This Veal Saltimbocca recipe is real comfort food. This classic Roman recipe features thin veal cutlets wrapped in salty prosciutto and topped with fresh sage leaves, then pan-fried to crispy perfection. Finished with an amazing creamy sauce. The best part is it only takes 30 minutes.
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This post is sponsored by Veal, Discover Delicious, funded by Beef Farmers and Ranchers. All opinions are 100% my own.
Why this Veal Saltimbocca Recipe is a Keeper
With its delicious combination of classic Italian flavors, Veal Saltimbocca is a perfect dish to impress your guests and also easy enough to make for a quick family dinner.
- 30 Minute Meal: This veal saltimbocca recipe takes only 30 minutes.
- Easy Ingredients: This recipe only takes a few fresh ingredients.
- Dinner Party Friendly: Impress friends and family with this authentic veal recipe.
If you’re looking for more veal inspired recipes, try these Veal Mexican Stuffed Shells , Veal Milanese and Veal Parm.
What does saltimbocca mean in Italian?
The name translates to “jumps in the mouth” in Italian, and this veal dish absolutely lives up to that title. This recipe is so good (and easy) that you’ll want to devour it right away.
Ingredient Notes to Make Veal Saltimbocca
- Veal Cutlet: You want fresh, tender cutlets.
- Prosciutto: A slice of prosciutto for each piece of veal.
- Fresh Sage: The basil is aromatic and adds so much flavor to the dish.
- Seasoning: The all purpose seasoning has everything you need including salt and pepper.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Variations and Substitutions for Classic Veal with Prosciutto and Sage
This veal saltimbocca is a classic roman recipe perfect for a special occasion. It is both elegant and delicious. If you love veal, this is a must try.
- Cheese: You can use a more traditional cheese such as mozzarella or fontina in this recipe for veal cutlets.
- Meat: While traditionally made with veal try using a Portabella mushroom without the piece of prosciutto for a vegetarian option or, instead of veal, use chicken.
- Mallet: If you do not have a mallet, try using a rolling pin. The veal needs to be pounded thin and even.
- Wine: If you do want to add the wine you can use nonalcoholic wine for this easy veal saltimbocca recipe.
Special Equipment Needed for Veal Cutlets with Pan Sauce
Cooking veal requires a few specific tools. You need to make sure this veal is even and cooked.
- Meat Mallet: This will ensure a nice uniform cutlet. Using a meat mallet will make the cutlet perfect.
- Meat thermometer : Vital in the kitchen, this will make sure that the tender veal is not overcooked.
Veal Pro Tip
Gently pound the veal cutlets between two sheets of plastic wrap or in a zip top bag to an even thinness. This ensures quick, even cooking and creates a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
How to Make Classic Veal Saltimbocca
While most people think of veal marsala as their go to veal dish, there are many amazing ways to make this tender meat.
These are the basic steps for making this Classic Italian Dish with a Creamy Sauce. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions. We love reader interactions, if you made this recipe please leave your comments below.
1. Pound the Slices of Veal
First, preheat the oven and then pound the veal cutlets and then season.
2. Layer the Veal Slice and secure with a toothpick
Place one slice of prosciutto on top of each cutlet and then on top of the prosciutto, place one sage leaf on top. Place the flour in shallow dish and stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon of all purpose seasoning. Dredge both sides of each cutlet in the flour, carefully shaking the cutlet to remove the excess flour.
3. Add Veal to the Pan and Fry on a Medium High Heat
Then add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, place the veal cutlets into the skillet, prosciutto side down. Cook the veal for 3-4 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F.
4. Bake the Simple Recipe
Transfer the veal to a baking sheet and place in preheated oven.
5. Make Sauce for the Veal and Prosciutto
To make the sauce, press the butter into the tablespoon of flour, ensuring that all sides are coated. Set aside. In the same skillet that you cooked the veal, add the shallots and cook over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes or until translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds longer.
6. Make the Pan Sauce
Pour in the dry white wine and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until reduced by half. Pour in the chicken stock and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add the flour-coated butter to the skillet and whisk until combined. The butter sauce should thicken slightly add the seasoning.
7. Pour the Sauce and Serve this Classic Roman Dish
Remove the veal from the oven and transfer to a serving plate. Finally, drizzle with the wine sauce before serving this wonderful recipe.
What I Learned About Veal
In the past, I had the opportunity to visit a few working veal farms in Pennsylvania to learn more about the veal industry and how veal calves are raised. I learned so much on these trips. I was blown away by how much I didn’t know and how much misinformation is out there.
There are about 500 veal farm families across the US that raise veal, primarily located in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.
In most cases, veal calves are Holstein male (or bull) calves born on dairy farms. Bull calves are sold from the dairy farm because they cannot produce milk.
I’ve been on veal farms where the calves are only a day or so old. During these first weeks, the calves are house in individual pens because they aren’t born with immunities. This is to keep them safe and healthy. After 8 weeks, they are grouped together.
When you see cows or calves on a farm, you might notice that they tend to stay close together. This is because they are herding animals and are more comfortable when they are close together. Veal calves always have plenty of space on the farm to stand up, lay down, turn around and socialize with other calves, both indoors and outside.
