Bacon Wrapped Scallops are elegant enough for a dinner party or a romantic dinner for two and easy enough to prepare on a busy weeknight. In less than 30 minutes you can cook bacon wrapped scallops in the oven to tender, juicy perfection.
I'd be a little embarrassed to tell you how many times we've had scallops wrapped in bacon for dinner over the past couple of weeks. I wanted them to be just perfect before posting the recipe and it was harder than I thought! I wanted the scallops to be tender like they are when you sear them and have the bacon cooked just right. And I wanted them to bake in the oven, preferably without catching anything on fire.
I'll explain.
The first two times I made these bacon wrapped scallops, I tried to broil them as this recipe calls for. After the spattering grease and smoke that billowed from my oven on the first try, I decided to move the pan a little further from the broiling element for the second try. Same problem.
Next I tried baking them at a higher temperature and finishing them under the broiler. Same spatter and smoke problem and the scallops were tough. And speaking of tough, I saw one recipe that called for baking them for 35(!!!) minutes at 425°F, which I can only imagine would turn a scallop into something like a rubber disc.
But, at last, success! Baking scallops wrapped in bacon for 12 minutes at 425°F was just perfect. (If your scallops are very large or your bacon very thick, it could take up to 15 minutes. And if you like your bacon even more crisp, partially cook it before wrapping the scallops as you would with Bacon Wrapped Shrimp.) The scallops were buttery and tender, the bacon sizzling and juicy.
Serve With
I love to serve these with Greek Salad or Spinach Salad or a seafood dynamic duo with Crab Salad, and on days when we're looking for a decadent meal, they're fantastic served over Pasta Aglio e Olio or alongside Cheesy Potatoes. They also make a crowd pleasing appetizer - why let Bacon Wrapped Shrimp and Bacon Wrapped Dates have all the fun!? 😉
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Scallops
Step 1: Preheat oven to 425°F. Pat scallops dry with a paper towel and remove any side muscles.
Step 2: Wrap each scallop with ½ slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick. (If your bacon is thick or you like it crispier, you can partially bake on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes before wrapping scallops.)
Step 3: Drizzle olive oil over scallops and season with pepper and kosher salt.
Step 4: Arrange scallops in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step 5: Bake in a 425°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on scallop size and bacon thickness. Serve hot!
Bacon Wrapped Scallops Recipe Video
Bacon Wrapped Scallops
Ingredients
- 16 sea scallops see recipe notes
- 8 slices bacon cut in half crosswise
- 16 toothpicks
- olive oil for drizzling
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Pat scallops dry with a paper towel and remove any side muscles. Wrap one scallop in a half slice of bacon and secure with toothpick (see recipe note #2). Repeat with remaining scallops.
- Drizzle olive oil over each scallop and season with pepper and kosher salt.
- Arrange scallops in a single layer on prepared baking sheet, giving each scallop some room to allow the bacon to crisp.
- Bake 12 to 15 minutes until scallop is tender and opaque and bacon is cooked through. Serve hot.
Notes
- Look for 'dry' sea scallops, which means they haven't been soaked in sodium tripolyphosphate to make them heavier. (yuck!)
- If you like your bacon more crisply cooked, you can partially cook it for 3-5 minutes before wrapping the scallops as with these Bacon Wrapped Shrimp.
- 4 scallops makes a hearty main course. If you have light eaters, consider 3 scallops per person.
I’ve made these over and over with perfection every time. Cooking time depends on scallop size and bacon thickness, however I am typically within the cooking times advised. Would not change anything about this recipe. Fresh scallops please.. no frozen here.
That's wonderful to hear, Lynette! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know.
This recipe was great ! We brushed our home made bbq sauce on as well, half way through cooking. Very tasty. We like them a bit crispy and they were juicy too. 👍
That's wonderful, Melisa. Thank you for coming back to let me know!
This is a great recipe. I had YUGE scallops and thick bacon, so I baked in a preheated over for 15 mins then leaving my pan on a level just above middle of the oven, I broiled on HI 3-4 mins on each side. Just brown enough and came out amazing! I didnt want to mess with precooking this and cooling, wrapping, etc.....and this worked perfectly New Years Day appetizer for DH and I with some prosecco and elderflower lemonade.
So glad these were a hit, Colleen!
