Grilled Veal Chops

Veal chops can be expensive, so when you’re looking for veal chop recipes, you want to be sure it’s one you can COUNT ON. These Grilled Veal Chops are my go-to, hands-down favorite, because they’re quick and easy to make with minimal effort, and the result is truly spectacular.

Grilled veal chops are a special occasion meal for us. I love to serve them with creamed spinach and provencal tomatoes for a simple but elegant restaurant-quality dinner.

When you’re working with a premium product, like veal loin chops or veal rib chops, the key is to let the flavor of the meat shine through and not overpower it with heavy sauces gravies or seasonings.

For this recipe, I use a simple garlic and herb veal chop marinade that is quick and easy to make and heightens the flavor of the cut.

Why this recipe works:

• It uses Choice or Prime grade bone-in veal chops for tender, juicy, meaty veal every time.
• The wet rub marinade for veal chops is made with fresh herbs and minced garlic and does nothing to detract from the meat’s natural flavor.
• The longer the veal chops marinate, the more tender, juicy and flavorful they’ll be.
• You can make grilled veal chops on your gas or charcoal grill or if you don’t have a grill, you can pan-sear the chops and finish them in the oven.
• This veal chop recipe is perfect for special occasions, like birthdays, anniversaries or other celebrations.

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Veal chops – (you can use veal rib chops or veal loin chops. Bone in veal chops are preferred, because the bone adds more flavor and something fun to gnaw on at the end of the meal, but boneless veal chops will work too.
• Rosemary – Use fresh leaves (avoid the woody stem) and chop the herb finely as it’s tough.
• Thyme – Fresh thyme is best. Remove the leaves from the stem and chop them finely.
• Fresh Tarragon – this herb has an anise or licorice quality and adds a unique but not overpowering flavor to the grilled veal chops.
• Fresh Mint– You might think mint a strange addition to the veal chop marinade, but it adds a pop of light freshness that ties the other ingredients together.
• Lemon Zest – Use a microplane grater to remove the very outer layer of zest; not the bitter pith.
• Garlic – Use fresh garlic and chop it finely on a cutting board. The pungency of this allium brings the veal chop marinade to life.
• Kosher Salt – I recommend Diamond Crystal kosher salt as it has less salt by volume. If you use Morton’s, you should scale back slightly.
• Black Pepper– Freshly grinding the pepper will give you the best flavor.
• Olive Oil – Use an everyday olive oil and not your good finishing oils for this. The veal chops are going on the grill, after all.

Different cuts of veal will have very different preparation methods. Tougher cuts need slow cooking and braises, while more tender cuts like veal chops only need a quick sear or grill. Here are the recommended cooking methods for each type.

How to cook veal chops and other cuts

• Veal loin and rib chops are perfect for dry heat preparations like grilling.
• Breast portions can have more connective tissue and do better for longer cooking, moist heat methods like braising.
• Leg meat is usually a happy medium between tough and tender and can be roasted, grilled or stewed.
• Cutlets and scallopini usually come from leg meat and do well in quick pan sautés.
• Veal shoulder is typically the least tender, but cook them the right way (braised), and you’re in for a treat.
• Use moist heat and a longer cook time for shoulder blade chops, shoulder roast, and veal stew meat for osso buco.

How to grill veal chops on a gas or charcoal grill:

Cooking the chops on an outdoor grill is my preferred method. Not only do you get that char-crusted sear on the meat, but it also allows you to add a hint of real wood smoke flavor.

Preheat your grill to medium to medium-high heat (about 450°F). For a gas grill, use the temperature gauge; for a charcoal grill, use the method below (which I picked up from Steve Raichlen of grilling and barbecue fame).

Once the charcoal has cooked to embers and is no longer smoking, place your bare hand 3-4 inches above the hot coals and count… “One Mississippi, Two Mississippi…” etc. When it’s too hot to hold your hand over the flame, that indicates how hot the fire is (See chart below).

