Scallops in the Air Fryer

We use the Philips HD 9220 air fryer so when I tell you how things work, you’ll know which one I’m talking about. They’re all pretty similar but there are some differences and the difference in wattage can make a difference but overall, I think most all the air fryers are pretty good.

One of the “diet” foods we like is sauteed scallops. I buy frozen scallops and defrost them, then drain them really well on paper towels. I’ve always used a skillet and because so much liquid cooks out of them, in order to avoid boiling them, I cook them outside on a really hot fire. I get the oil to barely smoking and toss them into the skillet. There’s always a lot of splattering and hissing and if I can keep the fire hot enough, I can cook the liquid off while browning the scallops.

I had the bright idea this evening to do them in the air fryer. I defrosted them, then drained them well on paper towels, put them in a bowl and tossed them with olive oil and Slap Ya Mama seasoning. The air fryer was set to 390° and preheated. The scallops were amazing! The liquid went through the slits in the basket and there was no boiling. The scallops were much better than cooking them in a skillet in butter or oil outside.

One word of caution. I had the scallops in the basket cooking and decided they needed a bit more seasoning. I pulled the basket out just a bit and with the fan still running, gave them a healthy shake of Slap Ya Mama. The fan blew some of the seasoning right into my eyes! Slap Ya Mama is not good for the eyes. So, if any additional season is going to be added, either turn off the fan or remove the basket a safe distance so the fan cannot blow anything into your face.