE: To the skillet, add butter, garlic, lemon juice and capers. Whisk together as butter melts.3 tbsp butter, 2 tsp capers, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp garlic
- SMOKE: Open your preheated Traeger and place the cast iron skillet on the grill grates. Shut the lid and smoke at 225º for 25-35 minutes. Be sure to check the internal temperature of the scallops with an instant-read thermometer. The scallops are done at 125 degrees F.
- SERVE: Serve scallops over pasta or rice and pour garlic butter sauce over the top for a delicious dinner!
I am curious, have you ever smoked fish on the smoker? I love smoked Haddock being raised in Britain, but I would need to order it and it is so expensive as you can imagine.
Thank you for your response.
I haven’t tackled that one yet!