Veal Scallopini

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When you can’t decide between chicken or beef, try my veal scallopini recipe! I made this as a twist on my chicken piccata. It’s coated with lemony white wine and caper sauce just the same, but this time with thinly sliced veal cutlets. Think classic bright and buttery vibes like the chicken version, except more flavorful. And even though it takes just 20 minutes, this dish always works for a fancy occasion — or even a special weeknight.

Why You’ll Love My Veal Scallopini Recipe

• Melt-in-your-mouth tender veal – If you’ve never cooked veal before, this is an easy starter recipe. It’s tender and juicy, and more flavorful than chicken but more delicate than beef.
• Zesty lemon caper sauce – That balance of tart lemon and briny capers against the backdrop of melty butter… so luxurious!
• Simple pantry ingredients – I wanted impressive results without multiple store trips, so my recipe keeps the ingredient list simple. And you don’t need flour.
• Fast, yet elegant – This dish takes on big flavors in well under half an hour! If you have a date night planned, it’s a great way to spend more time with your date than in the kitchen.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my veal scallopini recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

Veal:

• Veal Cutlets – Veal is the meat from a baby cow, with a tender texture and delicate flavor. I can usually find it at my local butcher shop, or sometimes in the meat section at the grocery store, near the beef. You can also make this recipe with thinly pounded chicken breast (see my chicken piccata recipe).
• Olive Oil – For searing. I like the flavor of olive oil here, but avocado oil works just as well.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper

Piccata Sauce:

• Garlic – Use fresh garlic for the best taste, but if you don’t have it, 2 teaspoons of jarred minced garlic will do the trick. Feel free to also throw in some diced onions, though they’ll take a bit longer to cook.
• White Cooking Wine – Adds a wonderful depth to veal piccata, and also helps to tenderize the meat. You can substitute chicken broth and a splash of white wine vinegar, though it’s not quite the same.
• Broth – I love the deep flavor using my homemade bone broth, but have made this dish using store-bought and it’s still amazing. Although I prefer the bone broth over regular chicken broth here, feel free to use regular.
• Lemon Juice – Adds a fresh, zippy kick. I recommend freshly squeezed if you can.
• Butter – Makes the sauce more rich, plus you’ll saute the garlic in it. I recommend unsalted, as several other ingredients are already salty. For a dairy-free alternative, I’ve had good results using this butter-flavored coconut oil in other recipes.
• Capers – For that classic salty, briny flavor of piccata! Drain them first.
• Fresh Parsley – Just an optional sprinkle at the end for a pop of color! I used curly parsley, but feel free to swap in Italian parsley or thyme.

How To Cook Veal Scallopini

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

1. Pound the cutlets. Use a meat mallet to pound the veal to 1/8-inch thickness. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Brown the veal. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, until shimmering. Cook the veal slices in one layer, working in batches, until the juices run clear. (I can usually fit 2 in the pan at once.) Transfer to a plate and top with foil to keep warm.

3. Make the piccata sauce. Reduce to medium heat, add the butter and minced garlic, and saute until fragrant. Add the white wine, bone broth, and lemon juice. Deglaze the pan by scraping up any cooked bits from the pan up into the sauce. (Use a wooden spoon, so you don’t scratch your pan.)
4. Simmer. Add the capers and bring the sauce to a boil, then simmer until it reduces by half. Stir in more butter, and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.

5. Combine. Add the cooked veal scallopini back into the pan and turn the pieces to coat in sauce. Don’t forget that sprinkle of fresh parsley, and maybe a few lemon slices for good measure.

My Recipe Tips

• Pound the veal cutlets very thin. Scallopini (spelled scaloppine in Italian) literally means thinly sliced meat, so it’s a key aspect of this recipe. I recommend 1/8 inch thick. This allows the pieces to cook quickly and evenly, tenderizes the meat, and helps it take on the flavors of the sauce.
• Grab the largest skillet you have. Veal cutlets take up a lot of space once you pound them thin, so the larger your skillet, the better. And while I love my cast iron, I actually prefer nonstick or stainless skillets for my veal scallopini recipe, because they are more gentle on the delicate sauce.

