Broiled Bacon Wrapped Scallops
Sweet sea scallops wound in bacon and broiled until the bacon crisps and the scallops turn tender and opaque, then finished with fresh chives, garlic, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
This is a small, impressive two-bite protein snack that comes together with a short ingredient list and a single broiler. It suits anyone who wants something that feels like an appetizer at a nice restaurant but is quick enough for a weeknight, and it works equally well passed at a gathering or plated as a light bite before dinner. Because the components are simple and whole, it fits a range of careful eating patterns without any specialty ingredients.
The magic is the pairing of two textures under high, dry heat. Sea scallops are naturally sweet and delicate, and the broiler's intense top heat crisps the bacon while the scallop inside stays tender and just-set. Patting the scallops bone-dry and coating them lightly in avocado oil helps the surface brown rather than steam, and the fat rendering from the bacon bastes the scallop as it cooks. A little garlic and lemon juice in the toss cuts the richness, and the chives added at the end keep a fresh, oniony lift on top.
Scallops are a sweet, high-quality protein, and wrapping each one in just a half-slice of bacon adds enough savory fat and salt to feel indulgent while keeping the portion sensible. There is no breading, sugar, or heavy sauce here, so the flavor comes from the seafood and pork themselves, brightened by lemon and herbs. It is the kind of snack that satisfies with a couple of rich, meaty bites rather than a large plate.
Ingredients
- 16 sea scallops, patted dry
- 8 slices bacon, halved
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp minced chives
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tbsp avocado oil
Instructions
- Prep the pan and broiler: Position an oven rack about 6 inches below the broiler element and turn the broiler to high. Give it 5 minutes to come up to full heat, since a broiler still warming up will cook the scallop through before the bacon has browned. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack on top, so heat can reach the bacon from all sides.
- Prep the aromatics and bacon: Mince the garlic and mince the chives, keeping them separate. Cut each slice of bacon in half crosswise so you have short strips that will wrap neatly around a scallop. If you are using wooden picks, put them in water to soak for 10 minutes now, because a dry pick chars under a broiler.
- Dry and trim the scallops: Pat the scallops very dry with paper towels, and keep patting until the paper comes away clean. Check the side of each one for the small tough tab of muscle and peel it off if it is still attached. Dry scallops are essential, since surface moisture steams instead of browns.
- Season: In a bowl, toss the scallops with the avocado oil, the minced garlic, and the lemon juice until evenly coated. Leave the salt alone, because the bacon wrapped around each one carries all this dish needs.
- Wrap and secure: Wind a half-slice of bacon around the side of each scallop so the ends overlap, then push a soaked wooden pick or a metal pick straight through the overlap and into the scallop to hold it closed. Set each one seam-side down on the wire rack with space between them.
- Broil: Broil for 5 to 6 minutes, until the top of the bacon is browned and crisping. Turn each scallop with tongs and broil the second side another 5 to 6 minutes, until that bacon crisps and the scallops are opaque all the way through and just firm to the touch, about 130°F (54°C) at the center. Watch closely near the end, since the gap between crisp bacon and scorched bacon under a broiler is about a minute wide.
- Finish: Transfer them to a plate, sprinkle with the minced chives, and serve warm with the picks still in for easy handling. Let them sit for a minute before anyone picks one up, since a scallop straight out from under a broiler is a good deal hotter in the middle than it looks.
Variations
- Citrus swap: Trade the lemon juice for fresh orange or lime juice and add a little of the zest for a slightly sweeter, more floral finish.
- Herb change: Use minced fresh dill or tarragon in place of the chives for a different aromatic note alongside the seafood.
- Garlic and ginger: Add a little grated fresh ginger to the seasoning toss along with the garlic for a warm, gently spicy edge.
- Savory glaze: Brush the wrapped scallops with a thin coat of maple syrup before broiling for a sweet-salty lacquer; note this adds added sugar.
- Umami finish: Drizzle the finished scallops with a little coconut aminos for a deeper savory, lightly sweet accent.
Storage & Leftovers
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to two days. Scallops are best the day they are cooked, since they firm up as they chill, so plan to enjoy them soon after making them for the best texture.
To reheat, warm them in a hot oven or toaster oven until the bacon re-crisps and the scallop is heated through, just a few minutes. Avoid the microwave, which turns the scallops rubbery and leaves the bacon limp.
To get ahead, you can wrap the raw scallops in bacon and secure them with picks, then cover and refrigerate the assembled pieces for several hours before broiling. Season and broil them fresh when you are ready to serve.
Notes & Tips
- Buy dry-packed scallops: Look for scallops labeled dry or dry-packed rather than wet-packed. Wet scallops are soaked in a solution that makes them weep water under the broiler, so they steam and refuse to brown.
- Remove the side muscle: Each scallop has a small rectangular tab on its side that turns chewy when cooked. Pinch it off before wrapping so every bite stays tender.
- Reach for thin bacon: Thin-cut bacon crisps in the time it takes the scallops to cook through. Thick-cut bacon may still be flabby by the time the scallops are done, so save the thick stuff for another use.
- Soak wooden picks: If you use wooden picks, soak them in water first so they are less likely to char under the broiler, or use metal cocktail picks instead.
- Judge doneness by feel: A perfectly cooked scallop is opaque and just firm with a little spring; if it feels hard and tight it has gone past. Pull them as soon as the bacon crisps.
- Serve with something bright: These are rich, so a squeeze of extra lemon or a crisp green salad on the side balances the salt and fat of the bacon.
Nutrition & Mindful Eating
- Scallop and bacon works because the two are opposites. The scallop is sweet, delicate and faintly briny, the bacon is smoky and salty, and the broiler cooks them both in the few minutes before either one can go wrong.
- Sea scallops want to come out the moment they turn opaque, while the center is still faintly translucent and the texture is springy rather than rubbery. They are dense with protein and carry the B12 and selenium that shellfish are known for.
- Bacon cut in half crosswise goes on raw, since a short strip crisps in the time the broiler needs to cook a scallop through. Wrapped and pinned, it seasons the scallop and keeps its edges from drying under that hard heat.
- Garlic stirred into avocado oil and brushed over the tops toasts under the broiler into something nutty and fragrant, and the oil holds up to that kind of heat and stays clean tasting, which is why it is the one to reach for here.
- Lemon squeezed over at the table and chives snipped on top are what finish the plate. The acid lands on the bacon fat and resets your mouth, and a few rich two-bite pieces satisfy more thoroughly than their size suggests.
- As you eat, take one whole and notice the crackle of the bacon giving way to something sweet and yielding underneath, then wait a moment before the next so the lemon has time to register.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen scallops?
Yes. Thaw them fully in the refrigerator, then pat them very dry with paper towels. Frozen scallops hold extra moisture, so drying them well is even more important to get browning instead of steaming.
How do I keep the bacon from turning out soggy?
Use thin-cut bacon, broil the scallops on a wire rack so heat and rendering fat can reach the underside, and cook both sides until the bacon is visibly browned and crisp. If it still needs a moment, give it another minute under the broiler while watching closely.
What if my bacon isn't crisp by the time the scallops are cooked?
This usually means the bacon is too thick. A quick fix is to lay the bacon on the rack and give it a couple of minutes under the broiler on its own to start rendering before you wrap the scallops, so both finish at the same time.
Can I make these without a broiler?
Yes. Roast them in a hot oven around 425°F (220°C) on the wire rack, turning once, until the scallops are opaque and the bacon crisps, or cook them in an air fryer until browned. You lose a little of the direct char but the result is still tender scallops in crisp bacon.