The Best Fried Scallops At Home

Tools & Ingredients you will need:

  • A home fryer, or 6qt heavy pot if you do not have a home fryer

  • Candy thermometer that reads up to 400F

  • 2 quarts of frying oil of your choice, or enough oil to cover the scallops completely when frying

  • Breading Basket – To shake off excess breading from the scallops

  • 12qt bowl – for the breading

  • 1.5 cups of Intershell Seafood Breading

  • 2# Intershell Day Boat Scallops – Defrosted if frozen

  • A plate lined with paper towels to absorb the oil from the fried scallops

  • Lemon wedges, tartar sauce, & French fries – For serving

Prep time: 15min Approx - Serves 3-4 People

Cook time: +/- 3 Minutes per batch.  Fry until golden brown

Cooking Instructions:

Small batches are recommended! We find that cooking Intershell’s scallops in about 3 batches (or more) will give you good results without letting the scallops stick together or lose their breading as the frying occurs.

  1. Heat 3 inches of oil to 350 Degrees F in your home fryer or stove top pan. Use the thermometer to check the oil temperature.

  2. Into a 12qt bowl, dump the breading.

  3. Prop the basket up to one side of the bowl.

  4. Moisten the scallops with water before dropping them into the bowl with the breading.

  5. Drop about ¼ of the scallops in the breading and carefully - with your fingers – coat the scallops with breading making sure all the scallops are covered and separate.

  6. Toss the breaded scallops in the basket, and lightly shake the basket with the scallops in it to remove the excess breading before frying. Make sure the scallops are completely coated, separated from one another, and don’t get stuck together. 

  7. Transfer the ‘shaken’ scallops into the fryer basket and carefully drop it into the 350F frying oil.  Cook for approximately 2 - 3 minutes until golden brown, remove the scallops from the frying oil. 

  8. Carefully spread the scallops on the paper towel lined plate and repeat steps 6 & 7 to cook the rest of scallops in 3 more batches.  Do your best not to overcook!

  9. Serve while hot with tartar sauce, fries, and lemon wedges.  You will have a pile of scallops for 3 or more so get to it and have that summer New England taste right at home. 

Try this recipe with our frying clams, haddock, and clam strips too!