A classic New England favorite, these baked scallops are tossed in butter and coated in a lemon and garlic panko topping then baked until golden and bubbly.
In this Post: Everything you need for New England Baked Scallops with Panko
When my husband and I lived in Boston we would go out for seafood at least once a week, sometimes more. He was a native of the North Shore and would speak about his favorite old time restaurants like Hilltop in Saugus, or Heck Allen’s/Spuds. After moving back to Michigan, and spending more time in the kitchen, I realized just how easy it is to make seafood at home! These New England Baked Scallops with Panko are a favorite in our house, and I know you’ll enjoy them, too!
Ingredients
- Bay scallops: Smaller and sweeter than sea scallops, they are also usually a more affordable option.
- Melted butter: Coats the scallops to keep them moist, soft, and tender while cooking and adding that smooth, buttery flavor.
- Lemon juice: Fresh, bright, acidic flavor that pairs wonderfully with seafood.
- Garlic: Nutty, earthy, and sweet as it cooks, garlic is a staple in all of my cooking.
- Panko bread crumbs: Browns easily to create a delicious, crunchy crust on top of the scallops.
- Parmesan cheese: Paired with the panko, it adds a nutty, salty flavor to the dish.
- Olive oil: Helps to bind the panko and parmesan together and coat the scallops.
How to Make
Start your Baked Scallops with Panko by melting your butter in a medium to large bowl. Then use a microplane to freshly grate your garlic into the butter. Add in some salt and cayenne pepper (if desired).
Next you’ll add in the freshly squeezed lemon juice, though store bought would also work fine.
Whisk it all together until fully incorporated.
Then add your scallops to the bowl and stir to evenly coat in the melted butter mixture.
Move your scallops to prepared ramekins or baking dishes, making sure not to overcrowd the scallops.
Then you’ll portion out your bread crumbs into a small bowl, and add in the olive oil.
Add freshly grated or store bought parmesan cheese to the panko.
Stir together until evenly mixed and coated in the olive oil.
Then top all of your scallops with the panko mixture, sprinkling it evenly over each dish. Then pop them in the oven at 400 degrees for around 20 minutes.
Once the bread crumbs are golden brown and bubbly, remove from the oven. Garnish with fresh scallions or parsley, and enjoy your New England Baked Scallops with Panko!
Easy Substitutions
- No scallops, no problem! If you can’t find bay scallops you can use shrimp, sea scallops, or simply use a piece of fresh white fish.
- Make it gluten free. Panko makes a gluten-free bread crumb, or you could use almond meal or almond flour.
Bay Scallops vs Sea Scallops
Most supermarkets should carry either type of scallop in their seafood department. As with any seafood, you shop with your eyes and nose. Fresh scallops look moist, won’t appear to be freezer burned and show no signs of darken edges.
Bay Scallops
- About 1/2 inch in diameter
- Caught in cold shallow waters primaraly on the East Coast bays and harbors
- More tender and sweeter
- 75-100 of these make up a pound
- Less expensive than a sea scallop
Sea Scallops
- Up to 2 inches in diameter
- Caught in 600+ foot waters
- About 20 of these make up a pound
- Chewer than a bay scallop
- More expensive than bay scallops
Frequently Asked Questions:
How can I tell if scallops are cooked?
Scallops are opaque all the way through when finished cooking, which is difficult to see in this dish. While cooking will firm them up slightly, they should still be quite soft. If they get too tough, they are overcooked. I’d stay on the side of undercooking them, as it’s easy to pop them back in the oven for a couple minutes.
Are scallops better baked or seared?
They differ in cook-time and a bit in texture, but both taste good! On the stove, scallops take only 4 or 5 minutes to cook all the way through. In the oven, it’s about 20 minutes.
Should I soak scallops before cooking?
You can soak or brine scallops before cooking, but they wouldn’t need very long- no more than 10 minutes to marinate.
