Broiled Scallops

Absolutely excellent! Only limited by the quality of scallops used. We used cheap-o Sam's frozen scallops because that is what we had on hand..similar to another reviewer, and they still turned out good. (I halved the garlic salt and added garlic powder as another reviewer recommended). My husband often eats scallops when we eat out, and can vouch for the great taste of this unassuming recipe. I rate it 5 for ease and he rates it 5 for taste. A winner!

Absolutely terrific recipe! The only change I made was that I heated the butter and added some smashed garlic (like a cream consistency) to the warm butter and then brushed the mixture over the scallops. It was just amazing and my boyfriend and I are going to make and eat them this way again tonight. Thanks very much!

This is absolutely delicious! It is a classic recipe that is simple to make. I will definitely be making it again. I did deviate from the recipe a bit as I used sea scallops instead of bay scallops (this requires tripling the butter and lemon, and broiling for about 10 mins). I also took the suggestion of brushing on the mixture before pouring it into the dish, and I sprinkled some chili powder on top before broiling. I was going for paprika, but the chili actually gave it some added spice, which turned out very well!

The only changes I made to the recipe was using Old Bay for the garlic salt & sprinkling just a bit more lemon juice on top before serving them. Very good & very easy...I actually think this rated higher than a four but not quite a five. I wasn't in the mood for pasta so I served these w/ a steamed artichoke (also dipped in the butter), lemon pepper zuchinni & sauteed mushrooms w/ white wine. Pinot Grigio went really well this meal.

These were just okay. Sprinkle a little parsley and paprika over them. Use garlic powder instead of garlic salt as the salt will draw moisture out of the scallops. Would be better using sea scallops.

Hey Everyone, This is Gail I submitted the Broiled Scallop Recipe a couple of years ago... I want to thank everyone for the kind reviews and also to tell you that I have tried some of your ideas in my Scallop recipe also,,, I had no idea these scallops would be such a hit with so many of you! Again Thank you all very much for the kind words!

For us, 1 tablespoon of garlic salt made the dish too salty. Tried it again and slightly warmed a minced clove of garlic (or more, depending on how many scallops) to the butter before sprinkling the top of the scallops with it. Topped it with the lemon juice and it was 100% better. This is also great sauteed with the above ingredients. I've also sauteed the scallops in just butter and lemon, adding white wine close to the end of cooking time. Yum!!

These scallops are excellent! Also very quick and easy. I go a little lighter on the garlic salt and add a tiny bit of parmesan cheese on top... helps them brown. Thanks for a great recipe!

Fish and other seafood is generally best mildly seasoned with a little salt, lemon and butter. This recipe for scallops is perfect. Understated and complementary seasoning, excellent recipe directions and perfect cooking method. Submitter has this nailed - they were perfect. I used dry pack scallops and was lucky to get some that had been flown in the same day I cooked them. It made a remarkable difference – they were deliciously mild, sweet, and very obviously fresh as can be. Served them over “Potluck Rice Pilaf,” recipe also from this site.

This was an easy recipe to put together and to cook, and it really complemented the flavor of the scallops. I used sea scallops instead of bay scallops. The only difference I found was that mine didn't cook in the 6-8 minute range (it was closer to 10-12 minutes). My husband and I both loved this recipe, but we had to bribe the kids (ages 6 and 4) to eat them (and they are usually not picky eaters). Will definitely keep this one even though the kids may not approve!

“Dry packed” or "day boat" vs “wet” scallops really allow this recipe to shine. Managed to get my hands on the dry packed and so looked forward to trying this recipe. The seasonings were light enough they didn't overpower the delicate flavor of the seafood and allowed the natural sweetness of the scallop to come through. For those of you who might not know: Wet scallops (usually found in the grocery store) are commonly treated with Phosphates which is a preservative. When scallops are soaked in phosphates, they absorb water making them weigh more and thereby costing you more. The absorbed water evaporates during cooking and shrinks your scallops leaving them smaller, dry, and causes their normally sweet flavor to all but disappear plus the added water does not let scallops brown properly. It is easy to discern treated scallops as they will appear snow-white in color. Dry scallops are wild and natural. They are not treated with any chemicals and are harvested directly from the ocean, shucked on deck, and frozen on the boat to capture their quality. Dry scallops caramelize naturally during cooking to a golden brown color and generally have a natural vanilla color. Served with a simple saffron-scented risotto studded with peas for a 5 star meal.

