The secret to the best veal piccata recipe? Thin, tender veal cutlets—AKA scaloppine. Pounding the veal until it’s about 1/4-inch thick not only tenderizes the meat but also ensures it cooks quickly and evenly. The goal? Delicate, thin cutlets that hold their shape—no tears, no ragged edges—just restaurant-perfect veal piccata.
What is Veal Piccata?
Veal piccata is a classic Italian-American dish of thinly pounded veal cutlets that are lightly dredged in flour, pan-seared until golden, and finished in a bright, tangy lemon-butter sauce studded with briny capers and fresh parsley.
The term piccata refers to a cooking style where meat is sautéed and served in a sauce of lemon, butter, and capers. The result? A tender, flavorful dish that balances the richness of the veal with the zesty acidity of the sauce.
Recipe Ingredients
- Veal cutlets—For tender veal piccata, choose thinly sliced veal cutlets (often sold as scaloppine) with a pale pink color and fine streaks of creamy-white fat. If pre-pounded cutlets aren’t available, ask your butcher to slice and pound them to about 1/4-inch thick. Chicken or turkey cutlets make great alternatives for a lighter piccata recipe.
- Dry white wine—A dry, crisp wine like Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or Chardonnay adds acidity and balance to the lemon-butter sauce. Avoid sweet wines, which can overpower the delicate flavors.
- Lemon—Since the entire lemon—juice, pulp, and peel—infuses the sauce, choose an organic, unwaxed lemon when possible. Can’t find an unwaxed one? Give a waxed lemon a good scrub before slicing to remove pesticides and wax.
- Capers—These little briny bursts are key to classic veal piccata flavor, cutting through the richness of the sauce. Drain well before adding for the best texture and flavor.
- Flour—A thin, even dusting of all-purpose flour ensures the cutlets brown beautifully while helping the lemon-butter sauce cling to the veal.
How to Make Veal Piccata
- Season the veal cutlets generously with salt and pepper, then dredge them in flour, shaking off any excess. This light flour coating ensures a golden, crispy crust and helps thicken the lemon-caper sauce later.
- Melt the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Wait until the butter foams and the oil shimmers—this is key to getting that golden, crispy crust.
- Working in batches to avoid crowding, sear the veal cutlets for 1 ½ minutes until golden brown. This step locks in flavor and keeps the veal tender.
- Flip the veal scallopine and cook until the second side is golden brown, about 1 ½ minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining cutlets, adding more butter and oil if needed.
- Pour the wine into the skillet. Scrape up the flavorful browned bits (aka fond)—this is where all the flavor lives. Add the lemon slices and simmer until the wine reduces by half, about 3 minutes.
- Drizzle in the chicken stock, swirling to combine it with the wine and lemon slices. Let it simmer until the sauce reduces by half, about 8 minutes.
- Toss in the capers and chopped parsley. Plonk in the butter and let it melt into the sauce, creating a silky, tangy finish.
- Gently swirl the pan to emulsify the butter into the sauce fully. This step gives the sauce its glossy texture and balances the bright lemon and briny capers.
- Place the veal cutlets back into the skillet, turning them to coat evenly in the lemon-caper sauce. Let the veal warm through. Serve immediately, spooning extra sauce over the cutlets.
Your Veal Piccata Questions Answered
To achieve tender veal cutlets that cook evenly, place the veal between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Use the flat side of a meat mallet or a heavy cast-iron skillet and gently pound the scallopine until they’re about 1/4-inch thick. This ensures the cutlets cook quickly and evenly without tearing.
If you’re swapping chicken breast or turkey cutlets for this veal piccata recipe, use only the smooth side of the mallet to prevent tearing the more delicate poultry.
Veal piccata’s zesty lemon-caper sauce pairs beautifully with simple, buttery sides that soak up the flavors. Here are my top picks:
∙ Buttered pasta (like fettuccine or spaghetti)—classic and comforting.
∙ Mashed potatoes—smooth and creamy, perfect for extra sauce.
∙ Steamed broccoli or lemony green beans—add a fresh, crisp contrast.
∙ Asparagus salad—enhances the citrusy notes of the piccata.
∙ Crusty bread—ideal for mopping up the tangy sauce.
The best cut for veal piccata is the top round, sliced into thin cutlets, often labeled as veal cutlets, veal scallopini, or veal round steak. These thin cuts cook quickly and stay tender.
For best results, buy from a butcher who can slice and pound the cutlets for you, or do it at home for the ideal thickness.
What’s the Difference Between Veal Francese and Veal Piccata
| Feature | Veal Francese | Veal Piccata |
|---|---|---|
| Coating | Briny capers add a salty, tangy bite | Light flour coating only |
| Sauce Base | Lemon-butter wine sauce | Lemon-butter wine sauce with capers |
| Texture | Slightly softer crust | Crispier outer layer |
| Signature | Eggy coating | Briny capers adds a salty, tangy bite |
Expert Tips
- Pound your veal to an even thickness so that it cooks evenly. Or have your butcher do it for you.
- Make sure the butter is fully melted and the oil is hot before adding the veal to the skillet. This will promote browning.
- Serve this immediately, as the coating will soften and become gummy if allowed to sit too long.
