Broiled Scallops with a Parmesan Crust

Name: Broiled Scallops with a Parmesan Crust
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 Pounds Sea Scallops; 2 Tablespoons butter; 2 Tablespoons olive oil; ½ cup seasoned bread crumbs; 2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese; 1 teaspon parsley (finely chopped); ¼ teaspoon paprika; ¼ teaspoon pepper

UPDATED Oct 14, 2019 · PUBLISHED May 14, 2013 BY Marjory Pilley

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It’s easy to make Perfectly Broiled Scallops with a Parmesan Crust. In minutes, you will have a memorable dinner or appetizer.

Easy Party Food. These Broiled Scallops with a Parmesan Crust are truly deserving of this title…and I can attest to that. We enjoyed them at a recent family gathering along with lots of other goodies. It was a Mother’s Day celebration for my fantabulous mom!

I was the hostess of this event…that was for more than just a few people. So, not only did I want the main course to be very tasty, but for this mom it also needed to be very easy to prep and serve 🙂

Why, you may ask, is this recipe so easy to enjoy? And, the answer would be: The scallops can be made ahead of time, frozen and then broiled to perfection in just 10 minutes. I also have some tricks that make breading the scallops fast and not too messy…it’s the same process used make Parmesan Chicken Nuggets, which also uses the same breading!

Perfectly Broiled Scallops – Step by Step Instructions

Important Note: The instructions below show how to use several plastic bags to prepare the scallops. You can absolutely forgo the bags and follow the traditional method using bowls! Both methods are provided in the recipe instructions.

All of the breading ingredients – seasoned breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, finely chopped parsley, paprika and pepper – go directly into a plastic bag that seals. Shake to combine the contents.

These are the canisters we used at our meal assembly store to stabilize the plastic bags as customers filled them. Check around the house. You probably have a bowl or something else that will do the trick. They are very handy.

Pat the sea scallops dry with a paper towel and put them in a second plastic bag (not the one with the breading.) Melt the butter in the microwave oven and stir in the olive oil. Pour the butter mixture over the scallops, seal the bag tightly (note the added emphasis) and turn the bag to coat the scallops with the butter sauce.

Lift the butter-coated scallops into the bag with the breading. (The canister really comes in handy for this step.) Seal the bag tightly (emphasis deliberately added again) and flip the bag around to coat the scallops. Shake…and bake…it works!

Cook the scallops on a pan coated with cooking spray that is suitable for broiling. Have some extra breading left over in the bag? Throw it on top of the scallops. If you are going to freeze the scallops, then stop right here and put a lid on the pan and wrap the tin in plastic wrap. Label it. Freeze it. Now, sit back with satisfaction because you have a great thing in your freezer.

Otherwise, broil the scallops for about 10 minutes with the rack adjusted to be near the top of the oven. (I had the rack on the second to highest level.) When you cut the broiled scallop it should be moist and white.

Enjoy the broiled scallops over rice, in a salad…or all by themselves. They also make a tasty appetizer. Don’t you just want to pop one in your mouth right now?

If you want to:

Make them ahead and freeze – Bread the scallops, but don’t cook them. Freeze them in a single layer in a tin. Make sure the tin is covered tightly and wrapped in plastic wrap. Store for up to 2 months in freezer for the best quality. When you are ready to cook them, allow them to defrost in the refrigerator over night and then cook according to the instruction.

Make it dairy free – Use dairy free butter, leave out the Parmesan cheese and use Panko breadcrumbs. My daughter loves this preparation.

Keep it healthy – Use whole wheat breadcrumbs and a light butter or margarine alternative.

Use frozen scallops in the make ahead process – If the scallops you are purchasing were previously frozen, you don’t want to re-freeze them. However, you can follow the breading steps using frozen scallops.

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Seafood always seems like indulgent, dining-out food to me which is why I love to surprise everyone with it on a seemingly ordinary day. (Is there such a thing?) Whether it’s a party or a regular ole Tuesday, it’s easy to enjoy these broiled scallops with a lightly-breaded Parmesan crust.