A New England favorite, Bay scallops are tossed in butter and coated in a lemon and garlic panko topping then baked until golden and bubbly.
When my husband and I lived in Boston we would go out for seafood at least once a week, sometimes more. His favorite dishes are always the simplest – often a piece of scrod or haddock baked with butter and some sort of crunchy coating.
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, I decided to kick it up a notch and use bay scallops but really this recipe (like most of my recipes) is more of a method than a specific set of rules you must follow.
The idea is simple – bay scallops are tossed in a little melted butter and lemon juice then baked with crispy panko and parmesan topping. If you can’t find bay scallops you can use shrimp, sea scallops or simply use a piece of fresh white fish.
If you’re having company over, these can be prepped ahead of time and simply tossed in the oven as your guests arrive. Sounds like it’s time to crack open the bubbly.
Frequently Asked Questions:
If you don’t have panko breadcrumbs in your pantry, try substituting with gluten free matzo meal or almond flour.
Roasted veggies (like cauliflower or broccoli) are usually a good idea.
Your fork is waiting.
📖 Recipe
Baked Scallops
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds bay scallops
- 2 tablespoons melted butter unsalted
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne optional
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- minced scallions or parsley optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and have one 8 x 8 baking dish or four small ramekins ready to use.
- In a medium bowl, toss scallops with melted butter, lemon juice, garlic, salt and cayenne. Divide mixture evenly between ramekins or place in baking dish.
- In a small bowl, mix together panko, parmesan and olive oil. Sprinkle mixture evenly on top of scallops. Bake until bubbly and scallops are cooked through, about 20 minutes. Garnish with scallions or parsley to serve.
Nutrition
Krysti
This may be a few years old, but I made this tonight and it was sooooo good. Thank you!!!
Liz DellaCroce
Isn’t it so good Krysti? So glad you enjoyed!
Denise Freshour
Delicious! I deviated a bit by omitting the breadcrumbs and serving over pasta with a little bit of arugula Thank you for the inspiration!
Liz DellaCroce
Great idea!
Abby
Bay scallops were on sale at my grocery, but I didn’t want to make a pasta or rice dish (as is usually recommended for bays), so I went searching for something else. This recipe is what I found. Being from New England, the cook-in-butter-with-breadcrumbs approach made sense. I cooked this last night, and it was incredibly easy and incredibly delicious. I thought it could easily be served with some linguini, too – or a crusty baguette to soak up the juices. But it was also perfect with asparagus on the side. Thank you!
Liz DellaCroce
Oh I’m so glad!! That sounds outstanding!
Linda Erskine
this was delicious!!
Liz DellaCroce
So glad Linda!
Greta Quintin
That was great. I used gluten free matzo meal instead of bread crumbs and crushed squeeze ginger instead of garlic. Even my kids loved it. My five year old has disliked all fish and seafood until this meal. He bravely tried it anyway and declared a love for these scallops. Thank you.
Liz DellaCroce
What a great idea! So glad you enjoyed it!