• Hot: Two to Three Mississippi
• Medium Hot: Four to Five Mississippi
• Medium: Six to Eight Mississippi
• Medium Low: Nine to Ten Mississippi
• Low: Eleven to Fourteen Mississippi

Four to five is where your grill should be for the veal chops.

How long should I grill veal chops?

Depending on their thickness, veal chops take little time on the grill or in the oven. These 1 ½” thick chops reached the correct temperature in less than 15 minutes. The key is to ensure your fire isn’t too hot or too low, have a water bottle handy in case of flare-ups, and don’t fuss with the chops on the grill. Let them cook. If your chops are thicker, you may have to reduce the heat and cook longer.

How to grill veal chops with dry smoke

A dry-smoke grilling technique lightly infuses the meat with subtle smoke, which we swear by for delicate veal chops.  Using dry wood chips in a smoker box instead of soaked wood chips creates a lighter smoke that kisses the veal without dousing it in heavy smoke flavor.  Sublime. 

Best types of wood chips for grilled veal chops

Because the Veal has such a subtle flavor, you don’t want to overpower it with smoke flavor.

We find that oak, cherry and apple wood all provide a nice smooth flavor that’s noticeable, but not overboard.

• Others to try: pecan, peach.
• Avoid: hickory and mesquite, they are too intense for the mild flavors of this veal chops recipe.

Cooking veal chops indoors

If you don’t have access to a grill, cook it indoors by searing the meat in a hot skillet and finishing it in the oven. Here’s how:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Place a nonstick grill pan or cast iron skillet on the stovetop, heat over medium-high heat, and let it heat up for about a minute.
3. Add the veal chops to the pan and cook for 3 minutes (without moving, poking or messing with them).
4. Use a pair of tongs to flip the veal chops in the skillet and transfer the pan to the oven to finish cooking. They should take another 10-15 minutes, but use an instant-read thermometer to be sure you’ve cooked them to the right doneness.

Can you eat veal pink-ish or medium rare?

Yes, it’s our preferred temperature. On chops like this, medium rare is very light pink but still cooked at the bone.

What’s the optimum internal temperature for veal chops?

For medium-rare, 145°-150° is the optimum temperature. We like to use a digital thermometer for more accuracy. My preferred brand is the Thermoworks Thermapen One  {affiliate link} because of its accurate instant-read display and sturdy, uncomplicated design (shown below).

Residual cooking is real

Keep in mind that meat continues to cook after its been removed from the heat source, so taking the grilled veal chops off at around 142° usually produces a good result.

If you like your meat more at medium temperature, leave it on at 145-147°, then remove it from the grill. Avoid cooking the meat rare, as it will be too soft and chewy.

FAQ’s

A great recipe for celebrations

This recipe has been on the website since 2014, and it’s a favorite with readers who have made these grilled veal chops to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. One couple’s move across the country (and away from their favorite restaurant had them making this recipe to recreate that popular dish at home. Here’s what they said:

“Our favorite restaurant on Long Island ages ago used to serve the best veal chops. Until I stumbled across your veal chop recipe, I could not replicate those wonderful flavors we had enjoyed for years. So my husband and I just wanted to say thank you —now that we live in Tucson —for enabling us to enjoy our favorite meal again many times over at home, using your recipe!” –Judith

What goes with grilled veal chops?

• Garlic Herb Flageolets (French Legumes)
• Simple Scalloped Potatoes
• Grilled Vegetable Tomato Mozzarella Caprese
• Spring Pesto Green Beans
• Tomatoes Provencal
• Roasted Duck Fat Potatoes
• Creamy Dijon Asparagus
• Farro Pilaf

More veal recipes you might like:

• Garlic Wine Braised Veal Shanks
• Veal and Pork Country Pate
• Simple Rustic Osso Buco
• Meatloaf with Mushroom Gravy

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