Italian Veal Piccata
This Italian veal piccata is a classic recipe made with tender veal cutlets, dredged in flour then pan seared and finished with a buttery lemon sauce. It’s an elegant dish yet simple to make!
If you have not made many veal recipes let me introduce you to a few of my favorites including this classic veal piccata, saltimbocca all romana and ossobuco alla milanese! Each one is prepared with simple ingredients yet never fails to feel and taste both elegant and impressive.
For this veal piccata recipe the veal is sliced thin, coated in flour then lightly fried in butter until melt-in-the-mouth tender. A simple lemon sauce adds bright and tangy flavor then the cutlets are coated in more butter for a rich and decadent taste.
I do not include capers as I feel they take away from the delicate flavors of the dish but you may add them if you like their briny flavor.
Why This is the Best Veal Piccata Recipe
- A classic veal piccata recipe is made with simple ingredients that are flavorful and satisfying. It’s the essence of making it Italian!
- Ready in 25 minutes, it’s quick to make for a weeknight meal and is versatile in its serving options! Try it with pasta, roasted potatoes or even with a simple arugula salad.
Ingredient Notes
- Veal: I used veal pieces that were 32 cm long then I cut them in half horizontally and pounded to ¼ inch thickness or less to create veal cutlets or scaloppine. Veal scallopini ensures the meat is tender and cooks quickly and evenly.
- Butter: Butter adds a velvety rich texture to the sauce.
- Lemon: Fresh lemon juice adds a bright acidic flavor to the dish.
- Water: I used water for the lemon sauce but chicken broth or white wine could be used..
- Flour: All-purpose flour provides a light coating on the cutlets that ensures they brown in the pan while also allowing the lemon-butter sauce to adhere to the veal.
- Garnish: I love to add fresh green parsley to the dish before serving. It not only adds a pop of color but the fresh taste compliments the rich butter and zesty citrus. Lemon slices also look great!
How to Make Italian Veal Piccata
Place veal cutlets between 2 sheets of parchment paper and flatten to ¼ inch thickness, using a meat mallet or rolling pin.
Add flour to a shallow bowl or plate then dredge the thin veal cutlets in flour and shake to remove excess flour.
Melt butter in a large skillet, add the veal cutlets and brown on high heat turning often. Add the lemon juice and water then cook until reduced. Sprinkle the dish with chopped parsley, salt butter diced into small pieces. Once the butter has melted, serve the veal piccata drizzled with the lemon juice in the pan.
tips and variations
- Even thickness. For the veal to cook quickly and evenly, it should be an even thickness. You can ask your butcher to do this if you would like!
- High heat. To promote browning, ensure your pan is hot and butter is fully melted before adding your veal.
- Briny capers: Add green capers along with the butter at the end. Their briny flavor is a nice contrast to the bright lemon and rich butter in the piccata sauce.
- Chicken piccata recipe: Substitute the veal cutlets for thinly sliced chicken breast or pork. Both work well and in many countries may be more inexpensive.
- White white: Replace the water with white wine or even dry sherry for flavor variation in the veal piccata sauce. Whi
Serving Suggestions
In most Italian households, a veal piccata dish is served as secondi (similar to a main course) with sauteed greens like spinach or my favorite sauteed chicory greens. You can also serve this with a side of pasta to soak up the extra sauce. A classic wine pairing is Pinot Grigio.
Storage
- Store: If you plan on storing veal piccata leftovers, I would remove the veal from the pan after frying. Make the lemon butter sauce then drizzle the sauce over the cutlets you plan to serve. This ensures that the veal won’t get soggy while stored. Store veal and sauce separately in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Reheat: Heat up the sauce in the oven or in a skillet on the stove then add the cutlets and warm until heated through. If using the oven, add foil to cover the dish to prevent drying out the meat.
- Freeze: You can freeze the veal and sauce separately for up to 3 months. Cook from frozen in the oven by first heating the sauce then adding the veal, covering with foil and warming until heated through.
This Italian Veal Piccata has become one of the Italians favourite recipes, and I have to agree with him, it is delicious. Buon Appetito!
Italian Veal Piccata
Ingredients
- 9 ounces veal (I had 3 slices which were 12.5 / 32cm long and I cut each in half to make 6 pieces)
- ⅓-½ cup all purpose flour
- 4-5 tablespoons butter (divided)
- 1 medium lemon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons warm water
- ½-1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place veal between 2 sheets of parchment paper and flatten ¼ inch thickness, using a meat mallet or rolling pin.
- In a small bowl mix together the lemon juice and water, set aside.
- Place the flour on a plate and dredge the veal in the flour, shake to remove any excess flour.
- Melt 3-4 tablespoons of butter in a large pan, add the meat and brown on hight heat for 5 minutes turning often. Add the lemon juice mixture and cook 1-2 minutes until reduced.
- Sprinkle with the chopped parsley, the salt and 1 tablespoon of butter in small pieces. Once the butter has melted serve drizzled with the lemon juice in the pan and more chopped parsley if desired. Enjoy!