Veal Piccata with Lemon and Capers

Veal Piccata with Lemon and Capers is an easy dish that’s ready in 15 minutes! Veal Piccata, also known as Veal Scallopini is made with tender thin slices of veal sauteed with 3 ingredients and served with a buttery-lemon sauce.  An impressive dish, this veal piccata always gets dinner on the table in a snap!

 

What makes Veal Piccata so easy and so delicious?

This recipe for veal piccata with lemon and capers doesn’t need a lot of seasonings or ingredients to enhance its flavors.  And, you’ll see why.

The capers are salty enough and give a lot of flavor to the veal, while the lemon juice gives the zesty lemony flavor and keeps it moist and juicy.

Tender veal always cooks up very quickly because it’s very thin, and it always turns out with a melt-in-your-mouth quality in every bite. 

It’s similar to our mom’s best chicken piccata, which also happens to be a family favorite, and it’s great to serve both with our best creamy mashed potatoes to soak up some of its delicious sauce.

My family loves this veal piccata every time I make it!  And the secret to our veal piccata is in the SAUCE!

Ingredients Needed for Veal Piccata with Lemon and Capers: (*full recipe card below!).

For this recipe, you will need:

• thin slices of veal cutlets – it’s important to purchase “thin” pieces of veal for best results.

• some flour for dredging – we use all-purpose unbleached flour for this recipe.  But, you can try gluten-free all-purpose flour.

• some butter –  the butter is needed to make the sauce rich and creamy, yet keeping it light and flavorful.

• olive oil – always use good quality olive oil to get the best and most flavorful results.

• a tablespoon of capers – capers add salt to this dish and additional flavor.

• white wine – any drinking white wine (like pinot grigio) you may have leftover, is great to use with this recipe.  Do Not use “cooking wine” from the supermarkets.  Those are cheap, imitations and add no flavor to recipes. 

• and a couple of lemons – is a must for this recipe. The more fresh lemon juice added to the sauce, the better the flavor will be.

• optional:  vegetable or chicken broth, to add a splash in at the end to enhance the sauce.

 

How to Make Veal Piccata with Lemon and Capers…

Grab two trays or two plates and get let’s get started!

1.  First, place the veal in one tray and flour in the other.  In a large non-stick skillet, and on medium heat, heat olive oil and butter until butter is melted. 

2.  Toss in a few capers into the butter and oil mixture.

3.  Begin by taking each slice of veal, one at a time, and placing it into the flour to coat both sides with flour.  Shake off excess flour, and place it into the heated skillet with oil, butter, and some capers.

4.  Saute the veal until golden brown around the edges, about 1 to 2 minutes per side.  These will cook up quickly, so you may want to lower the heat a little while you are sauteing them in order not to overcook them.

5.  Then transfer the sauteed veal into a dish nearby.  Cover them with a sheet of foil wrap to keep them warm.  Continue with the rest of the veal until all of them are done.

 

HOW TO TELL WHEN THE VEAL IS FULLY COOKED?

Keep in mind, thin slices of veal will cook up quickly. So when sauting the veal in the skillet, the “pink color” in the veal will start to fade and turn light beige or off white color, as it is cooking.  And, this happens quickly.  

Then you can turn each one over, for an additional minute to finish sauting the other side. 

 

 

Make the Veal Piccata Lemon Sauce…

1. First, pour in the white wine, reduce the heat to low, and simmer on low heat, while scraping the bottom of the pan, to deglaze the pan. 

2.  Return the sauteed veal back to the skillet and pour in the lemon juice, and seaon with some black pepper to taste.  Here is where you can toss in a few more capers on top.  

3. Then add in the remaining butter and stir until it’s heated through. Optional: here is where you can add a splash of vegetable or chicken broth to make additional piccata sauce.

4.  Finally,  cover with a lid, and simmer for about 2 minutes. 

5.  Then transfer the veal to a serving platter and pour the remaining lemon-butter sauce over the veal, toss a few more capers over them, and garnish with a few lemon slices or wedges and serve.

 

COOK’S NOTES and TIPS…

• It’s always best to buy the veal from a local butcher shop.  Ask for veal cutlets “for veal scallopini.”  The veal may cost a few dollars more, but the butcher will give you not only quality meat, but he will also slice them perfectly and even pound them for you.  It makes a huge difference when making this dish.

• Need More Lemon Sauce?  Add in additional butter and lemon juice to your preference.

• Keep in mind, the more the veal sits and rests in the lemon sauce, the more it will absorb it. So, it’s a good idea, to add in a splash of vegetable or chicken broth while simmering the veal, and will help keep the veal moist and juicy.

• Also, if the sauce gets too thick during the cooking process, add in a splash more of chicken broth. Restaurants usually add in some chicken broth, not only for more flavor but for additional sauce when serving.

• Can We Make this Gluten-Free? If you need to make this recipe gluten-free, you can use corn starch to coat the veal cutlets.

Here’s a Great TIP!

I prefer these trays for breading when dredging my cutlets.  They are stainless steel, come in a set of three, are dishwasher safe and they last forever!

Veal Piccata with Lemon and Capers is one of those dishes you can make on any busy weeknight, and it’s elegant too! 

Not only is this recipe a classic favorite, but it’s also simple, delicious and it makes a huge impression whenever you serve it.

Also, this dish makes a perfect “Date-Night” dinner for two! 

Don’t forget about dessert! Try our Lemon Pound Cake, or our Easy Lemon Cream Pie for something sweet and complete and meal!

ENJOY!!

 

What Sides to Serve with Veal Piccata?  … try these:

• easy artichoke gratin
• angel hair pasta with lemon sauce
• moms best-mashed potato pie
• baked peas and artichokes hearts
• oven-steak fries restaurant-style!
• roasted baby red and Yukon potatoes 
• healthy apple bok choy salad 

 

… Thanks for Pinning!

If you LOVE veal… then try our Perfect Veal Cutlet Milanese.

And finally, you might also enjoy our

• Mom’s Best Chicken Piccata
• Pasta with Veal in Lemon Sauce
• Easy Veal Stew with Wine Peas and Carrots

 

That’s it friends! Are you cooking or baking with us?  If you make this delicious veal piccata recipe with lemon and capers, let us know and leave a comment and a star rating on our recipe card!  We’d love to hear from you.

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Happy Cooking! 🙂

xo Anna and Liz

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