Veal Parmesan
How to Make Veal Parmesan – This classic Italian recipe features breaded and pan-fried cutlets of tender, moist, flavorful veal, topped with marinara sauce and melty mozzarella cheese. Perfect to serve with pasta or other comfort food favorites!
Why We Love This Classic Italian Recipe
The best comfort foods are often just the right balance of rustic and refined… Think beautifully crisp and golden fried veal cutlets, robust marinara sauce, and ooey-gooey mozzarella. *Drool!*
This is a simple recipe to make, but all together on a plate, you get that wow-factor that tastes like a special occasion. But our Classic Veal Parmesan recipe is so tantalizing you will want to put it on your regular dinner rotation! It’s ready to serve in under an hour with pasta, potatoes, or other favorite side dishes.
Note: If you’re not a fan of veal, you can make the exact same parmigiana recipe with Italian chicken cutlets as well.
Ingredients You Need
- Veal cutlets – pounded thin
- All-purpose flour – for breading the meat
- Eggs – a binder for the breading
- Panko breadcrumbs – makes a super crunchy breaded cutlet
- Parmesan cheese – both grated and shredded
- Bacon – diced
- Marinara – your choice of jarred or homemade marinara sauce
- Salt and pepper – a bit of each to taste
- Olive oil – or other high-heat and neutral-tasting oil, like avocado or canola oil
- Optional – spaghetti and parsley, to serve the veal parm
How to Make Veal Parmesan
Set a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the diced bacon to the pan. Stir and cook the bacon for 3 to 4 minutes until brown and crispy.
Pour in the marinara. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the marinara to simmer for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat.
Meanwhile, lay out the cutlets. If they are more than 1/8 inch thick, use a meat mallet to pound them very thin so that they cook quickly and are very tender.
Prep a dredging station for the veal cutlets. Set out three shallow bowls:
- In one bowl combine the flour with 1 ½ teaspoons of salt and ½ teaspoon of cracked black pepper. Mix well.
- In the second bowl combine the eggs and 1 tablespoon of water. Whisk well.
- In the third bowl combine the Panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Mix well.
Get the Complete (Printable) Veal Parmesan Recipe + Video Below. Enjoy!
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set out a large rimmed baking sheet for the finished veal cutlets.
Set another large sauté pan (or skillet) and place it over medium heat. Add the olive oil to the skillet.
Dredge the veal cutlets one at a time, first dipping them in the flour mixture. Then dip in the egg mixture. And finally dipping in Panko breadcrumbs.
Place the dredged veal cutlets in the hot oil and fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Once the cutlets are golden brown, place them in a single layer on the baking sheet. Then continue to dredge and fry until all the veal cutlets are coated and cooked to golden brown.
If making pasta, heat a large pot of salted water over high heat. Once boiling, cook the pasta according to the package directions and strain in a colander.
While the pasta is cooking, spoon the marinara sauce over each veal cutlet.
Sprinkle the tops generously with shredded mozzarella cheese. Place in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes to warm the sauce and melt the cheese over the veal cutlets.
Recipe Variations
- Chicken parmesan – swap veal with fried or baked Italian chicken cutlets
- Gluten-free – use your preferred GF-friendly all-purpose flour and Panko breadcrumbs alternatives
- Dairy-free – use your favorite plant-based Parmesan and mozzarella substitutes
- Sauce – we love classic marinara, but feel free to use other flavors of pasta sauce like spicy arrabbiata or meaty bolognese
- Cooking method – skip pan frying and instead air fry or oven bake the veal parm cutlets
Serving Suggestions
We’re serving veal Parmesan over spaghetti, but feel free to pair it with other pasta you like. Or you can certainly serve veal parm over risotto, polenta, mashed potatoes, or other carby-/starchy favorites. You can even layer them on a ciabatta roll for Veal Parmesan Sandwich!
Make this a full Italian-inspired meal and serve a hearty green salad and a loaf of crusty garlic bread on the table, too.
For a lower carb meal consider serving with roasted greens, caprese panzanella, or a simple side salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, these are quite different proteins. Chicken parmesan is made with lean chicken breast, and is rather light in flavor. Veal parm is made with beef, so it tastes like a delicate milky cut of steak… Almost like a refined, super-tender chicken fried steak. The flavor is meaty and juicy, which balances perfectly with the crunchy fried breading.
They are essentially the same thing. Veal Parmigiana was the original Italian name for the dish. However, as the veal recipe became popular worldwide the name became simple “Parmesan” or “parm” in reference to the cheese used.
The fried cutlets are best to enjoy freshly prepared. However, leftover veal will keep well for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat briefly in the oven or air fryer to get the breading slightly crisp and the cheese melted again.
You can, but it is best to freeze veal after frying and before adding sauce and cheese. Let the fried cutlets cool completely before wrapping each individually in a layer of plastic wrap and foil. Place them all together in a ziploc plastic bag, squeeze out any excess air, and freeze for up to 2 months.
Looking for More Classic Italian Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:
- Oven Baked Meatballs (Old School Italian Meatball Recipe)
- Cheese Manicotti with Meat
- Veal Scallopini with Mushroom Sauce
- Best Homemade Lasagna with Sausage
- Clam Pasta (Alle Vongole)
Veal Parmesan Recipe + Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds veal cutlets 6-8 pieces
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs + 1 tb water
- 1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 strips of bacon diced
- 24 ounces marinara homemade or store-bought
- 2 cups shredded parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Optional: 1 pound dried spaghetti fresh parsley
Instructions
- Set a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the diced bacon to the pan. Stir and cook the bacon for 3 to 4 minutes until brown and crispy. Pour in the marinara. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the marinara to simmer for 10 minutes then turn off the heat.
- Meanwhile, lay out the cutlets. If they are more than 1/8 inch thick, use a meat mallet to pound them very thin so that they cook quickly and are very tender.
- Prep a dredging station for the veal cutlets. Set out three shallow bowls. In one bowl combine the flour with 1 ½ teaspoons of salt and ½ teaspoon of cracked black pepper. Mix well. In the second bowl combine the eggs and 1 tablespoon of water. Whisk well. In the third bowl combine the Panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Mix well.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set out a large rimmed baking sheet for the finished veal cutlets.
- Set out another large sauté pan (or skillet) and place it over medium heat. Add the olive oil to the skillet.
- Dredge the veal cutlets one at a time, first dipping in the flour mixture. Then dip in the egg mixture. And finally dipping in Panko breadcrumbs.
- Place the dredged veal cutlets in the hot oil and fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Once the veal cutlets are golden brown, place them in a single layer on the baking sheet. Then continue to dredge and fry until all the veal cutlets are coated and cooked to golden brown.
- If making pasta, heat a large pot of salted water over high heat. Once boiling, cook the pasta according to the package directions and strain in a colander.
- While the pasta is cooking, spoon the marinara sauce over each veal cutlet. Sprinkle the tops generously with shredded mozzarella cheese. Place in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes to warm the sauce and melt the cheese over the veal cutlets.
- Serve with additional sauce over cooked pasta. Sprinkle the top with chopped parsley or extra parmesan cheese.
oh my goodness, this was everything that I wanted it to be and more! thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!