Go Back
–+ servings

Grilled Scallops and Corn Avocado Salad

Overhead photo of corn scallop salad on a white serving plate.
Discover culinary perfection on the grill with my Grilled Scallops and Corn Salad recipe. Featuring succulent, char-kissed sea scallops mingled with fresh corn salsa and with a silky honey-lime dressing, every bite promises a symphony of delicious summer flavors!
Author: Cheyanne Holzworth
Total Time: 30 minutes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

  • 1 Outdoor Grill or Grill Pan
  • 2 Mixing Bowls (1 small; 1 medium)
  • 16 Skewers (SEE NOTES)

Ingredients

Grilled Scallops

  • 2 pounds Large Sea Scallops - side muscle removed and discarded
  • 2 TBS Neutral Oil - vegetable oil or canola oil
  • to taste Kosher Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper

Corn Avocado Salsa

  • 1 large Hass Avocado – pitted, peeled & small dice
  • 1 (15-ounce) Can Corn Kernels - drained (SEE NOTES)
  • ¼ whole Red Onion – finely diced
  • 1 whole Jalapeno – seeded and finely diced
  • 1 TBS Cilantro Leaves – roughly chopped
  • 1 whole Lime – juice
  • One to Two Dashes Crushed Red Pepper Flakes - OPTIONAL

Honey Lime Dressing (yield about 2/3 cup)

Instructions

  • Make the Honey Lime Dressing: In a small mixing bowl, combine the lime juice, honey, dijon, garlic powder, cumin, coriander, and olive oil. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper. Use a whisk and stir the ingredients together until completely emulsified and combined. Taste the sauce and adjust the flavors as you see fit. Then, cover the sauce and place it in the refrigerator until ready to use.
    (Note: Make sure you whisk the dressing, then taste and adjust it again before using it!)
  • Make the Corn Avocado Salad: In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the diced avocado, corn kernels, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, and crushed red pepper flakes. Season with a scant ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and a pinch of black pepper. Use a fork or spoon to toss the ingredients together until well combined. Taste the salsa and adjust the flavors as needed to suit your personal taste. Then, set the salsa aside.
  • Prepare the Scallops for Grilling: Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with clean paper towels. Next, arrange the scallops on top of the towels and place more paper towels on top. Use your hands to gently press on the towels to blot the scallops dry. Remove the wet top paper towels and replace with clean paper towels.
  • Double Skewer Scallops: Thread 4 to 6 sea scallops onto one skewer, arranging the skewer so it is off to one side of the scallop’s center. Then, place a second skewer through the scallops, parallel to and about ¼-inch away from the first.
  • Prepare the Grill: Prepare an outdoor grill for medium-high cooking. Heat the grill until hot (425-degrees to 450-degrees), clean the cooking grates, and then brush the grates well with a paper towel that’s been dipped into oil.
  • Season Scallops, Then Grill: Lightly brush the scallops all over with oil and then season on both sides with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and heaping ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
    Place the scallop skewers onto the oiled grill grates and grill uncovered and undisturbed until the bottom side develops dark grill marks, about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the skewers over and continue to grill the scallops for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they’re just barely cooked through to an internal temperature of 145-degrees Fahrenheit.
  • To Serve Corn Scallop Recipe: Transfer the grilled scallops to a large serving platter. Scoop the avocado corn salsa all over the scallops and then drizzle everything with some of the honey lime sauce. Serve scallops with the remaining sauce and lime wedges on the side. Enjoy immediately.

Notes

  • Scallops: Please refer to the article for tips on purchasing scallops. And if you're looking for tricks to perfectly grill scallops, check out this article on grilling scallops. 
  • If corn is in season, I prefer to use freshly grilled corn kernels instead of the canned stuff. You'll need 2 ears of corn to replace the 15-ounce can. To Grill Corn: Place corn on the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until charred in spots and corn is cooked through, about 10 minutes total. Remove corn from grill and let cool slightly. Slice kernels off cob and use to make the salsa. 
  • Storage: Scallops are best when enjoyed immediately after grilling. However, you can absolutely store leftovers! Keep everything in separate airtight containers for freshness. Store leftover scallops in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Dressing up to 5 days and Salsa up to 2 days in the fridge. 
  • Need to Scale the Recipe? Hover your mouse over the number of servings in the recipe card. You'll see a sliding scale pop up, you can use that to scale the recipe up or down as needed.
  • Got questions? I've got answers! If you ever run into an issue, have a question, or need any clarification - please feel free to drop them in the comments section. I'm happy to help when I can! 
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and the nutrition facts are an estimate based upon 4 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.

Nutrition

Calories: 423kcal    Carbohydrates: 29g    Protein: 28g    Fat: 22g    Saturated Fat: 3g    Cholesterol: 54mg    Sodium: 1199mg    Potassium: 752mg    Fiber: 4g    Sugar: 14g    Vitamin A: 90IU    Vitamin C: 15.3mg    Calcium: 31mg    Iron: 1.5mg
Course: entree
Cuisine: Mexican