These amazing Breaded Stuffed Scallops are topped with a buttery breading of Panko, Parmesan cheese, garlic and lemon with a touch of bacon and chives to take them to the next level! The scallops are juicy and tender under the breaded topping that is baked to golden browned perfection!
These easy breaded stuffed scallops are amazing when presented in the shells!
Beautiful stuffed scallops, baked to perfection in food safe sea scallop shells, are a real treat for my seafood loving family! These are incredibly easy to make and despite the breaded topping, the tender and perfect scallops still shine!
Since everyone here loves bacon wrapped scallops, I have added some cooked and crumbled bacon to the breading. It is 100% optional but boy does it take the breading on these baked scallops to whole new level of a-m-a-z-i-n-g!!
It is indeed a restaurant worthy appetizer that I love to serve up in scallop shells. The recipe is written for being assembled in a baking dish, so dress it up with the fancy shells if you have them.
Selecting and preparing scallops is a fairly easy task, but when buying frozen scallops ( as I do here in the Midwest ) buying from a trusted source is key! See my guide for some great tips on picking fresh scallops and things to know when buying frozen!
What Are Stuffed Scallops?
Stuffed scallops are a delicious and easy way to cook up your scallops. You can use jumbo scallops or smaller bay scallops to make this incredibly tasty baked scallops dish!
My version of baked stuffed sea scallops is using thawed, frozen jumbo scallops placed into scallop shells that are safe to use in the microwave, oven, and grill ( also called baking shells ). The breading mixture is then added onto the top of the scallop and filled into the remaining space in the baking shell. If you were to use bay scallops, the smaller scallops could be mixed into the breading and then stuffed into the shells for baking.
🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
To make these breaded scallops, preheat your oven to 400ºF ( 205ºC ) and grease or butter a 9 x 13 baking dish. I'm using baking shells, that have been coated with melted butter on the interior surface where the scallop will sit. All of my baking shells are placed on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. *If you want to make your baked stuffed scallops look like the photo.
Note that if you will be using frozen sea scallops, they should be thawed in the refrigerator overnight. Make sure that any scallops are fully thawed before cooking, as this ensures that they cook quickly and evenly!
Combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, finely minced garlic, chopped chives, cooked and crumbled bacon, one tablespoon of lemon juice, zest, and melted butter in a small to medium size mixing bowl. Set aside.
Rinse the scallops and transfer them to a paper towel lined plate. Pat each of the scallops dry with additional paper towels until they are as dry to the touch as you can get them. Remove the tough outside muscle on the side, if it is present.
Place the rinsed and dried scallops into the your baking dish or baking shells. Season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle the breading over your scallops. If using the baking shells, place the breading onto each scallop and carefully fill each baking shell around the scallops.
Bake at 400ºF ( 205ºC ) for 20 minutes, or until done but still tender. See notes below for more about when scallops are fully cooked.
There should be some 'give' when you test for firmness, but be careful to avoid overcooking the scallops which will result in chewy scallops. Serve immediately and enjoy!
How To Tell When Scallops Are Cooked
Scallops have a somewhat clear (or transparent) appearance when raw. As they cook, they become ultra-white (or opaque) and super tender. A correctly cooked scallop will have some give to it when squeezed, as they should not feel firm. This is key, once your scallops feel firm to the touch they are likely overcooked.
In the case of baking scallops, good recipe instructions are key to the perfect scallop. I only bake my jumbo scallops at 400ºF (205ºC) for 20 minutes or at 425ºF (218ºC) for 15 minutes. The breading for these stuffed breaded scallops should be golden browned. *Some darker browning on the breading around the baking shell edges is totally OK.
Fully cooked scallops should have an internal temperature of 145ºF ( 63ºC ) as read by a digital meat thermometer per USDA food safety guidelines.
🥗 Sides
I usually serve these as an appetizer or special treat, however, they could easily be a main course! If you want to enjoy these amazing baked scallops as your entree, serve them up with some jasmine rice or pasta, sauteed zucchini and yellow squash, garlic green beans and/or a side salad.
You can also check out all of my best side dishes for scallops, plus more on my what to serve with scallops page! Enjoy!
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Store or freeze any leftover scallops within two hours of baking. Place uneaten scallops into an air tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Breaded stuffed scallops can also be frozen in an air tight container for up to three months. Allow the scallops to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating in the oven at 275ºF ( 135ºC ) for about 10 minutes.
*Whether refrigerating or freezing, scallops should be fully cooled before storing.
📋 Recipe
Breaded Stuffed Scallops
Ingredients
- 1 lb sea scallops (roughly 12 jumbo sea scallops)
- 1 teaspoon each, salt & pepper
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
- 1 tablespoon garlic (finely minced or crushed)
- 2 lemons (1 fresh zested and squeezed, 1 quartered for serving)
- 1 strip bacon (cooked and crumbled, or pancetta)
- 4 sprigs chives (chopped, or chopped parsley)
- 2 tablespoon butter (melted)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C) and grease or butter a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- In a small to medium mixing bowl, combine the Panko, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, chives, bacon, lemon zest and juice from ½ of a lemon (about 1 Tbsp), and melted butter. Set aside.
- Rinse and transfer the scallops to a paper towel lined plate, pat dry. Transfer to your prepared baking dish (or baking shells) and season with salt and pepper. Top the scallops with bread crumb mixture.
- Bake at 400 degrees F (204 degrees C) for 20 minutes, or until tender. There should still be some 'give' when you check for firmness, as you don't want to bake these scallops too long resulting in chewy scallops. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
Gloria says
Hello, I am using this recipe for Christmas Eve feast.
My question: Can I prepare this recipe the day before, and then bake it right before our dinner?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Hi Gloria! I wouldn't add the topping to this in advance. You could have your scallops in a dish, then mix the topping (minus the melted butter). When ready to bake add the butter to the topping and spread over the scallops and bake. Enjoy!
Robbo says
This was a very delicious improvement to a recipe I have been using for years! Thank you!
Kathy says
This was a good recipe. But if I made it again, I would chop up the scallops and add them to the crumb mixture and then bake. 20 mins was too long for the scallops I had. They ended up chewy.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I've made them that way too! I'll add specific cooking times for each of the scallops sizes so they don't end up over-baked 🙂
Tony says
Hello. I would love to make this dish, but I'm using bay scallops. What would you recommend as to baking temperature and baking time? I would like to line the bottom of the shells with the scallops and top with bread mixture. Please advise. Thank you.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I would bake bay scallops for 8-10 minutes, or 8 minutes with a minute or two of broiling to toast the topping. Enjoy!
Anthony Guarisco Jr says
Thank you so much! I'm preparing them for my sister this evening.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I hope they were a hit!!
Dickerson Barbra says
The bread crumb topping MADE this dish. My guests loved this recipe. Raved about it. Served with asparagus, orzo, and another baked Lemon garlic Tilapia dish on this site. They both baked together in the oven side by side, which made it very easy. This recipe is great AND simple. I placed lightly sauteed asparagus and sliced mushrooms in the bottom of an individual serving dish and placed the scallops on top. My husband loved it.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
That's wonderful to hear that they were thoroughly enjoyed!