Slow Cooker Chili Lime Butter Scallops and Shrimp

This slow cooker seafood dinner is the ultimate set-it-and-forget-it meal. Tender sea scallops and jumbo shrimp simmer in a zesty chili lime butter sauce with colorful bell peppers and sweet onions.

Just layer everything in the crockpot, pour over the butter sauce, and let it cook while you go about your day. The result is a restaurant-quality seafood boil with minimal effort.

For a busy weeknight, this slow cooker recipe delivers big flavor with almost no hands-on time. The combination of sweet scallops, juicy shrimp, and a tangy chili lime butter sauce creates a dish that feels special but is incredibly easy to prepare.

Serve it over steamed jasmine rice with fresh lemon wedges for a complete meal that everyone will love.

Ingredients

Why this recipe works

Slow cooking allows the scallops and shrimp to gently cook in the butter sauce, keeping them tender and moist without overcooking.

The low, steady heat of the slow cooker infuses the seafood with the flavors of the chili, lime, and vegetables, resulting in a deeply savory and aromatic dish. This method is forgiving, so you don't have to watch the pot constantly.

The chili lime butter sauce acts as both a cooking medium and a flavor booster. As the butter melts and mingles with the lime juice and chili powder, it creates a glossy, slightly tangy glaze that coats every piece of seafood and vegetable. The slow cooker traps steam, which helps the flavors meld together beautifully.

Notes and substitutions

Dry-pack sea scallops are preferred because they haven't been treated with sodium tripolyphosphate, which can make them waterlogged and tough.

If using frozen scallops, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator and pat them dry before adding to the slow cooker. Jumbo shrimp should be peeled and deveined for the best texture and ease of eating.

Sweet Vidalia onions add a mild, sweet flavor that complements the seafood, but yellow onions or shallots work well too. For a spicier kick, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or use a hotter chili powder. If you don't have fresh lime juice, bottled lime juice can be used, but fresh is always better for flavor.

• dry-pack sea scallops: frozen sea scallops, thawed and patted dry
• jumbo shrimp: large shrimp or prawns, peeled and deveined
• sweet Vidalia onion: yellow onion or shallots
• chili powder: smoked paprika or ancho chili powder

Equipment

• 6-quart slow cooker
• Cutting board
• Chef's knife
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Small bowl
• Slotted spoon