These were quite tasty, but I found the scallop cooking time was off. I used Costco scallops that I'd defrosted and allowed to come to room temperature. I cut bacon slices in half lengthwise and then across each half slice. I then pre-cooked my bacon at 425 F for 4 minutes, and allowed the slices to cool. I wrapped each scallop in bacon, secured the bacon with a toothpick. put them in the oven and set the timer for 6 minutes. I intended to flip each scallop at that point. However, when I pulled them out, an instant read thermometer showed they were already at 130 F!! I immediately transferred them to a cold plate. They were great, but a disaster was narrowly averted. Next time I'll cook my bacon longer and will check the scallops at 4 minutes. Cook's Illustrated suggests pulling them out at 115 F with carry over cooking taking them the rest of the way.
Hi there, LFK. Thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts.
Marissa, I do a lot of special cooking for my wife & she recently (while on vacation) had bacon wrapped sea scallops . We both really enjoy sea scallops. Your recipe is excellent & my wife said these were much better than what she had ordered while on vacation & at the time she said they were excellent & complimented the chef. While you state to pre-cook the bacon if you like crispy (which we do), this is just common sense. I did not use any olive oil nor butter. I did however use some old bay seasoning. incidentally, I used the 10-20 count size of sea scallops & had 12 scallops for the 1 lb. Additionally, when you pre-cook the bacon it shrinks so I use 1 piece of medium thickness bacon per scallop. As my wife says, "deliciosoooooo". I have never before at age 70 commented on a recipe that I have used which are many & most very good! Thank you so very much for your trials & recipe!!!
I'm so glad that you and your wife are enjoying this recipe, Paul! So kind of you to come back and let me know!
This is the recipe I've been seeking for YEARS. I didn't want any fancy-schmancy flavorings and toppings, but wanted the two main flavors to speak for themselves. They key, I think, is par-cooking the bacon, which I did for four minutes at 425 degrees. (The recipe doesn't specify the temp to cook the bacon, but I used the same as the scallops, and it worked.)
One note, I couldn't find "dry" scallops, so I used the frozen ones, which had been treated. They worked fine. I think the trick is to thaw them in the microwave, drain them well, and then dry them off with paper towel. If you thaw them in cold water they will become waterlogged and you'll have unappetizing mush-pusch.
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Chris! Thank you for your detailed recipe notes.
This recipe sounds amazing!! Is it possible/safe to par-cook the bacon and wrap the scallops a few hours before cooking them? Keep them in the fridge and then pop them in the oven before we eat. I like to have everything ready to go when my guests arrive for dinner!
Hi, Jan! Yes, I think that should work just fine. I'm the same way - love doing as much as possible ahead of time!
I made this recipe last night. pre cooked the bacon in the oven for 4 minutes, then cooked the bacon wrapped scallops for 12 minutes and added a bit of butter on top after they came out of the oven! It was perfect, thank you so much. I was totally about to try the broiler method and so happy I kept looking and found your oven baked version.
Fantastic, Lacey! I'm so glad you enjoyed these!! Thank you for coming back to let me know.
This was one of the best meals I've ever made! Thanks for the recipe and the written explanation. Well done!
So happy to hear this, Julie!! Thank you for coming back to let me know!
This was great tasting easy prep dish! With the corona virus shutting everything down it made a great birthday celebration dinner!
I'm so happy you enjoyed these for a birthday celebration, Rick. Really sweet of you to come back and let me know. 🙂
These are addicting, Marissa, so good! We wished for more 🙂 and EASY to do, just as you directed, getting the bacon started a bit early. Thanks for sharing. Will definitely be doing these again!
I love to hear this, Jackie! Thank you for coming back to let me know. 😊
This recipe was glorious!! My husband was so happy and I’ll definitely make them again and again as a treat! I added a bit of brown sugar to half of them but they were perfect without the pinch. Thank you for posting!!
That’s wonderful, Kirby! So happy that you and your husband enjoyed these!
Made this for the last night of 2019 and it was a hit. Had huge, huge scallops and they came out perfect. Next time will pre-cook the bacon a bit and use black lava sea salt after the olive oil. Was the 2nd recipe I looked at, you-know-who was first and am glad I chose your version. Thanks for sharing.
Yay! I'm so glad these were a hit, Carol! Happy New Year!