More Seafood
- Greek Salmon Tostadas
- Sautéed Shrimp with Garlic and Chilies
- Easy Pan Seared Salmon
- Broiled Whitefish with Mango Salsa
- Crab Linguine in White Wine Sauce
Did you try this recipe and love it? The next time you make it, snap a picture and share it to your socials! Tag @thelemonbowl and #thelemonbowl so we can admire and share your meal.
This dish always makes me reminiscent of Boston, but even if you’ve never been, I know you’ll love my New England Baked Scallops with Panko. Let me know in the comments!
Your fork is waiting.
New England Baked Scallops with Panko
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 extra virgin 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.
Tried this recipe for New Year’s Day surf & turf. I followed the recipe even though I thought 20 minutes @ 400 degrees was too long for any scallops especially bay scallops & I was right. They were overcooked but still tasty. Next time I try this I will follow the 10 minutes per inch cooking rule of thumb for scallops & watch them more closely though with the crumb topping that might be hard. I will try 7-10 baking & a couple under broiler if crumbs don’t crisp.
I am making this for myself for Thanksgiving tomorrow and having roasted broccoli as my side. As a splurge, even though it’s an unusual dessert to pair with seafood, I am making a scratch pumpkin pie, just because. Love that your site has the ability to click and change the serving sizes! That’s a definite bonus. Here’s to Thanksgiving for One!! Cheers!
Delicious! I never really liked scallops because I’d only had sea scallops. They were chewy. The smaller bay scallops baked this way are soft and flavorful.
This may be a few years old, but I made this tonight and it was sooooo good. Thank you!!!
Isn’t it so good Krysti? So glad you enjoyed!
Delicious! I deviated a bit by omitting the breadcrumbs and serving over pasta with a little bit of arugula Thank you for the inspiration!
Great idea!
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!
Oh I’m so glad!! That sounds outstanding!
this was delicious!!
So glad Linda!
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.
What a great idea! So glad you enjoyed it!
I’m making this for my birthday dinner with steak and baked potato salad and garlic bread and chocolate cake for dessert(small portions!) It’s definitely a luxury item I make it every now and then as a special treat.
That sounds heavenly! I hope you love it!
Wow … just made your baked scallops & it’s soo good!
I didn’t have any Panko breadcrumbs so I substituted almond flour & it worked great :)
For some reason when I google healthy low carb meals your site always pops up with perfect meal ideas just loved your breakfast egg muffins and now this baked scallops … thank u!
That makes me so happy! Great reminder to make these again for my husband, he loves them! Please keep me posted of what other recipes you make!
This was delicious.i added a puece of crispy crunchy bacon before serving.i used the hit pepper and this is one of the best meals i have made..yummmmmmmy
Oooo that sounds so good!!!!
Delicious! This was my first scallops dish and is a winner! It was so tasty I had to have seconds. I’ll be making this for family at an upcoming get together. Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!
Absolutely delicious! I served mine on a bed of pan toasted orzo, cooked in chicken broth and lemon juice till liquid was absorbed. Then sprinkled toasted garlic slices, pepper and Parmesan cheese on top, with a drizzle of olive oil and a small green salad. Scallops were definitely a 10 out of 10!
so happy you enjoyed it Bob!
Can I just tell you how amazing this dish was? You probably already know that! The only deviation I made was to halve the scallops and added shrimp. Scallops here were $17.99 a lb! Wowzers. So I did a 1/2 lb and defrosted some frozen shrimp. It was perfect! Thank you so much. I’m sharing the recipe on my blog. Christine
Great idea to improvise with shrimp!!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Gorgeous shots of a gorgeous dish ~ bay scallops are such a luxury, the next time I find them, this is the recipe I’m making. Perfect for a romantic dinner for two!
Thank you so much!! I hope you try it!
I will definitely have to try this, because it looks so incredible!
So good and buttery!
I love that these are baked!
My kids devoured them!
I am loving the sound of this dish. Seafood is such a treat!
I can’t wait to try these. What do you usually serve them with?
Roasted veggies (like cauliflower or broccoli) are my favorite but I have tons of great side dish recipes to choose from: https://thelemonbowl.com/side-dish
Absolutely love this for Valentine’s Day!!
SO easy and yummy! Would go great with your cookies ;)