Great recipe. The Husband loved it - but then I am the Husband. First time I made it I thought it was a bit salty, so the second time I cut the garlic salt in half and added 1/2 T garlic powder. Significant improvement in my mind. Also served over spinach wilted in garlic and olive oil.

Using dry pack scallops makes all the difference in the world in terms of the end result. Still, while this requires minimal clean-up,this method of preparation is a distant second from pan searing them for that desirable golden "crust."

I made this and my husband absolutely loved it. Simple and easy to make

Excellent recipe with a few modifications. I used 1/2 TB garlic powder (NOT garlic salt). You can use fresh garlic too. I also added 1TB of vermouth. I think adding wine to scallops makes it so much better when cooking, so use what you have on hand. Also sprinkled fresh pepper on top, with a thin layer of parm cheese. Broil about 6-7 minutes near heat and be careful to not overcook scallops. If you are cooking past 10 minutes, you are overcooking. Scallops should be opaque in middle (medium rare). Serve over couscous and drizzle extra butter sauce. Yummy.

This was great and easy, although I did modify it. I placed scallops in broiler pan with olive oil and drizzled with lemon juice. I had large scallops so I had to broil them on high for about 10-12 minutes. I drizzled minced garlic sauteed in small amount of olive oil and bacon drippings over the top of each scallop when they came out of the oven. They were great! Served with mashed cauliflower and asparagus. Seemed like a very gourmet meal.

This recipe is delicious and simple. You can adjust the garlic/salt/lemon ratio to suit your taste, and the end result was even better than I expected! Served with herbed butter noodles on the side & asparagus vinaigrette...my husband had 3 servings of everything!

I have never broiled anything n my life, so I thought I would try it along with it was my first time cooking scallops. I recommend adding a lot more seasonings to the scallops because they are pretty bland with just the lemon and salt and butter. And they weren't cooking very nicely in the broiler, so I moved them to a saute pan for a few minutes. They were pretty good.

My favorite kind of recipe: relatively few ingredients, easy and tasty! Goes very well as a topping for the "Sicilian Spaghetti" recipe on this site. You can't go wrong with butter and garlic!

This turned out pretty good. I changed the recipe by using sea scallops cut in 1/2 (because that is all I had) and reduced fat butter. I tossed the cooked scallops in angel hair pasta with a little extra butter, parsley and parmesan cheese. I will make this again.

This recipe was "melt in your mouth good"! I used fresh sea scallops straight from the wharf in Cape May. Because they are bigger than bay scallops, they took a little longer to broil. I used garlic powder in place of garlic salt. I only used half the amount as I didn't want to mask the flavor. The scallops were so tender, dipped in butter, they just melted in your mouth. Thank you Gail New for sharing your recipe.

Thanks for the recipe. My changes: I used sea scallops, fresh garlic and marinated the scallops in the garlic, butter and lemon juice, before broiling. The salt wasn't missed.

I was not sure that so few ingredients would work, but they do. This is so quick and easy. I have tried this recipe many times. It's the best scallop recipe I have found.

Perfection in a pan. Very easy to make too. The only thing I did differently was use bay scallops. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!

delicious! i did as someone else suggested $ sauteed them over a medium heat rather than broiling them, and used fresh garlic instead of garlic salt as a garlic/butter sautee. so easy & so good!

I pan seared these and only used garlic powder with a sprinkle of salt...then deglazed the pan with a white wine. The result was stunning!

I can't believe this recipe! Wonderful and super easy!! I used sea scallops which seemed to fit the cooking time better. But keep an eye on them since they cook quickly. I shared this recipe at work and other people have tried it and raved about it too. This is so simple yet delicious. I just went out to buy more scallops so I can make this again. Thanks for the recipe, this is a definite keeper!

This was super easy to make and even easier to clean up! The taste was fantastic. I served it over pasta with garlic and olive oil and it was a perfect meal!

I've made these a few times following the recipe, but the last time I changed it a little. I melted the butter in a frying pan, added the garlic salt then put the scalops in. I cooked them for about 4 minutes on each side or until they turned brown. Then... I had some ritz crackers that kind of had went stale, and crushed those over the top and flipped them and more ritz then the lemon juice. I let them hang out in the pan to let the ritz soak up the sauce, for about a minute and they turned out AMAZING!!!!!!

These were wonderful! Don't overcook them though! Some of mine became tough. Thanks for this great recipe!

