Veal Marsala, or Scaloppine al Marsala, is a classic Italian meat dish made with thin slices of tender veal, lightly coated in flour and quickly cooked in butter.
The veal is finished with Marsala wine, the famous fortified wine from Sicily, which gives the dish its distinctive aroma and rich, slightly sweet flavor.
Thanks to the quick cooking time, the meat stays tender and juicy, while the flour coating helps create a smooth, velvety sauce as it combines with the butter, Marsala, and cooking juices.
Like Lemon Veal Scaloppini, this is one of those traditional Italian dishes that delivers a lot of flavor with very little effort.
Ready in just a few minutes, Veal Marsala is perfect for both a family dinner and a more special occasion. Serve it immediately, while the meat is tender and the sauce is still warm and creamy.
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Ingredients
Prep Time: 15 Min | Cook Time: 10 Min | Servings: 4
- 450 g (1 lb) veal cutlets, about 8 medium-thin slices
- 50 g (3½ tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 50 g (about ⅓ cup) all-purpose flour, for dredging
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) dry Marsala wine
- 50 ml (3 tablespoons) vegetable broth or hot water
- A few fresh sage leaves, rosemary sprigs, or chopped parsley, to taste
- Fine salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
How to Make Veal Marsala
Step 1) - Place the veal cutlets between two sheets of parchment paper and gently pound them with a meat mallet until they are thin and even. This helps tenderize the meat and ensures quick, even cooking.
Note: If your veal cutlets are already very thin, you can skip this step.
Step 2) - Place the flour on a large plate. Lightly dredge each veal cutlet in the flour on both sides, then shake off any excess. The meat should be evenly coated with only a thin layer of flour.
Step 3) - Melt the butter with the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Once the butter is hot and foaming, add the veal cutlets in a single layer.
Step 4) - Cook for about 2 minutes per side, turning them gently with kitchen tongs, until lightly golden.
If you like, add a few sage leaves or a small sprig of rosemary at this stage. Chopped parsley is better added toward the end for a fresher flavor.
Step 5) - Increase the heat slightly and pour in the Marsala wine. Let it bubble for a minute or two, until most of the alcohol has evaporated. Season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Lower the heat and add the hot vegetable broth or water. Cook for another few minutes, just until the veal is cooked through and the sauce begins to thicken.
Step 6) - Gently swirl the skillet from time to time using a slow circular motion. This helps the butter, flour, Marsala, and cooking liquid come together into a smooth, velvety sauce.
When the sauce is glossy and creamy, remove the skillet from the heat. Transfer the veal Marsala scaloppine to serving plates, spoon the sauce over the top, and serve immediately with a little freshly ground black pepper.
Which Marsala Wine Is Best for Veal Marsala?
For Veal Marsala, I recommend using a dry Marsala wine (Marsala Secco). Its aromatic, slightly nutty flavor enhances the veal without making the sauce overly sweet.
Marsala is classified by sweetness as dry (secco), semi-dry (semisecco), or sweet (dolce). Dry Marsala contains the least residual sugar, while semi-dry and sweet styles create a rounder, noticeably sweeter sauce.
For this recipe, I used a Marsala Ambra Secco, which gives the sauce a deep, aromatic flavor while keeping the dish firmly on the savory side.
If you prefer a slightly sweeter sauce, a semi-dry Marsala can also work, but I would avoid a very sweet Marsala for this particular dish.
What to Serve with Veal Marsala
Veal Marsala pairs especially well with simple side dishes that can soak up its rich, velvety sauce.
Classic choices include roasted potatoes, creamy mashed potatoes, or soft polenta. You can also serve it with sautéed vegetables, green beans, or a simple seasonal salad for a lighter meal.
If you want to make the dish more substantial, mushrooms are a natural pairing with Marsala. In that case, you can add thinly sliced button mushrooms directly to the skillet and cook them with the sauce. If you like mushrooms, try our recipe for Veal Scallopini with Mushrooms (Scaloppine ai Funghi).
Tips for Perfect Veal Marsala
How to Keep Veal Scaloppini Tender
Use thin, evenly sliced veal cutlets. If necessary, gently pound them between two sheets of parchment paper before cooking.
Because the meat is so thin, it cooks very quickly. Avoid leaving it in the skillet for too long, or the veal can become dry and tough. A couple of minutes per side, followed by just a few minutes in the Marsala sauce, is usually enough.
Shake Off the Excess Flour
Coat the veal lightly and evenly with flour, then shake off any excess before adding it to the skillet.
