Homemade Lemon Pepper Seasoning

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Lemon pepper is a household staple, y'all. It's in every cabinet right next to the Cajun seasoning, the garlic powder, and the Old Bay, doing work in the crab boil, the roast chicken, the fish fillets.

But the last jar I bought was full of bright yellow dust: citric acid and Yellow #5. Sour, bitter, kinda soapy. I was like, "that tastes like cleaner!" and I never bought another one.

Of course, that meant I needed to make it from scratch.

Homemade lemon pepper seasoning takes three minutes and just 5 simple ingredients already in your pantry. There's dried lemon peel, coarsely ground black pepper, minced onion, a little salt, and garlic powder. Simple to make and the difference in flavor is insane -- definitely better than store-bought.

Ingredients Needed

• Dried lemon peel: Real peel is what makes this taste like lemon, because of the oils in the skin. Most grocery spice aisles have it, and there's always McCormick dried lemon peel online. You can also dry your fresh lemon zest in the oven or a dehydrator.
• Coarsely ground black pepper: those big bits of freshly ground pepper not only add texture but they give that spicy, peppery bite
• Granulated garlic: Rounds out the sharpness and gives the blend some backbone. Use granulated, not the powdered garlic, so it won't clump up in the jar.
• Dried minced onion: Not only does it add that savory-sweet onion flavor, but it adds more texture to our seasoning blend. Completely optional but I do love it.
• Kosher salt: Leave the salt out and season your dishes separately for easy low-sodium cooking.
• MSG: Optional...It's got a reputation it doesn't deserve, it's the perfect flavor booster!

How to Make Lemon Pepper Seasoning

Step 1

Combine the spices.

In a small bowl, whisk together the dried lemon peel, coarse black pepper, granulated garlic, dried minced onion, salt, and MSG (if you're using it) until it's evenly blended.

Step 2

Jar it and store it.

Funnel the mix into a clean spice jar with a tight lid and keep it somewhere cool and dry. Keep it stored correctly in a cool, dry area and your lemon pepper will stay good for 2-3 years.

A Word on MSG

I know MSG gets a bad rap, but that reputation is built on lies that trace straight back to racist scaremongering aimed at the Asian American community and the science never backed it.

MSG is a natural flavor enhancer that adds umami to food. You're already eating it in other foods like cheese, mushrooms, soy sauce, potato chips, and those crispy chicken sandwiches you love. Skip it if you want, just don't skip it over a baseless rumor.

Variations + Pro Tips

• Use fresh zest for a small batch: When I'm only making a little, I skip the drying and grind fresh zest right into the pepper with a mortar and pestle. It wakes up all those lemon oils. Fresh-zest blends have to stay in the fridge and get used within a week.
• Make it spicy: Add ½ teaspoon cayenne or red pepper flakes. It's so good on chicken wings.
• How much lemon pepper to use: About 2 tablespoons per pound of chicken, 1½ tablespoons per pound of seafood, 1 tablespoon per pound of vegetables.

5 Ingredient Lemon Pepper Seasoning

By: Eden Westbrook

5 from 9 votes

Skip the store-bought. This lemon pepper is made with real dried lemon zest and a handful of pantry spices, no sugar, no citric acid, no Yellow 5. Fabulous on wings, roast chicken, salmon, or anything you want to brighten up.

Prep Time: 3 minutes mins

Total Time: 3 minutes mins

48 servings

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Ingredients 

• ▢ ½ cup dried lemon peel
• ▢ ¼ cup coarsely ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoon granulated garlic
• ▢ 2 tablespoon dried minced onion, optional
• ▢ 2 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon MSG, optional

Instructions 

• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the dried lemon peel, coarsely ground black pepper, granulated garlic, dried minced onion, salt, and MSG until they are well combined.
  ½ cup dried lemon peel, ¼ cup coarsely ground black pepper, 2 tablespoon granulated garlic, 2 tablespoon dried minced onion, 2 teaspoon kosher salt , 1 teaspoon MSG
• Pour the lemon pepper seasoning into a spice jar with a lid and keep the blend in a dry, cool environment for up to 2 years.

Last step!Be sure to snap a pic and share on Instagram #sweetteaandthyme and tag me at @sweet_tea_thyme so we can all see!

Recipe Notes

Makes 1 cup.

Variations, Tricks, and Tips

• Make it salt-free — Leave the salt out and season your dishes separately. Easy swap for low-sodium cooking.
• Make it spicy — Add ½ teaspoon cayenne or red pepper flakes. Really good on wings.
• MSG vs. salt — They're not interchangeable. Salt seasons. MSG adds umami and boosts savoriness without adding saltiness. Use one, both, or neither if you are watching your salt.
• How much to use — 2 tablespoons per pound of chicken, 1½ tablespoons per pound of seafood, 1 tablespoon per pound of vegetables.
• Store away from the stove — Heat and humidity kill spice blends fast. Keep it in a cool, dry cabinet and it'll last up to two years.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1teaspoon, Calories: 5kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 0.2g, Fat: 0.05g, Saturated Fat: 0.02g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g, Sodium: 97mg (4%), Potassium: 25mg (1%), Fiber: 0.5g (2%), Sugar: 0.1g, Vitamin A: 7IU, Vitamin C: 1mg (1%), Calcium: 8mg (1%), Iron: 0.2mg (1%)