Lemon Pepper Marinade
Lemon Pepper Marinade is a quick and flavorful blend made with fresh lemon juice, zest, olive oil, garlic, and black pepper. This easy marinade infuses chicken, seafood, pork, or vegetables with zesty citrus and a peppery punch, making it ideal for grilling, baking, or sautéing. It’s a healthy, natural way to enhance your dishes without any artificial additives.
- Prep Time: 5min
- Total Time: 5min
- Yield: About ¾ cup (enough for 1 to 1.5 lbs of meat or veggies)
- Category: Main Course
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2–3 garlic cloves, minced
1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Optional: 1–2 tablespoons fresh herbs (dill, parsley, rosemary, or thyme)
Optional variations: Pinch of red pepper flakes or 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
Instructions
-
Prepare Ingredients: Zest and juice the lemons. Mince the garlic.
-
Mix: In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, garlic, black pepper, and salt until well combined.
-
Marinate: Place meat or vegetables in a resealable plastic bag or shallow dish. Pour marinade over them and ensure even coating.
-
Chill: Refrigerate while marinating:
-
Chicken: 30 minutes to 4 hours
-
Seafood: No more than 30 minutes
-
Vegetables : 30 minutes to 2 hours
-
-
Cook: Remove from marinade and grill, bake, or sauté as desired. Discard used marinade.
Notes
-
Make Ahead Tip: Prepare the marinade and refrigerate it up to one week in advance.
-
For Sauce: Reserve some marinade before using on raw meat and heat on the stove to serve as a drizzle.
-
Less Tangy: Add a teaspoon of honey to mellow the lemon’s acidity.
-
Freezer Friendly: Combine with meat and freeze—thaw before cooking.
-
Do not reuse marinade that has touched raw meat.
Find it online: https://thefamilycooking.com/lemon-pepper-marinade/