Absolutely delicious! I used garlic powder instead of garlic salt. I also melted my butter and then added the lemon juice and garlic powder to it and adjusted the amounts to suit my taste. Then I dipped the scallops in the melted butter before putting them under the broiler, and i turned them over about halfway through. The butter mixture that was around them on the pan got nice and brown and was delicious poured over the finished scallops. Yummy--definitely as good as any restaurant!

i have made this recipe a number of times and it comes out amazing everytime. it should be noted to use unsalted butter or if all you have is salted to cut the garlic salt in half and replace with garlic powder. Gail's husband is right though, these are considered the best scallops ever in my household as well, and we have a self proclaimed scallop aficionado. even the kids, 6 & 7, love these scallops. simply amazing and worth all 5 stars if you ask us.

I really liked this recipe because I was making scallops for a dinner party of 7 and I just don't have the commercial capacity to have all of them seared perfectly at the same time. So, this will be my go to recipe for when I'm cooking for more than just my husband and myself. I did use fresh garlic- of course- and the large sea scallops, so left them under broiler for 11 min total - and that's about it. The quality of the scallops will make a huge difference, but this is a great recipe for a larger batch. Really lets the scallop show through.

I made as one other reviewer suggested - seared in the butter/garlic sauce (my oven was in use for another dish, so I could not broil). Delish! Served over the asparagus risotto recipe, also on this site.

Very easy and taste great. I also took the advice of other reviews and added 1-2 cloves minced garlic.

So easy! I impulse bought 1/3 lb. of scallops and wanted something easy and fresh -- set them in a ceramic pie pan, sprinkled a little garlic powder (lost the garlic salt!) + a little salt + fresh cracked pepper, squeezed half a lemon over everything (and the excess in the bottom of the pan), and sprayed a good amount of butter over everything (I was out of butter! except for the spray kind my hubby loves). Broiled for 8.5 minutes -- tasty, delicate, perfection.

Made these last night and they were a hit! Even the kids home from college loved them. The only things I changed was to use garlic powder instead of salt (on low sodium diet) and added black and red pepper. I also topped with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Wonderful. Don't change anything!

I used a tablespoon of minced garlic and little more butter. I also used the sea scallops instead of bay scallops. It was still delicious and oh so easy.

Absolutely fabulous recipe. I would not hestitate to make it again ... or even to try it with shrimp. The only tiny complaint I have ... I cut the salt back to 1 teaspoon (as opposed to 1 tablespoon), and it was STILL too salty (and keep in mind, this is coming from a salt ADDICT). Before sticking under the broiler, I also sprinkled the seafood lightly with dried parsley and sweet Hungarian paprika. Fab-u-lous.

Very good, yet mild. If you have very fresh, wonderful scallops and you want their mild taste to shine through, this is the dish for you.

are you kidding me? these were awesome! I used sea scallops and fresh garlic, and cooked them a bit longer. PERFECT recipe!

Lacked flavor. I don't tend to over-season seafood because I want to taste the seafood... but following this recipe as written results in a bland, boring dish. Easy and simple for a dinner for my husband and myself, but I would not serve this to guests.

I have to say I was skeptical, as I've tried so many ways of sauteing or baking scallops with little success. So here it is scallop season in Maine, with the most divine daily catch every day, and I came across this recipe. It is Fantastic, Perfect! The only two refinements that I made were to combine the Garlic Salt and Butter before melting; and I also sprinkled a Tablespoon of Panko (Kikkoman) Japanese Style Breadcrumbs over the top before broiling.

Trying to stick with my New Years resolution, we tried this recipe. After reading the many reviews, I used fresh minced garlic and garlic powder. I added a dash of paprika. They came out very tender and light. Left us full but not weighed down. Served on a bed on rice pilaf with steamed broccoli.

Way too much lemon juice. I will only use about 1/4 cup next time.

Easy and delicious! I agree that there is too much garlic salt, but YOU know YOUR tastes... adjust as you see fit!

I thought this really needed more flavor. It was much too blah. Not tough at all and to the person that wrote that baking toughens scallops, it doesn't. Overcooking, no matter how you cook them, toughens scallops.

These scallops are awesome. I have made them about 4 times now. The recipe is excelent as is. I would not change a thing. I made these last night for dinner and served them along with marinated salmon, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, steamed carrots and garlic cheddar biscuits. My husband said it was a restaurant quality meal. We all enjoyed it.

I made these last night, and was a little disappointed. They tasted OK, just not outstanding. Next time, I'll try sauteing instead of broiling, and use some Old Bay instead of Garlic salt.

Made exactly as stated. Wonderful??!!