A thin coating helps the meat brown nicely and also contributes to thickening the Marsala sauce. Too much flour, however, can make the sauce heavy or pasty.
How to Make a Creamy Marsala Sauce Without Cream
You don’t need cream to make a smooth, velvety Marsala sauce.
The thin layer of flour left on the veal combines with the butter, Marsala, and broth as the dish cooks. Once you add the broth, gently swirl the skillet in a slow circular motion rather than stirring too vigorously.
Keep the heat moderate and allow the liquids and fats to emulsify gradually. The sauce should become glossy and creamy while still remaining fluid enough to spoon over the veal.
Don’t Overcrowd the Skillet
Cook the veal in a single layer so that each cutlet comes into direct contact with the hot pan.
If your skillet isn’t large enough, cook the meat in two batches. Crowding the pan lowers the temperature and causes the veal to steam rather than brown.
Other Meats You Can Use
Although veal is traditional for this recipe, you can use the same method with pork, chicken, or turkey cutlets.
Whatever meat you choose, slice or pound it thinly and adjust the cooking time accordingly. Chicken and turkey should always be cooked completely through.
Herbs
Sage and rosemary pair particularly well with Marsala and can be added while the meat cooks for a deeper, more aromatic flavor.
For a fresher finish, sprinkle the finished dish with a little chopped parsley just before serving.
Storage
Veal Marsala is best served immediately, while the meat is tender and the sauce is still smooth and velvety.
If you have leftovers, let them cool completely, then store them with their sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
To reheat, place the veal and sauce in a skillet over low heat. Add a small splash of vegetable broth or hot water to loosen the sauce, then warm gently just until heated through. Avoid high heat or prolonged cooking, as the veal can become tough.
If the veal was fresh before cooking, you can also freeze the cooked scaloppine with their sauce for up to 1 month. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before reheating gently in a skillet.
More Italian Veal Recipes You May Like
If you enjoy traditional Italian veal dishes, here are a few more recipes to try. From quick pan-fried classics to slow-cooked comfort food, these are all great ways to enjoy tender veal.
- Vitello Tonnato Recipe – Thin slices of tender veal served cold with a creamy tuna and caper sauce, a classic from Piedmont.
- Cotoletta alla Milanese – A traditional Milanese veal cutlet coated in breadcrumbs and fried in butter until golden and crisp.
- Italian Veal Stew – Tender pieces of veal slowly cooked with potatoes and broth until soft and flavorful.
- Saltimbocca alla Romana Recipe – Thin veal cutlets topped with prosciutto and sage, then quickly cooked in a pan with butter and white wine.
Recipe Card
Veal Marsala Recipe (Scaloppine al Marsala)
Ingredients
- 450 g veal cutlets - 1 lb, about 8 medium-thin slices
- 50 g unsalted butter - 3½ tablespoons
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 50 g all-purpose flour - about ⅓ cup, for dredging
- 80 ml dry Marsala wine - ⅓ cup
- 50 ml vegetable broth or hot water - 3 tablespoons
- sage leaves, rosemary sprigs or chopped parsley - to taste
- fine salt - to taste
- freshly ground black pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Place the veal cutlets between two sheets of parchment paper and gently pound them with a meat mallet until they are thin and even. This helps tenderize the meat and ensures quick, even cooking.Note: If your veal cutlets are already very thin, you can skip this step.
- Place the flour on a large plate. Lightly dredge each veal cutlet in the flour on both sides, then shake off any excess. The meat should be evenly coated with only a thin layer of flour.
- Melt the butter with the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Once the butter is hot and foaming, add the veal cutlets in a single layer.
- Cook for about 2 minutes per side, turning them gently with kitchen tongs, until lightly golden.
- If you like, add a few sage leaves or a small sprig of rosemary at this stage. Chopped parsley is better added toward the end for a fresher flavor.
- Increase the heat slightly and pour in the Marsala wine. Let it bubble for a minute or two, until most of the alcohol has evaporated. Season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Lower the heat and add the hot vegetable broth or water. Cook for another few minutes, just until the veal is cooked through and the sauce begins to thicken.
- Gently swirl the skillet from time to time using a slow circular motion. This helps the butter, flour, Marsala, and cooking liquid come together into a smooth, velvety sauce.
- When the sauce is glossy and creamy, remove the skillet from the heat. Transfer the veal Marsala scaloppine to serving plates, spoon the sauce over the top, and serve immediately with a little freshly ground black pepper.
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