I’ve got a fabulous NEW air fryer appetizer recipe for you today: Air Fryer Bacon-Wrapped Scallops! I love how wrapping something in bacon can transform it into something decadent. I mean, who doesn’t love food infused with delicious, bacon-y goodness? Plus, these air fryer scallops are elegant enough to serve at a party, and the air frying method makes them lower-guilt! Oh, and did I mention they are also low carb and keto-friendly? You’ll want to pin this one for sure; it’s a winner all the way around. These air fryer scallops wrapped in bacon are prepared quickly and easily in the air fryer and served with a simple spicy Sriracha mayo dipping sauce. Want more easy air fryer recipes? Click here to see all of my recipes for the air fryer. The Air Fryer Sweet Potato Tots and Air Fryer Tostones (Fried Green Plantain Chips) are some of my most popular!
New to air frying? Here are some well-rated air fryer models on Amazon (these are affiliate links): GoWISE USA GW22731 1700-Watt 5.8-QT 8-in-1 Digital Air Fryer and Ninja AF101 Air Fryer with 4 Quart Capacity). You can also learn more about air frying and how it compares to deep frying in this article: Are air fryers worth it? Air frying vs. deep frying.
More easy air fryer recipes:
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Tots Recipe
- Guilt-Free Air Fryer Ranch Zucchini Chips Recipe
- Lighter Air Fryer Fried Pickles with Sriracha Mayo Recipe
- Air Fryer Tostones (Fried Green Plantain Chips) recipe
- Beef Wontons Recipe (including an air fryer variation)
- Mini Air Fryer Cherry Hand Pies
I developed this recipe as part of the Allrecipes Allstars Tastemakers program. Rate, review, and photograph my recipe for Air Fryer Bacon-Wrapped Scallops with Sriracha Mayo here, and see the full recipe along with some of my tips for preparing it below. You can also Jump to Recipe directly if you’re ready to get cookin.’
How long do you air fry scallops?
If you’re wondering “how long do you air fry scallops,” that depends on the size of the scallops. I use the smaller bay scallops for this recipe. If you are using jumbo scallops it will require a longer cooking time.
- Bacon-wrapped scallops (small/bay scallops): 390 degrees for 7-9 minutes
- Bacon-wrapped scallops (jumbo): 390 degrees for 9-11 minutes
- Simple seasoned (non-wrapped) scallops: 390 degrees for 4-6 minutes (depending on size), flipping the scallops half-way through the cooking time
Air frying tip: Make sure you pre-heat your air fryer, otherwise the cooking time will be a little off for your first batch. If your air fryer doesn’t have a pre-heat mode, I recommend letting the air fryer run on the degrees called for in the recipe (390 degrees F for today’s air fryer scallops recipe) for about 5 minutes with nothing in it before you start cooking your food.
Making the Sriracha mayo dipping sauce for your air fryer scallops
The dipping sauce for these air fryer scallops couldn’t be easier… there are only two ingredients! This Sriracha mayo is great not only for bacon wrapped scallops, but for many appetizers you might make in your air fryer.
To make the Sriracha mayo dipping sauce, mix 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and 2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce together in a small bowl. Refrigerate the Sriracha mayo until you are ready to serve your air fryer bacon wrapped scallops.
How to make air fryer scallops wrapped in bacon
Preheat your air fryer to 390 degrees F (200 degrees C).
This recipe calls for 1 pound of bay scallops (about 36 small scallops), and strips of bacon cut into thirds. Bay scallops are the smaller ones. If you are using jumbo scallops it will require a longer cooking time and longer strips of bacon (see my cooking time tips in the “How long do you air fry scallops?” section above).
Spread your scallops out onto a plate or cutting board and blot dry with a paper towel. Season with course salt and freshly cracked pepper.
Wrap each scallop with 1/3 slice of bacon (for bay scallops; use 1/2 slice of bacon if you are modifying this air fryer scallops recipe to use jumbo scallops).
Secure the bacon around the scallop with a toothpick.
Spray your air fryer basket with cooking spray (I like using olive oil cooking spray for air fryer recipes). Place the bacon wrapped scallops in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Split your scallops into 2 batches if necessary.
Cook bacon wrapped scallops in air fryer for 7 minutes, then check for doneness. The air fryer scallops should be opaque and the bacon should be crispy. If necessary, cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer, checking every minute. Remove the scallops from the air fryer basket carefully with tongs and place on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil from the bacon.
Serve your delicious air fryer scallops wrapped in bacon with the Sriracha mayo.
Aren’t these air fryer scallops beautiful? Elegant enough to serve at a party, but lower-guilt since the bacon-wrapped scallops were prepared in the air fryer.
These air fryer bacon-wrapped scallops are also low carb and keto-friendly! Make sure to pin this one! Here’s the recipe. Enjoy!
Prep Time | 15 minutes |
Cook Time | 20 minutes |
Servings |
servings
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- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sriracha sauce
- 1 pound bay scallops (about 36 small scallops)
- 1 pinch coarse salt
- 1 pinch freshly cracked black pepper
- 12 slices thick cut bacon cut into thirds
- olive oil cooking spray
Ingredients
|
|
- Mix mayonnaise and Sriracha sauce together in a small bowl. Refrigerate Sriracha mayo until ready to serve.
- Preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Spread scallops out onto a plate or cutting board and blot dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap each scallop with 1/3 slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick.
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Place bacon-wrapped scallops in the basket in a single layer; split into 2 batches if necessary.
- Cook in the air fryer for 7 minutes. Check for doneness; scallops should be opaque and bacon should be crispy. Cook 1 to 2 minutes longer, if necessary, checking every minute. Remove scallops carefully with tongs and place on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil from the bacon. Serve with Sriracha mayo.
I use the smaller bay scallops for this air fryer scallops recipe. If you are using jumbo scallops it will require a longer cooking time and longer strips of bacon.*
*If you are using jumbo scallops, use 1/2 of a strip of bacon (instead of 1/3) and cook for 9-11 minutes at 390 degrees (instead of the 7-9 minutes for smaller bay scallops).
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