I find that I really enjoy using fresh lemon juice in many of my recipes, such as Chicken Piccata. Especially since our family lives in a place where fresh citrus is everywhere. This Lemon Pepper Seasoning Blend was born when I wanted to find a way to use up all the leftover lemon and lime zest!
I used leftover peel cleaning products Sometimes, but I’ve also found a way to dry/dehydrate them for food use. I had been using lemon zest, salt and pepper in many recipes when I realized I should have them pre-mixed and ready.
And it’s cheaper and healthier than lemon pepper seasoning from the grocery store! Most of the time, store-bought spices have a lot of synthetic food-like ingredients added to them.
How to Make Lemon Pepper
The process is very simple and you can do it in one of two ways. If you’re using fresh lemon peels (lime works too), you’ll need to dry them in an oven or dehydrator first. I then mixed the fresh dried peel with whole peppercorns and salt. A food processor or spice grinder will work well for this.
For a faster version, you can mix pre-dried lemon peel granules with black pepper and salt. I’ve included links to all the different ingredients in the recipe below.
Lemon pepper seems to be a polarizing spice, so if it’s not your thing, check out my other Herb and spice blendit’s here.
What to pair with lemon dressing
I didn’t think I liked lemon pepper until pregnancy cravings got me hooked on it. And the fascination never went away. It’s perfect for everything in my opinion, and it adds a nice, slightly spicy lemony flavor to the food. To give meats and vegetables an extra salty flavor, add a little onion powder and garlic powder as well.
I like to use this seasoning in recipes like this:
Here’s how to make your own lemon pepper!
Homemade Lemon Pepper Seasoning Recipe
Homemade lemon pepper seasoning contains lemon or lime zest, pepper and salt and is a great addition to fish, chicken or vegetables.
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If using fresh lemons, preheat oven to lowest temperature. Grate the lemons thoroughly and spread the fresh lemons on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
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Place in the oven at the lowest temperature until completely dry. Mine took about 70 minutes.
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Once completely dry, place the peppercorns and salt in a food processor and blend until well blended. If making with pre-dried lemon zest, simply place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until combined.
nutrient content
Homemade Lemon Pepper Seasoning Recipe
Serving size (1 teaspoon)
Calories 3
% Daily Value*
fat 0.03g0%
Saturated fat 0.01g0%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.01g
Monounsaturated fat 0.01g
sodium 764 mg33%
Potassium 14 mg0%
carbohydrate 1 g0%
Fiber 0.4g2%
0.1g sugar0%
protein 0.1g0%
Vitamin A 6IU0%
Vitamin C 2 mg2%
calcium 6 mg1%
iron 0.1 mg1%
*Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Store in a sealed jar or airtight container in a cupboard.
Do you make your own seasonings?