Make This Veal Scallopini With Lemon and Capers in 15 Minutes (2024)

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By

Molly Watson

Molly Watson

An award-winning food writer and cookbook author, Molly Watson has created more than 1,000 recipes focused on local, seasonal ingredients.

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Updated on 02/22/24

Tested by

Diana Rattray

Make This Veal Scallopini With Lemon and Capers in 15 Minutes (1)

Tested byDiana Rattray

Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

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Veal cutlets are one of the quickest and tastiest meals you can pull together for a last-minute dinner. And veal scallopiniis a classic (some may say "old-school") recipe. A few moments in the pan, a couple ofingredients to create a sauce, and dinner is done. This recipe is simple, delicious, and ready in 15 minutes.

These veal cutlets are cooked with butter, lemon, and capers and served overarugula; theheat from the veal and sauce gently wilt the leaves. All you need is some crusty bread or a side of roasted potatoes and you've got dinner.

Make This Veal Scallopini With Lemon and Capers in 15 Minutes (2)

What You'll Need to Make This Veal Scallopini Recipe

A Nice Big Skillet
A Snappy Pair of Tongs
A Good Spatula

"I used thin veal cutlets (8 cutlets in 1 pound) and cooked them in two batches. Thicker cutlets might cook in one batch but will take a bit longer to cook through. The veal was delicious with the buttery, lemony sauce, and the arugula balanced the flavors perfectly." —Diana Rattray

Make This Veal Scallopini With Lemon and Capers in 15 Minutes (6)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 pound veal scallopini or cutlets

  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste

  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

  • 2 tablespoons capers, drained

  • 1/4 cup white wine

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 3 tablespoons butter, cut into 4 to 8 pieces

  • 4 cups loosely packed arugula, for serving

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Make This Veal Scallopini With Lemon and Capers in 15 Minutes (7)

  2. Pat the veal dry with paper towels and sprinkle it lightly with the salt.

    Make This Veal Scallopini With Lemon and Capers in 15 Minutes (8)

  3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan (preferably large enough to hold all the veal in a single layer) over medium-high heat.

    Make This Veal Scallopini With Lemon and Capers in 15 Minutes (9)

  4. Put as much of the veal as fits in a single layer in the pan (it is important you don't crowd the pan) and cook until it has started to brown and releases fromthesurface of the pan—about 2 minutes.

    Make This Veal Scallopini With Lemon and Capers in 15 Minutes (10)

  5. Turn the cutlets and cook them until they're cooked through and browned on the second side—about 2 more minutes. Transfer the veal to a plate. Repeat with any remaining veal, as necessary.

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  6. Return the frying pan to the heat. Add the capers to the pan and let them sizzle for about 30 seconds.

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  7. Add the white wine and use a spatula to help scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.

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  8. Whisk together and cook until the wine is reduced by at least half, about 2 minutes.

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  9. Add the lemon juice and stir to combine.

    Make This Veal Scallopini With Lemon and Capers in 15 Minutes (15)

  10. Swirl in thepieces ofbutter, whisking if you like, to make a sauce. Taste and add salt if needed.

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  11. Return all of the veal to the pan to coat it in the sauce.

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  12. Divide the arugula among 4 plates. Drizzle a bit of the sauce over each serving of arugula before placing the veal on top of the salad. Drizzle any remaining sauce evenly over the veal.

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  13. Serve immediately.

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Tips

  • If your veal cutlets are thick, pound them to a 1/8-inch thickness.
  • If you don't eatvealfor animal welfare reasons, know that there is an alternativekind of veal on the market. The difference is that the veal comes from the calves culled from the herd, not calves raised virtually motionless in pens.You may find it labeled as "red veal," or with the Italian word "vitello."The meat isn'tmilky white but instead is a pale red color.

Recipe Variations

  • With Mushrooms: Sauté about 4 to 6 ounces of mushrooms in oil or butter before preparing the veal. Cook the veal as directed; add the sautéed veal to the skillet just before serving.
  • Omit the arugula and serve the veal with garlic spaghetti or buttered herb pasta.
  • For alcohol-free veal scallopini, replace the white wine with unsalted chicken stock.

How to Store

  • Refrigerate leftover cutlets and sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
  • To reheat the veal scallopini, place it in a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake in a preheated 300 F oven for about 15 minutes, or until hot.

What's the Difference Between Scallopini and Piccata?

Scallopini is the name for a thin slice of meat, usually chicken or veal. When dredged in flour and pan-fried, it is called scaloppine. One type of scallopini dish is piccata, which includes a pan sauce of lemon, capers, white wine or sherry, and butter. The dish is often referred to as piccata and scallopini interchangeably.

Does Veal Need to Be Fully Cooked?