Why I Love Cooking with Veal
Over the past few years, I’ve cooked a lot with veal – chops, ground veal, short ribs and cutlets. My family enjoys it because it’s incredibly tender and has a very delicate flavor. I love the way it’s compatible with the various seasonings and sauces that I make.
One of the biggest benefits of veal is it’s a high-quality protein source that provides essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin B-12, niacin, zinc, and selenium. It’s also one of the most nutrient-dense protein foods around. A 3-ounce serving of cooked, trimmed lean veal has 27 grams of protein and just about 170 calories.
Veal is a great protein to use in your favorite recipes. Not only Italian favorites like Marsala, Piccata and Saltimobocca, but I also use it in meatloaf, burgers and any recipe that I would make with boneless, skinless chicken breast or pork cutlets.
Recipe for Veal Saltimbocca FAQs
If your Saltimbocca has a rich sauce, consider a lighter side dish like roasted vegetables or a salad. For example: Italian Chopped Salad or Tuscan Roasted Parmesan Asparagus.
There are a few key signs for selecting the best cut of veal for your meal. Such as:
Color: Look for a pale pink color. This indicates fresh, milk-fed veal. Avoid any cutlets with a grayish or dull tone.
Fat: The fat surrounding the muscle should be white and minimal. Excessive marbling is not desirable for Saltimbocca.
Find out more at veal.org.
Veal is a lean meat, and overcooking is the number one culprit for toughness. Veal Saltimbocca relies on quick cooking to keep the meat tender and juicy.
The best way to store any leftover veal cutlets is to store in an airtight container with the sauce for up to five days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the tender veal for up to four months.
While both come from young animals, veal is actually from a young cow or calf. Therefore, it is definitely part of the beef family.
Expert Tips for Making This Classic Italian Recipe
The salty prosciutto and earthy sage perfectly complement the veal’s delicate taste. The pan sauce, often made with white wine and butter, adds another layer of richness to the dish.
- Quality: Use high-quality, thinly sliced veal cutlets for the best results.
- Cook: Don’t overcook the veal. It should be cooked through but still tender and juicy.
- Sage: Fresh sage leaves are ideal, but dried sage can be substituted in a pinch.
- Veal scallopini: The veal scallop is the classic cut which is great for Saltimbocca. It’s a thin, boneless cutlet from the leg.
More Veal Side Suggestions
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Veal Saltimbocca
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Ingredients
- 4 Veal cutlets
- 1 teaspoon All purpose seasoning blend, divided
- 4 slices Prosciutto
- 4 Sage leaves
- 1 cup Flour
- ¼ cup Olive oil
- Sauce
Sauce
- ¼ cup Shallot, minced
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- ½ cup White wine
- 1 tablespoon Flour
- 1 cup Chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- ½ teaspoon All purpose seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Fresh sage, minced
Instructions
Veal
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
- Pound each veal cutlet to 1/2 inch thickness.
- Season both sides of the veal cutlets with 1/2 teaspoon all purpose seasoning.
- Place one slide of prosciutto on top of each cutlet and then top with one sage leaf.
- Place the flour in shallow dish and stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon of all purpose seasoning.
- Dredge both sides of each cutlet in the flour, carefully shaking the cutlet to remove the excess flour.
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- When the oil is shimmering, place the cutlets into the skillet, prosciutto side down. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook the veal in batches if necessary.
- Cook the veal for 3-4 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F.
- Transfer the veal to a baking sheet and place in preheated oven.
Sauce
- In the same skillet that you cooked the veal, add the shallots and cook over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes or until translucent.
- Ad the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds longer.
- Pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until reduced by 1/2.
- Stir in the flour until a paste forms.
- Pour in the chicken stock and whisk into the flour paste until no lumps remain. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the butter, all purpose seasoning blend and the minced sage. Whisk until the butter is melted.
- Remove the veal from the oven and transfer to a serving platter. Drizzle with the pan sauce before serving.
Christina’s Notes
- Quality: Use high-quality, thinly sliced veal cutlets for the best results.
- Cook: Don’t overcook the veal. It should be cooked through but still tender and juicy.
- Sage: Fresh sage leaves are ideal, but dried sage can be substituted in a pinch.
- Veal scallopini: The veal scallop is the classic cut which is great for Saltimbocca. It’s a thin, boneless cutlet from the leg.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided are estimates. It is recommended that you verify this information with your own trusted resource.
We love honest feedback, but to keep reviews helpful for everyone, we reserve the right to remove star ratings if it is clear the recipe has not been made, if the comment does not provide meaningful input, or if significant substitutions or alterations were made. Please note that ratings should reflect the original recipe as written to avoid confusing other readers.
This recipe is my personal adaption of an ethnic-inspired recipe. It is not intended to be an authentic recipe. I’ve recreated this recipe because I enjoy the flavors and I want to encourage my readers to expand their tastes and try new flavor combinations. The recipe, ingredients, and processes may have been adapted to make the recipe accessible to the average American. I have provided links to authentic versions of the recipe in the post above. I encourage you to visit these pages and learn more about the traditional version(s) of this recipe.