Impress your guests with these simple smoked scallops and serve with our reverse sear steaks for a tasty new twist on surf 'n turf!
**Post written by The BBQ Brothers. For all meat prep, grill set up, temperature and humidity control, recommended tools, and techniques for The BBQ Brothers recipes, check out The BBQ Brothers Beginner’s Guide To Grilling first, then get to cookin!
Who doesn’t like Surf and Turf?!?!?! But why not put a little twist to this classic with a reverse sear method which will add some good smoke flavor to our scallops?
Before we start the recipe, let's talk about how to choose scallops. When purchasing at the grocery store, you will see two options: "wet" and "dry."
The difference between the two is that "wet" scallops have been soaked in a bath of phosphates which makes them appear whiter and absorb water (look plumper). This increases the weight per scallop as well as the cost. This liquid leaks out during cooking, essentially steaming the scallops rather than searing them. "Dry" scallops are simply packaged as-is with no preservatives or additional water. When possible, always purchase dry scallops as these will sear the best.
Depending on your location, you'll also have the option to purchase fresh or frozen scallops. Fresh is best if you plan to cook them within a day or two, but frozen IQF (individually quick frozen) scallops can also be of adequate quality. Just be sure to thaw them overnight in the fridge and NOT at room temperature or rinsed under warm water.
Finally, when choosing scallops, be sure to pick ones that are firm (like a pork chop), dry (as discussed above) and either gray/beige or pink/orange in color (females are pink). Avoid any that are bright white and plump, as this is a sign of being processed.
So let’s get started:
The first thing you will need to do is set up your grill for indirect heat. We want to get the coal side of the grill super hot since we are going to sear our scallops at the end. This is very important, as we don’t want our scallops to have the texture of bubble gum.
Next, rinse your scallops and dry thoroughly with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper on each side.
Place your scallops on the indirect side of the grill and throw a dash of wood chips on the coals to add that smoky flavor. Be careful not to add too many or use too strong of a flavor, as the scallops will absorb a lot of that flavor. So you want to stick with lighter fruit flavors like cherry or apple and stay away from the heavier ones like mesquite.
We want to keep the scallops on indirect heat for about 10-15 minutes or until the internal temp is 100 F. Once we reach that temp, we will transfer them to the direct side. Again, make sure the direct side is very hot as we want to sear the scallops to get a good texture. 
You will only sear them for 1-1 ½ min per side as we don’t want to overcook them and want to serve them at a final internal temp of 130. After searing, serve with a little drizzle of lemon juice and melted butter.
That’s it! It may be a little bit scary grilling seafood but this is a quick and easy way to spoil your guests (or your new wife😊). If you are going to throw a steak on there to complete your surf and turf, make sure to throw the steak on first so they finish around the same time.
Follow our recipes for reverse sear steaks and smoked corn on the cob for a full meal! 
Looking for more smoked dishes? Click here to check out more recipes from The BBQ Brothers!
PrintRecipe Card
Smoked Scallops
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 17 mins
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Category: Seafood
- Method: Smoked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Low Calorie
Description
Impress your guests with these simple smoked scallops and serve with our reverse sear steaks for a tasty new twist on surf 'n turf!
Ingredients
Seafood Used: Scallops
Seasoning: Salt and pepper
Wood Used: Cherry or apple
Grill Temperature: As hot as possible
Internal Temperature: 130 degrees
Smoke Time: 11-17 minutes
Instructions
- The first thing you will need to do is set up your grill for indirect heat. We want to get the coal side of the grill super hot since we are going to sear our scallops at the end. This is very important, as we don’t want our scallops to have the texture of bubble gum.
- Rinse the scallops and dry thoroughly with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper on each side.
- Place your scallops on the indirect side and throw a dash of wood chips on the coals to add that smoky flavor. Be careful not to add too many or use too strong of a flavor, as the scallops will absorb a lot of that flavor. So you want to stick with lighter fruit flavors like cherry or apple and stay away from the heavier ones like mesquite.
- We want to keep the scallops on indirect heat for about 10-15 minutes or until the internal temp is 100 F. Once we reach that temp, we will transfer them to the direct side. Again, make sure the direct side is very hot as we want to sear the scallops to get a good texture.
- You will only sear them for 1-1 ½ min per side as we don’t want to overcook them and want to serve them at a final internal temp of 130. After searing, serve with a little drizzle of lemon juice and melted butter.
Notes
Choose scallops that are firm, dry, and gray/beige or pink/orange in color. White, plump scallops are a sign of being processed. Frozen IQF (individually quick frozen) scallops will also work well and should be thawed in the refrigerator overnight.
So let us know what you think….did this recipe smoke the competition or go up in flames? Leave a comment below! 🙂
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