Storage & Reheating Veal Piccata
Storage: If you suspect you won’t eat all the piccata at one meal, it’s best not to add the cutlets back to the pan to warm up. This will help keep the veal from getting limp and soggy. Store leftover veal cutlets and the lemon-caper sauce in separate sealed containers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheating: Bring the sauce to a simmer in a skillet over medium heat, then reduce heat to low and add the cutlets until heated through.
More Great Veal Recipes
If piccata is your thing, then definitely check out our chicken piccata recipe and my brand-new lemony chicken piccata meatballs dripping in a buttery caper sauce.
Leave a Review
Tried this veal piccata recipe or any other dish from LC? I’d love to hear from you! Leave a review, drop a star rating, and upload your best photo in the comments below. Your feedback means the world to me! — David
Veal Piccata
Ingredients
- Twelve (2- to 3-ounce) veal top round cutlets, (or chicken breast or turkey cutlets), pounded until 1/4-inch (6-mm) thick
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons (2 oz) unsalted butter, plus more as needed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/4 cups homemade chicken stock or canned chicken broth
- 1 lemon, preferably organic, thinly sliced and seeded
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup capers, drained
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Instructions
- Season the veal on both sides with the salt and pepper and dredge in the flour, shaking off any excess. Transfer to a plate.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and the oil in a 12-inch (30-cm) skillet over medium-high heat.
- When the fat is hot, add the cutlets in batches. Don't crowd the skillet!
- Sear the veal, turning once, until golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side, 3 minutes total.
☞ TESTER TIP: If using chicken or turkey, cook until no trace of pink remains, about 3 minutes per side.
- Transfer the cutlets to a platter, cover loosely, and repeat with the remaining veal. If necessary, add more butter and oil to the skillet.
- Pour the wine into the skillet and cook over medium-high heat, scraping the browned bits, until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the stock and lemon slices and bring to a boil.
- Cook the sauce until reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, lemon juice, capers, and parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and tilt the pan to swirl the butter until blended into the sauce.
- Add the cutlets back to the skillet, turn to coat them with the sauce, and let them warm through.
- Arrange the cutlets on a platter. Pour the remaining sauce over top and serve immediately.
Notes
- Veal thickness—Pound your veal to an even thickness so that it cooks evenly. Or have your butcher do it for you.
- Get your skillet hot—Make sure the butter is fully melted and the oil is hot before adding the veal to the skillet. This will promote browning.
- Serving—Serve this immediately, as the coating will soften and become gummy if allowed to sit too long.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This veal piccata recipe is an easily executed version of the classic dish. The only veal cutlets I found had already been pounded for scaloppine. They were all around two ounces or so.
I served the scaloppine along with brown-rice spaghetti, tomato sauce, and an arugula, pear, and blue cheese salad. I put my second piece of scaloppine right on top of the salad, and, WHOA!, was that good.
I’ve made piccata in the past with veal, chicken, and sole. It’s a dish that I really enjoy. This recipe is an excellent version that’s quick, easy, and yields wonderful results. It’s my new go-to recipe for piccata.
The finished dish was fresh and bright. It was also absolutely delicious. I served the piccata with cheesy mashed potatoes, which the sauce enhanced beautifully.
I also sautéed fresh string beans with chunks of red bell pepper. A glass of rosé or pinot noir makes for a perfect meal. Next time, I’ll make extra sauce. The flavors in the sauce mixed with the pan drippings are amazing, especially if you’re a fan of lemon.
This piccata came together in no time and was devoured for dinner with some rice, a large green salad, and a crisp Napa Chardonnay. Everyone loved it, including the kiddos, who were skeptical about the capers in there but were ultimately won over by the tart, bright sauce, and tender veal. This is a winning recipe for a quick weeknight dinner.
I made this recipe with one pound of chicken breast cutlets and loved it. The sauce is silken and has just the right amount of lemon. Since the meat is so thin, it cooks quickly, and the whole dish comes together in under a half hour.
My family loved this variation of veal piccata. We have a couple of conscientious objectors to veal in the house, and it’s nice to know that when we choose to have this dish, I can use turkey as an option for them. The turkey was tender and the whole thing was delicious.
Hands down the best Veal Piccata I’ve ever made. The flavors were spot on—bright, briny, buttery goodness in every bite. I followed the recipe to a T, and the result was a dish that tasted like it came straight from an Italian trattoria. Even my notoriously picky husband went back for seconds (and that NEVER happens). The tip about not crowding the skillet was a game-changer—each cutlet got that perfect golden sear. Thank you, David, for a recipe that made me feel like a total kitchen hero!
Marion, this is the kind of comment that makes my day! Love that the flavors hit all the right notes for you, and extra points for impressing your picky husband—that’s no small feat. And yes, that skillet tip is a game-changer for getting that perfect golden sear. Thrilled this made you feel like a kitchen hero—you deserve it!
This veal piccata was fantastic! Super easy to make but tasted like something from a nice restaurant. The lemony, buttery sauce was perfect, and the veal turned out tender and golden. I served it with roasted asparagus and a glass of white wine—my family loved it! This one’s definitely going into our regular dinner rotation. Another winner, David!
Jessica, I’m delighted this is making it into your regular dinner rotation. A golden, tender veal piccata with that lemony, buttery sauce? Sounds like perfection—especially with roasted asparagus and a good glass of wine. Thrilled your family loved it, and I appreciate the kind words.