Lemon and pepper veal cutlets
⏲ ~58 min total · prep 22 · cook 35 · 4 servings
Lunch⏱ 30 min total🔥 7.0g net carbs⚡ ≈429 kcal/serving~9% of calories from carbs
By the KFI Test Kitchen · Tested & approved by Jason Lieu, KFI recipe editor
Published Sep 15, 2026 · Updated Sep 15, 2026
Ingredients
- 1 lb veal cutlets, pounded 1/4 inch thick
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
- 1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Stir the almond flour, Parmesan, black pepper, and lemon zest on a wide plate, then press both sides of each cutlet into the mix, shaking off the excess.
- Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high until it shimmers, add the butter, and when the foaming subsides lay in the cutlets in a single uncrowded layer.
- Fry 90 seconds per side — no longer — until the crust is deep golden and the cutlets still feel springy; move them to a warm plate.
- Pour the broth and lemon juice into the empty skillet and scrape the browned bits loose with a wooden spoon, boiling hard until the liquid is down to about 1/4 cup, roughly 3 minutes.
- Lower the heat, stir in the cream, Dijon, and any resting juices, and simmer 1-2 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- Return the cutlets for 30 seconds to warm through, shower with parsley, and serve immediately with the pan sauce.
Why this recipe works
- Ninety seconds a side Thirty minutes start to finish, and most of that is the sauce. Thin veal cutlets need ninety seconds per side in hot fat, and pushing past that turns them from springy to squeaky.
- Almond flour crust Almond flour with Parmesan fries up golden without breadcrumbs. The coarse black pepper and lemon zest in the dredge season the meat from the outside in.
- Sauce from the same pan The broth and lemon juice lift every browned bit the fry left behind, boil down to a quarter cup, then take cream and Dijon. One pan, no waste, and the cutlets go back in for thirty seconds to warm through.
Tips for making this recipe well
Shake off the excess dredge
A thick coating slides off in the oil and burns against the pan. Press the mix on, then tap each cutlet so only a thin, even layer clings.
Do not crowd the pan
Cutlets stacked against each other drop the oil temperature and steam instead of fry. Work in batches if the layer is tight; a single uncrowded layer is what the method calls for.
Boil the pan sauce hard
Reducing the broth and lemon juice to about a quarter cup concentrates it in roughly three minutes. A lazy simmer leaves the sauce thin and sharp.
Pull them while springy
The cutlets should feel springy when pressed at ninety seconds per side. They rejoin the sauce for only half a minute at the end, so err on the early side.
Resting juices go in the sauce
Any liquid that collects on the warm plate belongs in the pan, not down the drain. Stirred into the cream, it is the difference between a good sauce and a flat one.
Serving suggestions
Return the cutlets to the sauce for thirty seconds to warm through, shower them with parsley, and get them to the table immediately, because the crust softens under the sauce as it sits. A plate runs 7 net carbs, and the timing rewards prep done before the pan goes on. The lemon cream sauce is rich, so something clean alongside works well. Steamed green beans or a sharp salad both do the job.
Storage and meal prep
These are a cook-and-eat dish, and the crust is the reason. Covered in the fridge for 3 to 4 days the flavor holds, but the almond flour coating goes soft under the sauce no matter how you reheat it. If you do have leftovers, store the cutlets and sauce in separate containers and warm the sauce gently before spooning it over at the last minute. Freezing is not recommended; the cream sauce separates and the crust never recovers.
Variations worth trying
- Pork scaloppine Thin pork cutlets stand in for the veal and need about the same ninety seconds per side at a quarter inch thick. The lemon sauce suits them as well as it suits veal.
- No dredge Skip the almond flour coating and sear the plain cutlets in the oil and butter. The dish becomes lighter and the sauce becomes the whole show.
- Capers in the sauce A spoonful of capers with the broth adds brine that plays against the cream. Keep the lemon as written; they work together.
- Thicker sauce Let the cream reduce an extra minute past coating the spoon. It turns almost too rich, which some people consider the point.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use chicken instead of veal?
Yes. Thin chicken cutlets work at the same thickness, though they need closer to two or three minutes per side. Cook until they read 165°F inside.
Why ninety seconds and no longer?
Veal cutlets at a quarter inch are done through in that time, and the meat tightens fast past that point. The springy feel at ninety seconds is the texture the dish is built on.
My crust fell off in the pan. Why?
Usually too much dredge left on, or the cutlets were moved too soon. Shake off the excess and let each side set undisturbed for the full ninety seconds before turning.
Can I make the sauce ahead?
You can make it up to the cream a few hours ahead, then reheat and add the cream when the cutlets come out of the pan. Cream sauces hold best when finished at the end.
What does the Dijon do?
It emulsifies the cream into the lemon reduction so the sauce holds together instead of splitting. One teaspoon is enough; more turns the sauce sharp.
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