22 Best Scallop Recipes to Make for Dinner Tonight

Scallops are an all-star shellfish for many reasons—they are sweet, not too "fishy" and cook up quickly. In most grocery stores, you will find two types of scallops. Sea scallops are large and available year-round, while bay scallops are found more often in the winter and tend to have a higher price tag. Both types work in a variety of dishes, pairing well with an array of sauces and seasonings, as long as you know how to cook them. That said, the true beauty of scallops is how incredible they taste when prepared simply, with as few ingredients as possible, as is the case with this simple number.

Shrimp Scampi is a forever favorite at Food Network, but for this recipe we're swapping out the shrimp for scallops. This entree is still quick, simple and easy — ready in just 35 minutes.

With nearly 600 5-star reviews, you know Ina's recipe is going to set you up for success. Before she sears the scallops, she lightly coats them with flour. As the scallops cook, she adds in chopped shallots, garlic, parsley, butter and white wine. The result is a super-flavorful dish that's ready in under 15 minutes.

For an elegant gluten-free dinner, arrange seared sea scallops on a platter along with thinly sliced Jerusalem artichokes (or sunchokes) and diced apples. Then, top it all off with a drizzle of a decadent lemony butter sauce.

Sweet corn and tender scallops are a classic combination, but we added haricots verts, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, pancetta and basil to the equation as well. As a result, you have restaurant-quality fare ready in just 40 minutes. (Pro tip: Opt for dry scallops, which are not treated with a solution of water and sodium tripolyphosphate, and therefore have a lower risk of getting rubbery while cooked.)

Giada doesn't just wrap scallops with prosciutto or bacon and call it a day. Instead, she blends up a mix of sun-dried tomatoes, olives and basil in a food processor to rub all over the scallops before adding any meat. This next-level dish can work as either a main or an appetizer.

You can find many different versions of ceviche across Central and South America, featuring a variety of seafood and veggies. Most deliver the perfect balance of sweet, savory and bright flavors, and this dish is no exception. For the best (read: freshest) results, buy your scallops the same day you plan to make the ceviche.

This healthy seafood pasta features a mix of canned baby clams and fresh bay scallops. Use only a handful of ingredients (i.e. lemon zest, clam juice and parsley) to keep the sauce bright, briny and simple.

Who needs lobster? Not us! These buttery rolls are a great alternative to a classic lobster roll and ready in a fraction of the time, since you don't have to deal with de-shelling.

Don't throw out your parmesan rinds. Instead, use it to instantly add flavor to stocks and sauces. Exhibit A: This five-ingredient, flavor-packed marinara that is studded with bay scallops and ready in about 20 minutes.

Serve seafood on skewers for a sure-fire way to get the whole family to at least try it. We thread scallops and zucchini rounds onto skewers before throwing everything onto the grill for 6 to 8 minutes. A make-ahead coconut-cilantro chutney takes this to the next level.

"I like making cioppino because it uses a delicious mix of different seafood and shellfish and it has this great rich broth," says Katie Lee Biegel. Her version of the classic Italian-American seafood stew has mussels, sea scallops, littleneck clams, shrimp, white fish fillets and anchovies.

Quick-cooking scallops are the star of this speedy weeknight dinner, but the orange-cabbage slaw may just steal the show.

Similar to many beloved gratins, this French-inspired dish is cheesy, creamy and topped with crispy breadcrumbs. Ina's 5-star recipe has you assemble everything in individual dishes, so you're all set to serve one to each guest at a dinner party.

Nothing can really compete with in-season tomatoes and corn, so save this recipe for the summer. We cooked up a rich, velvety creamed corn side to serve with seared scallops, vine-ripened tomatoes, pickled onions and fresh basil.

When shopping for scallops, "you want them to smell sweet but a little bit briny, and you don't want them to be mushy at all," says Rachael Ray. She also stresses that you should pat the scallops completely dry before cooking them. In this recipe, she wraps an assortment of large sea scallops and jumbo shrimp with applewood smoked bacon, then throws it all into the oven for a hands-off, crowd-pleasing appetizer.

Giada recommends threading each scallop onto two skewers, so they're easier to flip on the grill. Make it a meal with the addition of cooked quinoa, garbanzo beans and a homemade citrus dressing.

During Lunar New Year, eating ample amounts of dumplings symbolizes wealth for the year ahead because the small parcels of dough resemble bags of money. But, we'll take an excuse to eat as many dumplings as we can any time of year! This filling is a blend of finely chopped scallops, minced jalapeños, garlic and sesame oil. It pairs beautifully with a soy-butter sauce.

Because of their mild briny, sweet and buttery flavor, scallops work nicely with other types of fish and seafood. Here, Bobby tosses together a salad showcasing sea scallops, tuna steak and jumbo shrimp, along with an assortment of fresh vegetables.

Looking for another way to get more scallops into your weekly dinner rotation? This meal is ready in just 40 minutes and doesn't require a laundry list of ingredients.

The combination of cheese and seafood can be polarizing, but this sophisticated recipe is still worth giving a shot. We top creamy barley risotto with seared scallops and a roasted red pepper-and-mascarpone sauce. It's simply divine.