Air Fryer Spicy Bay Scallops - Keto, Low Carb, Whole30, Paleo

These Air Fryer Spicy Bay Scallops came together in minutes!  Make them in your air fryer (or on the stove-top!), either way, learning how to cook scallops could not be any easier! Plus, since they are Keto, Low Carb, Whole30 and Paleo-approved, these Air Fryer Spicy Bay Scallops can fit into any diet!

this recipe

Keto Scallops

First, let me start by saying that Mr. Grumbles (A.K.A My husband) is not much of a seafood fan. 

Chicken and red meat are his favourite sources of protein.  Some of his favourite recipes are this Slow Cooker Beef Brisket (the #1 recipe of my entire blog!) as well as this Keto Philly Cheesesteak Crustless Quiche and this Easy Keto Sesame Chicken Recipe.

Since I would like to start to trend our diets to include more vegetables and seafoods, I knew I had to come up with a recipe that would be "Mr. Grumbles Approved".

The other day, the grocery store had a bag of frozen wild caught bay scallops on sale. 

I picked up a bag and got straight to work on doing some research on bay scallops and recipes associated with them.

First I needed to find out the difference between "bay scallops" and "sea scallops".

Sea Scallops

This category of scallops is harvested from deep, cold sea waters year-round. Sea scallops are traditionally harvested by trawling boats, using chains and nets, although they can also be hand-harvested. The latter, sometimes referred to as “diver scallops,” require a more labour-intensive process; these scallops are less likely to be damaged and also come with a higher price tag. Sea scallops are also typically sold shucked, and on average you can expect to get 20 to 30 scallops per pound.

Sea scallops are up to three times larger in size than bay scallops, with some reaching up to two inches in diameter. They have a texture that’s chewier and not quite as tender as bay scallops.

Bay Scallops

Bay scallops are typically found in the shallow waters of bays and estuaries along the East Coast of the United States and South America, with a peak season during the fall.  They are much smaller than sea scallops.  On average, you will get approximately 100 bay scallops per pound.  These small bivalves have a pink to light beige colour with a delicate, tender texture, and a sweet taste.

Interesting fact: The "U" that you often see when buying shellfish stands for the word "under".  This refers to the number of pieces that make up 1 lb of product.  For example, U-10 Scallops are very large and therefore you would get approximately 10 scallops to make up 1 lb of weight.

As I was doing some research, I decided to see what type of recipes I could find.  Honestly, most recipes on the website are for sea scallops.  Why?  I'm not sure since bay scallops are sweeter and significantly cheaper.  Also, I could not find any air fryer recipes so this was definitely a challenge I knew I had to undertake.

Now, if you don't own an air fryer, simply throw these in a pan with a little olive oil and saute the scallops until they are no longer opaque (approximately 5 minutes)

Air Fryer Scallop Recipe Ingredients

You don't need many ingredients to make these keto scallops!

• Scallops - I used bay scallops as they tend to be much cheaper than sea scallops. The bay scallops I used for this air fryer scallop recipe were frozen so I simply placed the frozen bag in a bowl filled with water until they thawed.
• Oil - I like to use olive oil but you can use avocado oil or any other neutral cooking oil
• Spices - To create the spiciness that I LOVE, I used a combination of onion flakes (using flakes instead of powder helps to give these air fryer spicy bay scallops a little crunch!), smoked paprika, chili powder, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt and black pepper. However, feel free to use any combination of spices that suit your fancy!

How to Cook Scallops

The instructions for this easy keto air fryer recipe are given below. If you are wanting to cook these keto scallops in a pan, see the note at the bottom of these instructions.

How to cook scallops in a frying pan: If you do not have an air fryer, you can simply use a frying pan instead. Lightly coat the pan with olive oil and heat the pan on medium-high heat. Once the oil is nice and hot, add the scallops in a single layer and cooking them for 4-5 minutes, flipping them halfway in between.

 

What to serve with this Air Fryer Scallop Recipe?

The great thing with this recipe is that it is very versatile and can be made to please all your family members.

I had my scallops on top of my favourite Keto Brussels Sprout Broccoli Salad with Cranberries.  As for Mr. Grumbles, I added his scallops to a taco shell with some lettuce, tomato and some Easy Keto Refried Beans and some Keto Quick and Easy Microwave-Fried Onions.  You could also serve them on a bed of coconut riced cauliflower or add them to this Keto Creamy Parmesan Pasta for an extra little protein kick.

More Easy Keto Air Fryer Recipe Ideas

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

And for some Keto Dessert Ideas

These are my favourite keto no-bake easy keto desserts that are perfect to serve along with these air fryer spicy bay scallops.

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