I received my new VT a few weeks ago and the first recipe that caught my eye was for Lemon Pepper Arugula Chips. I discovered Kale chips last year and loved them. So of course I was excited to try it out with arugula. Unfortunately, the lemon pepper seasoning must have gotten thrown out when we moved. Hmmm….what to do?? I knew I didn’t need much seasoning and I didn’t have a lot of lemons so I thought I would make do with what I had and give it a try.
Thanks to the help of Simply Scratch’s easy directions, whipping up this homemade version was a breeze. I wish I could say the same for the arugula chips. A few of them did crisp up, but for the most part it was more like sautéed arugula. Great taste thanks to the seasoning, just not the best texture. If you are in a pinch when it comes to seasonings, search around your kitchen for what you can create and save yourself $4 and a trip to the store.
Homemade Lemon Pepper Seasoning
Adapted from Simply Scratch
Ingredients
- Zest of 3 lemons, about 1 -2 tbsp
- Crushed black pepper, 2-3 tbsp
- Sea Salt, 1 tbsp
1. Preheat toaster oven to lowest setting.
2. In a large bowl, combine lemon zest and black pepper. Cover metal pan fitted for toaster oven with foil and spread mixture evenly in pan. Allow to bake low and slow until zest is completely dried. Mine took about 26-30 minutes.
3. Transfer lemon-pepper mixture to a bowl. Using the back of a spoon (or spice grinder if you have one), crush mixture until desired texture is achieved. Mix in salt, 1 tsp at a time. Continue to add salt until you have the right balance to fit your taste.
Notes
- Depending on size of lemons, you may need more lemons.
- If you want more of a lemon taste, reduce pepper or add more lemon zest.
- Seasoning may be kept in an air tight container for a few months.
Great! I will stash this away for whenever I need lemon pepper. I can’t say I’ve ever used it before. Not sure how that’s possible.
Thanks Erin! I don’t use it much either but maybe I’ll use it more now that I have it around.
Sounds easy enough, and I do love lemon pepper, I think I’ll give this a try… lemon pepper works wonders on grilled wings. Yum!
I absolutely love your recipe and blogs. So glad that I decided to follow. Thanks for sharing. 
Love this. I’m embarrassed to say, I have the pre-made seasoning. But this recipe is awesome! I’m so going to make my own now.
I don’t know how I missed this post! Love it! Definitely going to do this.
I’m a bit late here but I just wanted to say thanks for the so-simple but indispensable recipe. Here in Scotland we don’t get lemon-pepper but as I am from Florida I import my own on visits home. Now I don’t have to worry about my supply running low. Cheers!
Hope you like it Kelly! I didn’t add any additional herbs or seasonings like most mass produced lemon pepper seasonings do. Have fun playing around with different add-ins and hopefully it comes close to your favorite import.
Thanks! I’m being snowed in today and wanted to try a new recipe tonight that calls for lemon pepper seasoning. I just made up a batch of this and it was so easy! Thanks for posting it.