Lemon pepper seasoning is my go-to seasoning on seafood, fish, chicken, and even beef. It’s tangy, savory, and bold in flavor, and you only need a few ingredients to make your own!

Lemon Pepper Recipe
It’s pretty easy to make your own lemon pepper seasoning at home. It’s also faster and cheaper, and you have better control of the ingredients used.
For those who have never tried making this seasoning before, it has a nice kick of pepper and an intense flavor of lemon. It makes it a must-have when making salad dressing, vinaigrette, marinades, and other dishes that need an extra ‘oomph’ factor.
I sometimes like to make my own seasonings at home because I have found them to be more cost-effective but most especially, I like how much control and flexibility it affords me. I can customize it to suit my taste or that of my family.
Additionally, if you live in areas where you cannot have ready access to lemon pepper seasoning or want to have some available for when you need it, you can make a huge batch ahead with this recipe.

What is Lemon Pepper seasoning?
Lemon pepper seasoning is a spice made from the dried peels of whole lemons. The dried peels are ground into a powder and mixed with black pepper and a few other spices. It adds an essence of lemon to any food.
This seasoning is such a game-changer when used to make fish, meat, chicken, turkey, marinade, salad dressing, or any other dish. It has just the right amount of zestiness from the lemons and spice from the pepper; you’ll completely love it.
What Ingredients Are in Lemon Pepper Seasoning?
The ingredients in this recipe are straightforward and easy to find — you probably already have them at home in your pantry. They include:
- Dried lemon zest: If you don’t have it already, you can see how to make it here.
- Black pepper: Grind the pepper (and the salt, if you use one with a coarser texture) until you get your preferred consistency.
- Kosher salt: You can also use regular table salt as an alternative. You can also completely take it out if you’re watching your salt intake.
- Thyme, garlic powder, and onion powder.
How To Make Lemon Pepper Seasoning
The process of making lemon pepper is relatively easy, especially if you already have a reasonable amount of dried lemon zest on hand. However, if you don’t, you can make some yourself at home in no time with this recipe.
- Grind the dried lemon peel or lemon zest with black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, and kosher salt, and it’s ready for use.
Tips
- As I mentioned before, it is easy to customize when making your own spice blend. You can add or remove spices and herbs as you deem fit.
- You can add it to any kind of cooked meat: steak, chicken, beef, fish, seafood, etc.
- Sprinkle some over your steamed vegetables, potatoes, or popcorn. You can also add some melted butter and drizzle it over your food.
- Use it in place of regular pepper for your marinades and salad dressings to add more flavor depth.
- It is also awesome in soups, pasta, and potato dishes.

What Other Spices Can You Use With Lemon Pepper?
Lemon pepper seasoning is so versatile. You can use it with almost anything. You can experiment with your dishes until you find out what combination you prefer the most. Here are some of my favorite spices to use alongside this seasoning:
- Dried oregano
- Dried basil
- Dried thyme
- Dried dill (particularly for fish or seafood dishes)
- Cilantro
- Saffron
- Ground chiles
How Long Can You Store Lemon Pepper Seasoning For?
Homemade lemon pepper seasoning can keep for up to 6 months if you store it in an airtight jar and keep away from all sources of moisture, heat, and light. This means you cannot store it in your fridge. Just put it in a cool, dry, dark corner of your pantry shelf and you should be fine.
Other Homemade Seasoning Recipes To Try:
- Caribbean Green Seasoning
- Taco Seasoning
- Homemade Creole Seasoning Blend
- Jamaican Jerk Seasoning Blend
- Homemade Suya Spice Blend

Homemade Lemon Pepper Seasoning
Ingredients
- ¼ cup dried lemon peel
- 1½ tablespoons black pepper
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt or add to taste
- ½ tablespoon thyme
- ½ tablespoon onion powder
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Put the black pepper and salt in the grinder and grind until mostly smooth. Add the dried lemon zest, thyme, garlic powder, and onion powder. Mix with the grinder for a few more seconds.
- Use as desired and store the remaining in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Store in a warm place away from moisture.
Notes
- You can add lemon pepper to any kind of cooked meat: steak, chicken, beef, fish, seafood, etc.
- Sprinkle some lemon pepper over your steamed vegetables, potatoes, or popcorn. You can also add some melted butter and drizzle it over your food.
- Use lemon pepper instead of regular pepper for your marinades and salad dressings to add more flavor depth.
- Lemon pepper is also awesome in soups, pasta, and potato dishes.
Nutrition
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