Bacon-Wrapped Seared Scallops
Plump sea scallops wrapped in bacon and oven-roasted until the bacon turns crisp and the scallops cook tender and sweet.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
This is a two-ingredient hot snack that eats like something far more involved: sweet, briny scallops hugged in salty, crackling bacon on a toothpick. It suits anyone who wants a high-protein bite that feels like an appetizer at a nice restaurant but comes together on a single sheet pan, whether that is a party tray, a solo treat, or a quick plate before dinner. Everything about it is short: the ingredient list, the prep, and the window between done and overdone.
The technique doing the work here is dry heat on a raised rack. Patting the scallops bone-dry and roasting them on a wire rack means the bacon fat drips away instead of pooling, so the bacon actually crisps rather than steams, and the scallop surface browns for real flavor. The bacon renders its fat directly onto the scallop as it cooks, basting it and seasoning it from the outside in, while the toothpick keeps everything tight so the wrap holds its shape.
The whole pleasure is the contrast: the shatter of crisp bacon against the soft, almost buttery give of a properly cooked scallop, with salt tying the two together. Scallops are sweet and rich in complete protein, and paired with the fat from the bacon they land as a filling snack that keeps you full without feeling heavy. Three or four of them next to a green salad make a light dinner, which is not what this was written for but is how it tends to get eaten.
Ingredients
- 12 large scallops
- 6 slices bacon, halved
Instructions
- Preheat and set up the pan: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a rimmed baking pan with foil and set a wire rack on top; the rack lets the bacon crisp on all sides and keeps the scallops from steaming in their own drippings.
- Prepare the bacon: Cut each slice of bacon in half crosswise so you have a short piece for every scallop. Leave the pieces raw; they will render and crisp in the oven.
- Dry and season the scallops: Pull off the small tough side-muscle from each scallop if it is still attached, then pat the scallops thoroughly dry with paper towels. Dry surfaces are essential for browning. Leave the scallops unseasoned, since the bacon you wrap around them salts the whole bite as it crisps.
- Wrap and secure: Wrap a half slice of bacon around the side of each scallop so the ends overlap, then push a toothpick straight through the overlap and into the scallop to hold it closed.
- Roast: Arrange the wrapped scallops on the wire rack, spaced apart so air can move around them, seam-side down. Roast for 14 to 16 minutes, until the bacon is browned and crisp and the scallops are opaque and firm to the touch, about 130°F (54°C) at the center.
- Rest and serve: Let the scallops rest for 3 minutes so they are easier to handle, then pull out every toothpick and serve warm.
Variations
- Thick-cut bacon: Use thick-cut bacon for a meatier, chewier wrap. Because it renders more slowly, add a few minutes to the roast and check that it has crisped before pulling the pan.
- Pancetta wrap: Swap the bacon for thinly sliced pancetta, which is unsmoked cured pork, for a cleaner, saltier, more delicate wrap that crisps quickly.
- Butter-basted finish: Brush the scallops with melted butter right out of the oven for extra richness and shine. This adds dairy.
- Hard cheese crust: Finish each hot scallop with a little finely grated hard cheese so it melts against the bacon. This adds dairy.
- Beef bacon: Wrap the scallops in beef bacon instead of pork for a different, slightly firmer smoky flavor. This adds beef.
Storage & Leftovers
Keep leftover bacon-wrapped scallops in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Scallops are delicate seafood, so eat them promptly rather than pushing the limit.
To reheat, place them on a wire rack set over a pan and warm in a 350°F (175°C) oven just until heated through, a few minutes. This re-crisps the bacon and avoids the rubbery texture scallops get in the microwave. Watch closely, since overcooking is the main risk on a reheat.
To get ahead, wrap the raw scallops in bacon and secure them with toothpicks up to a day in advance, then keep them covered in the refrigerator and roast straight from cold when you are ready, adding a minute or two to the roasting time.
Notes & Tips
- Buy dry scallops: Ask for dry-packed or dry scallops rather than wet-packed ones. Wet scallops are soaked in a solution that makes them hold water, so they weep and refuse to brown. Dry scallops look ivory or slightly pink, not stark bright white.
- Remove the side muscle: Check the side of each scallop for a small rectangular tab of tougher tissue and peel it off. It turns chewy when cooked and is easy to miss.
- Match bacon to scallop size: The bacon should wrap around the side of the scallop with just a slight overlap. If your scallops are on the small side, trim the bacon a little shorter so it crisps in the same time the scallop needs to cook.
- Do not overcook: Scallops go from tender to rubbery fast. They are done the moment they turn opaque and feel firm but still springy; pull them as soon as the bacon is crisp rather than waiting for more color.
- Go easy on the salt: Bacon is already salty and gets saltier as it renders, so season the scallops lightly. You can always add a pinch more at the table.
- Serve them hot: These are best straight from the oven while the bacon is at its crispest. If you are serving a crowd, roast them in batches timed to when people will eat rather than holding them warm, which softens the bacon.
Nutrition & Mindful Eating
- Two ingredients, and the whole dish lives on the contrast between them. The scallop is sweet and almost creamy in the middle, the bacon is smoky and crisp on the outside, and neither one needs anything else to explain it.
- Scallops need to be patted properly dry before they go anywhere near the pan, because a wet scallop steams and a dry one browns. That golden crust is the flavor, and the meat under it is dense with protein along with the B12 and zinc shellfish carry.
- Bacon cut thin and wrapped on raw, then pinned, is what makes this work. It crisps in the time the scallop needs and gives up its fat as it goes, so the scallop cooks in something smoky rather than plain oil.
- Leave them alone once they hit the pan. The urge to move them is strong and it costs you the crust, and the sound tells you when they are close, dropping from a hiss to something lower and quieter.
- A few of these eat far bigger than they look, dense and rich enough that you slow down of your own accord, with the protein in the scallop and the fat from the bacon both doing that work.
- As you eat, take the first one in a single bite so the crust and the soft sweet center arrive together, then set your fork down between pieces and let the plate be unhurried.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen scallops?
Yes. Thaw them fully in the refrigerator, then pat them very dry before wrapping. Frozen scallops release extra water, so blotting them well is even more important for getting the bacon to crisp and the surface to brown.
Why is my bacon still soft when the scallops are done?
Usually the bacon is too thick or the scallops cooked faster than it could render. Use thinner bacon, cut it to overlap only slightly, and roast on a wire rack so the fat drips away. If you like, run the pan briefly under the broiler at the end, watching closely.
Do I have to use a wire rack?
It makes a real difference. On a rack the rendered bacon fat drips off and hot air reaches every side, so the bacon crisps. Set directly on the pan the pieces sit in their own grease and the underside stays soft.
Sea scallops or bay scallops?
Use large sea scallops. Bay scallops are small and cook through almost instantly, so the bacon would never have time to crisp around them before they overcook.