15 Elevated Recipes That Use Ground Veal Instead of Ground Beef
Whether you find it ethical to eat veal or not, there’s no denying how good it tastes. Saddled with some extra ground veal that you’re trying to use? Though in most situations you can use ground veal like ground beef, you can also cook dishes that highlight the veal itself.
It can taste like a burger if you need it to, but it’s a versatile ingredient and can fold into veggie-forward dishes just as easily. Need some inspiration? Here are 15 ground veal recipes.
Veal Moussaka
Moussaka is pretty common in Greek cooking, but if you’re not familiar with it, think of it as a casserole-meets-lasagna type of dish, with eggplant instead of pasta. Moussaka frequently calls for ground meat, and since veal and eggplant are already buddies, this works.
Recipe: SOS Cuisine
Orecchiette with Veal, Capers, and White Wine
Ground veal works in a slew of Italian pasta sauces, with options for ragù, bolognese, and plenty more. If you don’t have a favorite, consider this recipe for orecchiette, with veal, capers, and white wine. You’ll want to bust out the high-quality olive oil for this one.
Recipe: Food & Wine
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Veal Meatballs
Ground meat of any type makes a great meatball, and veal is no exception. Have you ever had a pork and beef meatball? That’s what these will taste like, since veal already kind of tastes like a combination between the two.
Recipe: Eat Picks
Related: Cheap and Easy Beef Recipes You Can Make for Dinner
Veal and Mushroom Meatloaf with Bacon
Veal and mushrooms are an age-old pairing, so bringing those complimentary flavors together in some meatloaf seems like a smart move. The crunchy bacon on the top just feels like a bonus.
Recipe: Food & Wine
Related: 15 Quick and Easy Lettuce Wrap Recipes
Veal Kefta
Moroccan grilling isn’t complete without kefta, a meatball-ish grilled patty. Any table piled high with Lebanese hummus, salads, and flatbread is in need of some good kefta.
Recipe: Moroccan Veal Kefta
Veal Burgers
You probably didn’t need me to tell you that you can swap ground veal for ground beef in a burger, but I’m telling you anyway. You can smash ‘em. You can give ‘em the Oklahoma onion burger treatment. You can do ‘em just about any way you want, though keep in mind that veal is a lot leaner than beef, so you might need to work a little harder to make them nice and juicy.
Recipe: Adriana's Best Recipes
Stuffed Vegetables
Whether it’s cabbage, eggplant, or mushrooms, ground veal is probably most ideal for stuffing into veggies. This recipe for cabbage rolls uses both pork and veal, for a little extra richness.
Recipe: Not Quite Nigella
Veal Steamed Dumplings
Ground pork is usually what you’ll find in steamed dumplings like this, but veal is always welcome. Wrapping dumplings is hard, so better start practicing.
Recipe: Ramona’s Cuisine
Classic Veal Kalfskroketten
Do you even Kalfskroketten, bro? These things are Dutch croquettes, and cafés and bars in the Netherlands are known for them. Now you can recreate the Dutch experience at home. And maybe pair a THC seltzer with it to really recreate the Dutch experience.
Recipe: The Spruce Eats
Veal Keema
Indian food very rarely features beef, but in Pakistan you might find the south Asian meat curry made with veal. You can dump this over rice, spoon it over some roti, or embrace fusion cooking and make a tortilla burrito. No wrong answers.
Recipe: Cooking Channel
Ground Veal Bulgogi
Korean bulgogi is generally served in long, thin strips of beef, but you can actually bring out the same flavor in ground meat. With the sesame oil and kimchi, you’ll hardly notice that it’s ground; this recipe for beef should have no issues when veal is subbed in.
Recipe: Beyond Kimchee
Ground Veal Parmigiana
Who says you can’t eat veal parm? Just give the veal mixture you’d normally turn into a patty some love in the form of tomato sauce and melty mozzarella, and you’re in business.
Recipe: Weis Markets
Veal Empanadas
The Argentinian specialty works with just about every filling you can think of. Take these for a swim in some fresh chimichurri and pat yourself on the back. And whatever you do, don’t forget the egg wash.
Recipe: Recipe Tin Eats
Cannelloni Florentine
Did you know this was a thing? I didn’t. Cannelloni is somewhere between enchiladas and lasagna which is already a blessing, but now I think I’m ready to take a trip to Florence.
Recipe: Allrecipes
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