Skip the store-bought and make your own, Homemade Lemon Pepper Seasoning with just a little time and a couple of incredibly simple ingredients! You'll be amazed at how easy it is and how much better it is to be able to control exactly what goes into your own spice blends.
One of the fundamental reasons why we created this blog in 2013 was to learn how to cut out the store-bought and make whatever we could at home and from scratch. Homemade seasonings and condiments have been fundamental in that journey, and I cannot believe it's taken so long for us to finally create our own Homemade Lemon Pepper Seasoning!
Ingredients Needed
- Lemon - Key to Lemon Pepper Seasoning, right? We use the peel from fresh lemons.
- Peppercorns - Whole peppercorns are best so that it all can grind up together.
- Kosher Salt - This is our go-to salt to use because it's the purest form of salt.
- Garlic Powder - Just a lil touch to add a garlic essence.
Easy to Make
Dehydrate / Dry Lemon Peels
Key to a homemade lemon pepper seasoning, of course, the lemon! We love to use our food dehydrator for this because it doesn't heat up the whole kitchen and it's just so easy. But of course, you can use your oven on a low setting too - see the recipe notes for those instructions.
Blend!
Once your lemon peels are ready, then the final step for this lemon pepper seasoning is adding the second most important ingredient, peppercorns, and a little salt and just a touch of garlic powder.
We love our Vitamix for this, but you can use whatever high-powered blender you have or a spice blender if you have one.
Blend to the grind that you want, and then you're done! Could a Homemade Lemon Pepper Seasoning get any easier?
This recipe makes the perfect amount for our little 2 oz mason jars, which is how we store our spices in our spice drawer in our kitchen. See our drawer here!
FAQs
Of course! Get that lemon peel off of the lemon however you want, I just find that peeling is so much easier, and faster.
Of course, but it will take longer, about 2-3 hours in the oven. Also if you like to make your own seasonings, then I can't recommend a good dehydrator, more. (Hint: You'll love our Onion Soup Mix From Scratch)
Sure can. You can up the salt level, add some onion powder, or even add a little savory element with some oregano, basil, or cilantro!
1.65 oz, which is just a little less than what you get when you buy it jarred from the store.
Fresh spices can technically last up to two years, however, over time they start to lose flavor. The best time frame for this lemon pepper is usually about 3-6 months. But you could also store it in the freezer for even longer!
Now, what recipe will you make first with this new, from-scratch, ingredient-controlled new spice in your spice drawer?
May I suggest our Lemon Pepper Chicken? Or perhaps by buddy the Cozy Cook's Lemon Chicken Pasta? Stay tuned for more ways we put this vibrant spice to work in our future recipes!
Enjoy! As always, if you make this recipe or any of my others, I love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below, email me, or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
If you want to see more, be sure to sign up for my 5 Easy Ways to Start Cooking From Scratch!
Homemade Lemon Pepper Seasoning
Equipment
- Vitamix or another high powered blender or spice blender
Ingredients
- 1.25 oz black peppercorns 1/4 cup
- .4 oz dried lemon peels peels from approximately 4 lemons
- .55 oz kosher salt 2 teaspoons
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- With a paring knife or a good peeler, peel lemons, being sure to leave as much of the white part on the lemon as possible.
- Line peels on a food dehydrator tray, set dehydrator for 135 degrees and dehydrate for 1 hour until lemon peels are dried.
- Add lemon peels, peppercorns, kosher salt, and garlic powder to Vitamix or another high powered blender or spice blender. Blend until it's a preferred grind.
- Store in an airtight container in spice drawer or add to a freezer for extended storage.
Excellent recipe, but your math is incorrect. 1.25+0.4+0.55+0.03 = 2.23 oz., not 1.65
Converted to metric:
35.4 grams black pepper
11.4 grams dehydrated lemon peel
15.6 grams Kosher salt
0.85 grams garlic powder (= 1.7 grams granulated garlic)
I use up so much lemon pepper seasoning, but never thought about making it homemade! Great idea - excited to give it a try!
Enjoy, Ann!
This is my first time making this and it is so good and easy! Thank you!
I have to try this one, this dressing sounds so flavourful. So easy and versatile.