I thought this recipie was very good, but my boyfriend loved it! I took someone else's suggestion on here & used old bay seasoning instead of the garlic salt. The only problem I had was that the entire apt. ended up smelling of "old bay" until the next morning. I'll definetly be making this again - but with the windows open :)

yummy we wrapped them in bacon oh m y yum

These were very good. I used fresh (and by fresh, I mean came off a boat that morning ;)) sea scallops. I used minced garlic rather than garlic salt...I always make that substitution because I do not care for the taste of salt overwhelming good ingredients. Nice, simple recipe that let the taste of the scallops shine through.

Scallops were great. I sauteed them using 1/2 TBLS garlic salt and 1/2 TBLS of garlic powder. After putting them on the plate I squeezed the lemon over them. I really enjoyed them. I will broil them next time to see which way is better.

Good. I used way less lemon juice though.

Hmm. Not a big fan. I think they'd be better seared. It wasn't anything special... I did use garlic powder instead of salt, as it would've been WAY overpowering (salty). Won't make again.

Great recipe! I followed other reviews and mixed the butter and garlic together first and mixed in the scallops. I put them on a baking pan, sprinkled parmesan cheese & pepper and baked for about 10 mins. I used sea scallops because it is what I happened to grab at the store.

I, too, tried this recipe as well as the pan-seared variation written by another reviwer. I found that the timing provided wasn't enough for a "seared" or even slightly brown texture. And, the garlic salt was too much salt for the only spice. I'm still searching for a great scallop recipe. Sorry.

This is a solid, easy recipe for scallops. As someone else mentioned, it's pretty standard fare, but it really does taste wonderful. I used sea scallops, and their full flavor holds its own- you don't need a lot of fancy ingredients to prepare them well.

These are wonderful, and so easy to make. I would suggest that no one make my error by trying to distribute melted butter onto refrigerator-cold scallops, though. Let them sit out for at least a few minutes, or the butter won't stay melted long.

Awful!!! The scallops never turned golden under the broiler...just got very rubbery. I should have done them on the stove top in a pan like I've done in the past.

Made this for dinner last night. I thought they were great after I modified the recipe just a bit by melting 1/2 stick of extra butter in a small saucepan and then mixing in about 1/2 cup of italian breadcrumbs. I took the scallops out of the oven with about 3 minutes left and topped with the breadcrumb/butter mix. Then I let them finish broiling. Served with brocolli and rice pilaf. Yum. My house smelled like Cape Cod! Next time I also think I'll cut back on the lemon juice a bit. Thanks.

These were wonderful. I used sea scallops and a dab of chopped garlic that you can buy in a jar. Also added a little salt and pepper and they were incredible. The best part is that you don't have to wait long for a super meal because their done in a flash.

Using Rebeccas tips, sauteeing on the stove top- this was fantastic!

YUM....this is the only way I will ever cook scallops again! Followed the recipe to the letter.

This recipe was fabulous. Simple and very tasty. I added fresh ground pepper and parsley flakes for flavor and color.

Excellent recipe and so simple to make too! I used Old Bay seasoning instead of the garlic salt though. What makes this dish is just the ratio of butter to lemon juice. There's just a hint of lemon to the sweet scallops. Dipped in butter, it's heavenly.

I served these over the top of angel hair pasta with grated Parmesan and sundried tomatoes. Delicious!

Made this with sea scallops. Broiled them for 8 - 9 minutes. The lemon was tasty. Not too much butter. Perfect.

Easy, simple, and most definitely delicious. We add more lemon juice and cut the butter back a little, otherwise following the recipe to a 'T', and it has turned out delicious each time. Thanks for sharing!

FABULOUS! Not only is this really good-my husband LOVED them, this is so easy that you can wow anybody with very little effort. I added parmesean cheese on top and cracked pepper. Could have done without the cracked pepper and just used regular b/c cracked is pretty strong. Scallops have such a mild flavor, and I think the less you add to them the better and that is why this recipe is so good b/c there is not 500 ingredients.

Great flavor and the Mrs. and I really enjoyed this one. A definite make again. So easy and tasty.

Delicious! and EASY EASY EASY

Made as described. I found it to be tasteless. I did not enjoy at all and will not make again.

We made this dish using sea scallops and garlic powder instead of the salt. This was part of our "seafood festival" dinner celebrating hubby's birthday while we were on vacation. They came out so sweet and so delicious. Thanks Gail!

This is not my prefered way to cook scallops. I found the scallp[s were very dry and we were not able to eat them like this. Too dry and too chewy. After I removed them from the oven, I ended up putting them in a pan with extra butter to saute. I won't use this method again. That made them edible but not wonderful.

