Easy Juicy Veal Chops
on Apr 03, 2022, Updated Nov 29, 2023
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These Veal Chops are juicy, tender, and SO flavorful. With a few simple tricks, you can cook these bone-in veal rib chops in a skillet to succulent perfection – a quick dinner in less than 30 minutes!
Watch Veal Chops Recipe Video
They’re great for a quick weekday dinner or any special occasion like Thanksgiving or Christmas. Serve with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies for the ultimate comfort food.
How to cook veal chops so that they are tender and flavorful
Known for its velvety texture, veal is the meat of a young calf less than 3 months old. By using simple seasonings, the taste of the meat really takes the center stage! Plus this recipe is Keto-friendly. You’ll only need a few simple ingredients (see the photo below).
I’ve been making this recipe for years now and my family love it! For the best result, I always cook my veal chops on the stovetop in ONE pan. You can use the same method to cook them on the grill. Here are tips to ensure a success:
Tip #1: Buy veal rib chops that are about 1.5-inch thick for the best result. There are two types of veal chops: loin chops and rib chops. I recommend buying rib chops as they’re more juicy and tender.
Tip #2: Season the meat 30-60 minutes before cooking. Veal can be tenderized using salt, oil, and herbs, or a mildly acidic marinade such as vinegar or lemon juice.
Tip #3: Avoid cooking them straight from the refrigerator. Allow it to reach room temperature before you start cooking. If your meat is too cold, the center will take longer to reach its ideal internal temperature while the outside of the meat may get overcooked.
Tip #4: Searing followed by a quick braising produces the best results. To achieve the best texture and flavor, it’s best to sear the chops, followed by a very brief braising.
Tip #5: Cook them to medium doneness. Even if you like your steak to be rare, you need to know that it’s DIFFERENT for veal. In terms of both flavor and texture, this meat tastes best when cooked to at least medium, and rests for about 5 minutes before slicing.
How Long Does it Take to Cook Them?
Veal chops have less fat and therefore takes much longer to cook than a center-cut steak such as ribeye or T-bone steak.
For 1.5-inch thick veal chops, you’ll need to brown them for 2 minutes on each side, and then braise them for about 5-8 minutes, making the total cooking time less than 12 minutes.
How to tell when veal chops are done
Veal chops taste best when cooked to medium doneness with an internal temperature of 145°F – 150°F. Don’t overcook your veal! The meat should be just a bit pink along the bone, not red.
The temperature will rise about 5 degrees when they’re resting, so you can remove them from the heat when the temp reaches 140°F. Use an instant read thermometer to monitor the temperature.
For the most flavorful veal chops, make a rosemary butter sauce
- Remove the chops and leave about 1/4 cup of the juices in the pan.
- Increase the heat and add wine, butter, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook for a few minutes until the sauce has slightly thickened.
- Pour the sauce over the chops for the most flavorful meat!
That’s it! You’ll have the BEST veal chops you’ve ever had!
What to Serve with Veal Chops
Side dishes help to take these veal chops to a new level:
- My favorite side dishes to serve with these chops are mashed potatoes and rice, as they’ll soak up the delicious pan sauce.
- For vegetables, check out my steamed broccoli, asparagus, green beans or carrots.
- For a low-carb side, try this super quick cauliflower fried rice.
Juicy Veal Chop Recipe (30 Minutes!)
Ingredients
For the Veal Chops
- 2 veal chops*, approx. 1.5 inches thick, use rib chops for the best result
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- coarse salt and pepper, to taste, (I used about 1/4 teaspoon of salt for seasoning)
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
- 1 large garlic clove, smashed
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
Rosemary Butter Sauce (Optional)
- 3 tablespoons white wine
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon minced rosemary and thyme, (I used 1/2 teaspoon for each)
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Season: Take the veal chops out of the refrigerator. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then add minced rosemary and thyme.
- Rub the olive oil and seasoning onto all sides of the veal chops.
- Let the seasoned veal chops sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before cooking. (DO NOT skip this step, or your veal chops won’t be cooked evenly.)
- Pan Sear the Chops: Place a large skillet over medium heat for a few minutes until hot. Add the remaining olive oil. Once hot, add smashed garlic and cook until the clove just turned brown. Discard the garlic.
- Increase the heat to high and then add the seasoned veal chops to the pan (make sure the chops are at room temperature). Cook for about 2 minutes or until the undersides have turned golden brown.
- Flip the veal chops and cook the other side for about 2 minutes until golden brown.
- Add chicken broth to the pan. Once it starts to simmer, cover the pan with a lid and let the chops braise for 5- 8 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F on an instant-read thermometer. (Refer to the notes for other doneness levels.)
- Remove the chops to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm (Don’t discard the juices in the pan). Let them rest for 5-10 minutes to let the juices retreat back into the meat.
- Make the sauce: In the meantime, leave about 1/4 cup of the juices in the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high, and add wine, butter, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook for a few minutes until the sauce has slightly thickened.
- Pour the sauce over the chops. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- * Selecting Veal Chops: They are usually sold bone-in. The meat should have a light pink color to indicate freshness and tenderness. Use rib veal chops instead of loin chops for the best result.
- Oil: Use regular olive oil instead of extra virgin, which has a lower smoke point. Alternatively, you can use canola oil or sunflower oil.
- Doneness: The internal doneness temperatures for veal are the same for beef. Remove from the heat at 140-145°F for medium, and 155°F for well-done. The temperature will rise another 5-10°F off the heat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate only and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods used.
I followed your directions to ensure tender veal chops and they were so good. I made the herb butter sauce and it was delicious with my chop
Soooo amazing. After making this our love for veal is REAL. I make this at LEAST once a month since discovering this recipe.
Great recipe! Everything came out perfect. Will definitely use it again.
Oh my goodness! Thank you for this recipe. I just made it and it is absolutely delicious. It turned out perfect! Addictive sauce!
Many thanks for this excellent intro to cooking a thick veal chop. I followed your instructions to the “t” and the chop looks and tastes terrific. Bravo!
Hi Izzy, I’ve made this a few times and always delicious, but I have a question. Should I reduce the heat from high when I add the chicken broth? Thanks
It was exceptional! I love the rosemary sauce. I will always use this recipe. So delicious.
Excellent recipe, easy to follow, very tender and tasty.