Sous Vide Scallops are perfectly tender and delicate, finished with a quick sear, this is the best way to cook scallops at home. Try this healthy weeknight dinner recipe and be amazed.
Scallops, cooked perfectly, can be incredibly butter, smooth, and succulent. They have a delicate, but delicious natural flavor. Overcook, them, however, and you end up with rubbery and tough hockey pucks.
That’s where a sous vide wand comes in. This immersion circulator is the key to nailing perfectly tender scallops every time. Set the hot water bath to the perfect temperature to cook scallops, walk away for 30 minutes, and come back to a gourmet meal all ready to go.
Once you try making scallops in a sous vide water bath, you won’t need another recipe again.
How to Sous Vide Scallops
Scallops are one of the best ingredients to sous vide. They’re easy to overcook using other methods, and they are guaranteed to come out perfectly from the water bath.
To sous vide scallops, like anything, pack the seafood into an airtight or vacuum-sealed bag. A regular gallon-sized Ziploc bag will work well. Add some aromatic garlic and a tablespoon of butter to gently poach the scallops and infuse them with flavor.
Then, submerge the assembled bag in the hot water bath and let the wand to do the work. After about half an hour, the scallops are fully cooked and ready to be enjoyed. If you like, you can sear them in a hot pan for a bit of color and caramelization.
What Temperature to Sous Vide Scallops
The best way to achieve tender, juicy scallops that are cooked to perfection all the way through is to set your water bath to 124°F/51°C.
How Long to Sous Vide Scallops
Sea scallops take 30 minutes at 124°F/51°C.
Searing Scallops
The one thing that you won’t get from sous vide cooking is a golden crust on the outside of your scallops. However, that’s easily remedied by a quick––and I mean quick, like no more than 30 seconds––sear in a hot skillet after removing from the water bath.
Searing is optional, so if you don’t miss the browned crust, then the seafood is ready to eat as soon as it comes out of the water bath.
Can I Change the Flavors?
Yes, this is a base-line “how to” recipe for perfectly cooked scallops. However, you can easily mix up the flavors to add more spice or seasoning to your seafood. Keep things light, though, because scallops have a delciate flvor that’s easily overpowered.
One delicious flavoring idea is to sprinkle your scallops with Old Bay seasoning before placing them in the vacuum bag. You can find Old Bay at most grocery stores, or make your own.
Serving Suggestions
These butter-poached sous vide scallops are delicious on their own with a hit of lemon zest and flaky salt for garnish. However, you can round out the meal with a fresh sauce or hearty side dish such as:
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- Blackened Shrimp
I’d love to see your masterpieces! If you make this or any of my recipes be sure to tag @foodlovecooks on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!
Sous Vide Scallops
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound sea scallops
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 clove garlic cut in half
- ½ teaspoon lemon peel
- Flaky salt
Instructions
- In a large pot or container, heat 4 liters of water to 124°F/51°C.
- Dry the scallops with a paper towel and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- In a sous vide bag, pack the scallops with the flat side facing up, along with 1 tablespoon butter and the garlic. Cook for 30 minutes.
- Remove the scallops and soak up the excess moisture with a paper towel.
- In a medium skillet, melt the remaining butter over high heat. Once it starts to foam, sear the scallops for 20 to 30 seconds per side. Then immediately remove the scallops from the skillet.
- Finish the scallops with lemon peel and flaky salt. Serve with a sauce, such as green herb pesto.
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