These baked scallops are cooked in a delicious butter, lemon, and parmesan sauce. They are perfect over cauliflower rice or mashed cauliflower!
Scallops are a delicious way to eat more seafood. These baked scallops are amazing. When gently baked in a buttery sauce, the scallops emerge succulent and flavorful. I like to make them for guests because this foolproof recipe is enjoyed by everyone, but I also make them for family dinners because it's such a reliable and easy recipe, ready in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Scallops: Please use sea scallops. Bay scallops are too small and won't work in this recipe.
- Dry white wine: The wine adds a nice layer of flavor, but it's OK to skip it.
- Fresh lemon juice: It's best to use fresh-squeezed lemon juice.
- Grated Parmesan cheese: Use finely grated cheese, not coarsely shredded.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, dried parsley, cayenne pepper, and paprika.
Variations
- Sometimes, I add a tablespoon of hot pepper sauce for an extra kick.
- A flavorful variation that my husband likes is topping the finished dish with bacon bits.
- Sprinkle the finished dish with chopped scallions or chives.
- Replacing the paprika with smoked paprika adds a delicious smoky flavor.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Prepare a mixture of butter, wine, lemon juice, parmesan, and spices.
Spoon the mixture on the scallops.
Cover and bake the scallops in a broiler-safe dish until cooked through, about 25 minutes, in a 350°F oven. Remove the baking dish from the oven and sprinkle the scallops with more cheese and paprika. Place the dish under the broiler until the scallops' tops are browned and crispy. Sprinkle the scallops with chopped parsley and serve.
Absolutely delicious recipe for scallops! I was looking for something that would give the scallops some texture without having to fry them, and this worked great! Will definitely make this recipe again.
Sherri B.
Read more comments
Absolutely delicious recipe for scallops! I was looking for something that would give the scallops some texture without having to fry them, and this worked great! Will definitely make this recipe again.Recipe Tips
You Can Use Jumbo Scallops
Instead of 2 pounds of large scallops (15 per pound), you can use 3 pounds of jumbo scallops (12 per pound) and cook them in a 9 X 13-inch pan, as I do in the video below. The remaining ingredients can stay the same.
Don't Use Bay Scallops
It's important to use large sea scallops in this recipe, as shown in the photo below. Small ones, especially tiny bay scallops, will become overcooked. Because of their size, bay scallops are suitable for salads and pasta dishes, while sea scallops can be grilled, broiled, seared, or baked.
Remove the Side Muscle
If the scallops have a small, crescent-shaped muscle attached to their side, as shown in the photo below, use your fingers to peel it off and remove it. It gets tough when cooked.
Recipe FAQs
It's OK to simply omit the wine. I like the flavor it adds, but it's not a mandatory ingredient.
It depends on the recipe. When searing scallops, you only need to sauté them for about 3 minutes per side. But in this recipe, we're taking a different approach and baking them gently, covered, so we're cooking them for about 20 minutes.
When cooked through, scallops become opaque. You can make a small slit in one of them to check. But the best way to make sure they're done is to use an instant-read thermometer inserted through their side. According to America's Test Kitchen, it should read 115°F. According to the USDA, it should read 145°F. I usually opt for something in the middle, so I aim for 130°F.
You can keep the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them covered in the microwave at 50% power. I don't recommend freezing the leftovers.
Serving Suggestions
These baked scallops come out of the oven saucy, and the sauce is exquisite, so you should make the most of it and serve them on something that would absorb the sauce. Here are a few options:
Recipe Card
Buttery Baked Scallops
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sea scallops - large, 15 per pound
- 6 tablespoons butter - unsalted, melted
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice - freshly squeezed
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese - grated, divided
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley - chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Rinse the scallops and pat them dry. Place them in a lightly greased oven-and-broiler-safe casserole dish.
- In a small bowl, use a fork to mix the butter, wine, lemon juice, ½ cup of Parmesan, salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried parsley, and cayenne. Set aside for a couple of minutes until the mixture thickens.
- Spoon a little of the mixture on top of each scallop, dividing the mixture evenly between the scallops.
- Cover the pan with foil and bake until the scallops are cooked through and opaque and their internal temperature is 130°F. This should take about 25 minutes if your scallops are extra-large and less if they’re smaller. Start checking after 20 minutes.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven. Switch the oven to broil and set a rack 6 inches beneath the heating element (not directly below).
- Uncover the scallops, sprinkle them with the remaining Parmesan and paprika, and broil until their tops are browned and crispy, 2-3 minutes. Check on them constantly to ensure they don't burn.
- Sprinkle the scallops with chopped parsley and serve.
Notes
- It's important to use large sea scallops in this recipe. Small scallops, and especially tiny bay scallops, will become overcooked.
- You can make this recipe with 3 pounds of jumbo scallops (12 per pound for a total of 36 scallops) and use a 9 X 13–inch pan, as I do in the video above. The remaining ingredients can stay the same.
- You can keep the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. I don't recommend freezing the leftovers.
- According to America's Test Kitchen, scallops should be cooked to an internal temperature of 115°F. According to the USDA, they should be cooked to 145°F. I usually opt for something in the middle, so I aim for 130°F.
Nutrition per Serving
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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Joyce says
I was apprehensive about baking scallops for this long, but they turned out amazingly!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Wonderful, Joyce! I'm so glad you trusted this recipe and enjoyed it. Thank you very much for the review.
Vicki Brigman says
This recipe is the best way I’ve cooked scallops at home. Delicious. Although I used smart balance butter to cut down the saturated fats. It was restaurant style delicious.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Vicki! Thank you for the review.