Lemon Pepper is a favorite for everyone! You can use it on so much more than just chicken wings. Citrusy, aromatic, with the perfect floral notes of freshly cracked pepper, this simple blend is a must for your kitchen. Check out how I make this amazing lemon pepper with fresh lemon zest.
There’s a reason this simple blend reigns most popular as a dry rub for chicken wings! It takes salt and pepper to a whole new level. That burst of citrus is such a flavor upgrade. You could even replace your regular pinch bowl of salt and pepper with this versatile blend.
I’ll use this recipe sprinkled over chicken, fish, to season a creamy pasta sauce, or roasting veggies; it’s such a winner. This is a time where homemade versus the store-bought spice mix really makes a difference. Using real lemon zest over artificial the artificial flavoring you’ll find in lemon pepper at the grocery store goes a long way.
Ingredients
Keep scrolling down to the recipe card for a list of FULL ingredient amounts and instructions or click the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of the page!
- Lemon zest – Use a microplane to get the perfect size of zest for this blend.
- Pepper – If you have a pepper mill, twist it to the most coarse setting. Otherwise, buy coarse-ground pepper,
- Salt – Any type you have.
- Garlic powder and Onion powder – You can use as much or little as you like.
How to make lemon pepper
- Preheat your oven to 170F, or your oven’s lowest heat setting.*
- Mix the ingredients together in a bowl. Spread the mixture out on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the lemon zest is completely dried out.
- Transfer the lemon pepper to an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place.
*Every oven is different, and your lowest heat setting may be higher than mine. If your oven doesn’t go as low as 170F, just set it to whichever is the lowest temperature your oven can go.
When you first take it out of the oven your lemon pepper will like in the picture below, so if it’s too coarse for you liking, transfer it to a food processor or a spice or coffee grinder and pulse it until you get the desired consistency.
Can I use an air fryer?
Absolutely! If you’re looking to spend less time with the oven on, heating up your home, or the oven is already being utilized in other ways, you can use that handy air fryer.
Spread the lemon pepper on a sheet fitted for your air fryer. Preheat your air fryer to 170F and cook the lemon pepper for 20-25 minutes. Since your air fryer sheet pan will be smaller than what you’d use in an oven, you’ll have to stir the lemon pepper every 5-7 minutes to make sure every bit has an opportunity to dry out.
You can also use a toaster oven following the same instructions as the air fryer.
Why do I have to bake it?
This process, using a nice and low heat, is simply to dry out the moisture from the fresh lemon zest. You won’t see any color or browning from the baking on the ingredients or any change to the flavor.
If there is any moisture present when storing your lemon pepper, you could risk having mold form and spoil the spice blend. With this quick step, your lemon pepper will last much longer and be perfectly safe to consume!
What to make with lemon pepper
If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll know I love anything to do with lemon pepper! Here are some of my favorite recipes that I’ve made with this wonderful ingredient:
Lemon pepper is such a great seasoning for poultry and seafood. Try it over some shrimp or scallops seared with butter, tossed with fresh garlic and parmesan cheese and roasted over veggies, or even as a really nice and simple way to enjoy buttered noodles.
How long will my blend last?
Store your lemon pepper in an airtight container or jar with a tight seal. It’ll last 3-4 years in a cool, dark, dry environment such as your pantry or spice drawer. I like to label my spice blends with the date I mixed them to make it easier for me to keep track of them.
If you’re using a freshly washed container to store your blend, make sure it is completely dry before adding the blend. I mean, you just went through all that trouble to dry it out in the first place! Let the jar or container sit upside down on a drying rack for at least 20-30 minutes if it’s recently been washed before storing the lemon pepper.
Check out these easy homemade spice blends:
- Seasoning Salt
- Chili Powder
- Taco Seasoning
- Fajita Seasoning
- Homemade Poultry Seasoning
- Moroccan Spice Blend
- Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
- Cajun Seasoning
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Lemon Pepper
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp lemon zest
- ¼ cup coarse ground pepper
- 2 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 170F, or your oven's lowest heat setting.*
- Mix the ingredients together in a bowl. Spread the mixture out on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the lemon zest is completely dried out.
- Transfer the lemon pepper to an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place.
Recipe Notes
- *Every oven is different, and your lowest heat setting may be higher than mine. If your oven doesn’t go as low as 170F, just set it to whichever is the lowest temperature your oven can go.
- Recipe yields 9.5 tablespoons. Nutrition information is per 1/2 tbsp.
- When you first take it out of the oven your lemon pepper will be a little coarse so if you’d like, transfer it to a food processor or a spice or coffee grinder and pulse it until you get the desired consistency.
- Store your lemon pepper in an airtight container or jar with a tight seal. It’ll last 3-4 years in a cool, dark, dry environment such as your pantry or spice drawer. I like to label my spice blends with the date I mixed them to make it easier for me to keep track of them.
- If you’re using a freshly washed container to store your blend, make sure it is completely dry before adding the blend. I mean, you just went through all that trouble to dry it out in the first place! Let the jar or container sit upside down on a drying rack for at least 20-30 minutes if it’s recently been washed before storing the lemon pepper.
I’m wondering if you could do this in an air fryer?
Oh, I haven’t thought about it, but I don’t see why not!
Thanks Jo for answering me. I know that the air fryer can be set at the low temperature called for in the recipe. Also as summer is heating up here in Texas, doing this in the air fryer will keep my kitchen from heating up. Thanks again and I am getting the lemons for this as soon as I get to the grocery store.
It’s a great idea! We’re added it to the post 🙂 Thank you for the inspo!
sounds like a great idea. But one question. Why not just dry the lemon zest on its own first and then mix it with the other dry ingredients after
You can do that, but you’ll miss out on some lovely toasty flavor in the spice blend.
👍👍 great ideal did the recipe in my dehyrator add a little of fresh basil and fresh tarragon cook it all together, flavorful roasting season