Today, I want to share a recipe that proves less really can be more: Veal Scallopini. It’s one of those timeless Italian dishes that takes simple ingredients and turns them into something you’d expect in a fancy trattoria, yet it’s quick enough for a weeknight dinner.
So, grab a pan, a few pantry staples, and let’s get cooking. You’re going to love this one.
What Is Veal Scallopini?
At its core, Scallopini simply refers to thinly sliced meat, veal in this case, that’s lightly floured, quickly pan-fried, and finished in a sauce. It’s fast, elegant, and seriously delicious.
The sauce can vary. Some go for lemon and capers (piccata style), others with marsala wine, but today I’m sticking with the white wine, chicken stock, lemon, and butter combo — light, fresh, and perfect for spring or summer.
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Ingredients
There aren’t a lot of ingredients in veal Scallopini but they all work so well together. Get them all prepared and ready before you start cooking.
- veal escalopes, about ½ inch thick, pounded to ¼ inch thickness
- All purpose (plain) flour
- Herbs de province
- Salt
- Olive oil
- Butter
- Dry white wine
- Chicken stock
- Lemons
- Capers
- Double cream
- Dried chilli flakes, to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
See recipe card for quantities.
Step by Step Photos
Check out the step by step photos below to see how easy it is to make veal Scallopini. This is so good!
- Step 1: Pour the flour onto a plate and add 1 tablespoon herbs de province and 2 teaspoon salt. Mix well and then dust each of the veal escalopes with the flour.
- Step 2: Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Shake off any excess flour from the escalopes and add them to the pan.
- Step 3: Fry for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until the meat is turning a golden brown.
Stir in the garlic and fry it with them meat for about 30 seconds. Then add the white wine to the pan to deglaze.
- Step 4: Pour in the chicken stock and lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Then stir in the capers and add the sliced lemons to flavour the sauce.
- Step 5: Stir in the cream along with the remaining herbs de province.
- Step 6: Stir the cream right in and then season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped parsley and dried chilli flakes.
- Step 7: You might also like to garnish your veal Scallopini with freshly grated Parmesan.
Prepping the Veal
Prepping the veal correctly is important. Your veal should be about ¼ inch thick — you can ask your butcher to do this or give it a gentle bash between two sheets of cling film with a meat mallet or rolling pin.
Season both sides with salt and pepper, then lightly dredge in flour. Shake off any excess — we’re not deep frying here. That thin coating helps the veal brown beautifully and gives the sauce something to cling to.
Why Veal?
I know veal can be a bit divisive, but when ethically sourced and treated right, it’s a delicate, tender meat that shines in dishes like this. It’s lean, cooks fast, and soaks up flavour beautifully.
If veal isn’t your thing, you can substitute chicken or pork using the same method.
Substitutions
As I mention above, you don’t have to use veal. Here are a few other possibilities:
- Chicken - Chicken works really well in this sauce. I prefer chicken thighs but thinly pounded chicken breasts will also work.
- Pork - Pork has a similar flavour to veal. Personally, I prefer the texture of veal but pork is equally as delicious and a lot easier to source. I recommend using thinly pounded pork chops.
- Tofu or potatoes - Neither of these options are in any way authentic but if you are on a vegetarian diet, they do work. Both tofu and potatoes will soak up that amazing sauce nicely.
Variations
Want to mix it up?
Don’t add cream – I like a little cream in my veal Scallopini but cream is not always added. Leave it out for a slighter version of this famous dish.
Veal Scallopini Marsala – Swap wine and lemon for sweet Marsala and add sautéed mushrooms.
Chicken Piccata – Same method, using chicken breast and extra capers.
Add fresh herbs – Fresh thyme, rosemary or sage all work beautifully.
Equipment
Veal Scallopini is the ultimate one pan dish. All you need is a good frying pan and a spatula for turning the veal as it cooks. A good chef’s knife and meat mallet will also come in handy.
Storage
You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Cover tightly with cling film. To reheat, place it in your microwave or heat it slowly in a pan over a medium heat until hot.
You can also freeze veal Scallopini. Cream does not freeze well but as you use so little cream in this recipe, it doesn’t hurt to freeze it.
Top Tip
Thin veal is key – Uniform thickness means even cooking and tender meat.
FAQ
The best cut for veal scallopini is veal top round or veal leg, sliced thin. These cuts are tender and cook quickly. You can also ask your butcher for "veal scallopini" cuts, which are usually pre-sliced and ready for pounding.
Place the veal slices between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper and gently pound them with a meat mallet until they’re about ⅛ to ¼ inch thick. This not only tenderizes the meat but also ensures even, quick cooking.
Scallopini refers to the thin slices of veal, usually lightly floured and pan-fried. The dish’s name changes based on the sauce:
Piccata: lemon, capers, white wine, and butter.
Marsala: sweet Marsala wine, mushrooms, and sometimes cream.
Saltimbocca: topped with prosciutto and sage, often deglazed with white wine.
Overcooking is the most common reason. Veal is very lean and thin, so it only needs 1–4 minutes per side depending on the thickness. Also, make sure it's pounded thin and cooked quickly over medium-high heat.
Yes, chicken, turkey, or pork can be substituted and prepared in the same way. Just make sure to pound them to a similar thinness and adjust cooking time as needed.
Related
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Pairing
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Recipe
Veal Scallopini
This restaurant style veal Scallopini is so easy to prepare and can be cooked in about 30 minutes. No need to go out for the best veal Scallopini when you can make it even tastier at home.
Ingredients
- 6 veal escalopes, about ½ inch thick, pounded to ¼ inch thickness
- 1 cup all purpose (plain) flour
- 2 tablespoon herbs de province
- 3 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 80ml (⅓ cup) dry white wine
- 320ml (1 ¼ cups) chicken stock
- 2 lemons
- 3 tablespoon capers
- 80ml (⅓ cup) double cream
- Dried chilli flakes, to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place a veal escalope on a clean work surface and pound it with a meat mallet until it is about ¼ inch thick. Repeat with the remaining veal escalopes.
- Pour the flour onto a plate and add 1 tablespoon herbs de province and 2 teaspoon salt. Mix well and then dust each of the veal escalopes with the flour.
- Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Shake off any excess flour from the escalopes and add them to the pan. Fry for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until the meat is turning a golden brown.
- Deglaze the pan by adding the wine and when it bubbles up, add the chicken stock and the juice of one of the lemons.
- Bring this to a simmer and then stir in the capers and cream.
- Slice the remaining lemon into thin rounds and place them in the sauce. Let it all simmer for another 5 minutes.
- To serve, season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with more herbs de province and dried chilli flakes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 427Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 131mgSodium: 1808mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 33g
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