Ceviche-Style Scallops

Name: Ceviche-Style Scallops
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients: 6 large scallops; Thinly sliced red onion; Thinly sliced fresh Serrano or Thai chiles; Salt and pepper; Fresh lime juice; Cilantro leaves

By Mark Bittman

Total Time: 5 minutes
Rating: 4(161)
Notes: Read community notes

When preparing a simple scallop dish, buying high-quality scallops is half the battle. Because scallops are often soaked in a phosphate solution that plumps them with water to bump up cost, it’s important to look for scallops that are labeled “dry” or “dry-packed.” (A phosphate-marinated scallop may taste like soap.) Good scallops need little more than a squeeze of lime, but sliced chile pepper and a handful of cilantro bring brightness to this easy summer dish.

Featured in: A Dozen Simple Ways to Serve the Perfect Scallop

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Ingredients

Yield:1 serving

6large scallops
Thinly sliced red onion
Thinly sliced fresh Serrano or Thai chiles
Salt and pepper
Fresh lime juice
Cilantro leaves

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Slice the scallops into thin rounds and arrange them in an even layer on a plate. Scatter some onion and chiles on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Step 2
Squeeze a generous amount of lime juice on top. Serve right away, or wait for up to 30 minutes. (The scallops will gently “cook” in the lime juice.) Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Ratings

4 out of 5

161 user ratings

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Mary6 years ago

A little bit of lemon juice works fine as a substitute for lime. Enliven with a glass of prosecco for a great summer appetizer!

Adrienne6 months ago

Used both lemon and lime and pickled onions slices, my guest loved it.

Robin7 months ago

Simple and delicious!

Andrea3 years ago

This was really great, simple but tasty. I used jalapeno which added nice color. I should have used more. Added thinly sliced cucumber around the edges, a nice platform for the scallops.

Danny4 years ago

I thought this recipe was adequate. Need something to bring out the flavor like ponzu or yuzu sauce. If you add too much pepper, it’s very over posing.

Inquiring minds...5 years ago

Question: do you need to use "sushi grade" scallops or would any old scallop do? Does previously frozen matter or not? Just don't want to get sick......

J Bermann1 year ago

best you can get will be good.... bascially your eating them almost raw hopefully, there's a lot of discussion you can find re scallops and "milk" which is some horrible chemical prep many undergo... try to get the freshest most natural ones

Mary6 years ago

A little bit of lemon juice works fine as a substitute for lime. Enliven with a glass of prosecco for a great summer appetizer!

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