Homemade Lemon Pepper Seasoning Recipe

What Makes This Recipe Great

• 🍋 Real dried lemon peel for bold, true citrus flavor.
• 🧂 Only 6 ingredients, no fillers or anti-caking agents.
• 🕐 Can dry out lemon peels ahead of time.
• 🥣 Comes together in a spice grinder or blender in minutes.
• ✅ Gluten free happens naturally, without additives.
• 🫙 Keeps for months in an airtight jar.
• 🔢 Easy to double of triple if needed.

Lemon pepper seasoning comes together from six pantry staples: dried lemon peel, whole peppercorns, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of sugar. A few of these are worth a closer look before you start.

• Lemons – You need the peels only, not the juice or the pith. A vegetable peeler or a Y-peeler works best because it takes off a thin layer of just the yellow zest. If you’re short on time, you can substitute 2 to 3 tablespoons of store-bought dried lemon peel and skip the drying step entirely.
• Whole peppercorns – Whole peppercorns that you grind yourself taste noticeably fresher and sharper than pre-ground pepper. If you don’t have a spice grinder, use a small blender or a small food processor, or even a small coffee grinder. A mortar and pestle or even a rolling pin will work but will take a bit of effort.
• Sugar – Just a pinch to balance out the citrus and pepper without making the blend sweet.

1. Peel the lemons. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the very outer yellow skin of lemon (zest), and none of the white pith! (It’s best to use Y peeler or a citrus peeler, those tent to take off skin without the pith better.)
2. Spread into an even layer. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and spread the lemon peels in the pan in one even layer.

5. Blend it together. Place the dried lemon, whole peppercorns, coarse salt, and sugar into a spice grinder or a high-powered blender. Blend until it’s ground into small texture and no large chunks remain.
6. Add remaining spices. Mix together with the garlic powder, and onion powder and pour into an air-tight glass jar with a lid for storage.

Uses For Lemon Pepper Seasoning

• This is the perfect seasoning for a variety of dishes like baked chicken drumsticks, healthy baked salmon and lemon pepper chicken pasta.
• When it comes to chicken, you can really use it on any cut you like best. One of my favorite things to make is lemon pepper grilled chicken wings! You can use it on thighs, breasts, or even a whole roasted bird (like the best spatchcock chicken).
• Lemon pepper shrimp has always been a go-to summer recipe that I make when the weather is nice and hot. Lemon pepper seasoning is also great on some simple pan seared white fish.
• Mix some lemon pepper seasoning with softened butter as a flavored butter topping!
• Or, mix it into creamy or wine based sauces.
• I also really like to combine it with mayo to make a fun and easy aioli spread for sandwiches.
• Comment below and let me know if you use it in a way you didn’t see mentioned here!
• You can also use it in dinners like Lemon Pepper Rotisserie Chicken Salad, Truffle Lemon Pepper Roasted Potatoes, Lemon Asparagus Pasta, Lemon Risotto with Lemon Pepper Shrimp.

Storage Instructions

You can store lemon pepper seasoning for up to 6 months in an airtight container at room temperature. To keep it around for even longer, you can freeze it for up to 2 years!

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.