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Sweet and smokey, bacon-wrapped scallops is a broiled scallops recipe made with brown sugar and paprika. It’s an easy scallop recipe that involves rubbing bacon with a coating of brown sugar and paprika, before wrapping the scallop and broiling for a perfectly caramelized and crispy finish. And if that doesn’t say enough, Patty gave it a 10 out of 10 vote.
This recipe could be used in so many different ways. An app for a crowd or incorporated into a fancy, date-night meal for two. I’m envisioning sweet and savory bacon-wrapped scallops served over parmesan risotto. That would be epic.
Removing Scallop Side Muscle
Most scallops will have a chewy side muscle that resembles a rectangular tag of tissue on the side of the scallop. Rinse scallops under cool water and pat dry with a paper towel. Remove the side muscle by simply pulling it off with your hands.
How to Broil Scallops in the Oven
Broiling scallops in the oven is really easy. Place bacon-wrapped scallops about 8 inches under the heat source on high-broil. Broil for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. You don’t HAVE to flip the scallops, but I think it helps create a better even sear on each side.
Use a pan with edges, and always line the pan with foil for easy cleanup. You will get sugar and juice runoff that will carmelize under the broiler. This prevents oven spills and smoke.
You can even broil scallops wrapped in bacon without precooking the bacon. Precooking bacon was a nonstarter for me. It seems like an annoying extra step not worth fussing with. I guess it’s a personal preference, but I’m looking for tender bacon. If you want crunchy bacon, you may need to precook in a skillet.
Sweet and Smokey Bacon Rub
I use a ratio of 2-3 tablespoons of brown sugar to 1 teaspoon of paprika. It gives the bacon a slightly sweet, caramelized finish with a touch of smoke and spice. it’s SO GOOD and serves as a sweet and savory complement to the scallops.
Other Scallop Recipes
Sweet & Smokey Bacon-Wrapped Scallops
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 scallops 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: American
Description
The ultimate savory app. Bacon-wrapped scallops coated with brown sugar and paprika. Broiled for a caramelized, smokey finish.
Ingredients
- 12 medium-sized scallops, side muscle removed and patted dry
- 1 pound regular cut bacon (not thick or thin sliced)
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven broiler to high broil. If you don’t have a broil setting on your oven, turn to 500 °F. Note, broilers heat up fast so you may only need to turn the broiler on for 5 minutes before using.
- Find the small flap of side muscle on the scallop and tear it off and discard, pat scallops dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Combine brown sugar and paprika in a small bowl and mix until combined. if you want more smoke and heat, use 2 teaspoons of paprika. Set aside.
- Slice bacon strips in half with a knife. 1 slice will wrap 2 scallops. Rub each side of the bacon slices with just enough brown sugar/paprika mix to coat them. It should adhere nicely.
- Wrap each scallop with half a slice of bacon and secure the two ends with a toothpick. You want the toothpick to pierce through both sides.
- Place on a greased baking sheet wrapped in foil. A baking sheet with edges is best to prevent juices from spilling in the oven. The foil prevents pan scorching from sugar.
- Broil on high, roughly 8 inches from the heat source for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. Flipping is optional but I’ve found that it helps prevent 1 side from getting too charred under the broiler.
- Let cool and serve.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 scallops
- Calories: 276
- Sugar: 4.4g
- Sodium: 976mg
- Fat: 16.4g
- Saturated Fat: 5.3g
- Carbohydrates: 6.6g
- Fiber: 0.1g
- Protein: 24.2g
- Cholesterol: 62mg
Keywords: bacon wrapped scallops, broiled scallops recipe
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