Raw Scallops on Bacon

By Mark Bittman

Updated Nov. 5, 2025

Raw Scallops on Bacon
Sam Kaplan for The New York Times. Food stylist: Suzanne Lenzer.
Total Time
10 minutes
Rating
4(73)
Comments
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Salty and sweet, crisp and tender, bacon and scallops pair well together in this impossibly easy dish. Any time you cook with a limited ingredient list, you want to select good-quality items, especially when working with raw seafood. Many store-bought scallops are soaked in a phosphate solution that plumps them up with water (and increases the price), so it’s important to look for scallops that are labeled “dry” or “dry-packed,” since a phosphate-marinated scallop can taste soapy. Since the scallops are served over bacon, season them frugally with just a hint of salt.

Featured in: A Dozen Simple Ways to Serve the Perfect Scallop

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Ingredients

Yield:16 pieces
  • 4slices good-quality bacon
  • 4large scallops
  • ½teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper (a mix of pepper is nice)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (16 servings)

36 calories; 3 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 0 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 94 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cook the bacon until fully cooked but not completely crisp; drain on paper towels. Cut each slice crosswise into 4 pieces.

  2. Step 2

    Quarter the scallops and toss them with the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

  3. Step 3

    Top each piece of bacon with a piece of scallop and serve immediately.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
73 user ratings
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Comments

Maria

No they don't. The title of the dish is "Raw Scallops with Bacon"

Geoff

The acid in the lemon cooks them. Sort of. (Not really)

Golem18

Absolutely not. The scallops should only be purchased from a reliable vendor if at all. My one time with scallop ceviche, at what was putatively a fine restaurant, resulted in food poisoning on a business trip and ten days of deep intestinal misadventure and the loss of 15 pounds. I have not eaten raw scallops, raw seafood, or any raw meat since. Once home, my doctor even gave me his home phone number. Bittman's recipe for raw scallops is not recommended.

Alison

Fresh raw scallops are generally safe to consume as you are eating the muscle, not the digestive system as you would with clams, oysters or muscles. If you really object, partially cook the bacon, cut into portions that will fit around the scallop, secure with a toothpick and broil until done.

Cheryl

This seems like fun, but to me the bacon is almost superfluous. I am able to get really good fresh scallops, and I usually serve them as sashimi. Slice into discs as thinly as possible, plate with wasabi, soy sauce and pickled ginger on the side. Heavenly.

Janet H.

Really really good! Contrasting temperatures, textures, and flavors. This is the perfect way to honor a good fresh sea scallop, when we are lucky enough to be able to get them.

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