Make this bold and versatile Lemon Pepper Seasoning for a homemade spice blend that you can use for your favorite recipes. This seasoning is bursting with citrusy lemon flavor and only requires a few other seasonings for a full and balanced taste.
Easy and quick to make, this recipe only asks for a few ingredients. You’ll love using this homemade seasoning on fish, veggies, chicken, and so much more!

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💚 Why You'll Love This Recipe
Looking for a seasoning blend with the perfect amount of zing? This homemade lemon pepper seasoning is a must-try! It combines classic savory flavors with a distinct burst of citrus for the perfect balance.
This seasoning mix is excellent for fish, chicken, and more. You'll love this versatile combination of simple seasonings as a final touch in all your favorite dishes!
And if you love having customizable spice blends around, try this Homemade Pizza Seasoning to take your weekly pizza night to the next level!
🧂 Ingredients Needed
- black pepper - rounds out the flavor with a classic peppery flavor.
- sea salt - boosts the flavors of the other seasonings.
- onion powder - gives your seasoning mix another layer to expand the flavor profile.
- dried lemon zest - provides the critical citrus flavor that makes this blend so irresistible.
- garlic powder - pairs well with the onion powder and finishes off the blend with another familiar and comforting taste.
🔪 Instructions
- Place pepper, salt, onion powder, lemon zest, and garlic powder in a bowl.
- Mix well and store in a cool, dry place.
❔ FAQs
Most lemon pepper blends include dried lemon zest in addition to black pepper and salt. Some also include ingredients like garlic powder and onion powder for additional flavor.
As prepared in this recipe, lemon pepper doesn't have much heat to it. There's a very slight pungency from the black pepper and a tang from the lemon zest, but it's not spicy.
The most forward flavor will be the slightly floral and sour lemon, which is balanced by woody pepper and other umami flavors for a unique but versatile seasoning blend.
💭 Expert Tips and Tricks
- This seasoning should be used in the same quantity as any store-bought lemon pepper blend.
- When it comes to homemade seasoning blends, I recommend using the most fresh and high quality components as possible for the best results.
- Dried lemon zest can be made from scratch from fresh lemon zest. To get 5 tablespoons, you'll need to zest around 10 lemons and allow the zest to dry.
- You can also speed up the drying process by placing your lemon zest in the oven at its lowest temperature. For easy clean up, use a baking tray covered in parchment paper.
📌 With a bright citrus tang and a balance of familiar savory flavors, this seasoning blend is an excellent addition to any spice cabinet. Best of all, you can quickly and easily make it with your own seasonings!
💡 Substitutions and Variations
- Feel free to customize the proportions of various ingredients to get a blend that works best for your taste.
- If you want to add some heat, include red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper in your seasoning blend.
- For a super authentic flavor, use a spice grinder and black peppercorns for fresh black pepper.
- Extra sourness can be achieved by incorporating citric acid.
- Other flavors you might want to incorporate include celery seed, dill, saffron, basil, or oregano.
🥫 Storage
Keep your lemon pepper blend in a cool and dry place to avoid clumping. Store in a mason jar, spice jar, or any other glass jar. Your spice blend should last at least 5 months at room temperature, so it's good to make in large quantities if you foresee yourself using it often.
🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
You'll love using this lemon pepper blend on chicken wings, french fries, salads, soups, and more. Use it to enhance any one of these delicious recipes: Slow Cooker Pork Roast with Lemon and Rosemary, One Skillet Creamy Lemon Chicken, Baked Breaded Lemon Chicken, or One Skillet Garlic Chicken with Rice.
✔️ More Seasoning Blend Recipes You'll Love
- Homemade Ranch Seasoning - Perfect for dips, dressings, and to doctor up your favorite dishes!
- Homemade Greek Seasoning - Add a quick and simple Greek flair to any dish.
- Homemade French Fry Seasoning - Take simple homemade fries and make them gourmet with this combination of seasonings.
- Homemade Steak Seasoning - This easy seasoning blend is perfect to take your steak dinners to the next level.
- Italian Seasoning - You'll love this mix of spices from Spend with Pennies that's perfect to season your favorite Italian dishes!
Homemade Lemon Pepper Recipe
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📋 Recipe Card
Lemon Pepper Seasoning
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons dried lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 tablespoons pepper
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients into a small bowl and mix to combine.5 tablespoons dried lemon zest, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoons sea salt, 2 tablespoons pepper
- Place in an airtight container such as a spice jar and store in a dry area.
Notes
- Customize as desired to your preferences by adjusting the amounts of the different ingredients to taste.
- High quality and fresh ingredients will yield the best tasting result.
- To make your own dried lemon zest, zest and dry about 10 lemons to give you about 5 tablespoons.
- Use this seasoning in the same amount as you would for store-bought lemon pepper seasoning.
- This seasoning will stay fresh for about 5 months. It often lasts more than 5 months in the right conditions, but check the freshness before proceeding just to be sure.
- Store in a dry area to prevent the seasoning mix from clumping together.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
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Kerri says
I love this seasoning! I never thought of making my own lemon pepper but I will definitely be doing it from now on!
Natalie says
Wow this looks amazing! I actually just bought something like this and never thought of making it myself. Can't wait to make it instead now!
Carrie Robinson says
I just love making my own seasonings! 🙂 I can't wait to try this on chicken and fish. 🙂
Justine says
Lemon pepper is one of my favorite seasonings - I never knew how easy it was to make at home!
Sharon says
This lemon pepper seasoning was so good on top of broasted fish, it added so much flavor!