Our Veal Scallopini brings thin veal cutlets simmered in a buttery white wine pan sauce, with mushrooms and a zing of lemon.
It’s an easy restaurant-style dinner recipe made with simple ingredients that’s perfect for busy weeknights or anytime you want flavor at home that tastes like it came straight out of Little Italy.
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I’ve been making Veal Scallopini for decades, in restaurants where the sauce mattered more than the silverware.
The recipe has roots in classic Italian scaloppine, but the version most of us know (with mushrooms, lemon, and that buttery white wine pan sauce) was born in Italian-American kitchens like the ones in Little Italy.
This is my best Veal Scallopini recipe that I’ve served to corporate executives, wedding parties, and plenty of folks who just wanted a great meal that felt as special as it tasted.
These days, it’s one of my personal favorites to whip up at home. It never lasts long at the table, and I often wish I’d made just a little more!
From scratch to the table in under 30 minutes, but it still feels like something you’d order at your favorite Italian restaurant.
And since everything cooks in one large skillet, clean-up’s a breeze.
For a restaurant-style dinner that feels complete, serve it alongside our Easy Mashed Potatoes or Buttery Smashed Potatoes for a side that brings all the comfort without stealing the show.
Ingredients
Gather the ingredients to prepare our veal scallopini recipe. Culinary professionals call this the “Mise en Place,” which means “everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also ensures you have all the necessary ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
Can I Make Adjustments to the Recipe?
Sure! We made the dish with veal cutlets, but you can use chicken breast or pork tenderloin if that’s what you’ve got on hand. Thin cuts are key, no matter what meat you choose, so grab a meat mallet or rolling pin and give them a gentle pound.
For the mushrooms, button or baby bella work great, but feel free to use whatever you’ve got. Sliced cremini or even shiitake can add a nice earthy punch.
If you like a creamier finish, stir in a splash of heavy cream at the end.
Want more zing? A few extra capers or an extra squeeze of lemon juice will do the trick.
How to Make Veal Scallopini
Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make veal scallopini in your home kitchen.
The first step is to gently pound the veal slices thin, using a meat mallet. This will help tenderize the meat. Set the thin slices of veal aside until needed. You can keep the slices as cutlets or cut them into medallions.
- Add the all-purpose flour, salt, and black pepper to a shallow bowl or plate.
- Mix to combine.
- Add the veal cutlets to the flour mixture, coating both sides.
- Place a large frying pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil, followed by the floured cutlets.
*Don’t use high heat to cook the slices, as this will cause them to tighten up and become tough. Gentle cooking is required for thin meats like the veal slices. - Cook the slices for 1-2 minutes.
- Turn them over and cook for another minute or two. Remove the meat from the pan and place it on a plate while you finish the dish.
*The meat cooks very quickly, so be careful not to overcook it. - Add the butter to the same pan, and turn it up to medium high heat.
- When the butter is melted, add the mushrooms to the pan.
- Cook the mushrooms for 6-7 minutes, letting them begin to caramelize.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen all the tasty browned bits. Then add the chicken broth, lemon juice, onion powder, and most of the lemon zest to the pan.
*If you want to use capers in this dish, add them now. - Coat 2 tablespoons of butter in the seasoned flour you used for the veal to make a beurre manie. This will thicken the sauce.
- Return the pan to the stove over medium heat and add the beurre manie. Mix it into the sauce and cook to a light simmer ( 1-2 minutes). Then return the veal to the pan and continue cooking until the veal is hot and the sauce has slightly thickened. Reseason with salt and black pepper if needed.
Garnish with chopped Italian parsley and lemon slices. Serve with potatoes, rice, or your favorite grain.
Our Veal Scallopini is made for family dinners, date nights, or any night you want to get fancy without a fuss.
Expect wide eyes, empty plates, and maybe a not-so-subtle hint to make it again next week!
How to Store and Reheat
Leftover Veal Scallopini should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat gently in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of chicken broth or water to loosen the sauce. Avoid the microwave if you can; it tends to toughen the veal.
This dish doesn’t freeze well, since the texture of the veal and the sauce can both suffer once thawed.
Recipe FAQs
Ah, that usually means it cooked too long or the slices were a little too thick. Veal’s delicate, so it just needs a minute or two per side over medium heat. And really make sure you give those cutlets a quick pound, because that makes all the difference.
Yep, you do. If the meat’s too wet, the flour just clumps and slides right off. Dry veal means a better coating, a better sear, and a whole lot more flavor sticking to the cutlet instead of your pan.
You sure can. Just whip it up the day before, store it in the fridge, and reheat it gently when you’re ready to use it. Give it a good whisk to bring it back together, and you’re good to go. It’s a great shortcut when time’s tight.
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Veal Scallopini Recipe (Restaurant Style)
Ingredients
- 10-12 ounces veal cutlets
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup mushrooms -button or baby bella
- 1 tablespoon capers -optional
- 2 ounces white wine -optional
- 4 ounces chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest -save some for the garnish
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter -rolled in flour to thicken the sauce
- 1 tablespoon Italian parsley -for garnish
- 4 lemon circles -for garnish
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Instructions
- The first step is to gently pound the veal slices thin, using a meat mallet. This will help tenderize the meat. Set aside until needed.
- Add the all-purpose flour, salt and black pepper to a shallow bowl or plate. Mix to combine.
- Add the veal cutlets to the flour mixture, coating both sides.
- Place a large frying pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil, followed by the floured cutlets.Avoid cooking the slices at high heat, as this will cause them to tighten up and become tough. Gently cooking is required for thin meats like the veal slices.
- Cook the slices for 1-2 minutes, then turn them over and cook for another minute or two. Remove the meat from the pan and place it on a plate while you finish the dish.The meat cooks very quickly, so be careful not to overcook it.
- Add the butter to the same pan, and turn the heat up to medium-high. When the butter is melted add the mushrooms to the pan.
- Cook the mushrooms for 6-7 minutes, letting them begin to caramelize.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen all the tasty browned bits from the pan. Then add the chicken broth, lemon juice, onion powder, and most of the lemon zest to the pan.If you want to use capers in this dish, add them now.
- Coat 2 tablespoons of butter in the seasoned flour you used for the veal to make a beurre manie. This will thicken the sauce.
- Return the pan to the stove over medium heat and add the beurre manie. Mix it into the sauce and cook to a light simmer ( 1-2 minutes).
- Return the veal to the pan and continue cooking until the veal is hot and the sauce has slightly thickened. Reseason with salt and black pepper if needed.
- Garnish with chopped Italian parsley and lemon slices. Serve with potatoes, rice, or your favorite grain.
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