Veal piccata is an easy to make yet impressive meal to make at home. Tender veal is dredged in flour, pan-seared, and coated in a rich white wine and lemon sauce complemented with salty capers and fresh thyme.
Why this recipe works
Veal piccata is something you’d order at a nice restaurant, but it’s quick and easy enough to make right at home with little effort. You’ll first brown your veal in a pan after coating it in flour then sear it until it reaches golden brown. Capers, lemon juice, butter, white wine, chicken stock, and fresh thyme add incredible flavor and cook down with the veal to create a rich buttery sauce.
If you prefer chicken over veal, hop over to our chicken piccata recipe!
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
VEAL – Veal piccata is often pounded first then fried. We prefer ours thicker so we don’t pound the meat, but you can if you prefer. It’s not a requirement for piccata. Piccata simply means “pounded flat and cooked in a sauce of lemon, parsley and butter”. We chose to use fresh thyme in ours as it’s more fragrant than parsley.
STOCK – We are using chicken broth, but you can use beef stock instead.
WINE – Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, or Sauvignon Blanc are all good options. Using drinking wines provides better flavor to your dish over cooking wine. If you only have cooking wine on hand feel free to use it.
How to Make Veal Piccata
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Season the veal on both sides with garlic salt and pepper. Dredge each cutlet in flour and shake off excess.
- Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Add cutlets to the hot oil and cook 4-5 minutes per side. Remove and keep warm.
- Remove half of the oil, being careful to leave any brown bits in the pan. Add chicken broth to skillet and bring to a boil.
- Add white wine, capers, lemon juice, fresh thyme, butter, and cornstarch. Stir until combined and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and add veal back in. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Store any leftover veal piccata in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Serving Suggestions
Serve veal piccata with pasta or rice and a side of steamed or roasted veggies like broccoli, carrots, asparagus, or green beans. Garnish with lemon slices if desired.
More Dinner Recipes
- Lamb Chops
- Chicken Marsala
- Beef Stroganoff
- Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Veal Marsala
- Veal Chops
- Veal Osso Buco
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Veal Piccata
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 1 pound veal cutlets
- 1 Tablespoon garlic salt
- ½ Tablespoon black pepper
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 2 Tablespoons capers
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- Veal Piccata is often pounded first then fried. We prefer our thicker so we don’t pound the meat. You can if you prefer. It’s not a requirement for piccata. Piccata means “pounded flat cooked in a sauce of lemon, parsley and butter”. We chose to use fresh thyme in ours as its more fragrant than parsley.
- Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, or Sauvignon Blanc are all good options for using in this recipe. Using drinking wines provides better flavor to your dish over cooking wine. If you only have cooking wine on hand feel free to use it.
Instructions
- Season the veal on both sides with garlic salt and pepper. Dredge each cutlet in flour and shake off excess.
- Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Add cutlets to the hot oil and cook 4-5 minutes per side. Remove and keep warm.
- Remove half of the oil, being careful to leave any brown bits in the pan. Add chicken broth to skillet and bring to a boil.
- Add white wine, capers, lemon juice, fresh thyme, butter, and cornstarch. Stir until combined and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and add veal back in. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Nutrition
Chef Antoine Davis
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Gary S Truman says
PICATTA LITERALLY MEANS “TO BE POUNDED FLAT” NOT BUTTER AND LEMON
Amanda Formaro says
I found this to be a very interesting comment and I actually appreciate you leaving it because it made me research things a bit. It seems that the internet is full of two different meanings. It wold seem that we are both right.
Here is the dictionary definition of picatta:
pic·ca·ta
/pəˈkädə/
adjective
cooked in a sauce of lemon, parsley and butter.
“chicken piccata”
The Italian translation for “pounded flat” is “pestato piatto”.
However, Wikipedia states'”The Italian culinary term means “to be pounded flat.” When used in reference to a way of preparing food, particularly meat or fish, it means “sliced, sautéed, and served in a sauce containing lemon, butter, and spices.’
Recipe Critic states “Piccata literally means, pounded flat and cooked in a sauce of lemon, parsley, and butter.”