Bacon Wrapped Scallops with Maple Garlic Butter
The bacon should come out of the skillet still bendable, not crisp. That’s the moment that makes wrapping easy: it hugs each scallop without snapping, then has time to brown…
By Ava
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Reading time: 9 min
Tip: save now, make later.
The bacon should come out of the skillet still bendable, not crisp. That’s the moment that makes wrapping easy: it hugs each scallop without snapping, then has time to brown in the oven while the scallops cook. I learned to give it that head start before I put together these bacon wrapped scallops with maple garlic butter.
The butter takes only a few minutes to make, and the maple syrup softens the garlic’s sharp edge without hiding the scallops’ sweetness. I brush some over the scallops near the end of roasting, then serve the rest warm alongside them. You get salty, crisp bacon around a tender center, with a glossy maple-garlic finish on every bite.
Kitchen Note
Pat the scallops dry on all sides before seasoning; the paper towels should come away damp, not soaked. This gives you a clean surface for the bacon to hug and keeps extra moisture from pooling on the rack.
Save these bacon wrapped scallops with maple garlic butter for a dinner that feels special without a long prep list—the bacon turns crisp as the scallops roast.
Why the Bacon Needs a Head Start Before the Scallops Go In
Scallops cook quickly, but bacon needs more time to render and turn crisp. If you wrap raw bacon around the scallops and roast everything together, the scallops can be ready while the bacon still looks pale and soft. That mismatch is the reason I cook the bacon partway first. It renders some of its fat in the skillet, but stays pliable enough to wrap neatly around each scallop.
Regular-cut bacon matters here, too. It bends around the scallops and finishes in the oven in the same window as the seafood; thick-cut strips need more time and can leave you choosing between chewy bacon and overcooked scallops. The wire rack gives hot air room to move around the bacon, while the foil-lined pan catches drips instead of letting them smoke on the oven floor. Once you’ve got the bacon partly rendered and the rack ready, the timing becomes much easier to manage.
What Gives the Maple Garlic Butter Its Balance
- Large sea scallops — Their size gives the bacon room to wrap while leaving a tender center. Remove the small side muscles, which are tougher than the scallop itself. Fresh scallops are convenient, but frozen sea scallops work when fully thawed and drained.
- Regular-cut bacon — It needs to bend around the scallops after its first cook, then crisp in the oven. Standard grocery-store bacon is a good fit; thick-cut bacon is less reliable for this short roast. There isn’t a bacon-free swap that gives the same wrapped texture and smoky, salty contrast.
- Pure maple syrup and garlic — Pure maple syrup brings a distinct woodsy sweetness that pancake syrup won’t quite match. Finely grated garlic disperses through the butter and cooks quickly; use a fresh clove for the cleanest flavor. Honey can stand in for the maple syrup, though it tastes more floral and less distinctly maple.
- Unsalted butter — It carries the syrup and garlic into a brushable sauce while letting you control the seasoning on the scallops. A dairy-free butter substitute works in the same amount, though the sauce may taste less rich. Choose one that melts smoothly rather than a firm baking stick that stays waxy when warm.
- Neutral oil, salt, and pepper — The oil lightly coats the rack so the scallops release more easily. A neutral oil keeps its flavor in the background. Kosher salt and black pepper season the scallops without competing with the sweet-savory butter.
How to Roast the Scallops Without Overcooking Their Centers
Warm the Maple Garlic Butter Gently
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, then stir in the maple syrup and finely grated garlic. Let the mixture cook for 30 seconds, just long enough for the garlic to lose its raw edge. Keep the heat low; browning the garlic will make the butter taste bitter and can overwhelm the scallops. Take the pan off the heat when the 30 seconds are up.
Set Up the Rack and Partly Render the Bacon
Heat the oven to 425°F, line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, set a wire rack on top, and lightly oil the rack. Cook the bacon in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat for 5–7 minutes, turning it once. It should look partly rendered but still bend without cracking; crisp bacon won’t wrap cleanly. Transfer it to paper towels and let it cool until it’s comfortable to handle.
Season, Wrap, and Secure Each Scallop
Pat the scallops dry, then season them with kosher salt and black pepper. Wrap each scallop with a half-slice of bacon, bringing the ends together, and secure the bacon with a toothpick. Set each one on the oiled rack with a little space around it, rather than crowding them together. If a strip feels loose, adjust it before it goes into the oven so it stays in place as the bacon cooks.
Roast, Brush, and Check the Center
Roast the scallops for 6 minutes, then turn them and brush with about half of the maple garlic butter. Return the pan to the oven for 4–8 minutes more, watching for browned, crisp bacon and checking that the center of a scallop reaches 145°F. Scallops vary in size, so use the doneness cues as well as the clock rather than adding time automatically. Remove the toothpicks and serve hot with the remaining butter.
Two Smart Ways to Adapt the Maple Garlic Butter
Make It Dairy-Free with Plant-Based Butter
Replace the unsalted butter with an equal amount of dairy-free plant-based butter. Melt it over low heat with the maple syrup and garlic just as you would dairy butter. The glaze keeps its sweet-savory role, though it won’t have quite the same creamy, rounded butter flavor.
Trade Maple for Honey
Use the same amount of honey in place of the pure maple syrup. The butter will still coat the scallops, but the sweetness will taste more floral and less woodsy. Keep the glaze over low heat while the garlic cooks so the honey doesn’t scorch.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store cooked scallops in a covered container for 3–4 days. The bacon softens in the fridge, and the scallops lose some of their just-roasted tenderness.
- Freezer: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months. The scallops remain safe when kept frozen, but the bacon and seafood texture will be less appealing after thawing.
- Reheating: Warm gently in a low oven until heated through. Avoid high heat or a long reheat; scallops turn tough quickly, and the bacon won’t regain its original crispness.
Questions That Come Up When Making Bacon Wrapped Scallops
Bacon Wrapped Scallops with Maple Garlic Butter
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
- Stir in the maple syrup and garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Remove the maple garlic butter from the heat.
- Heat the oven to 425°F.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, set a wire rack on top, and lightly oil the rack with the neutral oil.
- Cook the bacon in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat for 5–7 minutes, turning once, until partly rendered but still flexible.
- Transfer the bacon to paper towels and let cool until easy to handle.
- Pat the scallops dry with paper towels and season with the salt and pepper.
- Wrap each scallop with a half-slice of bacon, secure with a toothpick, and arrange on the rack.
- Roast for 6 minutes, then turn the scallops and brush with about half of the maple garlic butter.
- Roast for 4–8 minutes more, until the bacon is browned and crisp and the scallops reach 145°F in the center.
- Remove the toothpicks and serve the scallops hot with the remaining maple garlic butter.