This is one of the easiest, most luxurious seafood dishes you can make — tender, juicy sea scallops bathed in garlic butter with a crispy Parmesan-panko topping. Ready in under 25 minutes, perfect as an appetizer or main with crusty bread, rice, or asparagus.
Ingredients:
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- 1 lb (450g) large sea scallops, side muscle removed, patted very dry
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Juice of ½ lemon (about 2 tbsp) + extra wedges for serving
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ⅛ tsp paprika (optional but recommended)
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped (plus more for garnish)
- Optional splash of dry white wine (2-3 tbsp) for extra flavor
Directions:
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- Preheat oven to 425°F. Place rack in upper-middle position.
- In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, minced garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, paprika, and white wine (if using).
- Arrange scallops in a single layer in a baking dish or gratin dish (9×13 or similar). Pour the garlic butter mixture evenly over them.
- In another small bowl, mix panko, Parmesan, and parsley. Sprinkle this mixture generously over the scallops — it will soak up some butter and get beautifully golden.
- Bake 11-15 minutes until scallops are just opaque in the center and the topping is golden (start checking at 11 minutes — do NOT overcook or they’ll turn rubbery). If you want extra browning, broil for 1-2 minutes at the end (watch carefully!).
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Tips:
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- Pat scallops completely dry → this is the #1 secret to perfect texture.
- Fresh sea scallops are best; frozen work great if thawed overnight in the fridge and patted dry.
- Internal temp should hit 130°F for medium (they’ll carry-over cook to ~135-140°F).
- Want it richer? Add a little extra Parmesan on top before broiling.
- Leftovers (if you somehow have any) are amazing cold over salad the next day.
Enjoy your restaurant-quality scallops at home — this one always gets rave reviews!
