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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, Grilled Bacon Wrapped Shrimp and Bacon Wrapped Dates have all the fun!? 😉
And during grilling season, you can make Grilled Bacon Wrapped Scallops instead.
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 1/2 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
Video
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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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!
Thank you this is an awesome and easy recipe and so delicious! I did broil at the last 2 minutes just to crisp up my bacon but besides that yum
So glad to hear that you enjoyed these, Jodi! 🙂
I have made this recipe twice now and it’s been outstanding both times. Thanks for sharing this so easy a not culinaryingly gifted guy can make. I ended up putting a little honey on top and it turned out nicely I thought.
So happy you’re enjoying this recipe, Todd – and making it your own with that drizzle of honey! 🙂
We just made these for my daughter’s Birth Day, and they were delicious! We saw many other recipes out there, but appreciated the fact that you said you tried several different times (and therefore ironed out the bugs for us!) to come up with this final recipe.
We did pre-cook the (thick-ish) bacon… cut them in half and put them in the preheated oven (425) for about 10 min. Let them all cool a little (so we don’t burn our fingers) and then followed your instructions. We did think that butter could be better, but didn’t want to risk it just in case it scalded…and the olive oil cooked and tasted fine (although we’ll probably _try_ butter next time).
Anyway, they turned out perfect, and were a great hit for this special evening. Thank you so much!
Thank you, Ryan. What a fun birthday dinner! I think butter would be delicious. (I recommend clarifying it to keep it from burning/smoking.) I’m so glad that your daughter and all of you enjoyed these!
I’ve always bought frozen bacon wrapped scallops for our Xmas and New Years Eve get togethers, I’ve always been afraid to ruin such a mouthwatering and luscious seafood but with this recipe I think it’s my time to try (and to JJ the recipe did say to pre-bake bacon in the oven not microwave rubberize it. LOL)
I’m so excited for you to try these, Kathy! I hope that you and your family love them!! Please let me know how it goes! 🙂
Used U15 scallops and placed the scallops on a rack while baking. I used low salt bacon that I got at Costco. Half a strip is enough to wrap around the bacon once. Didn’t use any salt or pepper. It was perfect just like that.
So glad you enjoyed these, Bex!
The first time I made these a few weeks ago I used thick cut, un-pre-cooked bacon and went the full 15mins… delicious!!, but the bacon wasn’t perfect. I don’t like extra steps, so last night I made these with regular bacon… OH, MY, GOODNESS they were exactly as you described them. I might not ever have scallops any other way… least not for a long time! 😁 Thank you for sharing your recipe with us.
That’s fantastic, John! Thank you for coming back to let me know!!
Marissa,
Thanks for the easy but very good recipe! I did precook my thick cut bacon for 5 minutes in the oven. The scallops came out juicy, the bacon was cooked just right. Quick easy and delicious!
Rob
So glad you enjoyed these, Rob!
Really really good!! They came out perfectly!❤❤
That’s fantastic, Deb! Thank you for coming back to let me know!
Wow, so disappointed. I’ve wanted to make bacon wrapped scallops for a while and when I found this recipe, was so happy. I loved that you said you had made it several times until you got it ‘just right.’ However, for me it was a disaster. I precooked the bacon 3 minutes in the microwave since I do use thick sliced bacon and you did recommend pre-cooking. But even still the bacon was no where near done after 14 minutes at 425. That meant that I had to overcook the scallops significantly to get the bacon cooked. And even when done, the taste was just blech.
Sorry. I really thought I’d love it but I’d like to warn others that ovens vary, bacon varies, everything varies so what was perfect for you may not be for everybody. Thanks anyway.
Oh no, JJ! I’m sorry you were disappointed with these. I’ve always precooked bacon in the oven, so can’t speak to the microwave method. It sounds like you would be happier with the results using a thin cut bacon. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Like you I struggled with bacon-wrapped scallops……thank you not only for the recipe but sharing your struggles until to GOT IT!!! 🙂
My pleasure, Benton! 🙂
Just finished … Absolutely delicious and very easy to prepare. Scallops are my “go to” seafood! Thanks for the great recipe!!!
That’s fantastic, Marlene! Thank you for coming back to let me know!!