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Normally, I go for a hard pan-seared scallop but lately I’ve been playing around with something different and these turned out amazing. With this recipe I made an absolutely delicious spicy honey butter, coated my scallops in it and then broiled them. This was so easy and they turned out beautifully!
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Why You’ll Love Spicy Honey Butter Scallops
This broiled scallop recipe is so simple but is so impressive. The broiled scallops are tender and juicy, coated in a butter that is a perfect balance of spicy and sweet. The butter is perfect for scooping up with crusty bread and trust me, you won’t want to waste a drop.
How To Prepare
Start by making you Salsa Macha Honey Butter. This part is super easy and can be done up to 3 days ahead. You simply mix your room temp butter, salsa macha, honey, soy sauce and salt together. This butter is great not the scallops but it’s honestly just a really great butter recipe on it’s own.
Next, you are going to prep your scallops. With a knife, you are going to remove the “foot” (the tough side muscle), if it’s still attached, and gently pat the scallops dry. Moisture is the enemy of crisping up your scallops in your broiler so dry them well.
Now we assemble. Put a dollop of the butter to hold you scallop in place on the adorable oven safe shells. Top with your scallop and season with salt and pepper. Top with more of the butter.
Let’s get to broiling! Broil these scallops on the middle rack until almost cooked through, then move them to the top rack for a final blast of heat. You’re looking for a little caramelization on top, but still keeping the scallops tender inside.
Now to serve and enjoy. Top with a sprinkling of fresh chives, a little lemon zest and lemon slices to squeeze lemon juice on top if you’d like. Serve them hot with crusty bread – trust me, you’ll want every drop of that buttery sauce.
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🔥Chef Nadia’s Tip🔥
Make sure you use a good quality butter. This is one of the main ingredients of the dish and it will shine through. One of my favorites is Kerrygold.
Substitutions and Variations
- Substitutions
- Honey → Agave or Maple Syrup: For a slightly different sweetness, you can swap honey for agave nectar or maple syrup.
- Soy Sauce → Tamari: Use tamari for a gluten-free option.
- U-10 Scallops → Smaller Scallops: If you can’t find U-10s, you can use smaller scallops. Just make sure to adjust the cooking time (they’ll broil faster!).
- Variations
- No Scallop Variation → Swap your protein for shrimp, lobster tails, or even cauliflower if you want a seafood free variation.
- Grilled Variation → Instead of broiling, you can use your grill for a smokier flavor. Just make sure you watch very closely so you don’t overcook them!
- Crunchy Variation → Sprinkle some panko on top before broiling for a little crunch.
The Perfect Pairings
Drink: Frozen Extra Dirty Martini 🍸 This is an extra dirty vodka martini recipe with the most amazing olive brine granita that would pair amazingly well with the broiled scallops in spicy honey butter.
Main: Coq Au Vin 🍗 One of those simple and luxurious dishes, this is an amazing follow-up to these scallops.
Salad: Sesame Handheld Salads 🥬 These little handheld salad are absolutely adorable, so delicious and the easiest things to make with a honey dijon dressing that is light and classic to pair with this evenings dishes.
Dessert: Passion Fruit Panna Cotta 🍮 This rich, creamy, not over sweet but perfectly balanced dessert is going to end your night wonderfully.
Spicy Honey Butter Scallops: Questions Answered
I got these Oven Safe Shells on Amazon!
Salsa macha is a Mexican chili oil. It is slightly smoky, garlicky, crunchy and perfectly spicy. My salsa macha recipe is one of my most asked for recipe and a staple in our house, I put it on basically EVERYTHING.
You will be using U-10 sea scallops for this recipe. They are large, juicy, and perfect for broiling without overcooking.
Sure! You can make the salsa macha honey butter up to 3 days ahead and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Just let it come to room temperature before using.
Yes, as long as you use tamari instead of soy sauce and make sure to use gluten-free bread or just omit, everything else should be gluten-free. Always make sure to check labels.
Spicy Honey Butter Scallops
Equipment
- Bowl
- piping bag, plastic bag or spoon
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup salsa macha, salsa macha recipe or chili crisp
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- Pinch of salt
- 8 U-10 Scallops
- chives, chopped, to taste, for topping
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- crusty bread, for dipping
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together the butter, salsa macha, honey, soy sauce and salt.
- Cut off the foot of the scallop and pat dry.
- Using a piping bag, add a small dollop of butter on the bottom of the shell, top with scallops. Add salt and pepper and top with more of the butter.
- Broil on high in the middle rack for 6-7 minutes. Transfer to top rack and broil 1 more minute.
- Serve topped with chives, more lemon zest and lemon slices to squeeze on top if you'd like.
Kitchen Cam
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Must try!!!! I have never baked a scallop and I am sold. It was easy and satisfying. Grab some bread because you just dip in the butter. Yum!!
Right Gina! I usually do pan fried but I really loved how these turned out and you can’t beat how easy this was! I’m so glad you liked it!