Make dinnertime magic with homemade Lemon Pepper Seasoning, a bright, zesty, and savory blend of fresh lemon zest, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
The fresh zest sets this recipe apart, making it far superior to store-bought or even other homemade blends containing dried lemon peel. No drying or baking required--just instant flavor in every sprinkle. No fuss, no oven time, only pure, zesty goodness in every bite, perfect for chicken, shrimp, salmon, and more.
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What is Lemon Pepper Seasoning?
Lemon pepper seasoning is a bright, citrusy spice blend that highlights the flavor of lemon and black pepper. Most often, it is made with dried lemon peel, black pepper, and savory spices like garlic and onion.
This is a fresh take on a dried spice blend in which the lemon peel stays fresh, meaning there's no wait time for when you can put this zesty blend to use on chicken wings, seafood, veggies, and more.
Why You'll Love this Recipe
Tried + True | I love this seasoning so much and have used it for years in my kitchen, serving it at everything from big family dinners to game day feasts. It's my go-to for easy baked lemon pepper chicken, and the crowd always goes wild for my lemon pepper wings.
Instant Flavor | This recipe is made with fresh lemon zest. Lemon zest oil is packed with fresh citrus flavor and instantly adds a bright, citrusy hit to any protein or veggie it touches.
Quick + Easy | No drying zest or long oven times. No spice grinder needed. It comes together with just five ingredients, and in less than five minutes, it's ready to use.
Versatile | The best part? Its uses don't stop at chicken. It's also my secret weapon for fish (like baked cod), shrimp, and even roasted turkey. In fact, you can even combine it with mayonnaise for one of the most delicious sandwich spreads you've ever tasted. It's a versatile seasoning blend I trust to deliver flavor without fail, every single time.
Lemon Pepper Seasoning Ingredients
Fresh Lemon Zest | Lemon zest is like lemon juice on steroids, adding bright, citrus oils to the spice blend. So much fresh flavor and zest! No baking or drying time--just instant flavor
Kosher Salt | The go-to spice for all of my spice blends. A larger, coarser grain of salt distributes more evenly than a fine-grain salt, enhancing all the other flavors in the spice blend.
Black Pepper | You can use store-bought, coarse-ground pepper for convenience or grind your own peppercorns for a brighter, more pronounced peppery flavor.
Garlic + Onion Powder | This blend is delicious with lemon zest, salt, and pepper, but in order to make it extra savory and give the blend great depth of flavor, garlic and onion powder round out the flavors, making it extra rich and beyond satisfying.
How Make Homemade Lemon Pepper Seasoning
Zest the lemon, grind the peppercorns (if desired), then combine lemon zest, Kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl.
Rub the spice blend between your fingers until well-mixed and combined.
FAQs
Yes! If you prefer to use dried lemon peel, you can sub that in. One lemon typically yields 1 tablespoon of zest. Dried lemon peel is more concentrated, so to replace the zest of 1 lemon, you would only need 1 teaspoon of dried lemon peel.
Since this lemon pepper seasoning contains fresh lemon zest, it won't last as long as mixes made with dried spices. Fresh lemon pepper seasoning should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and used within 3-4 days.
5 More Homemade Spice Blends to Try
Lemon Pepper Seasoning
Ingredients
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt (reduce to 1 ½ teaspoon if using for seafood)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine lemon zest, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Rub the together mixture between your fingertips, allowing it to fall back into the bowl until well combined.
- Use about 1 tablespoon of lemon pepper seasoning per pound of chicken or seafood.
- Store leftover lemon pepper seasoning sealed in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Discard any leftover seasoning that has come into contact with raw chicken or seafood.
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