cooked scallops on a plate.

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Japanese spicy soy scallops is a light, fast and easy dish to make.  It has delicate Japanese flavors that pair beautifully with rice and veggies.  Serve these over brown rice for a delicious meal or they work well as an appetizer too.

Don’t marinade your scallops more than an hour or the lemon will start to “cook” your scallops.  Make sure you dry your scallops slightly after coming out of the marinade otherwise they will steam rather than sear in the pan.  You want a nice hot skillet so the scallops sear and get a nice crust on the outside but stay moist and soft on the inside.

You control the spice level in this dish by adding as much, or as little, chili crunch as you like.  I keep mine mild which doesn’t over power the delicate scallops.

raw scallops and marinade ingredients.

To get started on this dish, prepare your scallops by removing the tough connector muscle and discarding. Dry scallops with paper towels.

In a glass casserole dish, combine the soy sauce with the mirin, sake, lemon slices and chili crunch. Add the scallops and toss to coat. Put in refrigerator for 30 minutes, turning once.

scallops marinating.
Spray a cast iron skillet with cooking spray and put on a medium-high heat on the stove. Add the olive oil and heat until very hot but not smoking.
Meanwhile, drain the scallops from the marinade and lightly dry with paper towels to remove excess liquid.
drying scallops.

Add to the pan and leave space between each scallop. Sear for 1 – 2 minutes util a nice crust forms. (Don’t move them around…let them brown before flipping.) Gently turn them over and let brown on the other side for another 1 – 2 minutes.

scallops cooking in skillet.

Serve them on their own as an appetizer or as part of a full, healthy meal.  I’ll serve them with brown rice and steam broccoli. 

These are perfect served with a cold glass of Sake or a crisp white wine.  Enjoy.

If you like scallops, be sure to try my Baked Panko Scallops recipe or my Shrimp, Scallops & Asparagus Linguine.  Both are tasty dishes using this fabulous shellfish.

Otherwise, if you are looking for other Asian inspired recipes, be sure to try some of these:

Asian Marinated Cod

Asian Beef & Veggie Rolls

Pineapple and Mango Chicken Stir Fry

Ebi Tempura (Japanese Shrimp Tempura) With Ginger And Lime Dipping Sauce

Chinese Potato Bird Nests with Shrimp and Veggies

Shrimp with Lobster Sauce

cooked scallops on a plate.

cooked scallops on a plate.

Japanese Spicy Soy Scallops

Succulent sea scallops are marinated in a lemon and soy mixture then seared in cast iron for the perfect Asian bite.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 4 minutes
Total Time 39 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 4 Served

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Ingredients
 
 

  • 3/4 Cup Soy sauce
  • 1/2 Cup Mirin
  • 1/2 Cup Sake
  • 1 Lemon, thinly sliced
  • 1 Tsp.  Momofuku Chili Crunch (or more if you like very spicy)
  • 1 Lb. Sea scallops, large with connector muscle removed
  • 1 Tbsp. Canola oil
  • Cooking spray

Instructions
 

  • Prepare your scallops by removing the tough connector muscle and discarding. (see photo) Dry scallops with paper towels.
  • In a glass casserole dish, combine the soy sauce with the mirin, sake, lemon slices and chili crunch. Add the scallops and toss to coat. Put in refrigerator for 30 minutes, turning once.
  • Spray a cast iron skillet with cooking spray and put on a medium-high heat on the stove. Add the olive oil and heat until very hot but not smoking.
  • Meanwhile, drain the scallops from the marinade and lightly dry with paper towels to remove excess liquid. Add to the pan and leave space between each scallop. Sear for 1 – 2 minutes util a nice crust forms. (Don’t move them around…let them brown before flipping.) Gently turn them over and let brown on the other side for another 1 – 2 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

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Keyword dinner, healthier choice, seafood, shellfish
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