Veal can be cooked much like beef, from rare to well-done, and can actually become tough when overcooked. Rare is about 145 F, medium 160 F, and 170 F is well-done. The USDA recommends cooking veal to an internal temperature of 160 F for safe consumption. Veal cutlets are cut so thin that they cook through in just a few minutes.

26 Easy and Quick Weeknight Dinners

See Also
Scaloppine
  • American Mains
  • Lamb Mains
  • Citrus Recipes
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
367Calories
26g Fat
15g Carbs
15g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories367
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g33%
Saturated Fat 14g70%
Cholesterol 94mg31%
Sodium 632mg27%
Total Carbohydrate 15g5%
Dietary Fiber 1g5%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 15g
Vitamin C 7mg33%
Calcium 58mg4%
Iron 2mg11%
Potassium 327mg7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

  • lemon
  • dinner
  • italian
  • fall

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Make This Veal Scallopini With Lemon and Capers in 15 Minutes (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between veal piccata and veal scallopini? ›

What's the Difference Between Scallopini and Piccata? Scallopini is the name for a thin slice of meat, usually chicken or veal. When dredged in flour and pan-fried, it is called scaloppine. One type of scallopini dish is piccata, which includes a pan sauce of lemon, capers, white wine or sherry, and butter.

Why is my veal scallopini tough? ›

Overcooked veal can become tough and dry, losing its tenderness and succulence. Additionally, using the wrong cut of veal or failing to pound it to an even thickness can contribute to toughness. Veal cutlets should be thin and evenly pounded to ensure uniform cooking and tenderness.

Does veal scallopini mean? ›

ˌska- variants or less commonly scallopini. : thin slices of meat (such as veal) sautéed or coated with flour and fried.

How do you cook veal so it's not tough? ›

When sautéing, pan-frying or stir-frying cutlets, use medium-high heat to avoid overcooking. Stewed or braised veal should be browned slowly to let the flavor develop. Lightly cover to retain steam and simmer gently over very low heat. To ensure your veal is tender, juicy and flavorful, cook at 160º.

What does scallopini mean in Italian? ›

Scaloppine (plural and diminutive of scaloppa—a small escalope, i.e., a thinly sliced cut of meat) is a type of Italian dish that comes in many forms.

Why is veal not beef? ›

The difference between beef and veal is that beef is from older cattle whereas veal is the meat of younger cattle. 'English Rose' veal or high welfare veal has a distinct light pink colour, beef being a darker red.

Is veal scallopini lean? ›

Veal scaloppini, a true Italian cuisine classic, sounds fancy but is actually very easy to prepare. It starts with the finest pieces of lean leg muscle sliced thinly and the trick is to pound the meat as thin as possible so it cooks quickly. You can now enjoy the quality of restaurant dining at home.

What do Italians call veal? ›

Veal in Italy. “If you are in Milan and you're talking about veal, then you are only ever talking about vitello da late, la carne bianca, bianca alla Milanese!”

Does soaking veal in milk make it tender? ›

The delicate flavor and fine texture of veal, which comes from a calf between 1 and 3 months old, have appealed to diners for centuries. Look for pale pink colored veal at the market and then soak it in milk overnight to further tenderize.

How do you make veal taste better? ›

To experience the most mouthwatering tender veal, sauté for just a few minutes. So, your veal parmesan is rich in nutrients and taste. Next up is marinating the meat. You can marinate it for half an hour before cooking, but if you are looking for more taste, you can marinate it for up to three to five hours.

What animal is veal? ›

Veal is the meat from a calf or young beef animal. A veal calf is raised until about 16 to 18 weeks of age, weighing up to 450 pounds. Male dairy calves are used in the veal industry. Dairy cows must give birth to continue producing milk, but male dairy calves are of little or no value to the dairy farmer.

What is the difference between veal cutlet and scallopini? ›

Veal cutlets may also be labeled as "scallops" or "scallopini." On restaurant menus or in cookbooks you may see cutlets described as schnitzel, a traditional Austrian dish where cutlets are dredged in flour and then coated in egg and breadcrumbs and fried; Weiner schnitzel is made from veal, in which case it is usually ...

What's the difference between veal piccata and veal Marsala? ›

Veal Marsala uses marsala sauce and wild mushrooms. If wild mushrooms aren't for you, Veal Piccata comes with shallots, capers, lemons, and white wine sauce that may be more to your taste.

What is the meaning of veal piccata? ›

pə̇ˈkätə, -ätə plural piccatas. : thin slices of meat (such as veal) that are dredged in flour, sautéed, and served in a lemon and butter sauce.

What makes something a piccata? ›

Piccata, though, is an Italian word meaning larded. It seems to be a translation of the French word pique (sharp, as in piquant). When used in a reference to a way of preparing food (particularly meat or fish) it means sliced and sauteed in a sauce containing lemon, butter, and spices.

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