Equipment
Ingredients
Skewers
- 400 g sea scallops, side muscle removed
- 200 g red bell pepper, cut into 2.5cm squares
- 15 ml avocado oil, for brushing
- 2 g kosher salt
Peanut Dipping Sauce
- 60 g creamy peanut butter, unsweetened
- 60 ml full-fat coconut milk, room temperature
- 15 ml tamari
- 15 ml fresh lime juice
- 10 g brown sugar, packed
- 5 g sriracha sauce
- 1 garlic, minced
- 3 g fresh ginger, grated
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbohydrates
- 14 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 891 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 5 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 24 mg
- Potassium
- 453 mg
- Calcium
- 25 mg
- Iron
- 1.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 63 mg
- Phosphorus
- 419 mg
- Zinc
- 1.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 81 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 66 mg
- Vitamin E
- 2.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 3 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.07 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.09 mg
- Niacin
- 3.4 mg
- Folate
- 55 mcg
- Water
- 147 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
If using bamboo skewers, submerge them in water and let soak for 30 minutes to prevent burning on the grill.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the creamy peanut butter, coconut milk, tamari, lime juice, brown sugar, sriracha, minced garlic, and grated ginger. Whisk until completely smooth.
Pat the sea scallops completely dry using paper towels to ensure a proper sear.
Thread the dried scallops and red bell pepper squares alternately onto the skewers, aiming for 2 to 3 scallops per skewer.
Preheat a grill or grill pan to 230 degrees Celsius (450 degrees Fahrenheit). Meanwhile, lightly brush the assembled skewers with avocado oil and season evenly with kosher salt.
Place the skewers on the hot grill. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side until the scallops are opaque throughout and reach an internal temperature of 63 degrees Celsius (145 degrees Fahrenheit).
Transfer the grilled skewers to a serving platter and serve immediately alongside the peanut dipping sauce.
Chef's Notes
- Always dry scallops completely with paper towels before grilling; excess surface moisture will create steam and prevent a proper crust from forming.
- The small, rectangular muscle tags on the side of scallops are edible but can become tough when cooked. Peel them off by hand before threading onto skewers.
- If your peanut sauce feels too dense depending on the brand of peanut butter used, you can adjust the consistency by whisking in a small splash of warm water until it reaches your desired dipping thickness.
- When threading skewers, leave a tiny gap between the scallops and bell peppers. If they are crammed too tightly together, the sides touching will steam rather than grill.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store sauce and skewers in separate airtight containers.
Reheating: Best served fresh. If necessary, reheat scallops very gently in a pan over low heat; microwaving will cause a rubbery texture.
Troubleshooting
Scallops are tough and rubbery
Cause: Overcooking the scallops on the high heat of the grill
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Remove scallops from the heat as soon as they turn opaque; residual heat will finish cooking them as they rest.
Peanut sauce is too thick or split
Cause: Cold coconut milk solidifying or natural oil separation in the peanut butter
Fix: Vigorously whisk in warm water, 5ml at a time, until the sauce becomes smooth and cohesive.
Prevention: Use room temperature coconut milk and thoroughly stir natural peanut butter before measuring.
Scallops stick to the grill grates
Cause: Grill grates were not hot enough or scallops were too wet
Fix: Use a thin metal spatula to gently scrape under the scallops to release them.
Prevention: Ensure scallops are patted completely dry and the grill is fully preheated before cooking.
Cultural Context
Drawing inspiration from traditional Southeast Asian satay, this dish adapts the popular street food format for delicate seafood. The rich, acidic, and slightly spicy peanut sauce provides a robust counterbalance to the natural sweetness of the scallops and red bell peppers.
