Bacon-wrapped scallops are tender, buttery, and delish!!
Juicy scallops wrapped in crispy bacon create a flavor explosion that’s perfect for impressing your guests or simply treating yourself to a delicious snack.
They can be an appetizer or a main dish and can be cooked on the grill, broiled, or cooked in the air fryer!
Crowd Pleasing Appetizer or Meal
- Scallops wrapped in bacon can be served as appetizers as an entrée.
- Cooked in a light garlic butter sauce, the bacon adds a great smoky salty flavor and the scallops come out perfectly tender.
- This bacon wrapped scallops recipe is easy to make, can be prepared ahead of time yet they look impressive.
- Serve with tangy cocktail sauce for dipping!
Ingredients
Fresh scallops and smoky bacon are what make this recipe so great!
Scallops – There are two sizes of scallops; small (bay scallops) which are better suited for tossing in a sauce over pasta, or large (sea scallops) which are used in this recipe or for seared scallops.
Bacon – Use regular (not thick cut) bacon and cook it part way, this allows the bacon to crisp without overcooking the scallops.
Seasoning – Garlic, lemon pepper, parsley, salt & pepper are mixed with butter to season for these scallops.
How to Make Bacon-Wrapped Scallops
- Fry or microwave the bacon until soft but not too crispy.
- Wrap the bacon around the scallop, secure it with a toothpick (per the recipe below).
- Melt butter and mix with garlic, parsley, and lemon pepper. Brush over scallops.
- To grill: Grill on medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes.
- To broil: Set under the broiler for 8 to 10 minutes, turning halfway.
- To air fry: Cook for 11 to 13 minutes.
Tips for the Best Bacon Wrapped Scallops
- Choose scallops that are uniform in size so they cook evenly. Scallops should be opaque and have a pleasant ocean-fresh smell.
- Soaking wood skewers or pics in water for 30 minutes ensures the skewers don’t burn.
- Choose bacon slices that will fit around the sides of each piece. If the scallops are small, wrap two scallops in one slice of bacon.
More Seafood Appetizers
Did you try these Bacon Wrapped Scallops? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Bacon Wrapped Scallops
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon *can vary, see note
- 12 large sea scallops not bay scallops
- 1 tablespoon salted butter melted
- 1 clove garlic minced, optional
- ½ teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Place short wooden skewers in water to soak for 30 minutes.
- Place bacon in a frying pan and cook about 3-4 minute per side or until just slightly cooked and some of the fat has rendered out. Bacon should not be crisp.
- Pat the scallops dry with paper towel and season with salt & pepper to taste.
- Wrap bacon around the scallops and thread 2 to 3 scallops onto each skewer leaving a little bit of space between each scallop.
- In a small bowl, mix the melted butter with garlic, parsley, and lemon pepper. Brush over scallops.
- Place an oven rack 6-inches from the broiler and Preheat the broiler to high heat.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- Place the scallops on the prepared pan and broil for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping over after 3 minutes. Cook just until bacon is crisp and scallops are cooked through, do not overcook.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Dinner, Entree, Main Course, Side Dish
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Very nice and easy to make it!
Glad you enjoyed them, Slawek!
These babies were a hit at Christmas and disappeared quickly! I searched for the perfect recipe and I think I’ve found it. Absolutely delicious!
The bacon wrapped scallops were absolutely delicious and very easy to make!
So happy you enjoyed them, Laurie!
Delicious!! Great recipe, I’ve made it twice now, thanks for sharing!
So glad you’ve loved it Maureen!
Difficult to get the bacon just right, even with precooking the bacon half way done. Taste Great.
Those look awesome!
Very tasty ! I used giant scallops, about 12/lb, and did all the cooking on my outdoor griddle. Cooked about 3 min per side on high heat, just until the edges of the bacon charred and the butter was a nice golden brown crisp across the scallop face. Guests loved them, will definitely be a repeat.
We are happy you and your guests enjoyed these scallops, Damo!