Sauce Variations

• Thicker – I don’t use white flour, don’t like most thickeners, and think the (thin) sauce tastes great as is. But if you want it thicker and don’t want to use white flour like me, you can lightly dust the veal cutlets with cornstarch or one of my cornstarch substitutes before cooking.
• Creamy – Stir in a splash of heavy cream when the sauce is done, and simmer for a few minutes to reduce it before you add the veal back to the pan.
• Marsala – I opted to make my veal scallopini similar to chicken piccata, but you can make these thin veal slices with a flavor similar to chicken marsala, too. Follow my chicken marsala recipe, and just use veal cutlets instead.
• Double or Triple – My version has just enough sauce to coat the meat, but if you want extra for drizzling on top, double it. And if you want to serve your veal over noodles or rice, triple (or even 4X) the sauce to have some for your base!

Storage Instructions

Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days. You can reheat them in a hot skillet again, or simply in the microwave. I don’t recommend freezing this dish.

Serving Suggestions

Wondering what to pair with your veal scallopini for a complete meal? Try one of my sides that complement this unique dish:

• Noodles Or Rice – I like to serve this on a bed of something to soak up any extra sauce. You can use your favorite pasta (the classic Italian option), rice, cauliflower rice (shown above), or even zucchini noodles.
• Salads – I recommend Italian-inspired ones to go with the flavors of this dish. Try my artichoke salad, classic Caprese salad, or just skip the chicken in my chicken Caesar salad.
• Vegetables – Veal scallopini will go with just about any veggie! I usually just start some roasted zucchini, broccoli, or mixed roasted vegetables before I begin the main dish. But you can also just make some quick sauteed green beans or sauteed asparagus in the same skillet.

My Favorite Tool For This Recipe

My meat tenderizer makes it so easy to make quick cutlets! Use the flat side to pound thin slices of veal (or any meat), and the textured side for tenderizing tougher cuts.

Recipe Card

4.9 from 19 votes

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Veal Scallopini

This piccata-style veal scallopini recipe is coated in a light, buttery lemon caper sauce. It may look fancy, but it takes just 20 minutes!

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Total: 20 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from Wholesome Yum

Servings: 4 (adjust to scale recipe)

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Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.

• 1 lb Veal cutlets ▢
• 1/2 tsp Sea salt (plus more to taste at the end) ▢
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper (plus more to taste at the end) ▢
• 1 tbsp Olive oil ▢
• 3 tbsp Unsalted butter (divided into 1 tbsp and 2 tbsp) ▢
• 4 cloves Garlic (minced) ▢
• 1/2 cup White cooking wine ▢
• 1/2 cup Chicken bone broth ▢
• 1/4 cup Lemon juice ▢
• 1/4 cup Capers (drained) ▢
• 2 tbsp Fresh parsley (optional, for serving) ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.

1. Pound the veal cutlets using the flat side of a meat tenderizer to 1/8-inch thickness. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

2. In a 12-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, until shimmering. Working in batches, add the veal cutlets in a single layer. Sear for 30-45 seconds per side, until the juices run clear. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with all the veal cutlets, adding more olive oil halfway through if needed.

3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add a tablespoon of butter to the pan. Add the minced garlic and saute for about 1 minute, until fragrant.

4. Add the white wine, broth, and lemon juice. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula to release any browned bits (this is called deglazing). Add the capers. Increase the heat to bring to a boil, then simmer for 7-10 minutes, until volume is reduced by half and slightly thickened.

5. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, until melted. Simmer for another 3-4 minutes, until the volume reduces by half. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste, if desired.

6. Return the veal to the pan and coat in sauce. Serve with fresh parsley, if desired.

LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!

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Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 veal cutlet (~3 oz)

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Nutrition Facts

Amounts per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 261

Fat 15.8g

Protein 25.5g

Total Carbs 2.8g

Net Carbs 2.3g

Fiber 0.5g

Sugar 0.9g

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.

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