Looking for a zesty and versatile seasoning to elevate your dishes? This Whole30 Homemade Lemon Pepper Seasoning is an easy way to create a flavorful protein. It’s made with just five simple ingredients you can find at most grocery stores, making it accessible and budget-friendly. This seasoning is perfect for adding a burst of citrusy flavor to chicken, fish, vegetables, and more.
It starts with dried lemon zest. Lemon zest is created by grating lemon peel with a small grater, zester, or Microplane. We love using a microplane, as it is the fastest way to zest a peel. You can find the one we own and love here. Be sure to only zest the yellow part of the peel for this seasoning, as the white part is less flavorful and more bitter.
Once the peel is zested, it’s dehydrated in the oven. Cooking the zest at a low temperature for a long time creates this dehydrating effect. Though, you are welcome to do so in a food dehydrator if you have one. If you don’t want to make your own, some stores carry dried lemon zest or peel you can purchase instead.
After the peel is dehydrated, other spices – garlic powder, onion, powder, salt and pepper are added. A spice grinder or mini food processor can be used to create a more even texture to this seasoning, but it is not required.
Using just a few ingredients, this lemon pepper seasoning can be used for a variety of dishes. We love it as a base for our Lemon Rosemary Chicken Thighs recipe. Perfect for grilling season or an easy weeknight dinner seasoning.
Whole30 Lemon Pepper Seasoning and Dry-Rub
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup lemon zest (about the zest from two large lemons) yellow of the skin part only
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
Instructions
- PREHEAT oven to 170 degrees (or the lowest temperature your oven will go). Line a small baking sheet with parchment.
- SPREAD the lemon zest on the baking sheet in as thin of a layer as you can. Bake for 45 minutes or until it is starting to brown lightly. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- COMBINE dried zest, pepper, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder in a small bowl, spice grinder, or mini food processor. Mix well. Store in a sealed container.
