Smoked scallops give them a wonderful flavor cooking in a garlic buttery sauce. On your Traeger using thawed or cooking frozen scallops is a delicious seafood dinner our family loves.

Scallops smoked give them a really deep flavor and just enough heat to turn them from translucent to white and perfectly tender. Bathed in garlic and butter as an electric smoker recipe or on a pellet grill you can cook these as your main dish or alongside another dish and enjoy as a starter or appetizer. (affiliate links present)
Traeger Scallops
Scallops are a type of shellfish that belong to the mollusk family. They have a distinct fan shaped shell and are known for their tender, sweet, and delicate meat. Commonly enjoyed as seafood and are popular in various cuisines worldwide.
The edible part of a is the muscle that opens and closes the shell. This muscle is the part that is harvested and consumed. Known for their creamy, succulent texture and subtly sweet flavor. They can be found in both saltwater and freshwater, although the most commonly consumed types are harvested from oceans.
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To get your meats absolutely perfect we have this printable meat smoking chart to refer to so each and every time it will be fork tender.
- Recently we upgraded to this Traeger pellet smoker and grill and love it.
- We started with an electric smoker that was a Charbroil which worked well to start with.
- These are the pellets we always have on hand and use for almost everything.
- This smoker cookbook has some more great ideas if you want to cook outside more regularly.


Smoked Bay Scallops Recipe
These small circular pieces of seafood are versatile and can be prepared in various ways including searing, grilling, baking, or even raw in ceviche. In this post we will explain how long to smoke scallops on your grate. They are usually categorized into two main types:
- Sea Scallops are the larger variety of scallops and are typically harvested from ocean waters. Sea scallops can reach sizes of up to 2″ in diameter and are highly sought after for their size and tenderness.
- to smoke sea scallops you would just need to add 5-10 minutes until instant read thermometer reaches 130 degrees
- Bay Scallops are smaller in size compared to sea scallops, usually measuring around 1″ around. They are found in shallower coastal waters like bays or estuaries, and tend to have a slightly sweeter flavor.
How Long to Smoke Scallops at 225
We will explain this below but typically 25 – 30 minutes will get them to the right temperature. You don’t need a lot of heat really, cooking too long will make them rubbery so less is more when it comes to these babies.
- 2 lbs scallops defrosted
- 1 stick butter or half butter half olive oil to make a regular or could make cajun garlic butter sauce
- 3 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1-2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper

How to Smoke Scallops
To prep rinse under cold running water. Lay on paper towels to dry scallops on the outsides. In a small saucepan, melt butter and add 1 tsp. salt, pepper, garlic and lemon juice. If you would like to add other herbs and/or seasonings do so at this time. Allow to cool slightly.
- Place scallops in aluminum foil pan or large cast iron skillet
- Pour melted butter mixture over scallops.
- Set aside. Fill smoker with hardwood BBQ pellets or wood chips.
- Prepare smoker by placing 2-3 long sheets of aluminum foil along the bottom of the smoker element, underneath the rack, for easy cleanup.
- Brush grill rack clean. Set smoker to smoke.
- Set smoker to 225 degrees F which may take about 20 minutes to come to temp.
- Set tray inside, close the lid and smoke 25 minutes, scallops internal temperature should be 125 F. Serve with lemon wedge and fresh parsley
Temperature listed here is what is highly recommended. If you really don’t want any pink inside you could go up to once it reached 145 but no higher.

Scallops Smoked
If you wanted to cook a few different “fishes” all at the same time we do have smoked shrimp foil packets you can make as well which are incredible. Use raw or frozen for this one in the same type of sauce.
Vegetables are our favorite scallops side dishes when served as a main dish for dinner. A simple salad works too or serve as an appetizer before your main meal. A bit of melted garlic butter is ideal to serve over the top of each one, served immediately is best for texture and flavor.
1. The texture of properly cooked scallops should be tender and slightly firm, but not rubbery. Overcooked scallops can become tough and chewy, so it’s important to monitor the cooking time closely.
2. The cooking time for scallops can vary depending on their size and the cooking method used. As a general guideline, scallops are typically cooked for a short time. Usually 2-3 minutes per side when searing or until just cooked through. If baking or grilling, they may take slightly longer, typically around 8-10 minutes.
3. Using a meat thermometer is an accurate way to determine if scallops are cooked. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the scallop. The recommended internal temperature for scallops is around 120°F to 130°F.
Jump to our smoked scallops recipe below. Use Traeger grill, Master built, Mountain Green or any other brand you might have. Remember that anything over 250 isn’t actually smoking, it is grilling. Low and slow is the key when it comes to cooking outside this way.

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Smoked Scallops
Equipment
- 1 smoker
- 1 pan
Ingredients
- 2 lbs scallops defrosted
- 1 stick butter
- 3 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1-2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, melt butter and add 1 tsp. salt, pepper, garlic and lemon juice. Allow to cool slightly.
- Place scallops in aluminum foil pan. Pour melted butter mixture over scallops. Set aside. Fill smoker with hardwood BBQ pellets.
- Prepare smoker by placing 2-3 long sheets of aluminum foil along the bottom of the smoker element, underneath the rack, for easy cleanup. Brush grill rack clean. Set smoker to smoke.
- Set smoker to 225 degrees F. Smoke 25 minutes, scallops internal temperature should be 125 F. Serve with lemon wedge and fresh parsley