Nice. I had to broil it a few minutes longer, but we really enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing!

excellent broiled scallop recipe and I am in agreeement that they are better than most of the ones at resturants

Good way to make scallops quick and easy.

I tried it tonight I split the garlic recommendation 1/2 garlic salt and 1/2 garlic powder. My husband LOVED this and actually ate the rest of dinner too! I served it over a bed of rice for something different. Thanks for the recipe.

GREAT! I followed a few of the suggestions- used sea scallops, melted butter, 1/2 of the garlic salt recommended, added tsp minced garlic & 1/2 tsp. garlic powder & then the lemon juice and brushed it on top, then added the rest to the dish. sprinkled tops with pepper and little parm ch. broiled for 10-12 min. added a dash of paprika and parsley at the end. served with roasted brussel sprouts and rice pilaf. AMAZING. best scallop recipe I've had. Usually my home cooked versions don't turn out so well, but I order them all the time out to eat. I will be making this again and again. Even my 4 year old loved it and was dissapointed when all the "gallups" were gone. Thanks for sharing this!

These were fabulous!! So easy, too. I followed others' advice and put them in a skillet on the stove, sauteeing for 2 minutes on each side. Would do that again! I bought only 1 lb. of scallops, so I used fewer ingredients: 1 Tbl. butter and 1 tsp. garlic salt, but did use the full 2 Tbl. lemon juice. Perfect! I serve with a rice pilaf with carrots and peas, and wilted Swiss chard. Colorful meal! Thanks for the recipe!

This recipe was fabulous! I never cook scallops or seafood for that matter, this was really easy and tasted unreal. I used the huge sea scallops and had great success. I would have loved to know how to thicken the butter/garlic/lemon juices after the cooking for a sauce, if anyone has any suggestions post them!

Pretty good, except the garlic salt made it too salty for me. Next time I think I'll use garlic powder instead.

Very quick, very good. My changes: Cut Sea Scallops into halves, use lots of butter, lemon, and fresh garlic and a little freshly ground salt. Broil; check after 10 mins and then again every 5. While we ate the scallops a la carte, they would be AWESOME as a topper to fresh-pasta primavera for Carbies.

I sauteed fresh garlic and shallots in the butter, then seared the scallops instead of broiling them. Turned out great! Just a quick tip for those complaining of sandy scallops, soak them in milk between 30 minutes and overnight. It will help get out any sand left in.

Made with sea scallops and used 1 tbs. Old Bay seasoning instead of garlic salt. Ended up cooking just a little longer. Yummy

As written, they really didn't brown. Once I took these out of the broiler, I seared them in a pan to brown the tops and bottoms. The flavor was very simple and perfect for scallops.

We love this simple healthy recipe!

My husband said this was delicious and said to make it again. He rarely makes comments on recipes so I guess this means this one is a winner!

Best scallop recipe I've found yet. I took the suggestions of others and mixed the ingredients first then poured them over the scallops. I topped it with a little parmesan and black pepper. AMAZING! I made a simple rice pilaf and poured the sauce from the scallops over the rice and put the scallops on it. I highly reccomend!!

Not bad, just not imaginitive. Very intuitive. Quick to prepare but won't impress your guests.

I should have read through all the comments before making these... I also found them to be a bit bland and kind of soupy. I did make one change, I used garlic powder and regular salt instead of garlic salt, which I don't keep in the pantry. I think these scallops need the boost from the salty garlic salt, otherwise they are just kind of bland. I used a good amount of garlic powder, salt, and pepper, but it just didn't wow me at all. Mine didn't really brown, though I left them under the broiler for several extra minutes.

Delicious! Took another member's tip and sauteed on the stove instead for about 7 minutes with some stirring. Turned out with extra liquid, would have been great served on plain rice. Even my three year old loved it!

Excellent, I agree with her husband. Used crushed garlic and sprinkled some kosher salt. Used frozen scallops thawed overnight in the fridge. It took about 9 minutes on the 2nd rack under the broiler. Thanks for a new favorite!

These were so delicious as the recipe is and simple to make ...I added a little bit of Cajun seasoning as other reviewers suggested. As a few other readers commented, my scallops did not get golden brown even though they were cooked all the way...They were so yummy though we didn't even notice the lack of browning. My husband gobbled them up and commented that he would like to have them again soon.

yummy! I'm sure they'd be better if I learned how to not burn things when broiling!

Broling must be the best method to cook scallops! I used chopped fresh garlic and parsely, and substituted bay scallops with jumbo sea scallops. Light and very flavorful dish! Keep an eye on the scallops while broling; you don't want to overcook them.