Chick’n Scallopini with Piccata Sauce

My vegan scallopini with creamy piccata sauce is filled with bright, sunshiny lemon flavor. Plus it is so easy to make, and the taste is amazing!

I first posted this about 5 years ago, and it is still a very popular recipe on here. There have been tweaks and adjustments over the years though, so I decided to update it.

Scallopini piccata photo from old post is under the recipe

It may look fancy, but it’s easy to put together. Great for a weeknight meal- just add pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, or serve in a veggie Buddha bowl.

Leftovers also make an excellent lunch. The photo below is my meal the following day.

I added sautéed spinach and zucchini to the reheated chick’n and piccata sauce. It was delicious!

Ready to get started? You have quite a lot of options for the vegan meat base, and these are just a few suggestions.

Please feel free to experiment, or use what you already love.

These two are from Gardein, because I have used both:

Chick’n Scallopini

If you use this one, skip the breading instructions- Turk’y Cutlets

The next options are homemade:

Vegan Seitan Chicken

This is another Seitan recipe for Vegan Chicken

Vegan Chicken… and yes it’s made from seitan too. lol

I love the variety of choices we have- already prepared meat, tofu, or homemade.

As for the the piccata sauce, it uses pretty simple ingredients and comes together easily.

Note: The recipe may look long, but that’s because it includes instructions depending on the type of vegan meat you decide to use.

Yes, I did take that photo above. And, yes, the chick’n scallopini is shown in the pan with the creamy sauce. Please ignore it. haha

I actually prefer to keep them separate- at least until they are on my plate and ready to eat. So yes, do what I say (in the recipe instructions) and not what I show.

What I usually do is ladle (or pour) the piccata sauce over my pasta (or rice, or potatoes), and a little bit over my chick’n scallopini.

That way you still get the absolute YUM flavor, without the vegan meat or breading getting soggy.

It’s a perfect meal year round. I especially love it as a lighter meal during the hot months, and a bright sunny one for the darker days of winter.

I hope you love this as much as we do. Enjoy!

BTW, don’t forget dessert (never forget dessert, duh). We had this luscious Pumpkin Spice Cake.

Vegan Chick'n Scallopini with Piccata Sauce

Print Recipe

Serves: 4 servings Cooking Time: 20 minutes plus prep

Ingredients

Chick'n Scallopini (Skip this part if using already breaded vegan filets)*
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided (2 to 4 lemons)
1 (10 ounce) package unbreaded vegan filets, thawed in fridge
OR 1 (15 ounce) block extra firm tofu (drained, pressed, cut 1/4 inch thick)
1/3 cup all-purpose or gluten free flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
Creamy Piccata Sauce
1 tablespoons all purpose or gluten free flour
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons non-dairy butter
3/4 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup white wine, or additional broth
2 small garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 - 3 teaspoons brined capers, drained
chopped fresh Italian parsley for topping, optional

Instructions

Chick'n Scallopini: Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to a shallow (glass or ceramic) bowl or pie plate; set aside.

Whisk flour and garlic + onion powders on a dinner plate. Place beside the lemon plate.

Place a large plate or baking sheet (large enough to hold all filets or tofu slices) on the other side of the flour. Like an assembly line.

Place one of the chick'n filets or tofu slices in the lemon juice, and turn over to coat both sides.

Then dredge each side of the filet in the flour. Shake off excess flour.

Set on the platter, and repeat with the remaining filets or slices.

Place the platter of chick'n or tofu in the refrigerator, and start making the piccata sauce.

Piccata Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk the flour, onion powder, salt, and pepper together; set aside.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Once it's melted, whisk in the flour. Continuing whisking and cooking for 1 minute.

Slowly whisk the broth (and wine if using) into the pan. Make sure to whisk the flour mixture evenly into the liquid to avoid lumps.

Once the mixture has thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes, add the garlic and lemon juice.

Cook for 1 minute longer. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Remove to a back burner, and keep warm on low heat; stir occasionally.

Chick'n Scallopini: Heat 1 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chick'n filets or tofu slices.

Don't crowd the pan. Cook in sets of two, if your skillet isn't large enough.

Cook about 2 minutes each side, or until browned.

All Vegan Meat Types: Remove chick'n to a platter, and pour piccata sauce into a gravy bowl (or a bowl with a ladle).

You can serve the scallopini beside or over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.

Ladle the creamy piccata sauce over top.

Notes

* If making the Turk'y cutlets (or some other already breaded vegan meat), bake according to manufacturer's instructions.

While the cutlets are baking, start making the piccata sauce.

Then skip to the instructions "All Vegan Meat.Types"

This is from my original post. I used Meyer lemons, and they are wonderful. Their peel lack the sharp bitterness of a typical lemon, so you can add it into your recipe.

I also love this dish with the zest of usual lemons though, so use whatever type is available.