Get ready to make this tasty Lemon Pepper Seasoning. This homemade seasoning tastes great on chicken, veggies, and seafood. It's a great way to add a burst of flavor to any dish.
This is one of our favorite seasonings to put on chicken. We make this all year long and store it in the cupboard whenever we need to add flavor to a dish. It's especially great on grilled chicken during the summer.
We love when we can make our own seasonings! Try our salmon seasoning, pot roast seasoning, steak seasoning recipe, Cajun Butter Sauce, homemade Buffalo Sauce, hello fresh fry seasoning, and Chicken Taco Seasoning.
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Ingredients
Below is a list of ingredients used for this recipe. Be sure to use quality ingredients for the best recipe experience.
- Lemons- It's important to have actual lemons and not lemon juice for this recipe. We love using Meyer lemons.
- Black peppercorns- To give that iconic taste use black peppercorn instead of ground black pepper.
- Salt- To enhance the flavor of the lemons and add extra flavor.
- Garlic powder- Because this is a shelf stable spice blend, make sure you don't use minced garlic.
- Onion powder- Onion powder allows you to get a great onion taste without have to use dried onions.
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Lemon Pepper Seasoning
Use these step-by-step process photos to enhance your recipe experience. Refer to them when needed!
- Peel the lemon trying to only get the yellow part. You want as little pith (the white part) as possible.
2. Bake the lemon peels in the oven for 2 to 2.5 hours at 175 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Add the baked lemon peel and peppercorn to a food processor. Blend until it's the desired texture.
4. Add the additional spices with the blended peppercorn and lemon peels. Mix thoroughly so everything is evenly distributed.
Hint: Try your best not to peel the white part of the lemon!
Helpful Hints
Start with fresh, high-quality ingredients. Grate or peel fresh lemon zest for the best flavor. Choose whole black peppercorns and crush them just before mixing them together.
It's really important to store this homemade seasoning in a dry place. Any residual moisture can cause clumping.
How To Serve
Sprinkle this seasoning on chicken pieces or whole chicken before grilling. The zesty and slightly spicy flavor pairs great with grilled chicken.
Toss vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, or zucchini in a drizzle of olive oil and a generous sprinkle of lemon pepper before roasting.
Looking for a natural complement to seafood? Use it as a dry rub on fish fillets, shrimp, or scallops before grilling or pan-searing.
Add it to our Turkey Injection Recipe. It will add a nice flavor to the whole turkey.
Learn From Us
You may need to adjust the balance of flavors depending on your taste preferences. The first time we made with we added way to much peppercorn. It overpowered the lemon flavor and it wasn't quite where we wanted it to be. While we feel like this is a great balance of the two flavors, you may need to adjust the spices to get the perfect fit for your taste.
Storing Lemon Pepper Seasoning
Store in a dry environment in an air-tight container, for up to 2 months. We don't suggest you freeze this recipe.
Top tip
Be sure to completely dry out and cool the lemon peel before mixing with the other ingredients. You don't want any unwanted moisture mixing with the spice blend.
Related
Recipe
Lemon Pepper Seasoning
Ingredients
- 5 large lemons use 10, if they are small lemons
- 3 Tablespoons black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 175° F. Peel or zest the lemons. Be careful to get as little pith (the white stuff just below the skin) as possible. I found peeling to be faster and easier. Spread out the lemon peel on a parchment lined baking sheet so that it is in a single layer. Bake for 2- 2.5 hours until dry. See notes below for dehydrator instructions.
- Remove lemon peel from oven and allow to cool. After it has cooled, place in a spice grinder or blender with the peppercorns and blend until desired coarseness is achieved. Stir in the salt, garlic powder and onion.
Notes
- To make this in a dehydrator, place lemon peels in dehydrator and set to 135°F. Dehydrate for about 40 minutes or more if needed.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Andrea says
What a fun recipe! This is such a good homemade lemon pepper seasoning made with real lemons!!!