Veal Parmesan
intro
Crispy breaded veal cutlets layered with bright marinara and melted gooey cheese, baked to bubbly perfection for a beloved Italian-American comfort food classic.
Ingredients
Steps
Place veal cutlets between two sheets of plastic wrap, and pound with a flat meat mallet to a uniform 6mm thickness. Season both sides of the pounded veal with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Set up a three-station breading line in shallow dishes: the first dish holds 80g all-purpose flour mixed with ½ teaspoon garlic powder and remaining ¼ teaspoon black pepper; the second dish holds 2 beaten eggs whisked together with 60ml whole milk; the third dish holds 120g panko breadcrumbs mixed with 30g of the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and remaining ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
Working with one cutlet at a time, dredge veal first in the seasoned flour, shaking off all excess to leave only a thin, even coating. Next, dip the floured cutlet fully in the egg wash, holding it above the dish for 5 seconds to let excess egg drip off. Finally, press the cutlet firmly into the panko mixture on both sides to ensure breadcrumbs adhere completely, with no bare spots visible. Place breaded cutlets on a wire rack set over a baking sheet, and let rest 10 minutes at room temperature to set the breading.
Heat 120ml neutral frying oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, until the oil reaches 175°C (350°F) — test by dropping one panko crumb: it should sizzle immediately and turn golden in 10 seconds. Fry cutlets in batches of 2 (do not crowd the pan, as this drops oil temperature and makes breading soggy) for 2 minutes per side, until the coating is deep golden brown and crispy. Transfer fried cutlets back to the wire rack, and sprinkle immediately with the remaining ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Spread 200ml of the marinara sauce evenly across the bottom of a 23x33cm (9x13 inch) glass baking dish. Arrange the fried veal cutlets in a single layer over the sauce, leaving 1cm gaps between each cutlet for air flow. Spoon 2 tablespoons of marinara sauce only over the center of each cutlet — do not fully cover the cutlet with sauce, to keep the breaded edges crispy.
Top each sauced cutlet with an equal portion of sliced low-moisture mozzarella (~55g per cutlet), then sprinkle the remaining 30g of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano evenly over all the cheese. Bake on the middle oven rack for 15 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted, bubbly, and just starting to turn golden at the edges, and the internal temperature of the veal reaches a food-safe 63°C (145°F).
Remove the baking dish from the oven, and let the veal parmesan rest for 5 minutes to allow the cheese to set and juices to redistribute. Garnish with fresh basil leaves before serving, paired with al dente spaghetti or crusty garlic bread if desired.
Tips
2.Letting breaded cutlets rest for 10 minutes before frying allows the breading layers to adhere securely, so crumbs won’t slide off during frying or baking.
3.Use low-moisture mozzarella for the best melt: fresh mozzarella releases excess water as it bakes, which will make the crispy breading soggy if not thoroughly patted dry first.
OMG this veal parm was a total game changer for our Sunday family dinner! I was nervous it’d be too tricky since it’s marked medium difficulty but the steps were so straightforward, I didn’t get lost once. The crust stayed perfectly crispy even after topping with marinara and melted mozzarella, my kids loved it so much they went back for seconds and begged me to put it on the weekly meal rotation. Only tiny tweak I made was adding a little extra garlic powder to the breading because we’re total garlic fiends over here. 10/10, will be making this for every big family gathering from now on!
Made this last night for date night with my wife, and she said it was better than the veal parm we get at our favorite local Italian spot! Cook time was right around 50 minutes like the recipe said, no surprises. The panko crust gives it that perfect crunch I’ve been trying to nail for years, SO good.
This tasted amazing! Quick question though—has anyone tried prepping the breaded veal cutlets ahead of time to freeze for quick weeknight meals? I want to add this to my meal prep rotation but don’t want the crust to get soggy when I reheat it.
Brought this to our neighborhood block party potluck and people were lined up for seconds! I was worried the veal would be too tough because I’ve had bad luck with it in the past, but pounding it thin like the recipe says made it so tender. Even the people who say they don’t like veal loved this dish.